10 lb. Penalty (Dick Francis Novel) - Softcover

Francis, Dick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 042519745X ISBN 13: 9780425197455

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Dick Francis has been hailed as "a master of understated suspense" (The San Diego Union-Tribune). With this blockbuster novel, he lives up to his dazzling reputation, delivering the compelling story of a father and son who must work together to defeat a deadly adversary...

Even though Ben Juliard had always dreamt of becoming a jockey, he couldn't say no when his father--a prominent politician--pulled some strings and got him a job in his campaign for Parliament. Now Ben needs to do more than smile for the cameras. With each step up on the ladder of power come new dangers to the aspiring candidate. And as the mysterious attacks grow ever more lethal, Ben discovers that politics can be the most perilous horse race of all...

About this title

Review:

One of the most impressive aspects of Dick Francis's long and celebrated career (he's won three Edgar Awards, the Silver Dagger, the Gold Dagger, a Cartier Diamond Dagger, and was named the 1996 Mystery Writers of America Grand Master) is the freshness that he brings to each of his novels. In 10 lb. Penalty Francis adds several new arrows to his quiver. His protagonist, Ben Juliard, narrates the tale in a vivid first person that begins in his insecure late teens instead of the settled middle age of the usual Francis hero. Also, Ben's relationship with horses is more of a fading dream than an active reality. The book begins with Ben's expulsion from Vivian Durridge's stables; he's removed with a false accusation of glue sniffing. But as Ben soon discovers, it is, in fact, his powerful father's machinations that are behind his ill fortunes. The elder Juliard is "standing for Parliament," and the bachelor candidate needs his son by his side for a year of campaigning if he hopes to win. Ben accedes to his father's wishes. He almost always has, but he soon finds that his "gap year"--his year before entering university--is going to be a nightmare. Orinda Nagle, the widow of the recently deceased Hoopwestern MP, and her companion, Alderney Wyvern, resist George's campaign from the start. Then, Usher Rudd, a scandal-mongering journalist, turns his vitriol to George. When an attempt is made on George's life, he and his son find themselves inside a vigorous tale of suspense that takes several narrative years to sort out.

Francis's lucid prose is the driving force in this political mystery, and the realistic rendering of the complicated father-son relationship between George and Ben adds a sophistication and weight that marks the author's best fiction. --Patrick O'Kelley, Amazon.com

Review:

Praise for 10 lb Penalty

"A winner in every sense of the word--A Pleasure to Read...A Treat."--Associated Press

"Few things are more convincing than Dick Francis at Full gallop."--Chicago Tribune

"[A] smooth, nimbly paced charmer."--Publishers Weekly

"Fast-paced."--The Orlando Sentinel

About this edition

• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 042519745X
• ISBN 13: 9780425197455
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 320