To the Hilt - Dick Francis

Published by Pan Books: London and Basingstoke, 1997.
First published 1996.

Alexander Kinloch is a reclusive artist, living in the highlands of Scotland and trying to stay off the radar as much as he can manage while still earning an income. One day, after learning that his step-father has had a (non-fatal) heart attack, he arrives home to his remote stone cabin to find four thugs demanding to know "where is it?" When Al fails to gives them a satisfactory answer they beat him up and leave him for dead. This mysterious event is the beginning of an adventure that sees Al reconnect with his estranged wife, help a horse disappear, do battle against his antagonistic step-sister and figure out the mystery of what has happened to the embezzled funds of his step-father's brewery.

If that sound like a lot of disparate plotlines, it is, though writer Francis does manage to weave them together in a fairly readable fashion. This is the first book I have read by this author, and although it wasn't enough my taste to make me want to rush out and grab another, it also helps me understand why he is popular. Al is one of those protagonists that seems to have no real flaws (other than perhaps his desire to get away from society) and this can seem a bit farfetched at times, but then, I don't think this is the sort of book that we're likely to mistake for reality.

Fun enough.

Completed 23 May 2023.




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