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Bolt  By  cover art

Bolt

By: Dick Francis
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
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Publisher's summary

The privileged world of horse racing, filled with sleek thoroughbreds, burnished leather, and the silken sheen of jockeys’ colors, is a wonderful place to spend a few hours. Let best-selling, internationally-popular author Dick Francis take you to the immaculate stables of the de Brescou estate, where dark forces are lurking. Someone is killing the de Brescou racehorses with a “bolt” gun, shooting them silently, leaving no clues. Before the noble family, which includes his fiancée, is torn apart, jockey Kit Fielding must find the assassin. There are higher stakes than the horses, though. The de Brescous could lose control of their family business as well.

Bolt spent 13 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. From regal countesses to dapper racing officials, it puts you in the company of truly intriguing characters. The impeccable pacing of this mystery, enchanced by Simon Prebble’s assured narration, is sure to keep you on the alert each step of the way.

©1986 Dick Francis (P)1999 Recorded Books, LLC

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What listeners say about Bolt

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent writing and excellent narrator.

Break In and Bolt are the two Dick Francis books that tell the story of Kit Fielding, his life as a racing jockey, and crimes involving the world of racing. Each can stand alone, but are richer if read in order.

Break In introduces Kit, his racing background and, most important, his character as an honorable man. Bolt concludes our peek into his racing and personal life. Both are so well written the reader has no trouble feeling they are in the stable yard or at the racecourse.

I started reading Dick Francis in my early 20's. I am almost 70 and his writing has stood the test of time. He, along with PD James, are masterful contemporary crime writers who can tell stories that pull readers back to their books again and again.

Simon Preeble is outstanding, as usual. I have all his narrations in the Dick Francis collection available at this time. I'm looking forward to adding the other narrators in due time.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another Great Kit Fielding Mystery

This novel is an enjoyable listen. As other reviewers have said, "Break In" and "Bolt" tells the story of Kit Fielding, a racing jockey who solves crimes involving the racing world. Each are stand alone novels, but when read in order, the stories are an asset to each other. The Publisher's Summary gives a good description of this story. There are dark forces lurking on the de Brescou estate killing their racehorses with a “bolt” gun. Kit must solve the mystery before it tears the family business apart.

Dick Francis and Simon Prebble are a winning combination.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great story but even more outstanding narration!

First book I've read on horses since Black Beauty & what a pleasant surprise it was. The story is a superb blend of - for me - an introduction to the world of horse racing & it's many facets along with drama & suspension. Tradition is subtly evident but the real gem throughout is the remarkable vocal fluency & dexterity of the narrator. That alone makes for great enjoyment!

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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An old favorite

The audio brought back the pleasure of this story after many years. I read the book twenty years or so ago, but the story didn't feel dated.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Vintage Dick Francis

Dick Francis writes interesting novels with an appealing hero and a villainous villain. Honor and duty play a big part in this short novel and good wins the day. But the plot moves forward with vigor and the characters (other than the villain) are nicely drawn and vivid. Francis writes the racing scenes exceedingly well and I almost feel like I'm on the horse along with the jockey. Light reading and very entertaining.

The narrator is excellent, lending much to the book.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A great read

What did you like best about this story?

The depth to wich the story and the characters are created is amazing

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

I head it as fast as I could, beacue the story was compelling and the narater brilliant

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Always reliable

Good story. Hangs together. Characters just quirky enough to be interesting. And nice twist at the end. What's not to like?

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4 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Didn't hold my attention

This author was recommended to me as an author who writes mysteries with little or no undesirable language. I avoided his books for quite awhile because I just didn't think I'd enjoy mysteries about horses and horse racing. I listened for about 2 hours, and I'll agree that the language was acceptable - except for one point where a character is upset and he exclaims "J**** Ch****. However, the story just did not interest me. I bought the book during one of Audible's sales, and only paid $5 for it, so I saw it as an opportunity to try a book by this author. Glad I didn't pay more for it.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fabulous book.

Love the book. Simon is the BEST narrator. He brings the story to life. I'll be reading more by Dick Francis.

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2 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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First book I didn't bother to finish

Any additional comments?

This is the first book EVER (written or audio) that I didn't finish. I tired on two occasions but just couldn't get into it. I had trouble understanding the narrator's voice and finally just gave up. A major disappointment for me. I've enjoyed Dick Francis' other works but have never tried an audio version of his books. Never again.

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2 people found this helpful