As usual with a Dick Francis I found it very difficult to out this book down, and I don't remember reading it before. The main character ( and narrator) Thomas Lyon is a caring and yet forceful character as he is e director of a film about a death that happened over 20 years ago. He is also helping to support his old friend Valentine at the end of his life and finds out more than he bargained for. The action, while quite scary is not as violent as it has been in some of his previous books. Ton as has to be quite clever at reading people to be a successful director as well as to solve the mystery.