SHATTERED

This novel, published shortly before Dick Francis announced his retirement, is a winner for both Francis and narrator Martin Jarvis. In it, a day at the track turns dangerous for glassblower Gerard Logan when his jockey friend dies from a fall, leaving Logan a mysterious videotape reputedly "worth millions." In his reading of the first-person tale, Jarvis expertly conveys a range of emotions--from fear and anger over a series of attacks to the pure joy of a job well done in the glassworks. Character voices, although less important here, are also handled well. Jarvis keeps the story moving briskly as he builds toward the tense final confrontation. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 01]