Unusual Francis book, sort of a coming-of-age story that takes place over a five-year period, with the mystery/crime elements mostly background to the establishment of a father-son relationship and the exposition of how British campaigns work. Perhaps not type of the line, but I enjoyed it, and, as always, learned many new things.

I first read this book in 1997 but it was a delight to revisit as an audiobook. In it, Dick Francis moves away from books set completely around horse racing to stories set in other locations. Politics provides the backdrop. It is entertaining, something of a coming-of-age novel, with great characters and a vivid sense of place. Dick Francis at his best.

This is a great mystery that combines all of the elements that Francis is known for in his books. Benedict Julliard is an interesting character who wants to be a jockey, but agrees to spend some time helping his father win a political campaign. When there is a failed assassination attempt, Ben decides it is up to him to help protect his father. As time goes on, things turn out, but Ben gets pulled into drama again and he has to help determine who is out to destroy his family. There is mystery, intrigue and a little bit of romance all rolled up in this book.

What a fun read.
Dad is running for office, and Public Enemy #1 is a sleaze-mongering reporter. Father & son promise each other not to commit sleaze that can be used against him.

But who is slinging bullets instead of words to influence the election?

I loved it. It was reminiscent of Jeffrey Archer in a way, with its longer time frame and political intrigue, but with Dick Francis' more relatable, more normal characters. I liked the protagonist, Ben, very much and enjoyed the other character portraits. I also enjoyed the change of pace from faster-paced thrillers. Not that this was boring--there was plenty of development in both characters and plot in between exciting episodes. Definitely a read I savored.

Excellent! A must read.

This must be one of the few books Dick Francis has written that I hadn't previously read. I have now made up for that lack in my library. It is every bit as good a story that he has written and I'm sorry it took me so long to find it.

I highly recommend every one get and read his work.

A Dick Francis that I had never read before - amazing! Not very connected to racing, unfortunately. And the hero’s father was just too good a person to be real, though I understand that Francis wanted to create a contrast with the book’s bad guy. Unfortunately, the Dad gets a mate but our hero does not. That was something I always liked about most of his other books - young people finding their life’s mate.

This is a bit different than most Francis books I have read in that 1] the main character is not a well established experience of some type and 2] horse racing is involved to a lesser degree than any other book.
I enjoyed it as much as his other books, it is just different in some ways.
The main character is a young man, just under 18 at the start who works for his Father running for political office while he adjusts to the fact that he will never be in horse racing professionally.

Dick Francis, Enough Said

Dick Francis has been one of my Favorite authors for about 50 years. This book has only been around for about 20 years, but like all Dick Francis books, is well worth rereading.

Benedict Julliard is pulled from his amateur horse racing life to help his father win a seat in Parliament. There is a mystery, but this is a book about a father and son's somewhat distant relationship becoming much more personal. Benedict, the narrator, is recalling events in the distant past, but even as a teenager he was one smart cooky. He quickly evolves from "And this is my son Ben" to bodyguard, driver and ultimately savior. His father changes too. It is especially interesting to watch a British by-election roll forth. It only took a month. Sigh.

Another gripping Dick Francis novel. While this one was not as tightly structured as some of Francis' other work, and the plot occasionally felt a little loose and meandering, its brisk action, charming characters, and inimitable voice still made it impossible to put down.

Ben Juliard, taking a gap year (or more) to ride as an amateur jockey, is unceremoniously booted out so he can help his father stand for Parliament. Wholly uninterested in politics, Ben agrees to be by his father's side in the few weeks before the election. In those few weeks, his father has several near brushes with death, including a near-assassination. But all's well that ends well, right? Fast forward a few years, and the past returns with a deadly vengeance.

Classic Dick Francis, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.