Shattered

by Dick Francis

Paperback, 2005

Status

Available

Call number

823.914

Genres

Mystery

All Topics

Fiction

Collection

Your library

Publication

Berkley (2005), Mass Market Paperback, 256 pages

Description

When jockey Martin Stukely dies after a fall at Cheltenham, he accidentally embroils his friend Gerard Logan in a perilous search for a stolen videotape. Logan is a glassblower on the verge of widespread acclaim. Long accustomed to the frightful dangers inherent in molten glass and in maintaining a glassmaking furnace at never less than 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, Logan is suddenly faced with terrifying threats to his business, his courage, and his life. Believing that the missing video holds the key to a priceless treasure, and wrongly convinced that Logan knows where to find it, criminal forces set out to press him for information he doesn't have. To survive, he realizes that he himself must sort out the truth. The final race to the tape throws more hazards in Logan's way than his dead jockey friend could ever have imagined. Glass shatters. Logan doesn't. . . but it's a close-run thing.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member amberwitch

Not one of his finest works. Mediocre story, unreasonable behaviour of the protagonist, a lovestory that doesn't seem real. The usual vigilante behaviour of Francis protagonists is in this story unreasonable and lacks motivation and conviction.

10 more

LibraryThing member tripleblessings

Glassblower Gerard Logan is entrusted with a package by his jockey friend, who dies after a racing fall. A vicious group of villains searches for the missing videotape and threatens Logan and his friends. Very interesting background, one of my favourites.

LibraryThing member wyvernfriend

Readable story about a Glassmaker who is friends with a jockey. When the jockey dies he leaves a parcel for the glassmaker, however other people want that parcel, willing to kill for it.

LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey

Pretty good. Not one of my favorites, but interesting characters, interesting angle for the main character (glassblowing), pretty good story. Even if he did screw up badly near the end. Other than that a standard Francis - tough guy in a bad situation, solves it partly with brains and largely by

being tougher than the bad guys. Oh, and gets a girl in the middle of it.

Show Less

LibraryThing member JoAnnSmithAinsworth

Interesting story from beginning to end.

LibraryThing member nocto

Interesting to have more about glass blowing than horse racing in this book but still it didn't really set my imagination alight. Back to back with Reginald Hill makes me realise how weak Francis's writing is. I was looking for something unchallenging to read though so I can't really complain!

LibraryThing member SalemAthenaeum

When jockey Martin Stukely dies after a fall at Cheltenham, he accidentally embroils his friend Gerard Logan in a perilous search for a stolen videotape.

Logan is a glass-blower on the verge of widespread acclaim for the originality of his work. Long accustomed to the frightful dangers inherent in

molten glass and in maintaining a glass-making furnace at seldom less than 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, Logan is suddenly faced with terrifying threats to his livelihood, his courage and, finally, to his life, as he seeks to find the truth. The final race to the tape throws more hazards in Logan's way than his dead jockey friend could have imagined.

Show Less

LibraryThing member readafew

This is the first Dick Francis book I've ever read. When my grandfather died I got a bunch of his books and among them were 10 or so Dick Francis books. He was one of my grandpa's favorite authors so I thought I should give him a try. I listened to the audio version of Shattered and I found it

pretty easy to listen to. It had a good bit of action but it wasn't edge of your seat stuff. I consider this to be a decent read and almost a cozy mystery.

The main character Gerard Logan was a glass blower and he was a great friend of a successful jockey. The jockey was killed in the first act in a terrible accident but he left behind a rather intriguing mystery that turns to a lot of trouble for Logan. Many people are looking for the secret that was left with Logan, only someone stole it from him and no one believes him.

Show Less

LibraryThing member themulhern

Solid, if shallow, details about glassblowing. An extra half star because of its nice dedication to the queen mother on her 100th birthday. Not all there in terms of plot; the protagonist can flip a switch between his regular life and his suspensey life, and the nice criminals mostly cooperate. Not

as good as some of the earlier ones, not as bad as some of the Felix Francis ones.

Show Less

LibraryThing member thesmellofbooks

The last of my unread Dick Francis mysteries. Three with Felix remaining to read.

I enjoyed Shattered, despite a couple of hunh moments when a plot device seemed too contrived. Otherwise very good, and classic Francis style.

LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM

Far from my favourite Dick Francis, this one just didn't speak to me and I was pleased to be finished it.

Fewer