I got to see a new country...Norway. It was an interesting visit. Dick Cleveland from Emgland went there to try to find out about a British jockey who supposedly absconded with lots of kroners. But Dick found out that was not the case. In fact, Robert Sherman, the jockey, was murdered. And someone was trying to prevent Dick from finding out why. I found this book was interesting to a point. But the motive for the murder was not very exciting. Despite murder and mayhem, I was disappointed with the motive. Still Dick Cleveland was a typical Dick Francis main character.

As always, a great combination of action, suspense, and horse racing this time in a Norwegian setting.

Head of the British Jockey Club goes to Norway to find a missing jockey only to discover the jockey has been murdered.
I like Dick Francis' novels and tend not to get overly critical as they entertain me. However... as I get older and with an eye toward different things, I have noticed that he always has women attracted to his protagonist whether they are married or not (both the men and the women). And in this particular case he had a completely (to me) unnecessary scene where the guy was dancing with his friend's wife and she was apparently so attracted to him that she couldn't help herself and was grinding all over him and had an orgasm... OK, was that really necessary to the story? No! Other than that, entertaining. Plus, set in Norway, which was fun.

I read this novel and then listened to this book a few years later. Francis has some series and some standalones and this thriller is a great standalone full of action. Francis sends his usual spunky protagonist, David Cleveland, to Norway where his requisite jockey has unexpectedly disappeared with the day's purse money. Highly recommend Francis for a quick, page-turner story full of action and fun.

Interesting to have primary setting in Norway. Twist in the motive/plot. Creative detective deduction; looking at situation backwards as well as what is not known.
As with all Dick Francis books I have read thus far, well written and engaging. The biggest problem with my reading his books is that I stay up too late on work nights reading.

This is one of the better Dick Francis books that I've read. Unlike many authors who've written a large number of books, his do not rely on a cast of returning characters to hook the reader in. But somehow he managed to make me like the main character, David Cleveland, before it knew it. Although the vast majority, if not all, of Dick Francis books involve some facet of horse racing, the main characters themselves are not always jockeys but have different professions revolving around that world. In this entry, Cleveland is an investigator for the British Jockey Club and the story takes place primarily in Norway. It’s a well-plotted story and as in most Francis Cleveland is not discouraged by threats or the dangers of his pursuit of the truth. There was plenty of action to keep the pages turning, and no gratuitous violence or sex. Just a quick, enjoyable read.

A great read from the first paragraph to the last

I first have to confess to the fact that tttfigs kindle reading of this book is not my first time reading this book. My home library has at least 2 issues, hard copy and paperback of all Mr Francis' books save one and I am now saving them all for my kindle library. This one is one of my favorites. My only criticism of it is that... it makes me miss him more.

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.

I enjoyed this one but not his best--the ending was kind of flat. Needed an epilogue. 3.75 stars.
Plot: investigation into the disappearance of a Jockey in Oslo. Lots of great Norweigan characters and description of the country. Liked the Great Dane, Odin. Main character super likable as usual, not a rider but Investigator for the Jockey Club.

David Cleveland, Jockey Club investigator, has come over to find an English jockey who has disappeared with a day's racing entry fees. But he finds more than a jockey - he finds serious trouble, with several attempts being made on his life. People are not what they seem to be, and the motives are very confusing...

Strange that this book is 36 years old - it still reads fresh. Most of it is a corker, too, with crisp clear writing, tension, thrills, humour, good dialogue and small tidy packages of quick-draw perfectly formed personalities. Four stars, as the ending, I feel is not quite up to the rest of the story.
Yes, this is a thriller/detective story set in the horse-racing world, but it is also a very intelligent book

my favorite vacation read author

A decent Francis book. The villain was medium-sized--not a raving psychopath, but not a run-of-the-mill John Q. Citizen either. A fair number of harrowing experiences for the hero, and a few alluring and possibly off-limits women . . . all in all, a pretty solid entry. Oh, and it takes place largely in Norway, which is a fun change from Francis' usual setting.