Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The Edge, by Dick Francis

****

One of my favorite Francis books. Francis trades the typical setting of the English world for the Canadian countryside, as seen by rail. The hero is, as usual, quietly competent and prone to form sudden and inexplicable romantic connections. The bad guy is nefarious, to be sure, but not quite to psychopathic villain that plagues so many of Francis' other books. The mystery here is rather backwards, as well--the hero and his employers know full well who the bad guy is, and they spend the bulk of the book figuring out what exactly he is up to, how to prove it, and how to put a stop to his crimes. As is often the case with Francis' works, I find thinking that it would have made a pretty compelling movie. Definitely a worthwhile way to kill a few hours.

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