Audiobook9 hours
To the Hilt
Written by Dick Francis
Narrated by Simon Prebble
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
Featuring the gripping plot, dramatic settings and believable characters that readers have come to expect from Dick Francis, To the Hilt displays the master at the top of his form.
Alexander Kinloch is definitely the black sheep of his noble family, choosing the precarious life of a painter over a lucrative job in his stepfather’s brewery. But when a trusted assistant disappears with millions of pounds, Alexander is reluctantly thrust into
a foreign world of bankers and auditors. Brutal thugs and jealous relatives stand in his way as he labors to save the business and protect the family treasures. In the face of adversity, Alexander must defend himself and his family’s honor to the hilt.
After three dozen novels, Dick Francis maintains his reputation as one of the most popular mystery writers of our time. Both suspenseful and poignant, To the Hilt is a wild ride through a perilous adventure.
“[T]he Mystery Writers of America honored Francis as a Grand Master; this novel again shows why.”—Publishers Weekly
Alexander Kinloch is definitely the black sheep of his noble family, choosing the precarious life of a painter over a lucrative job in his stepfather’s brewery. But when a trusted assistant disappears with millions of pounds, Alexander is reluctantly thrust into
a foreign world of bankers and auditors. Brutal thugs and jealous relatives stand in his way as he labors to save the business and protect the family treasures. In the face of adversity, Alexander must defend himself and his family’s honor to the hilt.
After three dozen novels, Dick Francis maintains his reputation as one of the most popular mystery writers of our time. Both suspenseful and poignant, To the Hilt is a wild ride through a perilous adventure.
“[T]he Mystery Writers of America honored Francis as a Grand Master; this novel again shows why.”—Publishers Weekly
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Reviews for To the Hilt
Rating: 3.9431487545189503 out of 5 stars
4/5
343 ratings14 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5By far my favorite Dick Francis story. The twists and turns are brilliant, and Simon Prebble does an excellent job of bringing the story to life.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Well read but the story meandered and bogged down. The traditional hero was one dimensional and too good to be true.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My favorite Dick Francis book. Beautiful, thoughtful, deep and had great characters.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'm a sucker for Dick Francis, been reading him since I was twelve - my grandfather was a fan and he had them around the house, so I just picked them up. They're not edge of your seat thrillers and the mysteries are fairly straight-forward, but his writing is just elegant. His books are a fun way to spend some time relaxing. This really isn't a review of this specific title, more of a general take on Mr. Francis' style, you know what to expect with him. I haven't been disappointed yet.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I found this book at the Ursuline Mall (rummage sale) at the St. John's Bazaar, and bought it for a quarter to read while eating my lobster roll. It got me through fried clams and strawberry shortcake as well, and when I got home I couldn't put it down.Dick Francis has a theme that runs through many of his books, as my husband (Snorri Sturlusson) pointed out. A young man comes to a crossroads in his life and some crime involves him on the side of the angels, during the course of which he learns a lot about himself and often begins to chart the course for the rest of his life. Such is To the Hilt. Francis does something a bit different with the formula every time. This time, Alexander Kinlock, the protagonist, is a painter of golf scenes who lives off the grid in the Scottish Highlands. Coming home from a trip to the post office, where he's just learned of his stepfather's heart attack, he is set upon and beaten up by four thugs who seem to be looking for something. They leave him (not seeming to care whether he's dead or alive), trash his cottage, and he manages to make his way to his mother's London home. There, Al learns that his stepfather's brewery is about to go under because of a massive embezzlement. And of course there is horseracing involved, as the brewery sponsors an annual steeplechase in which the stepfather's horse is slated to run. And that's not the half of it.Dick Francis, apparently with help from his wife and, later, their son, researched his books heavily and one of the pleasures of reading them is how much one learns about so many subjects -- in this case, painting, bankruptcy, the trials of turning over one's stately home to a conservation trust. But one never feels lectured at because the storyline is so compelling and Francis is always coming up with unexpected plot twists. I resisted reading Dick Francis for many years and now I'm glad I did, for there will be no more of his books, but I still have many unread to look forward to. Recommended.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is the one with the guy who is a painter and lives in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. It's a pretty good one. Not much horse-racing in it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I've read nearly all of the Dick Francis novels and this is one of the very best.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To the Hilt is Dick Francis at his best as Alexander Kinloch has to help navigate the problems of his step-father's brewery and family politics. Alexander is an artist who lives in the countryside of Scotland, but who's family is complicated as his step-father owns a major brewery and his uncle is a Scottish lord. When his step-father asks him to help recover from an embezzling scheme, he finds himself dealing with violence and re-evaluates his family relationships. As with the best Dick Francis stories, the characters all feel real, the suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat and there are moments of surprising beauty when horses and art are spoken of. A must read for any lover of Dick Francis.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Another great read from Dick Francis. Exciting and emotional. As always a lead character who is sharp and stubborn. Horses and racing are almost incidental compared to many of his books.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A good yarn from Dick Francis, better than most of his later books. As usual, the hero is strong, stubborn, and stoic, and the technical details of whatever profession Francis is writing about -- in this case, painting -- are fascinating and well presented. But the idea that Al's pictures of golf represent the triumph of the human spirit make me snigger quite as loudly as his "unenlightened" critics.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I would love to see the paintings of Alexander Kinloch. I became very interested in Scotland and really became involved in the whole story.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dick Francis is on the list for our CP English class. I enjoy his books...can't seem to find many high school students who do. I just like horse stories and stories about British "society".
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Painter Alexander Kinloch is threatened by thugs, who seem to be searching for an antique family treasure, and a business fortune as well. Set partly in Scotland, interesting description of an artist's work. Average for Francis, a pretty good escape read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Until recently I'd forgotten how much FUN Dick Francis could be. Interesting adventure with missing money, missing treasure and a missing race horse.