Reviews for Silks

The average rating for Silks based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-05-17 00:00:00 Michele Blom As with Dead Heat, the other Francis father/son outing, all the elements are there for a good story, but once again, it doesn't deliver at the level readers of Francis have come to expect. The pacing is just a bit off, son Felix still dump truck loads in the middle of the narrative that slow it down to almost stopping the story, and some characters who could have been used to better advantage are given short shrift making the reader wonder why all the detail had been given about that character. And then there is an uncharacteristic nod to Dead Heat--something Dad never did unless it was vital to the story or character development. If this continues, this really doesn't bode well for the future of the Francis name. If the next father/son collaboration is a stinker too, it's time to hang up the word processor, rather than let such a fine author go down in disgrace. (His first foray back after a six year haitus after his wife's death, Under Orders, wasn't his absolute best, but it was a solid entry into the Francis ouvre.) This also raises the question about editors doing their job. It used to be that an editor would tell an author--even a big name writer like Francis--when something needed to be changed for the betterment of the story, and the writer would do it. These days editors seem merely to correct for grammar, spelling and punctuation, and that's it. In my opinion, there is NO author who is above being told by and editor to change something that doesn't work. Hell, Tom Clancy's novels--with only one or two exceptions--could be cut by at least a third, fi not half and you would have a better story.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-09-05 00:00:00 Robb Lovre I always enjoy reding Dick Francis's tales of racing, and this was no exception. His central character, George 'Perry' Mason, is a barrister who is also an amateur steeplechase rider. He is reluctantly dragged into defending a fellow jockey who is accused of murdering another jock by spearing him with a pitchfork. His belief in the innocence of the accused is strengthened when he is subjected to intimidation by a former client 'bad boy', who wants him to lose the case. Lots of skullduggery in the racing game, told in the author's usual entertaining way.