Smokescreen
Harper, 1972
Movie star Edward Lincoln travels to South Africa as a favor to his dying godmother to find out why her horses are running so poorly.
Characters
- Edward Lincoln
- 33, actor
- Evan Pentelow
- director
- Film crew:
- Conrad
- director of photography
- Terry
- cameraman
- Lucky
- cameraman
- Simon
- clapper loader
- Jill
- girl with key to handcuffs
- Charlie
- Link's wife
- Peter
- Link & Charlie's oldest, 10 years old
- Chris
- Link & Charlie's second son
- Libby
- Link & Charlie's daughter, 5 years old
- Bill Tracker
- steeplechase trainer
- Nerissa
- cross between an aunt, a godmother and a guardian to Link
- Portia
- Nerissa's sister, left everything to her
- Danilo Cavesey
- Nerissa's nephew and only living relative
- John Cavesey
- Nerissa's husband (passed away over 16 years ago)
- Greville Arknold
- trainer of Nerissa's horses in South Africa
- Clifford Wenkins
- South African Distribution Manager for Worldic Cinemas
- Roderick Hodge
- Features Editor of the Rand Daily Star
- Katya
- reporter for a women's radio program
- Joe
- radio equipment man at the press conference
- Barty
- Arknold's head lad
- Quentin van Huren
- Portia's brother-in-law
- Vivi
- Quentin's wife
- Jonathan
- 20, Van Huren's son
- Sally
- 15, Van Huren's daughter
- Rojedda Reef
- Van Huren's gold mine
- George
- Link's guide on his horse ride
- Mr. Klugvoigt
- Chairman of the Race Club
- K.L. Fahrden
- Arknold's jockey
- Pieter Losenwoldt
- mining engineer at the gold mine
- Piano Nembezi
- checker at the gold mine, saved Link's life
- Melanie
- friend of Katya and Roderick, model
- Haagner
- park ranger at Kruger Park
Favorite passages
Hawleyliz shares hers:
I had read this book about three years ago...it was fun reading it again. I like the Dick Francis characters because they always seem so practical. A typical resonse from one of the characters would be: 'Oh, I'm being threatened...what is the problem and what can I do about it.' Not the normal reaction of the people I know. But, it appeals to me...I like that approach to life. So...the following quote really spoke to me: 'Don't be so bloody scared; it isn't of any practical use.'
I've never been to Africa so I love the feel for it that you get while reading Smokescreen. My choice for favorite quote:
We walked across the car park to his car, and I experienced for the first time the extraordinary smell of Africa. A blend of hot sweet odors with a kink of mustiness; a strong disturbing smell which stayed in my nostrils for three or four days, until my scenting nerves got used to it and disregarded it. But my first overriding impression of South Africa was the way it smelled.
Chosen by members of the reading group in the late 1990s. From Smokescreen by Dick Francis.
The group read it
We discussed Smokescreen on June 30, 1997.
This page was first written for the reading group's original site in the late 1990s and was lost when AOL Hometown closed. It has been recovered from the Internet Archive.