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Summary: Fabulous Francis
Review: From hurricanes to horseracing, I could hardly put this book down. The main character was more loveable than Francis' usual heroes. He cared a little more, showed a little more of his soft side, and loved a little more. One of Francis' quick-witted heroes strikes again! Loved it!
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Summary: Give this one a miss
Review: I've been a Dick Francis fan for a long time, marveling at his ability to turn out a great read year after year. But this is one of the relatively few duds in the Francis canon. The villains are incompetent and silly; the plot has enormous holes. Perhaps most disappointing is that Francis' usual knack for developing psychologically true and interesting characters is absent. Do yourself a favor: Pass on this one and reread one of your favorites from his earlier works.
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Summary: Way below par for this author
Review: Dick Francis is one of my favorite authors. Unfortunately, this is by far the worst of his novels. The plot is confused, and loose ends are never cleared up. The worst problem is that the group of people who are his antagonists are completely unbelievable
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Summary: Airplanes, hurricanes and Dick Francis are a good combo.
Review: DICK FRANCIS SECOND WINDAirplanes and hurricanes mixed together with foreign intrigue, sprinkled with engaging characters and just a pinch of horse racing yields an intoxicating ale for a grand adventure story. Add cows, radiation, an odd lot of people who grew very rich by dealing in very small parcels and a mysterious island to the formula and it comes up as Dick Francis with a twist. Kris Ironside, Perry Stuart's friend and fellow meteorologist, entices Perry to fly with him through the eye of a hurricane. En route, Perry learns the hurricane is only one dimension of the challenging and deadly storm that engulfs him. Francis adds flying and meteorology to his expertise in horses and mystery writing to come up with a fresh aspect of a winning combination.
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Summary: Not quite up to his usual standard
Review: Most of Dick Francis' books are fast-paced, gripping stories that teach you a little about a career, as well as entertain. In this book, however, he seems to have problems coming up with something exciting for a weatherman to do. Rather than change the setting from England to somewhere with more dramatic weather, he sends the hero on a trip to Florida for a hurricane, then returns him immediately to England after the token weather event. There isn't even a good villain to focus on, and the only time the hero is in danger is when he deliberately goes out of his way to provoke someone for no good reason. All in all, I was disappointed.
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Summary: Dick Francis is in great form. One of his better books.
Review: Dick Francis has written a book his fans will appreciate. Good characters, good plotting.
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Summary: A good thriller by one of the genre's best
Review: Kris Ironside and Perry Stuart enjoy working as BBC meteorologists who are personable, popular and well recognized. However, the similarities end as Kris is a maniac-depressant with a suicide wish while Stuart is a stable individual. Stuart does odd jobs to insure his beloved grandmother receives top of the line elderly care. The two men go on vacation at the same time during the hurricane season. Kris wants to fly through the eye of a hurricane and surprisingly Stuart agrees. When Odin strikes as a Class V storm, the two meteorologists, thanks to their host Robin Darcy begin their journey with a side stop on Trox Island. The hurricane destroys their plane. Stuart washes ashore on Trox Island where he finds a notebook that lists nuclear weapons and the clients who want to own them. After being rescued, Stuart returns to England. Stuart realizes that his life is in danger by unknown assailants who apparently want his knowledge buried with him. SECOND WIND is an understated British thriller in which legendary Dick Francis cleverly describes his violent scenes as if he wanted a PG 13 label placed in his novel. The tension mounts and the chill never eases, demonstrating Mr. Francis' abilities as a story teller. The friendship between Kris and Stuart seems enigmatic at first, especially since the former continually leads the duo into dangerous scenarios. Still, that angle augments Stuart's character by showing that beneath his loving concern for his grandmother beats a more reckless individual dying to get free. The flight through the eye of the storm adds to the overall feeling of being out of control that permeates much of the story line. This multi-layered story may provide Mr. Francis with his fourth Edgar. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: This is not your typical Dick Francis novel
Review: If you wish to read one of the dozens of Dick Francis novels, and every mystery fan should, please don't start with Second Wind. To be sure the writing has all of the usual Dick Francis qualities of concise yet telling prose. But the plot involving not a horseman but a BBC meterologist, Dr. Perry Stuart, and his fellow meterologist Kris, the desire of suicide-minded Kris to fly through a hurricane, the tiny island of Trox, now deserted, and the mysterious goings-on there, and the collection of folks met at a party at Newmarket is in the end unsatisfying. The plot was strained at times, and the various physical poundings befelling Perry, including surviving a hurricane with only a life vest, seemed more cartoon-like than real. Although Francis had the help of a professional meterologist for the atmosphere, still the impression was a very superficial one and in a way misleading. There was little or no talk that I recall of the various models that forecasters rely on, or the atmospheric teleconnections that enable forecasters to predict with some accuracy the weather a week down the road. Also, Francis has Hurricane Sheila whipping up the waves in November which would be some 17 named storms, close to if not a record for the number of named Atlantic storms in a single season. In sum, Francis seemed to have trouble in deciding whether this is mystery or suspense, or whether he should highlight the business of weather forecasting or the machinations of terrorists and their helpers. Read Dick Francis, but not this one.
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Summary: Inept criminals
Review: Dr Perry Stuart has a PhD in physics, works as a TV weatherman at BBC, and cares for his semi-invalid grandmother. His suicidal co-worker, Kris Ironside, takes him along on a fly-in to a Sunday luncheon at Newmarket where he meets an interesting group of guests, and a visit to the local stables finds a prize racehorse extremely ill from unknown causes. The plot then moves forward to an invitation to join Kris in Miami and the West Indies as a houseguest of some of the Newmarket people. Kris has been offerred an airplane to fly through a hurricane, with a side trip to check out a small isolated island. Flying through a hurricane, of course, turns into a disaster that involves Perry in a strange situation. The plot seems a little improbable as bumbling criminal wannabes trip over their own feet. Divided leadership among the criminal elements causes them many problems. Perry finds himself caught between shady individuals on one side, and an unknown government agency on the other. He seems to have a hero's nine lives as he survives airplane crashes, illness, and physical attacks on his person. He emerges battered and victorious as the story twists and turns to reach a conclusion. The novel has an interesting readable plot, but I would not classify it as great literature. One has to assume that the villains are taking dumb pills (not consistent with their business success) and the hero has the survival abilities of Al Capp's Fearless Fosdick.
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Summary: second wind finishes last
Review: I, like many others, have read and derived great enjoyment from Mr. Francis' novels. Until SECOND WIND. If you are a reader of Dick Francis please take my advice and avoid this book. If you have never read Dick Francis before please do yourself two favors. First, do read his books. Second, NEVER read this one. It doesn't do justice to an otherwise outstanding author.
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