Dick Francis was a jack of many trades.During World War II,he was a pilot.Then he was a jockey,then a journalist and finally,a bestselling thriller writer.

His own experiences find plenty of expression in his books.Here,like the author himself,the protagonist is a pilot,ferrying a bunch of passengers to race courses.

Crooked characters get on board.There are bomb blasts and explosions,and the Francis hero finding himself in mortal danger,fights for his very survival.

Published in 1970,another cracking,gripping Francis thriller.Sustained tension and excitement,all the way.

Dick Francis always offers a fast-paced story. The special feature of this book is that its lead character is a pilot in a small air-taxi service whose main passengers are jockeys, trainers, and racehorse owners. There are many thrilling sequences about flights in which the flights aren't going along safely. And Francis adds some good descriptions of horse races. To top it all off, there's some highly nefarious skullduggery running through many episodes, and a little romance, although the romance progresses in halting fashion.

Another very interesting story by the big Dick F. Well researched and like all his novels you find yourself learning something new. He takes you back in time in this 70s book to live horse racing in tracks scattered across England accessible to the weathly via air shuttles, so vividly described I felt like I had been there. Simple read, highly recommended.

I read my first Dick Francis book many, many years ago. I loved his books then and have never turned down an opportunity to read another. He writes what he knows, horses and their surrounding environment. His experience in this segment of life shines through the stories, giving them an extra "kick" to keep the reader interested. With authentic back stories and great characters, any Dick Francis book will keep you reading, from first page to last, you're guaranteed a good book.

I think I am fascinated by Dick Francis's protagonists because they couldn't be more different from me. They tend to be low key, quietly accepting abuse/misuse from those around them. Of course, ultimately, they get the upper hand, solve the mystery, and everyone lives happily ever after (except for the dead guys). Me, I'd be all up in someone's face, because I know I'm right. Maybe I should learn a lesson from DF but I'm afraid it's too late for me.

For instance, in this story, our hero, a pilot named Matt Shore, has to break some aviation rules in order to save two people who are flying blind in another plane. He saves them but then gets in all kinds of trouble for it. From his boss, from the aviation regulation board. C'mon, he saved people's lives !!!!!! Now, I'm all about the rules, I get it, but sometimes you just gotta do what's right. Our hero, Matt, doesn't argue when he's brought before the board and fined. He just shrugs it off. He's all, "Hey, I was doing my job and they're doing theirs". As I said Francis's protagonists are much better people than I am. At least more in control.

The only thing I wasn't thrilled about in this one was the fact that it was a little dated. Written in 1971, there's this hippy guy who is all anti-establishment and says things like "that ain't cool, man" I got annoyed whenever he showed up. Otherwise, a predictable quick read.

12/31/21-

I liked so much about this story. Pilot Matt Shore has been hurt by so many people in his past, that he puts up a wall so nothing can hurt him again. He avoids any kind of relationship because of betrayals by his ex-wife, former colleagues, as well as the Board of Trade’s (similar to US FAA) unwillingness to bend the rules based on extenuating circumstances. Do the right thing or follow the letter of the law? We know what ethical Matt is going to choose and we know the Board of Trade is going to sanction him.

I was disappointed in how quickly friends Colin and Nancy believed the newspapers’ stories about Matt rather than talk to Matt, who, incidentally, had just saved their lives. I also hate when a woman scorned immediately leaps into another relationship, rather than just be on her own. I know it’s a plot device but I feel like it’s used exclusively with women. (There may be times male characters do this but I can’t think of any.)

Aside from this, it’s a sweet love story and I like that it also makes Matt part of a family.

4.5 Stars

Rat Race by Dick Francis is another suspenseful crime & investigation adventure that sweeps us up into all the action when Matt Shore, a pilot, is thrust into extreme danger when a quick and easy charter flight turns deadly. When his plane explodes moments after landing, the story takes a dangerous turn and Matt is left dealing with dark forces. With plenty of mystery, sinister intents, dark agendas, danger, drama, suspense, tension, and complexity- what ensues makes for a very intriguing turn of events.
->2023 Reading Challenge.
->Glennie's Collection
Dick Francis novels were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up, as both my parents loved his books. He was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I explored at the time, and over the years I have read everything he’s written. I remember every time my mother read one of his books, she'd tell me about him and how he'd gone from being an RAF pilot to being the Queen Mother's favourite jockey, before retiring to become a journalist/writer.
Since my mother passed away over a year ago, I have been making my way through her book collection, finally. I decided to make reading her entire collection a part of my reading challenge for the next couple of years (she has a HUGE collection), as well as a way to pay tribute to my mum, who was such a voracious reader..... Reading her collection of books has stirred up a lot of memories, mostly of our shared love of reading. I am forever grateful that she passed on her love of reading to me.

Francis’ fans expect horse-racing action from him and this is often from the perspective of a jockey. Here that isn’t the case.

For those who have read much of Francis’ stories there is a general pattern:
•tOur main character is usually a lonely guy, often damaged physically or otherwise.
•tThere is almost always a love interest involved, even when our main character is not aware/sure that is the case.
•tThe bad guys are not “gray” but “black” and rarely have any redeeming characteristics.
•tMost stories will be more “thriller” than “mystery.”

Our main guy here is Matt Shore, a pilot, who is currently working far below his skills and training flying small planes which shuttle business and horse people between points at short distances. He gradually becomes aware that something dicey is going on between several of his customers. His more direct involvement is assured when his plane explodes (fortunately while no one is inside or near enough to be killed of injured).

I didn’t know that the author and his wife actually ran a similar business for a number of years. I am certain that helped ground this tale in reality. The story works, but I like his “standard fare” a bit better.

I would have sworn that the reader for this audio book was Cary Grant, but it was Simon Jones. Whoever he is, I thank him for reading without emoting or trying to do voices and accents, just reading clearly and well and letting the story carry us along.

This is an oddity in the Francis canon--a mystery (almost) without a murder, and with very little actual racing. Not so much a "whodunit" as "who's up to what, here, and where is all this leading." The main character, again a divorced drifter who refuses (so he thinks) to get involved again in other people's lives, is an air-taxi pilot who just happens to work in the racing triangle of England. The book gets off to a very slow start, but progressively speeds up to the final get-me-out-of-this finish, only to chop off in the middle of Our Hero's famous final scene.

Dick Francis was in the RAF during WW2, but Mary was the one who got her pilot's licence and ran an air taxi for a time. And this book certainly has more of a ro-mance aspect--there is no sex, and no one is overtly crazy, except the jockeys who ignore major injuries in order to keep riding. I did find my mind wandering when they packed in all the technical details during the "midair rescue."
But never mind. It was well read and entertained me during the dire tasks of housekeeping, which is what I wanted anyway.

This one of Francis's earlier books and is only peripherally related to horse racing. It centers around an air traffic service and its newest pilot. I've read most of Francis's books several times over the decades and noticed different things with each reading. This time, having read that both Dick and his wife, Mary, were pilots and that Mary started an air taxi service after the book, I took more notice of the aircraft and flying details. They stood up as well to scrutiny as the rest of the story. And, as always with his books, I wondered what the characters did after the book ended.

Second reading of this book was as enjoyable as the first.

First Sentence: I picked four of them up at Whit Waltham in the new Cherokee Six 300 that never got a chance to grow old.

Matt Shore’s life and career as a pilot have been on a downward spiral. His latest job is with a flying taxi service for racecourses and his first flight ends with the plane exploding after he lands from sensing a problem with the aircraft. Although all the passengers are safe, it’s another black mark on Matt’s career and he wants to know why.

Although I’ve not read this particular book since January 1977, it reminds me why I became such of fan of Dick Francis’ writing.

The protagonist, Matt Shore, is so appealing and one of a style I appreciate—the “common” man caught up in an uncommon situation. He is not perfect. He is intelligent without being egotistical, attractive without being overbearing, and heroic without being macho. And, he gets the girl, but you know there are painful incidences along the way.

In spite of the opening portent, the story captivates you from the very first page and never lets you go. The pacing between suspense and respite is every effective. The writing is masterful—not a term I use lightly—and imminently readable. I was surprised how much of the plot I remembered after all these years, and that’s a real tribute to the author.

Whether Dick or Mary Francis was the primary author of this, and the other books by Dick Francis, I frankly don’t care. All I know is that it was a great read when I read it the first time, and it is a great read now.

RAT RACE (Ama Sleu-Matt Shore-England-Cont) – VG+
Francis, Dick – 10th in series
Harper & Row, ©1971, US Hardcover – ISBN: 978-0060113223

Another mystery/thriller with references to British horse racing. In this one the protagonist is the pilot for an air taxi and he ferries people around to various horse races. And he gets pulled into a mysterious conspiracy. This protagonist is damaged, brave, and is a likable character. My one complaint about this book is that there is some drama near the end involving others "jumping to conclusions" regarding the protagonist that felt a little off. And it does end abruptly which I think is common for this author. There is a foreword in this book that mentions that the author and his wife actually ran an air taxi business themselves for many years so he definitely already knew enough about the subject.

I've read about 10 Dick Francis books now and in my opinion the best ones are those where the protagonist is NOT directly associated with British horse racing. Not a jockey for example. My favorites thus far are "To the Hilt" and "The Edge" and "The Danger". This book is just behind those.