This novel is a bit unique in that the main character, Edward Lincoln, doesn't fit the usual mold of a Dick Francis protagonist. Almost always these men live alone and within themselves. They are taciturn, but steely and determined. When challenged, they always rise to the occasion. They almost always have a close association with the world of horse racing, and often, they have been in relationships with women that didn't work out. Sometimes a new love interest appears, but it's almost never clear that our hero will at long last find meaningful and lasting love.

In this case, though, Lincoln is a happily married man with three adorable children. He's also a major movie star, usually filling the role of a death-defying action hero. He's on hiatus between films when an elderly friend named Nerissa announces that she is dying. She owns a string of race horses in South Africa that she will be leaving to her nephew, but for some reason, the horses are suddenly falling well short of their potential and are rapidly declining in value. Nerissa asks Lincoln if he would mind popping over to go to South Africa in an effort to discover what the problem might be.

Lincoln's father was a trainer and Lincoln himself had dreams of becoming a jockey before he grew too tall for the profession. He still owns a horse of his own and so knows something about the animals. Given that his friend is dying, he can't refuse the request and so gins up a reason to go to South Africa, allegedly to promote his new film. While there, he will discreetly look into the problem of the underperforming horses.

One he arrives in South Africa, though, Lincoln suddenly seems to become accident-prone and narrowly escapes two potentially fatal mishaps. Could something sinister be at work here? Well, of course it is, and Lincoln can only hope that his experience in making action movies will serve him in good stead when he really needs it. This is also a bit different than most Dick Francis novels in that the majority of the book takes place out of the UK, but it's a solid piece of work and an enjoyable read.

Slight & speedy, but still with a pithy depth of stoically wry observation. Francis almost always wins.

Dates actually right for once.

Much less horses in this than in his usual novéls. I enjoyed it more because if this. Also I reread that Sidney lumet book recently so film things are fresh in my mind so I understood more of the film terminology than the horse terminology. And there practically was no horse terminology in this. Shocking.

My favourite book written by Dick Francis. I have read it four times.

Dick Francis delivers again. This time, the setting is exotic South Africa, and the lead is a likable, down-to-earth action film star. The usual Francis tropes make their appearances . . . most notably the protracted battle between man and nature. And of course, there is the male lead with an unusual ability to interpret data to reach reliable conclusions (though I suppose every good mystery needs someone with such an ability). As usual, Francis mixes the familiar (the racing industry) with the unfamiliar (here, the gold mining industry). Definitely a fun book. (Incidentally, if you like Francis' take on the film industry, I recommend Wild Horses (the lead is a film director), and if you liked Wild Horses, Smokescreen might be right up your alley.)

A treat!

I have read many books by Francis, many of them several times. I haven't read any for awhile, so decided to get this one as a treat for myself. Every one should do the same, repeatedly! Enjoy!

not one of the better books by Dick Francis.... the main problem was you knew who the killer way too early...

Edward Lincoln plays detectives in the movies but finds real life sleuthing is not quite the same when he is asked to investigate the poor form of his godmother’s racehorses. Dick Francis novels are comforting, There are no unreliable narrators, no shocking reveals, no surprising twists. They are simple entertaining stories in which good and evil are clear from the beginning and the problem is always resolved by the end . That is sometimes just what the doctor ordered and that was the case here. While it wasn’t my favorite Francis, I still found it entertaining.

Finalist 1972 Gold Dagger Award. In his 11th horse racing related thriller, author Francis moves the venue to South Africa.

Racing related thrillers - Edward Lincoln had scaled the Himalayas, survived deadly car chases, defeated scores of assassins. As a film action man he'd even suffered stoically at the hands of sadistic directors. After finishing his latest film, he's asked to visit South Africa to discover why a dying friend's horses are suddenly doing so badly on the race track. Unfortunately, this attempt to help a friend soon puts 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.

Another wonderfully fabulous book by Dick Francis! I would say it is my favorite, but that always seems to be whatever one I just finished. :)

This one is set, mostly, in Africa, and enters the world of Action movies. Although it is mostly the promotional stuff that comes AFTER the movie is finished. This book translates well into the modern day, even though you do notice the lack of cell phones at certain points.

The audio version of this book has a wonderful narration. It really added to the feel of the tale.
I listened to this book on Chirpbooks.com.

This is a terrific entry in the Dick Francis series. Unlike many of Francis' heroes, Edward Lincoln has few internal conflicts. He is successful, world famous, and happily married, with only a handicapped but beloved child to cloud his horizons. Nonetheless, the trial he lives through at the book's climax will make you happy you're not him!

Parts of the book seem to dawdle too much over irrelevant "color" -- descriptions of a gold mine, press interviews, discussion of apartheid, and so on. But it's easy to forgive any padding once the real suffering gets under way. This is a Francis novel, so you know the hero has to suffer -- and he certainly does, with the help of that trademark spare and affecting Francis prose.

I especially liked this book because I spent several weeks once in the locales that take up a large part of the book, and it was fun to revisit them through Francis' eye. But whether you've been there or not, this volume should rank high on your list of must-read Dick Francis books.

Another winner. Edward Lincoln is an actor who plays detectives in movies. His godmother asks him to use his skills to investigate a real life mystery. The horses that she has in South Africa have suddenly started running poorly after beings winners. She is concerned that they won't be worth much and she plans to leave them to her nephew in California in her will, which is of extreme importance because she is dying of cancer. Lincoln agrees to investigate and goes to South Africa under the guise of appearing for one of his movie premieres. At a press event for the movie, he escapes injury when a microphone that he had just been holding electrocutes a reporter. Luckily no one was badly hurt but he wonders if the shock was meant for him. When he goes to see the horses, he can only determine that the trainer is running them too hard in practice so that they tire at races, but he cannot figure out why. While in town, he is invited to dinner with his godmother's former brother-in-law. He owns a gold mine and Lincoln's godmother owns half which she inherited when her sister died. Lincoln eventually figures out that the nephew, who knows that he is going to inherit soon, is purposely slowing the horses down to decrease their value and thereby lessen the estate taxes that he will have to pay. Once he finds out that Lincoln is inheriting the gold mine shares, he plots to kill him so that they will go to the nephew instead. He tries to kill Lincoln by using a plotline in his newest movie where Lincoln gets stuck in a car in the desert. Luckily Lincoln's director finds him first and they lay a trap for the nephew. These Francis books are very easy, enjoyable reading.