Second Wind

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Summary: Cows Don't Drink Seawater!
Review: So disappointing! I did learn about hurricanes, but the rest was a goulash of confusing incidents, weird people, and a strangely contented herd of cattle on Trox Island with very little to eat, and no fresh water to drink. When thinking about the book after finishing, I kept returning to holes in the plot. Please take us back to the Race Course next time, Mr. Francis.

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Summary: Slow start - fast finish
Review: Mr. Francis is amazing in his knowledge of diverse subjects and this book really proves that point. Although it starts off rather "wobbily" when he does get going it's a different kind of plot entirely for Francis and for most of the other mysteries out there. He is saddly lacking in his handling of romance, but then we don't read Francis for romance. Not nearly as good as "To the Hilt" but better than several others of his.

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Summary: A disappointment from a favorite author!
Review: My reaction to this book is that his editor forgot to do his/her job. Awkward, rambling sentences, poor characterizations and far-fetched plot make this a disappointment from page one. This book is not in the same league with any of his other novels. Pass on this one.

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Summary: A great disappointment
Review: I first started reading Dick Francis when I bought Dead Cert for my father, a horse-racing enthusiast, who was sick. I became an avid fan and have all 39 of his books on my shelves. Unhappily, in recent years, I have been buying them more from "loyalty" than enjoyment. Field of Thirteen was a "cop-out"(a collection of previously published short stories) but Second Wind, after initial chapters reminiscent of his earliest and thoroughly entertaining mysteries, just fizzles out and dies. The plot is unbelievable and all of his characters, without exception, are weakly/thinly drawn. A major disappointment and any reader who enjoyed Second Wind cannot possible have read his early works.

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Summary: This one is a slow builder - less ruthless violence too
Review: DF is my favourite writer bar none and this is a great read tho was it my imagination there is practically no ruthless violence in this his 40th novel. Not as immediately grabbing as say Hot Money, Proof or To the Hilt, but worth it in the end and one more for a second, third and fourth read

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Summary: Save your money -- skip this one
Review: I'm another long-time Dick Francis fan who was greatly disappointed in this book. Second Wind is tired, formulaic, unbelievable and -- I never thought I'd say this about a Dick Francis book -- BORING! Go back and re-read any of his early books (Flying Finish is an interesting contrast, since it also involves high-tension flying scenes.) Come on, Mr. Francis, we expect better than this from you!

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Summary: Maybe good for some, but a bust for Mr. Francis!
Review: Was this whole book just an afterthought? Dick Francis has been my favorite author for decades, but he is losing the touches that drew me to him. This book might be great for anyone else, but a bust for Mr. Francis.Horses only appeared as something to be abused and to suffer at the hands of men. Racecourses only appeared because everyone has to be somewhere. Oh, yeah, let's stick in a girl for the romance part of the formula.And the villains! Totally unbelievable! And the source of the conflict, the goings-on on Trox, totally unbelievable!However, Mr. Francis never fails to deliver on interesting details, and I learned something, as I always do. And he certainly never fails to deliver exquisite verbiage, and unique opening and ending lines.Go back and read Nerve, Enquiry, Longshot or Reflex to get a true shot of Mr. Francis' enormous talent.

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Summary: Believable hero, weak plot
Review: Though very readable, the plot, supporting character, and villains, are weak and not believable. This is the first one of his books that I've had to go back a few pages every so often to try to make sense of the character's actions. If Mr. Francis had centered the plot around horses and kept the hurricane & meteorology, this would have been a great, classic "Dick Francis." I'll pass the book on and hope for a return to the straight horse stories.

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Summary: Dick Francis just keeps getting better!
Review: Like many of Dick Francis's fans, I missed having a new mystery to read last year. "Second Wind" makes up for lost time with an interesting hero and a changing cast of villains. From the very first line, this novel kept me on the edge of my seat!

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Summary: Detailed plot, reluctant hero, and, of course, horses.
Review: Dick Francis is back on the shelves with another in his stable of horse-racing mysteries. It has all the classic Francis elements -- a detailed plot (involving a mysterious Caribbean island, meteorology and a hurricane), a reluctant hero (a BBC meteorologist), and, of course, horses (an ailing race horse figures in the opening and closing of the book). This novel ranks in the upper third of Francis' books, and is a welcome return to form after last year's uneven collection of short stories.