In the Frame

Rating:
Summary: Learn about Art from Francis
Review: Another Francis: A quick, exciting read, with characters it is fun to envy, but probably not fun to be in real life, the right number of plot twists and turns, and a shocking set-up. The hero, called Charles Neil Todd here, though really the same character as in other Francises, walks in on his cousin just after the latter has called the police to a burglary and then discovered his wife battered to death. In order to rescue him from the clutches of the police, who consider him a suspect, Todd tracks a curious coincidence in his cousin's recent past. Led to Australia, to the company of a welcoming old friend ~ and his not so welcoming, new wife ~ Todd investigates and, after some beatings and other frights, resolves the coincidences, solving the burglary and, probably, the murder. The racing is only incidentally important ~ much action occurs on a racecourse, around a big race, but could be anywhere ~ the main importance is that Todd and Jik, his friend, are painters ~ Todd of horses, mainly, Jik of living, lasting abstracts ~ which aids them in the investigation of art fraud, galleries, copies and copiers. Just for the few hours a Francis takes to read, but completely for those hours, i am carried away into another world, other surroundings. And, as always with Francis, i come away wanting to know more about his particular interest ~ here the painting of Todd and Jik, but also Australia itself; can it be as fascinating as Francis paints it?

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, absolutely FANTASTIC!
Review: As Dick Francis is English and i am Australian, it was great hearing about Aus from a different point of view. As well as this, the story was thrilling with an excellent story line that slowly unravelled as you got further into the book. It is about paintings (mostly of horses) being forged and then stolen and so forth. This is truly an excellent book, and, in my eyes, one of his greatest triumphs. (I have read all of his books, liking 'The Edge', 'Bone Crack' and 'In The Frame' most of all.

Rating:
Summary: Solid Francis
Review: Dick Francis has a talent that is nearly unparalleled. With only a few exceptions, he has the ability to write mysteries that are entertaining, create characters you relate to, and to make each book a page turner that builds until the end and actually makes you wish the story would continue.

"In the Frame" is definitely one of those stories that builds. Admittedly the book starts a little slow, but it gets more interesting with each page. If you are a Francis fan, you will be pleased with this performance. If you haven't read Francis then you are in for a treat. As with all of his other books, his main character has a different profession from the other books and you get some insight and learn a little about the trade (in this case the main character is a painter).

Pick this one today.

Rating:
Summary: Artists, art thieves, and counterfeiters
Review: Dick Francis is one of those rare authors who can create a multitude of characters, changing characters from one novel to the next. This makes the stories stand-alone novels which can be read independently. That is a marked contrast to authors who write series of novels about the same character, a practice that often requires reading an entire series to understand the characters.

The present novel is not exactly a whodunit because you can identify the guilty parties (or most of them) early in the game. The main plot is how to track them down and bring them to justice. The chase runs from England to Australia to New Zealand then back to Australia. As usual with this author, there are horses and racing involved including, in this case, the Melbourne Cup. There is an interesting system for placing bets.

The main character, Charles Todd, is an artist who paints oil paintings of horses. There is some interesting side information about the chemical deterioration of oil paints on older paintings, an area where most people are probably not well informed. There is also considerable information about counterfeit paintings. Let the buyer beware. The death of his cousin Donald's wife during a burglary sets Todd on the chase. The main story is fast action over a couple weeks.

Rating:
Summary: always a good read
Review: Francis writes the kind of books that you just can't put down. This one is no exception!!

Rating:
Summary: always a good read
Review: Francis writes the kind of books that you just can't put down. This one is no exception!!

Rating:
Summary: Good story
Review: This is a good read, and it is one of the Dick Francis books where you feel like you get a peep into a different world, in this case the worlds or art galleries and Australia. This one has good character and good action, and also has a poignant story of personal loss for the hero's cousin, whose wide is mysteriously murdered.

Rating:
Summary: Good story
Review: This is a good read, and it is one of the Dick Francis books where you feel like you get a peep into a different world, in this case the worlds or art galleries and Australia. This one has good character and good action, and also has a poignant story of personal loss for the hero's cousin, whose wide is mysteriously murdered.