Francis portrays a materialistic society in the wide-ranging milieus of this novel, with a cast of characters that includes racehorse owners and trainers, drug dealers, gamblers, and diamond merchants. Pitted against them is narrator-hero Derek Franklin, a steeplechase jockey recovering from his latest injury and a man of self-effacing honesty. When he unexpectedly inherits Saxony Franklin, the gemstone business of his elder brother Greville, who was accidentally killed, Derek is thrust into an unfamiliar world of international trade. He also finds himself the putative victim of unknown enemies, for he unwittingly threatens their pursuit of profit and wealth.

Francis's plot also focuses upon the dubious tendency of people to rely increasingly upon gadgets, electronic and otherwise. Intended to simplify personal and professional lives, these mechanical wizards, Francis demonstrates, often become gimmickry obsessions that clutter and distort normal activities. Derek, his taciturn driver Brad, most of the...