Fri 22 Jun 2012
Reviewed by Allen J. Hubin: SAM LLEWELLYN – Dead Reckoning.
Posted by Steve under Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[3] Comments
Allen J. Hubin
SAM LLEWELLYN – Dead Reckoning. Summit Books, US, hardcover, 1988. Pocket, US, paperback, 1989. First published by Joseph, UK, hardcover, 1987.
If Dick Francis turned from horse racing to yacht racing his name might be Sam Llewellyn and he might write Dead Reckoning. This is Llewellyn’s second novel and first mystery, and it’s a gem.
Charlie Agutter is a boat designer in Pulteney on the coast of England. His fortunes are on the rise, his talents are in demand, and one of his yachts seems likely to win the Captain’s Cup. Then the bottom falls out: Charlie’s brother is killed aboard a boat Charlie designed, and the word gets about that Charlie’s design is fatally flawed.
Suddenly no one wants to touch him; existing design contracts are put on hold till Charlie can prove his experimental rudder design not at fault. If only he could… But someone badly wants him ruined if not dead.
Notable drive and suspense.
Vol. 11, No. 1, Winter 1989.
The Charlie Agutter series —
Dead Reckoning, 1987.
Blood Orange, 1988. CA in a supporting role.
Deadeye, 1989. CA in a minor role.
Death Roll, 1989. CA in a minor role.
These four books are only a small fraction of Llewellyn’s total fictional output. For a complete list, check out the Fantastic Fiction website.
June 22nd, 2012 at 5:03 pm
The comparison of some of Llewellyn’s sailing mysteries with Dick Francis’s horseracing thrillers was made by many reviewers back in the late 80s and early 90s.
Not that the similarity convinced me to read any of them. At the time, I was as interested in sailing mysteries as I was thrillers with horses in them, which is to say, not at all.
What can I say? I was younger then.
June 23rd, 2012 at 2:16 am
Steve, in the list you should put CA in a supporting (or minor) role, not CG,
Jamie
June 23rd, 2012 at 8:25 am
Right you are, Jamie. Thanks! I don’t know where that erroneous G came from — the second letter in Agutter, perhaps?
Coast Guard?
In any case, it’s fixed. Now no one will know what we’re talking about.