I love Dick Francis

Rereading some Dick Francis novels from several years ago. This one has a growing dynamic between father and son, a subtle but sustained drama under each phase of the fathers rise to power and the coming of age and courage of the son. One of my favorites

Dick Francis commands the English language in a way no one else can. Likewise, his characters are well defined. While horse racing is always present, he delves with understanding into many different walks of life. This book reflects knowledge of politics. Always a pleasure to read one of his books. I am never disappointed.

well constructed story that spans 5 years, but not really that much of a who-dun-it mystery. And for audio book fans, I cannot recommend Simon Prebble enough. He brings an individual voice to all of the characters and brings the story to life.

I have read almost all of Dick Francis’ books and this one was a little different. You still learn something about horse racing and another occupation but the focus in this story was more about Ben and his relationship with his father. Not as suspenseful as some of the other books but still satisfying. I listened to the audiobook read by Simon Preble and think the British accent and pronunciations added to my enjoyment.

From this authors top tier, this is ostensibly a political thriller but in fact is the story of how an estranged father and son find each other and essentially discover their love for one another. Several scenes hit the emotions, none more than the scene where the father gives his son a surprise birthday gift. As with all the best authors, Francis does not forget to portray the joy in life. A short book, can be read easily in a couple hours. Wonderful, and you need not care anything for horses to enjoy it; the author makes you care!

This is my first Dick Francis book. I read it in a day, flawed but fun. The characters are overly good, a self-made multimillionaire, who at 37 or becomes a super honest politician. The main character finds himself a poor single parent at 18, so makes millions and raises his son to be great. No whiners here, and there is a mystery -- someone is trying to ruin the perfect politician with slander or gunshots. Character building, horsey political adventure, with not much character development.

There definitely is a difference between Dick Francis’ writing and that of Felix, his son. Felix is a good writer, but different in style and depth. I really enjoyed the dry humour, learning about newspaper printing and the political system in the UK, and the underlying moral fibre of the story by Dick. Sorry Felix, your writings not for me.

I really enjoyed this 1997 novel by Dick Francis.
The plot deals with the son of an aspiring politician and includes horse racing (of course), interesting characters, attempted murder, and clever sleuthing.

I listened to this book, and I loved hearing the horse racing vernacular. Even the politics were enthralling, and helped me understand the pressures on political figures and their families. There was a little bit of mystery and intrigue.

Haven't read a Dick Francis for years. It reads very like a Jeffrey Archer but with less volume or family dynasties. Enjoyed it as a nice change.

I think if you like horses then you'll like his books.

This one mostly deals with politics although there is tangential horsey stuff. But not the usual torture-and-horses-and-horses-and-torture plot. A stand-along dealing with a young lad near his 18th birthday out canvassing for his thus-far rather distant father who wants very much to be called "Dad."

Quick read with brisk and bright writing.

I liked it well enough, though it seemed far-fetched in several places and isn't as gripping as some of his other works. Still, I didn't put it down until I was done, and it kept me guessing most of the way. Solid read.