“Smokescreen”
by Dick Francis
(Pocket Books)
The
latest Dick Francis mystery in paperback is a change of pace. Set
in Africa, there's barely a mention of horses. At his worst, Francis
knows how to build tension. In “Smokescreen,” he is at
his best: the characters are interesting, the locations and exotic
(a movie set, a gold mine, a game preserve), and the tension hair-raising.
For thriller and
mystery fans that have missed Francis so far, this is a good if not
typical introduction. But he warned: he is definitely habit-forming,
though not necessarily hazardous to your health. (1978)
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