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| Proof | 
 enlarge | Author: Dick Francis
Publisher: Berkley
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $3.36
You Save: $4.63 (58%)
New (19) Used (13) from $1.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 135341
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 042520393X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780425203934
ASIN: 042520393X
Publication Date: July 5, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Like new book, we guarantee all purchases and ship all items via USPS mail.
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 14 | | NEXT » |
 It's all in the details May 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A reasonably good mystery that was somewhat tempered by one annoying fact - the author had obviously never used plaster of paris before, or understood how it is to be used. This grated throughout what would have otherwise been a good book - a solid mystery with a bunch of different pieces that converge and fall into place quite nicely at the end. In the end, a small slip-up will probably cause me not to read any more of his books. It's like the author of Deadly Doses: A Writer's Guide to Poisons put it - if you're going to poison someone, make sure you do you homework. This should hold true for any method of murder... Also, he mentioned the Elephant Child and the Limpopo River, and in reading that text, I'm not at all sure it actually had the implications he meant!
Wine and horses November 2, 2007
The owner of a wine shop, who comes from a horse family gets involved in a murder. As usual, horses and horse people work their way into the story.
Dick Francis always develops his characters well and he lives up to his own standards in Proof. He has interesting insights into the wine and spirit industry, as well. This is a book to be re-read.
 Not up to the usual standards September 18, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Francis can usually be counted on for a good, well-written story. There are always elements the reader can count on: a badly injured hero who is one of the nicest guys you could know; a villain without even a semblance of a conscience; and a terrible crime. All three are present in Proof, but something is lacking.
Proof lacks the intensity of most of his mysteries. It reads well and quickly, but without the usual depth Francis normally gives to his stories. The opening scene of carnage is fast and furious and up to the standard. Between that and the few active scenes is a lot of exposition about alcoholic beverages, shipment of same, and the hero's past.
The reader does come away with knowledge not usually known, such as the ability of some people to discern even the slightest nuance of liquor or wine. And it is compelling enough to make finishing the book necessary. Not his best, but Francis always has good moments at least.
You Won't Need Any More to Be a Dick Francis Fan! May 10, 2005
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
PROOF is a terrific story about wine merchant Tony Beach who seems to stumble into one tragic situation after another. He agrees to cater a party for the horseracing elite, and watches as hit men reek havoc on the party. Now he's caught in the middle of a terrifying mystery that begins with counterfeit wine and continues on to murder. He has to dig deep within to continue to have the courage to find out who and why this is happening.
Dick Francis is a great writer of mysteries that always revolve around horseracing life. Most of his stories are based in England and steeple chasing (not the type of horseracing we're used to here in the United States). They are interesting and educational if you know nothing about this sport. Francis does not write tales as intense as some of the American authors do, but they are definitely worth the time to read. My father got me hooked on Dick Francis and his tales of murder and mayhem, and this author will have his books read for many years. They are timeless!
 One of Francis' best books March 12, 2004
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Dick Francis reminds me of a master craftsman of say fine furniture. His quality and style are such that, though all his pieces are different, they nevertheless bear the mark of his unique style and craftsmanship. Once in a while you'll come across a piece that's so unique that at first you're not absolutely sure it's one of his but a very short inspection convinces you that, yes, as odd as this piece may be, it's his.That's a long way of alluding to the fact that Francis' books tend to be highly formulaic. For the most part you know what you are getting before you even open the cover. The formula consists of a highly independent, iconoclastic, extremely self-reliant protagonist who, for reasons he doesn't fathom, has become the center of a storm that, before everything has played out, will involve him in intrigue, murder and at least one act of horrific violence aimed at him personally. There will be some sort of at least marginal if not central theme of horse racing and a specific theme to the book-precious gems, photography or, in the case of Proof, the wine business. Proof is a bit of a departure form the formula. The horrific violence is right up front in the form of a ghastly automobile accident. Tony Beach, the protagonist of this accident is present to experience it though he emerges unscathed. The accident does, however, bring him into contact with a private investigator. Their shared experience leads them to get ot know one another and the investigator, realizing Tony has some skills he needs, drags him into one of his cases. Thus Tony is an involved party to, but not the focus of the intrigue of this novel. Moreover, Tony is not your typical Francis protagonist. Recently widowed, Tony is trying to modulate grief within the context of his own insecurities of not having lived up to the rough outdoorsman-horse fancier image of his very renowned father. The end result is a Francis novel minus the usual comfort level of the formula. While it can be a risk for an author to diverge from his comfort zone, Francis handles it here with aplomb. Francis is one of the greatest thriller novelists ever. The result is one of his best novels ever. That's not a bad combination! This is a great read both for the Francis fan as well as the casual suspense-thriller reader.
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