Product Description

In Francis's "best thriller" (Evening Standard), a movie star must give the performance of his life when he crosses paths with killers while investigating race-horse tampering in South Africa.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #93657 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780425210253
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Library Journal
Smokescreen is a nonstop international thriller that pits dashing movie actor Edward Lincoln against more than big-screen villains. After finishing his latest film, Lincoln is asked to visit Johannesburg to discover why a friend's horses are suddenly doing so badly on the race track. Unfortunately, this attempt to help a friend will soon put Lincoln in harm's way. From a nearly fatal interview to a dangerous mishap in a gold mine, it seems only luck is keeping him alive. But fate has more in store. When the scene in the Kruger wildlife park begins to resemble Lincoln's latest big-screen adventure, even he will wonder what comes next. Ably performed by Geoffrey Howard, this audiobook will be a welcome addition for mystery fans. Recommended for all public libraries.ATheresa Connors, Arkansas Technical Univ., Russellville
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap
Edward Lincoln is a worldwide celebrity who plays detectives on the big screen. But when his godmother asks him to investigate her racehorses in South Africa, he's out of his depth. Soon enough, he's plunged into a plot of gold, greed, and gilded lives that forces him to uncover a killer and give a bravura performance he'll never give again....

About the Author
Dick Francis has written forty novels and is rightly acclaimed as one of the greatest thriller writers in the world. Among many awards he has received is the prestigious CWA's Cartier Diamond Dagger. He was awarded the CBE in 2000. Dick Francis divides his time between England and an island in the Caribbean.

Customer Reviews

a GREAT read!
This is one of Francis' best books - be prepared to stay up all night! I am a huge Francis fan and have read all of his books, and this definately qualifies among the top three. Hope you enjoy it as much as i did!

Among the Best of Dick Francis
This is vintage Francis,a fine example of why Dick Francis' books are so very good. The hero is not a jockey, but an actor. As usual, Francis avoids stereotypes and gives his protagonist some complexity, best shown here in a poignant depiction of family life. Like all Francis protagonists, he's observant, wily, tough, determined, and a guy capable of thinking "outside the box." Technology and politics are dated, of course, but the plot can still hold me gripped from cover to cover, each time I reread it.

There are a handful or so of Francis books that are not set in England. Of those, SMOKESCREEN (set in South Africa) and BLOOD SPORT (in the US) rank among my favorites.

The torture section of this book is absolutely harrowing. You will never forget it.

Dick Francis is always good, but . . .
Smokescreen is one of those Dick Francis mysteries that take the reader to a country other than England. In this case, two countries, Spain and South Africa, are the sites of the action. The protagonist, Edward Lincoln, is an actor, in his thirties, and when the story opens, he's starring in a movie being made in Spain: Man in a Car. Talk about foreshadowing. But like most of Francis' heroes, "Linc" has lots of experience with horses. As a young man, he worked in a stable; in his early movie career he was a stuntman, specializing in horses.

Given his early experience, it is only natural that a good friend should ask Linc to go to South Africa and find out why her stable of horses is doing so badly in their races after promising beginnings. His friend, it turns out, is dying. The horses are to go to her nephew in her will. And she doesn't want to leave him the horses if they aren't any good.

Shortly after his arrival in Johannesburg, Linc is nearly injured in an accident. If it weren't for the fact that a female TV reporter was seriously injured, he could believe that the publicist for the movie distributor had staged it. The next accident proves that there's no joking around.

Francis' prose is always clean and direct. His characters are straight forward and believable. In the abridged edition, however, much is lost of the nuances of story that are always so enjoyable. If you like Francis, read or listen to the full version. It will be worth the extra time.