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The catastrophic power of a giant hurricane can raise coastal waves thirty feet high and blow through houses at devastating speeds. For TV meteorologist Perry Stuart, however, such predictions are generally hypothetical, as he chiefly predicts periods of English drizzle, with bursts of heavier rain and sunshine to follow. Stuart's profound weather knowledge and accuracy have given him high status among forecasters, but no physical baptism by storm. Not, that is, until a fellow forecaster offers him a Caribbean hurricane-chasing ride in a small airplane as a holiday diversion. But a frightening accident teaches Stuart more secrets than wind speeds, and back home in England he faces threats and danger as deadly as anything nature can evolve. Dick Francis "has simply never failed. Every one of his opening sentences pulls the reader in, and doesn't let go until the last, perfect word," according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Audio CD: 7 pages
Publisher: Brilliance Audio; Unabridged edition (May 29, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781423338246
ISBN-13: 978-1423338246
ASIN: 1423338243
Product Dimensions: 5 x 1.4 x 7 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (119 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #4,246,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #33 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( F ) > Francis, Dick #8229 in Books > Books on CD > Mystery & Thrillers #13686 in Books > Books on CD > Literature & Fiction > Unabridged
Second Choice is one of the few time Francis disppoints. When he moves away from horses, he moves aways from the environment he knows best which forces him to focus on the technical information that he has learned which he wants to us as a background for his new novel. In Second Wind, he has studied hurricanes. He tries to create a story in which he can use his new found knowledge. We learn a lot about hurricanes, flying into hurricanes, and tracking hurricanes, but the story he attempts to create with hurricanes as a backdrop never seems creditable. These aren't the usual believable Francis characters, nor a tightly woven plot. The background became the foreground. Even the ending seems forced; i.e., how do I bring this thing to a conclusion.
I have to agree with most of the others. Did Dick Francis actually write this book? If so, what happened? I kept reading in hopes that the uninteresting, convoluted plot would get better if I just gave it a few more pages. It never did. Don't waste your time with this one. Go get one of your old Dick Francis favorites and re-read it instead.
I am a die hard Dick Francis fan - I have reread most of his books several times. This one I won't. It's disjointed and extremely slow to get to the plot ( which is so convoluted that even at the end it didn't make sense). I had to force myself to finish it in the hopes that it would get better, it didn't. There was very little character developement, far too many of the pages were taken up by descriptions rather than plot enhancement or better yet - plot explanation. It reminded me of the later Louis L'Amour books that were pages and pages of the same thought (who am I, why am I here, etc.) I really hope that Mr. Francis goes back to the good basic story and characters that have won him so many fans.
This book is certainly not indicative of Francis's style or the caliber of his books. I read several reviews that say that Francis has lost it, and I would say that is far too harsh. Prior to this book, nearly all of his novels centered more around horse racing than this one does here. That is not to say that the books are racing books themselves, but it plays a key role in the backdrop of the story. Furthermore, Francis normally gives a character we can relate to put in extenuating circumstances and we feel more of a connection with the story. In this book, Francis has strayed significantly from the norm. "Second Wind" plays more like a espionage novel rather than a mystery. The book in of itself really isn't that bad, but it definitely falls short of what Francis is capable of and doesn't capture his strength as a writer. So what can you take from this. If you have already read the book and hated it, don't give up, Francis is an excellent story teller. If you loved it, then you should really like what else he has to offer. For those of you considering this book, I offer the following opinion. a. If you are new to Dick Francis read "Whip Hand", "The Danger", "In the Frame", or "Bloodsport". You will appreciate him as a writer more. b. If you are a big Francis fan, be prepared -- this story is definitely different and you shouldn't expect the same type of tale you normally get. By itself the story isn't bad, it's just not what you expect from him.
I am an avid Francis fan. He, along with Clancy and Hillerman, are the only authors whose books I will buy as soon as they hit the shelves. He writes interesting stories, wonderfully developed characters, and makes you care about the people in his books. His evil twin must have written this book. I was so disappointed. The plot made not sense, and I did not care one bit about his characters. There was even a point where I hoped the two protagonists would die in the hurricane and put me out of my misery. One other note, as a private pilot I know that no sane pilot would do nor be allowed to do what the pilot in the story did. It would have been suicide in a light plane. Here is hoping that the real Dick Francis returns.
Second Wind is vintage Dick Francis if you are interested in character study and human frailty. This is not Sid Halley material. He only pays passing homage to the racing industry. However, he tackles the issue of an innocent meteorologist sucked into an international intrigue due to a desire to fly through a hurricane. The villains are not so much evil to the core, but opportunists, who are inept. The plot is full of convolutions and requires some thought, but is fully satisfying in the end. As for the romance, isn't it nice to find a couple that don't reveal all their bedroom secrets on the page?
So disappointing! I did learn about hurricanes, but the rest was a goulash of confusing incidents, weird people, and a strangely contented herd of cattle on Trox Island with very little to eat, and no fresh water to drink. When thinking about the book after finishing, I kept returning to holes in the plot. Please take us back to the Race Course next time, Mr. Francis.
I had a cold while I was reading this book and I thought it was me. I usually love Dick Francis, but I was so confused. The plot did not make any sense and the dialog was terrible. I had to make myself keep reading the book. I hope the next is better.
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