Good to read or listen too. Usual intelligent hero and lively female lead with some really nastiest of nasties. Don't even consider D.F and his son copying another's plot as one reviewer accused. Earlier Francis thrillers have broached "that" subject and I wouldn't accuse Francome of getting ideas from Francis. There's sure to be similarities in racing books just as there are in detective stories and so on. Anyway I enjoyed Silks and the Francome book.SAB
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I enjoyed reading this book, as with all Dick/Felix Francis books but this one I found a little more formulaic and predictable than the all others I have read. I can’t comment on the accuracy of the horse racing details but some extra research into court and police procedures may have been needed. Some inaccuracies I can forgive under ‘poetic licence’, needed to help the story along but I found the frequent referrals to the judge’s use of his gavel in court irritating and distracting - English judges never use gavels, only judges in the USA, and this book was clearly set in England.
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SilksI bought this book as a Christmas present for my wife. She is a keen Dick Francis fan, and owns almost every book that he has written. This is the second book written in collaboration with his son Felix. Dick's effort had been flagging slightly in his later books, I thought: they had become a little formulaic, and I was slightly worried that Felix might be simply trying bolster up his father's image: the mixture of law and horses could be a little boring ... However when I read this book, I was most pleasantly surprised. This is definitely back to the top Francis form, and runs at a cracking pace from beginning to end. I completed the second half at one sitting and could not put it down: the case has a real Perry Mason style finish, but in an English court. The final pages of the book also contain another interesting legal twist. Definitely not to be missed!
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Yet again an excellent page turner from the start amazing story with twists and turns and only finding the truth in the final pages in the court room but not ending their!!! The final ending on the novel is really true to lift. I feel this novel is a read and deserves 5 stars more please
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I have always loved Dick Francis books and have read the majority of them, with the odd exception; this being one of them. He writes a good story, always with a racing connection, and whilst there is always a love interest, he doesn't spoil the book with torrid details. As he said, the Queen Mother read his books and he did not want to upset her! I would recommend.
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One of Mr Francis' efforts together with son Felix I believe. It's a bit formulaic but a cracking good read as ever with some procedural level stuff on Chambers & being a barrister as well as racing. Not the neatest or cleverest of story lines but I still burned through it as a good holiday read!
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I love Dick Francis books and this one is up with there with the very, very good ones. Good play on words with the double meaning of Silks in the title. The legal world meets the racing world, doesn't get much better than this. A 'page turning' read that you won't want to put down.
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Hard work. Unlike previous Dick Francis novels, Silks spends too much time indulging in the intricacies and workings of the law system. I Put the book down and as yet I have not felt the urge to pick it up again. I, and many others loved the 200 to 300 page action packed novels of the past. These 400 pagers full of legal technicalities are not for us. Sorry
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Wonderful book as usual from the master of mystery books Dick Francis. His son Felix must have his talent as well.
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Enjoyed this second Dick Francis book (also read Banker). Easy to read and cannot put down. If you enjoy a « who done it » and horses then this author is for you!
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Excellent work of Dick. Clearly shows the amount of research he must have done to make this outstanding work. Felix needs to learn from his father.
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The posting DID NOT specify that the book would be a used book. The paperback cost upwards of Rs 300 and the book cover is wrinkled and there is writing inside. It was intended as a gift. Very disappointing.
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The title of this book is truly apt. The protagonist, Geoffrey Mason, is a junior barrister with aspirations of becoming a silk, or Queens Counsel. He's also an amateur jockey who wears silks. His two worlds come together in SILKS - and give him a world of trouble. Geoffrey Mason finds himself defending a jockey accused of killing another jockey. He doesn't want the case, but he's been ordered to take it and lose it. There's an ex-client after him who will punish Geoffrey if he doesn't do what he's told. This terrifying young man makes a habit of attacking people with a baseball bat. Still, Geoffrey makes the decision we expect of a Dick Francis hero. He will not be intimidated. But he has to do some very fancy detective work to protect himself and his loved ones - and make sure the right people go to jail. In the midst of all this, he rides two significant races - and also falls in love. Every Dick Francis novel teaches me something. In this case I learned a lot about the British legal system, as well as a bit about the Rules of Racing. Frankly, I wondered how I'd feel about a Dick Francis novel written in collaboration with his son Felix. I do detect a slightly different flavor. But I enjoyed SILKS very much. According to a BBC radio interview I heard, it was Felix's fingers on the keyboard. Dick Francis marked up the copy and deleted anything too sexy! But don't worry - the love scenes are still quite good. I'll definitely read the other collaborations. And I'm hoping that Felix Francis will keep writing mysteries on his own. I didn't want Dick Francis to die. Maybe he won't have to.
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