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Ah, another novel from the pen of Dick Francis, author of umpteen mysteries about horse racing. To the Hilt, not surprisingly, does involve the sport of kings, although not to the extent that some of Francis' other books do. The main character (and first-person narrator) of this particular opus is one Alexander Kinloch, a somewhat eccentric painter who lives in a bothy in Scotland. When his step-father, a rich brewery owner, suffers a heart attack, and the brewery is discovered to have been defrauded, Alexander gets caught up in solving the mystery of the missing money, saving the brewery, and keeping himself alive contrary to the wishes of a fairly vicious villain. Underlying the main plot is a conflict between Alexander's aristocratic Scottish uncle (usually referred to as "Himself") and an elderly conservator over the ownership of the hilt of one of Bonnie Prince Charlie's swords (hence the book's title).
To the Hilt epitomises the phrase "light reading." I do not mean this in any negative sense - quite the contrary, this book makes ideal on-the-bus reading. It's not as strong as some other Dick Francis books (Whip Hand and Dead Cert spring to mind), but it's still uncomplicatedly enjoyable. The good guys are good, the bad guys are very villainous, and everybody pretty much gets what's coming to them. However, despite the obviousness, for lack of a better word, of most of the characters, there are elements of suspense in the novel - who, exactly, the arch-villain is is not made known until fairly close to the end.
To the hilt is not likely to revolutionize your world view, but it should prove to be a pleasant diversion for at least a few hours.
Reviewed by Patrick Conway on Tuesday, February 17, 1998.