Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Second Wind
Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Dick Francis
Class/Genre: Mystery Amateur Sleuth
Series: Horse Racing # 37
Putnam, Oct 1999, $24.95, 304 pp.
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
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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