Dead Heat

By: Dick Francis, Felix Francis

Narrated by: Martin Jarvis

After a six-year absence from the bestseller lists, Dick Francis roared out of the gate with 2006's Under Orders, demonstrating once again every ounce of his famed narrative drive, brilliant plotting, and simmering suspense. Hard on the heels of that triumph comes Dead Heat, set against the backdrop of Britain's famed 2,000 Guineas Stakes.

Max Moreton is a rising culinary star and his Newmarket restaurant, The Hay Net, has brought him great acclaim and a widening circle of admirers. But when nearly all the guests who enjoyed one of his meals at a private catered affair fall victim to severe food poisoning, his kitchen is shuttered and his reputation takes a hit. Scrambling to meet his next obligation, an exclusive luncheon for 40 in the glass-fronted private boxes at the 2,000 Guineas, Max must overcome the previous evening's disaster and provide the new American sponsors of the year's first classic race with a day to remember.

Then a bomb blast rips through the private boxes, killing some of Max's trusted staff as well as many of the guests. As survivors are rushed to the hospital, Max is left to survey the ruins of the grandstand: and of his career. Two close calls are too close for comfort, and Max vows to protect his name, and himself, before it's too late.

©2007 Dick Francis Corporation (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

Critic reviews

"Crisp writing and well-paced action." ( Publishers Weekly)

Does not disappoint.

Simple and complex at once. Lifelike characters, touching and compelling.
Nicely wolven togethet. Typical Dick Francis.

Violence and Horse Racing, like Dick Francis

I rated this a 4 of 5 because of grade infladtion around here. really, it is a 3 of 5. IF you like Dick Francis though, this is a 4. The narrator was good, with good british accents, some smarmy, and some snobby, and some upright matrons....

Predictably for a Francis book, there is a fair amount of violence and thoughts of revenge by the star chef at the end of the book. The last two houis were very predictable and boring, but then I dislike suspense while people hide or their lover is tortured. I like the racing, the dialog, and the racing stories.

Felix has added a new tilt to the series as we have chefs and tv personalities for heroes now, not just jockeys and racing authorities.

Slow start

It takes almost three hours to get going. I almost gave up. The protagonist goes on and on, with quite a bit of repetition and surliness. Stuck with it as the mystery became more interesting, but it lags in many places.

A bit of a middle of the road performance

Martin has read some of the Dick Francis books better than this. He sounded a bit bored. However, the story was amazing.

Good Mystery, Great Reader

I've listened to this one twice--about four years apart, and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. The story and characterization and superb, as is the narration.

another good story

Great writing style. Exceptionally well read.

This time Francis and Francis delve deeply into the catering industry. I feel like after each novel, I have not only learned more about horses, but also am an expert on some field of study I never wished to learn about. That alone makes me laugh as I listen to these stories.

such a great story!

i loved this story, such great writing. Its even more enjoyable with a chuckle here & there. I will definitely listen again!

Vintage Francis -- again

So wonderful to hear that Felix has learned his storytelling craft so well from his parents. I have loved Dick's books for years, and I look forward to enjoying Felix's in years to come. Felix is an excellent story teller, and we are all blessed to have his stories to enjoy.

Another Very Interesting Story

This story is very creative and unique. As described in the publisher's summary, this story is centered around the culinary world with a bit of the horse racing world as its backdrop, and is centered around the 2000 Guineas Stakes.

Chaos breaks out when nearly all of the 40 guests, at a private catered affair, who ate a particular meal fell victim to severe food poisoning, including the owner-chef.

A very entertaining story. As always Simon Prebble performed very well.

Delish!!

Where does Dead Heat rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

By far the most entertaining. Combines two of my favorite things, horses and horse racing, along with cooking and celebrity chefs!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dead Heat?

When Caroline used her viola to brain the bad guy!!

Have you listened to any of Martin Jarvis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Wonderful!!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh, yes, and over & over again!!

Any additional comments?

One of the best audio books I have had the pleasure to hear, EVER!!