Status
Available
Call number
Library's review
England, ca 1990
Lee Morris har lidt aktier, 8 %, i en væddeløbsbane, som hans papbedstefar ejede indtil sin død fornylig. En familiestrid er brudt ud og banens direktør Roger Gardner og banechefen Oliver Wells opsøger Lee. Lee er arkitekt og lever af at købe ruiner og sætte dem i stand.
Lee
De bliver reddet af at den mindste på syv har set tændsnor før og advarer faderen, som stoler på oplysningen og handler uden tøven
Stratton familiens overhovede men uden autoritet er Conrad Stratton. Fasteren Marjorie Bingham har mere magt og sætter Lee til at finde ud af hvad der foregår. Rebecca Stratton er Conrads datter, Keith Stratton er Conrads tvillingebror, Darlington Stratton - kaldet Dart - er Conrads søn. Hannah er Lee's halvsøster. Keith var gift med Lee's mor, Madeline, men han var voldelig og hun stak af med den mand, som blev far til Lee. Conrad's tredje bror Ivan har en søn Forsyth. Hannah har også en søn Jack. Strattons er fjendtlige over for Lee, selv om han hjælper med at finde et megastort telt til erstatning for tribunen.
Han afslører også at en dyrevelfærdsdemonstrant faktisk er hyret af Keith til at sætte lus i skindpelsen. Conrad har forbindelse til en arkitekt Wilson Yarrow, som Lee kender en anelse til fra sin studietid. Yarrow er ikke helt fin i kanten.
Ligesom Lee har en anden udenforstående, Perdita Faulds, arvet lidt aktier. 7%.
Lee blev gift med Amanda som 19-årig og det er hende, der gerne vil have børn. Deres ægteskab er ikke ret godt længere, men de lader det fungere pgra børnene.
Strattons har en dårlig vane med at afpresse hinanden. Keith finder ud af at Lee har fundet ud af at den gamle Lord Stratton havde fundet ud af at Jack er barn af Hannah og Keith. Keith forsøger at slå Lee's børn ihjel, men i stedet er det Keith, der dør.
Lee indvilger lidt tøvende i at blive bestyrelsesformand for banen og efter en snak med Amanda undfanger de søn nummer syv. Amanda bliver dog ved med at se sin elsker, hvilket Lee accepterer.
Bogen har smukke eksempler på at stole på sine børn og rose dem, når de gør noget godt.
En glimrende historie med nogle utraditionelle tilgange til at løse problemer.
Lee Morris har lidt aktier, 8 %, i en væddeløbsbane, som hans papbedstefar ejede indtil sin død fornylig. En familiestrid er brudt ud og banens direktør Roger Gardner og banechefen Oliver Wells opsøger Lee. Lee er arkitekt og lever af at købe ruiner og sætte dem i stand.
Lee
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møder for en gangs skyld op til et aktionærmøde, hvilket chokerer resten af Stratton familien. Han snakker fint med en af familien og langfredag tropper han op på væddeløbsbanen sammen med de fem ældste af sine seks sønner for at kigge lidt på hvordan man evt kan bygge noget om for at få banen til at gå bedre. Imidlertid er der nogen, der har mineret bygningen og både Lee og børnene er ganske tæt på at miste livet.De bliver reddet af at den mindste på syv har set tændsnor før og advarer faderen, som stoler på oplysningen og handler uden tøven
Stratton familiens overhovede men uden autoritet er Conrad Stratton. Fasteren Marjorie Bingham har mere magt og sætter Lee til at finde ud af hvad der foregår. Rebecca Stratton er Conrads datter, Keith Stratton er Conrads tvillingebror, Darlington Stratton - kaldet Dart - er Conrads søn. Hannah er Lee's halvsøster. Keith var gift med Lee's mor, Madeline, men han var voldelig og hun stak af med den mand, som blev far til Lee. Conrad's tredje bror Ivan har en søn Forsyth. Hannah har også en søn Jack. Strattons er fjendtlige over for Lee, selv om han hjælper med at finde et megastort telt til erstatning for tribunen.
Han afslører også at en dyrevelfærdsdemonstrant faktisk er hyret af Keith til at sætte lus i skindpelsen. Conrad har forbindelse til en arkitekt Wilson Yarrow, som Lee kender en anelse til fra sin studietid. Yarrow er ikke helt fin i kanten.
Ligesom Lee har en anden udenforstående, Perdita Faulds, arvet lidt aktier. 7%.
Lee blev gift med Amanda som 19-årig og det er hende, der gerne vil have børn. Deres ægteskab er ikke ret godt længere, men de lader det fungere pgra børnene.
Strattons har en dårlig vane med at afpresse hinanden. Keith finder ud af at Lee har fundet ud af at den gamle Lord Stratton havde fundet ud af at Jack er barn af Hannah og Keith. Keith forsøger at slå Lee's børn ihjel, men i stedet er det Keith, der dør.
Lee indvilger lidt tøvende i at blive bestyrelsesformand for banen og efter en snak med Amanda undfanger de søn nummer syv. Amanda bliver dog ved med at se sin elsker, hvilket Lee accepterer.
Bogen har smukke eksempler på at stole på sine børn og rose dem, når de gør noget godt.
En glimrende historie med nogle utraditionelle tilgange til at løse problemer.
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Genres
Publication
[Kbh.] : Forum, 1994.
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: Architect Lee Morris has plans to restore Stratton Park racecourse to its former grandeur. But the combative Stratton heirs have violent plans of their own..
User reviews
LibraryThing member jamespurcell
Old but excellent book from Dick Francis. Very interesting main character with a curious family background, current and ancestral. Francis delves in to another profession, home building and architecture, while using his usual racing theme as the base harmony. Per his usual script, the book's
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protagonist gets kicked around mentally and physically before emerging in triumph. Fortunately, except for the usual British soccer thuggery, the ordinary Brit does not often face the violence that the Francis heroes do. As I often feel with a Francis character, Lee Morris should be around for a few more books. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Pretty much run of the mill Dick Francis, there is better out there, but there is also much worse. This another that is only has horse racing on the periphery.
Lee Morris is an architect and builder, renovating derelict buildings and selling them on. His wife and six children become enchanted by his
Fast paced as always from Francis, and enjoyable so. The architect ploy is unusual - they don't feature in many thrillers, and Francis seldom inclues children - these seem somewhat old for their given ages, but are otherwise not too badly cast. Fans of Francis don't read him for complex moral dilemmas or intricate characterisation which is lucky because there is very little of either. But enough around the edges to make this more than a have-a-go heor getting lucky again. Lacking in tension generated by a do or die horse race the drama is all interactions between the competeing interest and carboard personalities of the various family branches. Each of course with their own skeleton in the closet.
Much like all the rest, enjoyable but trite thriller.
Lee Morris is an architect and builder, renovating derelict buildings and selling them on. His wife and six children become enchanted by his
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latest development - meaning he can't sell it and so has less income than normal. When his solicitor informs him that the Stratton family is having a shareholders meeting, and his legacy shares entitle him to attened curiousity bites. Even though his mother's treatment at their (estranged) hands has left him unlikely to be well recieved. It turns out that the Stratton fortune owning Stratton Park racecoruse has, following the death of the third baron, been left between his widow and the four children and grandchildren. The condition of the racecourse isn't good and the options to sell up for quick profit (ending a generational legacy) compete against those demanding investment for a brighter future. When lee morris narrowly escapes as the old stands are wrecked by a bomb he decides to investigate the family a little closer.Fast paced as always from Francis, and enjoyable so. The architect ploy is unusual - they don't feature in many thrillers, and Francis seldom inclues children - these seem somewhat old for their given ages, but are otherwise not too badly cast. Fans of Francis don't read him for complex moral dilemmas or intricate characterisation which is lucky because there is very little of either. But enough around the edges to make this more than a have-a-go heor getting lucky again. Lacking in tension generated by a do or die horse race the drama is all interactions between the competeing interest and carboard personalities of the various family branches. Each of course with their own skeleton in the closet.
Much like all the rest, enjoyable but trite thriller.
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LibraryThing member tripleblessings
Architect Lee Morris is hired to rebuild a failing race course, and finds himself at the centre of a dangerous power struggle, which threatens the safety of his children. Interesting background, great suspense, one of my favourites.
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
One of my comfort reads. This is one of my favorite of Francis' heroes - the usual iconoclast with high pain tolerance, but also willing to compromise (within limits) for building a good relationship. And his dealings with his sons are very interesting. I was going to say this didn't have the usual
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Francis father/son thing, but it does sort of - with the hero as the father rather than the son for a change. Show Less
LibraryThing member DocWalt10
Consistent, with all of his books, the story is captivating, intriguing & hard to put down. You get to know his characters in an almost personal way. I never tire of reading his books. A must read for anyone who loves a good adventure story, with a mystery to solve. Normally, these are a very quick
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read, but I have 17mth twin grandsons living with me, who take up a lot of my time. Show Less
LibraryThing member auntieknickers
Another winner from Francis; a bit long but kept me up far too late because I didn't want to wait till morning to see what happened.
LibraryThing member SalemAthenaeum
Architect Lee Morris has plans to restore Stratton Park racecourse to its former grandeur. But the combative Stratton heirs have violent plans of their own.
LibraryThing member WinonaBaines
Lee Morris architect is dragged into family squabble over the fate of racecourse. His involvement with family marginal. Usual Dick Francis quiet, competent hero who manages to solve mystery of who is trying to destroy racecourse.
LibraryThing member quondame
Lee Morris studies what makes people decide to buy a house or patronize a pub and uses that to build attractive pubs and houses from ruins. He also turns his vision on himself and others and it is his unusual decisions that give this book unique qualities.
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Architect, builder, and father of six boys Lee Morris is surprised when the managers of the Stratton Park racecourse arrive unannounced at his home. Lee’s mother had once been married to a Stratton heir, and she was given a few shares in the organization as part of her divorce settlement. Lee had
Over-the-top villains keep this one from the top tier of my Francis favorites. However, the children and Lee’s role as their father made this book memorable for me. I love the modified travel home, the games the children devise, and the bond of understanding among the brothers and their father. I love that Lee is aware of each boy’s unique personality and character and that he’s intentional about parenting each boy in light of what he most needs. And I love Lee’s love for his family and his contentment in being his sons’ father, even though his relationship with his wife is no longer fulfilling.
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inherited those shares from his mother. The Stratton patriarch has just died, and the family feud over the future of the racecourse is getting ugly. Lee serves as a buffer between the warring factions, and it turns out that his knowledge and skills are exactly what’s needed to make the racecourse profitable again. Some of the Strattons want the racecourse to fail, and they direct their ire toward Lee. Will he survive to see his plans succeed?Over-the-top villains keep this one from the top tier of my Francis favorites. However, the children and Lee’s role as their father made this book memorable for me. I love the modified travel home, the games the children devise, and the bond of understanding among the brothers and their father. I love that Lee is aware of each boy’s unique personality and character and that he’s intentional about parenting each boy in light of what he most needs. And I love Lee’s love for his family and his contentment in being his sons’ father, even though his relationship with his wife is no longer fulfilling.
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LibraryThing member bardbooks
This may be my favorite Dick Francis novel, with an atypical hero whose quiet architectural brilliance and unusually creative parenting (of five boys) sticks in my mind. This is my second read of Decider and I liked it even more this time, admiring the elegant turns of phrase, realism, and depth of
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character Francis creates. The integration of plot, character, and setting is OH so satisfying. Show Less
LibraryThing member streamsong
Lee Morris and his five old-enough sons pack into their converted bus to take an Easter holiday road trip. Lee specializes in finding historic old ruins and converting them into modern, contemporary living. He and his family are off in search of ruins for the next project, while promising the boys
During the trip, Lee decides to attend a shareholders’ meeting for a race track that his mother had received a few shares after divorcing her abusive husband.
What Lee finds is a deeply divided family, split along the lines of continuing to operate the track or selling to a developer. The majority of the shareholders belong to his mother’s ex-husband’s family. There is not just abuse in the family, but true sociopaths lurk within. Explosions, beatings and even attempted murder are part of their arsenal to achieve their desired goals.
Lee and his boys are thrust into the middle of it, and of course are put into great danger.
Another page turning story by the master storyteller whose protagonists are always good guys, and family dynamics are often twisted out of normal realities. I believe I’ve read at least one other where the plight of a racetrack is in the balance. So while the story is original, several of the plot devices – race track plight, twisted families – are beginning to feel familiar.
Good solid 3.7 star read.
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some entertainment, too.During the trip, Lee decides to attend a shareholders’ meeting for a race track that his mother had received a few shares after divorcing her abusive husband.
What Lee finds is a deeply divided family, split along the lines of continuing to operate the track or selling to a developer. The majority of the shareholders belong to his mother’s ex-husband’s family. There is not just abuse in the family, but true sociopaths lurk within. Explosions, beatings and even attempted murder are part of their arsenal to achieve their desired goals.
Lee and his boys are thrust into the middle of it, and of course are put into great danger.
Another page turning story by the master storyteller whose protagonists are always good guys, and family dynamics are often twisted out of normal realities. I believe I’ve read at least one other where the plight of a racetrack is in the balance. So while the story is original, several of the plot devices – race track plight, twisted families – are beginning to feel familiar.
Good solid 3.7 star read.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1993
Physical description
270 p.; 22.8 cm
ISBN
8755321283 / 9788755321281
Local notes
Omslag: Axel Surland
Omslagsfoto: John Knights
Omslaget viser et ur, der eksploderer
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Decider" af Ulla Warren
s. 122: En pilgrim kom til et sted, hvor vejen grenede sig. Den ene gren førte til sikkerhed og den anden til død. Ved hver gren stod en vogter. De var tvillinger. Den ene tvilling talte altid sandt, og den anden løj altid. Pilgrimmen måtte kun stille eet spørgsmål. Hvad spurgte han om?
s.145: Hun er flot og modig, sagde jeg. Det er en skam, at der ikke er mere godt at sige om hende
s.150: Hæren frembragte tonsvis af kreativt papirarbejde for at bevise, at alle mulige forskellige ting var blevet sendt til depotet i løbet af ugen før branden. Ting, der var forsvundet tidligere, og som hæren muligvis ville have været nødt til at gøre rede for, blev omtalt som "sendt til depotet". En masse af disse ting var ganske enkelt blevet stjålet og leveret til folk, som kunne gøre brug af dem. En god brand er en Guds lykke, ikke sandt...
s.152; Hvis alt går godt, har du formentlig overset noget.
s.159: I den virkelige verden er ingen en helt dag ud og dag ind. Ingen forventer det. Man kan ganske enkelt ikke klare det.
Omslagsfoto: John Knights
Omslaget viser et ur, der eksploderer
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Decider" af Ulla Warren
s. 122: En pilgrim kom til et sted, hvor vejen grenede sig. Den ene gren førte til sikkerhed og den anden til død. Ved hver gren stod en vogter. De var tvillinger. Den ene tvilling talte altid sandt, og den anden løj altid. Pilgrimmen måtte kun stille eet spørgsmål. Hvad spurgte han om?
s.145: Hun er flot og modig, sagde jeg. Det er en skam, at der ikke er mere godt at sige om hende
s.150: Hæren frembragte tonsvis af kreativt papirarbejde for at bevise, at alle mulige forskellige ting var blevet sendt til depotet i løbet af ugen før branden. Ting, der var forsvundet tidligere, og som hæren muligvis ville have været nødt til at gøre rede for, blev omtalt som "sendt til depotet". En masse af disse ting var ganske enkelt blevet stjålet og leveret til folk, som kunne gøre brug af dem. En god brand er en Guds lykke, ikke sandt...
s.152; Hvis alt går godt, har du formentlig overset noget.
s.159: I den virkelige verden er ingen en helt dag ud og dag ind. Ingen forventer det. Man kan ganske enkelt ikke klare det.
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Pages
270
DDC/MDS
| 823.914 |