Blindfold - Hardcover

Stacey, Lyndon

4.11

156 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0091793653 ISBN 13: 9780091793654

Publisher: Hutchinson, 2003

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'The blindfold was a major hindrance. So much depended on body language with animals, without it, it felt uncomfortably like a game of Russian roulette...' Gideon Blake, artist and animal behaviourist, is used to dealing with distressed and unpredictable animals. But on one cold February night he is faced with the challenge of his life. Abducted from his home, handcuffed and blindfolded, Gideon is inexplicably forced by his violent captors to catch a dangerous and highly-strung stallion. Though severely handicapped by the blindfold and fearing certain death, he has no choice but to comply. Bruised and bewildered by the events of that fateful night, Gideon ignores his abductors' threats to stay silent and resolves to find out who was behind this sadistic and seemingly irrational act. But a chance encounter leads to a shocking discovery, one that makes Gideon question the motives of those closest to him and brings the devastating realisation that danger lies very close to home...

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Review:

Some will read Lyndon Stacey's Blindfold because it's another promising thriller set in the world of racing � la Dick Francis, and some won't read it for the same reason. After all, who could better the Master in this territory? Actually, Stacey's publishers are not just using hyperbole when they call the author Francis's heir apparent--in some ways, this highly adroit piece has a more sophisticated level of characterisation than even Francis himself ever attempted. This is not just thriller writing in the ordinary way of business, although it is certainly stirring and entertaining, and also lean and concise, registering precisely the effects it aims for while not wasting time on anything else.

The protagonist here is the animal behaviourist and artist Gideon Blake, who makes a living from his specialised field. One night, in the depths of winter, Gideon finds his home violently invaded, and he is taken to a secret location. There he is given a bizarre task: to bring under control a stallion that threatens the life and limb of anyone who approaches it. Gideon is told that the job will have an even more dangerous twist: he will be handcuffed and blindfolded. Few thrillers (in the racing field or otherwise) have such an arresting opening section as this one; it's inevitable, however, that when the revelations of the complex plot open up for Gideon and the reader, they will not have the same impact (we've been in this territory before). But Stacey is a highly original author, and many of the characters are not typical for this kind of tale: the villains are distinctively characterised, and the requisite tension-breaking moments never really impede the forward momentum of the plot. Towards the end, Gideon's special way with animals becomes crucial to the plot, and we realise that his profession is no mere window-dressing on the author's part. As a writer, Stacey's not a stylist, but he certainly knows how to deliver an invigorating experience for the reader. --Barry Forshaw

Review:

‘The closest to taking Dick Francis’ crown’ -- The Bookseller

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