ANNOTATION

New York Times bestselling author Dick Francis presents the thrilling story of architect Lee Morris who inherits a partial ownership in the Stratton Park racecourse--and with it, a dangerous position among the warring upper-class family trying to settle its fate.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dick Francis has garnered international acclaim for fusing supercharged action and taut moral drama into best-selling novels of suspense. Set amid the world of high-stakes horseracing, which is his special turf, Decider ranks with this enormously popular author's finest work. Free choice? According to architect, engineer, and jobbing builder Lee Morris, there's no such thing. Choice is preordained by personality, of that the young entrepreneur is sure. Then he becomes involved with Stratton Park racecourse, which faces ruin at the hands of the combative clan that wholly owns it. Connected with but not related to any of the family's warring factions, he nonetheless is drawn into the fray - reluctant, yet attracted by compulsions he does not fully comprehend. But when the infighting turns violent, Lee finds he is a major player in a supremely dangerous game. With multimillions on the line and menace edging closer, he wrestles with the most critical decision of his life. One path leads to safety, the other to disaster, even death. Which is which? And does he really have a choice at all? Utterly gripping and deeply thoughtful, Dick Francis's Decider is in every way a thoroughbred.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Dick Francis knows horses, but in this deeply satisfying novel of intrigue, he shows that he also has a handle on architecture, construction, even crowd control. Narrator Lee Morris, 35, is an architect/builder specializing in restoring ``ruins'' like his own splendid barn house inhabited by his six sons and his lovely, but increasingly remote, wife. He is also one of few shareholders in Stratton Park racecourse, ownership of which is being hotly contested by the heirs of Lord Stratton. Lee's mother had married and quickly divorced the baron's vicious son Keith. Since part of her divorce settlement included the racecourse stock, Lee (accompanied by his five eldest sons) attends a shareholders meeting. With few exceptions the Strattons are a very nasty crew--cheats, blackmailers, just plain vicious--and during the course of the fight over selling or restoring the track, Lee is beaten, nearly blown up and finally forced to race to save his sons at the excruciating climax. Francis's deft plotting and sharp characterization are, as usual, on the mark: both Lee and his progeny are realistic and appealing. And as usual, he excels in exposing some of England's nastier class habits, meanwhile affirming the morality of his protagonist. BOMC main selection; QPB alternate; Reader's Digest selection; author tour. (Oct.)

Library Journal

Meet Lee Morris, an architect with six children and a small share in a successful racetrack, Stratton Park. Morris becomes embroiled in the excitement of the racetrack and a fight for its control. This is the last thing he ought to become involved in, especially considering the many skeletons in the Stratton family closets. The personalities in Francis's ( Driving Force , Audio Reviews, LJ 4/1/93; Proof , Audio Reviews, LJ 4/15/93) tale are strong and the action swift. Simon Jones narrates well, and the abridgment is unobtrusive. This will do well in general collections.-- Miriam Kahn, Columbus, Ohio

BookList - Emily Melton

The newest entry is this popular series once again features Francis' signature horseracing theme. Architect Lee Morris has been a stockholder in Stratton Park racecourse ever since his mother inherited shares as part of a divorce settlement. When track-owner Lord Stratton dies, he leaves his heirs bitterly divided about the park's future. The younger scions want it razed so big-bucks developers can make their mark (and pay handsomely for the prime real estate). The older relatives want to preserve it intact. The course manager wants it modernized: changing rooms for the female jockeys, elevators, and comfortable seats. Lee finds himself unwillingly drawn into the family dispute when someone blows up the grandstand. Convinced that one of the Strattons is behind the dastardly crime, Lee is determined to find out which one--and save the racetrack for future racing enthusiasts. Francis has created a strong supporting cast of Stratton characters--irresponsible grandson Dart, vindictive son Keith, temperamental Rebecca, and indomitable matriarch Marjorie--set against the intelligent, admirable hero. The plot is entertainingly cunning and effectively paced if not highly original. And there's even some pleasantly, witty Francis-style humor, mostly involving Lee's attempts at parenting. A master manipulator of the formula plot, Francis has created yet another odds on winner. Bet on it.

AudioFile - Robin F. Whitten

Dick Francis presents a likeable architect-hero embroiled in a family feud over the ownership of a racecourse. Francis's finely drawn characters make an excellent cast for Simon Jones. He uses lightly characterized voices for each Stratton family member--each more difficult, stubborn or pig-headed than the next. The listener gets most of the character development from these voices as the story is cut to essential plot lines. Many of the observations and digressions that delight Francis's print fans are missing. If you've read the book, the audio can extend your association with the characters, if not, it may send you off to enjoy the text. R.F.W. ￯﾿ﾽAudioFile, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

Francis's newest suspenser (his 32nd) is typical not only in its racetrack setting, but in its doubling of the hero's mildly dysfunctional family (he and his diffident wife are held together only by their brood of six sons) with another family of deep-dyed villains. Because his mother Madeline was once married into the fractious Stratton family, owners of the Stratton Park racecourse, architect/ builder Lee Morris, a restorer of ruined houses, owns a small number of voting shares in the course. His long-standing revulsion from Madeline's wife-beating first husband Keith Stratton has kept him away from the family—especially from his half-sister Hannah, a child of marital rape—and, despite the pleas of course manager Roger Gardner, he intends to keep his distance even when Keith's father, Lord William Stratton, dies. But an invitation to a meeting of the shareholders leads to an unexpected request from matriarchal Marjorie Binsham, William's sister—to look into the question of whether the outdated grandstands really need replacing—and while he's poking around along with his five oldest sons, an explosion rocks the stands and nearly kills him. Sabotage, of course; but was the culprit habitual animal- rights picketer Harold Quest, or one of the Stratton heirs—Keith himself, his despised twin Conrad (the new head of the family), their ineffectual brother Ivan—or one of their children—spiteful unwed mother Hannah, sullen jockey Rebecca, insouciant Dart, or troublemaking Forsyth? Francis's biggest coup here is his success in delineating shades and varieties of wickedness in the superbly monstrous Strattons. Despite an unconvincing hint of May-Decemberromance for his fatalistic hero, this is the most elaborate and satisfying of his recent books—a winner from the starting gate to the last hurdle. (Book-of-the-Month Dual Selection)