10 lb Penalty
by Dick Francis
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dick FrancisEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2004-08-03
ISBN: 042519745X
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Berkley
Book Reviews of 10 lb Penalty
Book Review: Election Results
Summary: 4 Stars
"You're fired for sniffing glue," were not the words Benedict Juliard wanted to hear as his dreams of becoming a steeplechase jockey crumbled at his feet. He was innocent, but his father had other plans for him and had arranged the disreputable incident.
Benedict is whisked into the world of political intrigue and dirty fighting as he prepares to smile his way at his father's side. This rapidly gets dangerous as a fire breaks out in the campaign headquarters and the mayhem escalates. Someone is out to make sure George Juliard does not get a seat in Parliament.
Usher Rudd, the tabloid reporter, is one of the most unforgettable characters Mr. Francis has ever created, both for humor and devilment. Reviewers don't give him the high marks of his other mysteries, but they have to admit the cleverness of 10LB. PENALTY grows on you like a fine wine.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS and QUALIFYING LAPS.
Summary of 10 lb Penalty
A wanna-be jockey accepts a job in his father's campaign for Parliament--and realizes that politics can be the most perilous horse race of all.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. Though every one of his 30-plus works of fiction has drawn from some aspect of the world of horses, Francis turns this constraint into a powerful source of inspiration. 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 college--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 muckraking 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
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