I came across this on a cheap books feed. One of the rare Dick Francis novels I didn't read as a teen. It's interesting to read him now. Like picking up an Agatha Christie, one of the things you know within a couple of pages is that you are in the hands of a great story teller.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you've never read Francis watch for his ebooks on sale. I think I paid $2.99 for this one.

This was Dick Francis' 11th novel and, since I've been going through them chronologically, the 11th I've read. In my estimation, it is his poorest to this point, lacking the intensity of the previous 10. That said, it is not a BAD story, and I applaud the author(s) for coming up with something that didn't fit into any established formula. If this were by another writer, I would likely be very pleased with it; but, by Dick Francis standards, it is a notch below average, at least to this point in his literary career.

A tale of inheritance. A woman is dying of Hodgkin disease and her wish is that her friend Edward Lincoln (film star and trick rider in his youth) go to South Africa and find out why her horses aren’t running well. Quite the story. Could not put it down.

4.5

I read Dick Francis’ series of mysteries decades ago and so my memories were of how much I had enjoyed them. What I am finding this time around is how different the endings are from what I remembered. Still well worth the reading.

This was published in 1972, and some elements/attitudes are dated. It also tickled me that the characters have to schedule international calls and live without cell phones. But despite some dated attitudes, the characters studies are superb. As in the best Dick Francis books, we come to understand a character and empathize with him, and then that character is pushed to the limits. I think I read this once when I was very young, but aside from the movie star MC, I remembered nothing of the plot, which made this a very satisfying re-read.

Having just returned from a vacation in South Africa during which I safari'd in the Kruger National Park, I could hardly wait to re-read this book, one of my favourites by one of my favourite authors. The conclusion (accurately described by the Sunday Times as "vivid and sinister") unfolds in the Kruger, and in reading the familiar names (Skukuza, Satara) and the description of the landscape at the end of the dry season - the same season in which I saw it - I felt a little like Mr. Francis and I had seen the same Kruger. (We hadn't, of course; this book was published in 1972; I think the park has been enlarged since then.)

As usual, his protagonist is an interesting fellow (who sees himself as ordinary), thrust into an extraordinary situation that changes him forever. Mr. Francis was never afraid to put his characters through hell, and Edward Lincoln's examination of his slow physical, mental and emotional disintegration under torture makes for fascinating, horrified reading. Five stars all the way. I lament the day that Mr. Francis stopped writing, and aspire to his quality of prose.

Difficult to decide between 2 or 3 stars here. It was written well, a nice easy read - but not a great deal happened. The ending was pretty good, I guess.

Not sure I’ll be reading any others by Dick Frances in a hurry.

"Smokescreen" takes Dick Francis a little further afield than he had traveled before--to South Africa, to be exact. It's the early 1970s, and action heartthrob Edward Lincoln has agreed to look into some oddities in the running of the South African horses that belong to his beloved elderly relative. Only he stumbles onto a literal goldmine of a conspiracy...

This was back in the bad old days of apartheid and may, like a couple of Francis's other works from the 60s and 70s--most of them are surprisingly timeless--seem markedly vintage or even dated. Contemporary readers may be taken aback by the casual sexism and widespread racial segregation that pretty much everyone took for granted back then. Contemporary readers may also need a good stiff reminder that those things are not that far back in the past and in fact are still present in slightly modified form today. Francis, as usual, walks a fine line between his genuine appreciation for all sorts of people, and his distaste for -isms and the intensely political--maybe because fervent ideological belief is a little too close to the intensity at the heart of all his characters for comfort.

Edward Lincoln is the first example of a character type who will be repeated in several of Francis's works, and who provides a fascinating insight into Francis's own creative process. He's an artist who produces popular entertainment but finds himself creating something with real emotional depth, something into which he pours his whole soul, somewhat against his will, and is disturbed by the result. In the end he decides to go back to producing light fare for undemanding audiences, but he can't undo what he's already done.

"Smokescreen," like much of Francis's work from the 70s, is short, almost slight, with an emphasis on glitzy fun jet-setting and escapism, but like its subject matter, it can't get away from the fact that it touches on more important things.

Ted Lincoln, famous movie star, out in the desert against horse-related evil. A lot of times I read a book and look on Goodreads and realize I've read it before. This one I am SURE I've read before but Goodreads says no. The visuals really stick with you on this one.

An enjoyable, and quick read, full of violence and suspense.

This had his usual intelligent, modest, tenacious, athletic well-mannered hero, this time a successful actor rather than a jockey. Like all of his mysteries, horse racing is involved, though here there is more action in a gold mine and the South African veldt than at the racetrack. It's interesting that in this book, unlike most of the other books by Dick Francis I've read, he's happily married, with children.

The part where he was trapped in a car, in the blazing hot sun, for days... and some of the lines from that novel stayed with me for days....

If you are the sort of reader who likes mysteries for the puzzle, don't start your Francis-reading with this one. It's more of a thriller, with only Lincoln's lack of detective skills keeping him in suspense. Whodunit's so clear that my only doubt was whether Francis was tricking me. I would recommend this more to those interested in psychology and character interactions.

*I read my local library's only copy of this novel, which was seriously printed in 1972. Needless to say, it was in pretty bad shape. But by the middle of the novel, all the dirty, smudged pages were forgotten, and I was hooked into yet another good, solid novel.
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Ralph Cosham is the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel.

I learn something (or many things) from every Dick Francis book. This one shows plenty of good research having gone into it about South African gold mining, Apartheid, horse racing, Kruger Park, filmography, starvation and dehydration, and various other subjects of which I knew nothing. Of course it is dated. You find yourself saying to yourself, take a picture with your cell phone, or make a call, LOL! But if today’s standards were employed, the research alone shows why his books remain very popular (even though formulaic), because throughout his career this has been a key feature.

All of Francis’ heroes make the reader wish that, “I should find a guy like that”, or “I want to be that guy!” They’re the rare real men who are not wooed from their wives and girlfriends by sex appeal, or criminal interests, who agree to help friends and a damsel in distress when needed (even the old ladies), and who don’t always follow the rules when the authorities are too slow and inefficient (or corrupt). They are capable, clever, educated, experienced, talented, moral, and unafraid.

Another thing I really like about this book are the first person, in depth observations and thoughts of our hero. Not just about the scenery, or the food, but the racial differences and attitudes of old South Africa, like the way people backed away, or didn’t touch, or were separate. The behavior of all of the characters towards other characters, those of different classes, the reporters, the employees everywhere… all become real, either as sympathetic, or proud, or courageous, or devious, or dedicated… Link wants to tip, or thank, or express gratitude where it is not culturally correct, but he finds a way. Although he holds his tongue where his comments would be recorded in a bad light and has to be careful about publicity, you know that if he had the power to change things, where he would start and what needs to be done. He’s not in a position as an Englishman, or a film star under contract and traveling in a foreign country, or as a father and husband, to make public comments… but you hear them anyway.

A winner from start to finish

Insights on so many levels as usual with Dick Francis. Remarkable characters, portrayal of South Africa, the accident which lead to a severe handicap in his child, and the golden boy from California.