Surprisingly Good

A long time Dick Francis fan, I’m rereading the series in order. Somehow this one had escaped me. Always a prodigious story researcher, this story mostly located in Moscow, however showcases Francis as an astute observer of human nature and social issues. I was delighted with it and found it to be surprisingly good.

This step back in time to 1978 was compelling as I find all the Francis books but it was also a fascinating look at a the Cold War era and the repressive regime in Russia. Many books of that era reflected the Cold War secrecy, double dealing and spy efforts and it is interesting to read this horse-based version by Francis.

I read this years ago and am very glad I visited it again as it more than captured and held my interest during this shutdown.

Good, solid piece of Dick Frances storytelling. I love the pace of his novels. I read them when I want to slow down to a civilized canter.

So... the plot was good, and the writing was good, and it was a super quick read, but I just didn't care about the characters or what happened to them or how it was going to end... honestly really anything. Ah well, maybe it was the setting or the fact is was written 40 years ago. This book club should be interesting!