Don't know why this lists as unknown binding as publisher/date/edition shows it is the first US hardcover edition. Anyway, wasn't really getting into any of the fiction I had available to read so decided to re-read something from Francis. I enjoy this story, like the action built around the Olympic games and also the premise of terrorism returning home to the country (Russia) that for so long specialized in exporting it to other lands.

An almost- terrific read from Francis

All of Dick Francis' books are excellent. Some have more magic than others. This book has its share of good stuff, including a comic sidekick of considerable charm. However, it doesn't light the rockets and take off the way some other Francis novels do. When the rockets engage, it's usually because of the hero's appeal. It's not that Randall Drew lacks charm, but he is given a snorter of a problem to solve. And while most Francis books end with the hero on the road to either happily-ever-after or on the mend from its opposite, this book's ending is bittersweet at best.

Have no doubt: "Trial Run" is a great read, and well worth the tiredness you will feel the next day at work because you couldn't put it down and go to sleep like a sensible person. It falls short only of Dick Francis' ridiculously high standards, which makes it better than 95% of everyone else's work.

Buy and read it. You'll enjoy it.



Still, any Dick Francis novel is going to be at least darned good. If Amazon allowed fractional stars, I'd have given it 4.7.

Moscow, the Olympics and a mystery with Francis' usual cool and collected hero. A little bit confusing at times but an interesting look at Moscow during the Cold War. And during November, a very cold time to be lurking around the streets of Moscow.

Maybe only 3 stars this time around, but still a good book!

3.5. Great mystery (light on the horses) and a creepy peek into late '70s era Soviet Russia.

As usual completely on the ball

It was interesting to rad Trial Run so long after it had been written as Russia has changed so much since then. I would point out not all for the better. But being an oldie myself I can well remember the Iron Curtain and the athletes, dancers and singers who defected in those days. A very tricky book to keep up with as Dick Francis really stretched out the plot with so many twists. You won’t be disappointed.

Another enjoyable Dick Francis read. This was published in 1978 so is undoubtedly dated, but I didn't notice it much as most of the action takes place in Moscow. At least in 1978, it seems an uncomfortable place to be a tourist, especially if you are there to ask a lot of questions... I get the sense that not much as changed in that respect.

I'm working on rereading all of Dick Francis' novels in publication order. I did not remember this one at all until I got to the name "Alyosha," at which point, I remembered the ending perfectly, but not most of what came in between. I have given this one only 3 stars instead of my usual 4 or 5 because this is the first one in which I think there is a major flaw in the plotting. The reason that the hero, Randall, decides to go to Russia is that the brother-in-law of the Prince of Wales (who is asking for the favor) slams his car into the back of the hero's in the prince's driveway and tells a tale of bad guys beating him up. The prince proceeds to suggest to Randall that he just claim on his own insurance without bringing the royal family into it. The two cars have pretty much exploded--Randall's is totalled. I don't believe that an insurance company is going to pay off without a police investigation, and if they did take such an unlikely step, Randall's insurance premiums would go through the roof. Very bad character flaw in the Prince of Wales to stick his friend with all the finanacial burden of something his brother-in-law did, especially since the prince wants a very large favor from said friend. Not believable. Otherwise, this is standard Dick Francis fare, which is to say interesting characters and detailed, clever plot. A lot of the books in this edition have new introductions by Francis explaining how he came to write the particular story; I wish this one did: I would have loved to have known how he came to think of setting a book in Russia, as well as whether he himself traveled there, as is generally the case with the settings of his novels.

one of Francis’ best!

A real page turner, well plotted with so much great cultural background! One shivers both with terror and with the graphic descriptions of the weather!

Only my second Dick Francis book. I enjoyed the pace of the writing. Interesting that it was published just prior to the Moscow Olympics since threats relating to that event are central to this book.

Absolutely Brilliant

This book started out interesting and got better. Fantastically written, got drawn in fast. Well plotted, really worth the read. Not been drawn into a story as we!l as this one for an age. Definitely a must read.

Really 2.5 stars. One of my least favorite Dick Francis novels. I found a lot of it so boring. I felt like DF must’ve recently read a spy novel taking place in Russia and decided to write his own. There was not a lot of suspense. Sure, our hero Randall Drew nearly drowned after being tipped into a freezing cold river. But, seriously, is the hero going to die halfway through? He gives a lot of detail about traveling from place to place, describing the food, how hard it is to do anything in Russia. Also, lots if talk about the need for diplomacy, which Randall Drew is naturally good at.

Speaking of Drew, he’s a pretty typical Francis protagonist. Let’s check them off: connection to horses, smart, calm, odd/nonexistent relationship with family/girlfriend, quietly rich. Francis added a weird subplot about hero’s ongoing struggle with bronchitis. Not sure why.

Finally, and maybe worth an extra star because Francis came through with relationship weirdness, there’s the marriage proposal. To girlfriend, “If you ever get tired of your shop job…I can give you another job.” “As what?” “Domestic servant. Nanny. Cook. Laundry maid. General all-purpose dogsbody. Farmhand. Wife.” How about that for a proposal!  She turned him down.

not one of his better ones

As ever, his writing is perceptive and his heroes likable but the plot is weaker than his best. A middling read.