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Book Review By Wayne S. Urben
Forfeit by Dick Francis

At first it looks like reporter Bert Checkov's fall from a seven-story building is an accident. Until horse racing columnist James Tyrone uncovers a blackmail scheme involving top race horses. Somebody is causing these horses to be withdrawn from their races within four days of the scheduled race, at which time all entry fees are forfeited. Ty knows Checkov is a drunk, but he also knows Checkov would not sell his column. His investigation brings him face-to-face with persons who will stop at nothing, even murder, to achieve their ends.


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
descript. of violence and chases - 30 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30 %
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Race

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status:
Eccentric: Yes
Motive of antagonist - power
The antagonists are: - foreign organized crime
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
City? Yes
City: - London
Misc setting - sewers/subways

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey references to deaths/dead bodies and torture
Explicit sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - actual description of sex - descript. of breasts - descript. of other female areas
Unusual forms of death - dropped from large heights - drowned
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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