I didn't find this as compelling as other Francis stories I've read. In others, Francis combines some aspect of horseracing with a couple of other things, like computer viruses and glass blowing in one. I think I've always been able to pick out two areas where Francis did some research and wove some details about the non-horse racing topics into the story. This one was about an auditor/accountant, and while I caught a sliver of an interesting tidbit about accounting, I didn't get anything else. In addition, the protagonist spends a lot of time in captivity and/or bound, and these passages were not that interesting. (Francis seems to have a lot of bound men in his stories. Or maybe I just notice this more in the post "Fifty Shades of Grey" era.) And the kidnappee didn't seem to learn much after his first escape - he was doing what he knew was dangerous work, and he had escaped his captors, and he still didn't know who had gone after him, and he's supposed to be smart, so how could he allow himself to be victimized again, multiple times? Makes little sense. Usually if Francis' protagonists do something boneheaded, they learn. I didn't get any learning here.  But Francis does drop in some excellent descriptions - I do enjoy his writing. Overall, I was underwhelmed with this Francis book in comparison to his other work, but it is still written better than many current and popular mystery writers.

An easy and fairly enjoyable read. The. narrator was a bit too flippant for the situation he was in and this became a bit irritating at times. This is the first Dick Francis book I have read and it certainly won't put me off reading another when I want something very light and easy to read.

RISK - Ex
Francis, Dick - 16th book

This thriller involves the kidnapping aboard a ship of an amateur jockey and accountant Roland Britten. Schoolmistress Miss Hilary Roland helps him out, asking an unusual favor in return.

Wonderful book but I'm grateful I don't get seasick. Loved Hilary.

Vastly entertaining, did not want to put it down. Ending is slightly abrupt, perhaps a little short of satisfying, but it works in its own terse and sudden fashion. What marvelous characters this author created! The secondary characters, in particular, are vividly drawn. The book lacks in emotional impact and is simply a great read.

Typical of Francis' writing, this book does not, however, rank among his best. Too little action, and not a lot of character development. If nothing else, it does have a little interest in the form of describing how an accountant discovers frauds.

This was not one of Mr Francis's better stories - I found the narrative repetitive and some of the characters hard to believe.

My friend Louise always tells me she loves Dick Francis novels, so I finally checked one out. A great read! Well woven plot. Very likable characters, and I loved the setting. Who knew an accountant who doubles as a jockey could be so interesting?

My one complaint was the three longish stretches where the Roland was held captive. The description, while intense, started to make me wish we'd wrap it up soon and get him out of there so something else would happen. Other than that, a real goodread!

I'll probably check out another book by this author again. Thanks, Louise.

Trapped

This poor accountant gets accosted, kidnapped, and beaten 3 times. I never considered that doing any job in a community develops connections. But yes, I do know that especially with military connections. As usual, good job to the author and his wife.

One of the first Dick Francis books I ever read as a kid (the absolute first was Dead Cert), and still one of my favorites. The hero (of sorts) is an accountant to those involved in the racing world, and a bit of an amateur jockey himself. Toss in a dash of romance, an inexplicable kidnapping, and the challenges of coping with long term confinement in a small space (this would be a substitute for the usual man v. nature portion of Francis' novels), and you have yourself a decent little mystery. Also, the villain's motives are largely normal, and they themselves are fairly run-of-the-mill. Francis is at his best when he avoids the "insanely psychopathic villain" trope. All in all, not a bad book.

I have reviewed this novel and the other Dick Francis novels and put them in a FREE EBook.

You can get your copy at:

http://www.ianrodwell-limited.com/eBo...

This Dick Francis is a little further from the racecourse. It follows an accountant who wakes up on a boat, having been kidnapped for no apparent reason. Through various adventures and misadventures, this mild mannered individual finds he must face friends and enemies in his hunt to find the truth about the financial world he lives in.

Why I love Dick Francis books...all of them.
Learn about some profession, lovely men as heroes, who can take a lickin' and keep on tickin', plot twists galore, genuine good guys among some real villains, who get what they deserve in the end.

Sadly, I have now read all of them.