What is there to say about Dick Francis? As I think about all of his books (yes, this review covers all of his books, and yes I've read them all) I think about a moral ethical hero, steeped in intelligence and goodness embroiled in evil machinations within British horse racing society - either directly or indirectly. The heroes aren't always horse jockies, they can be film producers, or involve heroes engaged in peripheral professions that somehow always touch the horse racing world.

But more than that, Francis's heroes are rational human beings. The choices made are rational choices directed by a firm objective philosophy that belies all of Francis's novels. The dialogue is clear and touched with humor no matter the intensity of evil that the hero faces. The hero's thoughts reveal a vulnerability that is touching, while his actions are always based on doing the right thing to achieve justice.

Causing the reader to deeply care about the characters in a novel is a difficult thing to do. No such worries in a Francis novel. The point of view is first person, you are the main character as you read the story (usually the character of Mr. Douglas). The hero is personable, like able, non-violent but delivering swift justice with his mind rather than through physical means. This is not to say that violence is a stranger to our hero. Some of it staggering and often delivered by what we would think of normal persons living in British society.

You will come to love the world of Steeple Chase racing, you will grow a fondness for horses, stables, trainers and the people who live in that world. You will read the books, devouring one after the other and trust me Dick Francis has a lot of novels (over 40 by my last count).

There are several series woven into the fabric of Francis's work: notably the Sid Halley and Kit Fielding series.

Assessment: Dick Francis is one of my favorite writers. I read his books with a fierce hunger that remains insatiable and I mourn his death.

In this book, the horseracing plays only a marginal role, rather it is about flying.
Matt Shore is a pilot and flies trainers, racehorse owners and jockeys to the horse races. Already on the return flight of his first working day, his plane is blown up by a bomb. Luckily, no one hurt. Of course he has the commission of inquiry on the neck. Nobody can explain how the bomb came on the plane. At a later date, the plane of Colin Ross' sister is manipulated. She can land safely with a spectacular rescue operation.
Who is behind all this? Matt finds all the pieces of the puzzle with time, can he convict the villain before the next assassination?
Very exciting written.

Matt Shore is the second pilot in Dick Francis' stable of quiet, cold-as-ice, observant, and stubborn heroes. Like Flying Finish, Rat Race draws upon Francis' experience as a pilot in World War II, but that's all explained in the Introduction.

Matt Shore is a down-and-out taxi pilot. Problems with previous employers, problems with an ex-wife, and a tendency to let things ride have Matt living in a trailer by the air taxi company's airfield. No food, no money, no love, no excitement.

Then he starts flying people to horseraces: trainers, jockeys, owners, fans. He meets some interesting people, including star jockey Colin Ross and Ross' two sisters: Nancy and Midge. Keep your eye on Nancy in this story. Not all of these people are what they seem, and a couple of them are downright sinister. Matt is flying a group, including Colin Ross, back from a racing date, when he feels something wrong with the plane. He lands the plane, unloads his passengers, and sets off in search of a mechanic, when the plane explodes. Spectacularly.

What was that all about? No one seems to know, but Matt Shore can't leave it alone. After all, whatever is going on may endanger Colin, Nancy, and Matt's new friend, a young boy also named Matt.

You may even feel yourself cheering up as Matt Shore shakes off his depression.

Horse.

I've come to appreciate Dick Francis over the years. Even this story, originally written in 1971, was engrossing. There was a lot that I had to catch up on - not being a child of that era nor being British, but those are just additional puzzle pieces for me. There was a bit of fragmentation in this story that had me confused a bit - and since I read it all in one go it can't really be blamed on recall. I do like the horsey-world in periphery for once and though I was surprised, it didn't detract from the story really. Some of the male-female interactions were smarmy and uneccesary but probably more common in that era. Like some of his other, later stories, I liked how he drew me into the piloting world without making it seem preachy or over-technical. Francis just has a style that gently eases you in and lets you ride along. That is what I needed when I sat down to read this, so I applaud him yet again.

A love story and a Dick Francis mystery, what’s not to love?

Great book, great hero, great finish. One of Dick Francis’s early books — and one written with the help of his wife Mary. You’ll love it and read it over and over just as I and hundreds of others have.

Pretty formulaic for a Dick Francis novel, to me. But that could be because I've read many of his books and now look closer than I did at first at the faults in the plots, which in this case stretched the imagination in some places. That said, this is still a good read and keeps you turning pages.

One of his best!

There's nothing quite like the early Dick Francis novels. In later years he wrote of a jockey who could talk to horses telepathically, but no matter whether it was glass blowing or politics or airplanes, his deep love for horses always came through. His books have seen me through the years.

At parts very similar to Reflex and at parts very predictable. Still, an enjoyable read nevertheless. Liked the ending, too.

Mystery at its best

So many different things, mostly related to the world of horse racing but additionally things relating to companies being set up, making bombs and flaying. What an encyclopaedia yet still a riveting story.

Flying with horses

Action Packed beginning to end. A hard book to put down. The characters were well developed with unique personality traits, both good and bad. I didn't see the ending coming and was holding my breath during the last chapter. I felt there were a few loose ends but it didn't detract from the enjoyment of a very good book.