Dick Francis writes intelligent who-done-its that make you want to keep reading. Combining his two interests again, movie making and horse racing, the author's protagonist is directing a movie based on a book that was based on an unsolved crime. A horse trainer's wife was found hung 26 years before and no one ever discovered who or why. The guilty party(ies) feel the film director is getting too close to discovering the truth and try everything up to and including murder to stop the movie being made. I was very interested in the film-making process; answered some questions for me about how movies get produced and who does what.

I first read Dick Francis years ago and have reread a few now. Still engaging; the main character in this one is a movie director making a movie about a long ago death, which stirs up antipathy that turns deadly. Still set in the racing world, but lots of info about making movies. Fun!

The one about the film director. Much better structure and mystery than "10 lb Penalty", with the WTF remaining virtually to the end. I thought I remembered this conspiracy story, but it turned out to have been a different plot I was misremembering--bonus! An enjoyable hour or two I don't regret committing to Mr Francis.

The only niggle is the inability of 1990s Francis to reconcile his 60s family values with modern characters. The protagonist is a thirtyish film director, very busy. So far so good. He cooly admires an eighteen-year-old girl, hmm. She's nervous because he's, I don't know, a man. He brings her into his circle, then offers her a trip to America, and decides in his head that he'll marry her. In what world is it not creepy for a 30 year old man to deliberately resolve to spend a lot of money to wife an 18 year old girl he's never so much as kissed? I'm sure it was done because it shows his noble nature that he's not immediately leaping into bed to roger the little lady, but it ends up being more ick than aww.

4 Stars

Wild Horses by Dick Francis is a crime & investigation mystery with a death-bed confession, secrets, a long-standing & unsolved mystery, danger, drama, suspense, tension, and complexity- makes for a very intriguing read.
->2023 Reading Challenge.
->Glennie's Collection
Dick Francis novels were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up, as both my parents loved his books. He was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I explored at the time, and over the years I have read everything he’s written. I remember every time my mother read one of his books, she'd tell me about him and how he'd gone from being an RAF pilot to being the Queen Mother's favourite jockey, before retiring to become a journalist/writer.
Since my mother passed away over a year ago, I have been making my way through her book collection, finally. I decided to make reading her entire collection a part of my reading challenge for the next couple of years (she has a HUGE collection), as well as a way to pay tribute to my mum, who was such a voracious reader..... Reading her collection of books has stirred up a lot of memories, mostly of our shared love of reading. I am forever grateful that she passed on her love of reading to me.

I read all the Dick Francis books with the exception of the last couple. He was a writer that I missed. His son Felix, isn't as good but he has talent too. This is all here so that you know I can be complimentary; just not this book. This was the worst Dick Francis book I have ever read. I have no idea why I read it from cover to cover. I must have a fascination with train wrecks. I didn't care about any of the characters and if I had, it surely would have been for someone who died. The relationship of one character to another (other than blood relationships) is glossed over as unimportant. If you have several hours that you would like to waste, try this one.

Another Wonder

Always can count on Dick Francis for a great use of the English language and a show stopping cast of characters. Then of course there is the surprise ending!

If you ever thought it was easy to make a movie, this book tells the inside scoop about all the little details that go on. Why all the credits at the ends of movies? This book is full of information about all those titles. A movie maker is telling the 26 year-old story of a suspected suicide. However, he uncovers some information that make it questionable whether this was a suicide or murder. Then the people involved so many years ago start a series of events designed to stop the movie so that the real truth won't come out. Very entertaining.

Dick Francis always keeps me turning the pages even when the book isn't quite up to his usual standard. I loved all the movie details and as always wanted to finish and find out the answers. But I agree with others here that this isn't one of his best. But - even with that said - I enjoyed it and urgently wanted to be reading it.

What a story teller Francis was!

Another great read by this skilled writer. I so enjoy his work. In one sentence he can scare me and in the next sentence make me chuckle. This story in particular kept me locked in from beginning to end. I had to reread several paragraphs at the denouement to really understand who killed Sonya and why!

Another exciting and fast paced racing-related mystery from Francis. Wild Horses takes us to the world of film-making where our ‘hero’ Thomas Lyon is directing a film based on a book based on a 26-year-old unsolved murder in the racing world. Thomas is having problems with the writer who feels his story has been changed too much and soon also finds the film and himself getting threats. On the other side, a friend of his family Valentine (who Thomas has lately been reading to) dies leaving Thomas his books and papers and his sister, Dorothea is brutally attacked, leaving Thomas to also figure out what it is that Valentine knew or had in his possession that could be a threat to others. As is usual with Francis, I thought he did a good job of re-creating the world of film-making, though neither Thomas nor the film’s hero are what we’d typically associate with Hollywood. Also, as one expects of Francis’ heroes, Thomas is bright and catches on to things much faster than the ordinary individual, but also ends up getting beaten up for it. The writing was enjoyable and had me wanting to read on to find out how things turn out and whodunit, especially as there wasn’t any particularly ominous individual (as in some of Francis’ other books) lurking around on the scene. I was surprised by the denouement, yes, but still it seemed just well, ok. But the book as a whole was enjoyable and entertaining, and very readable though not may be among my favourites of his.

I was so sure I had read a book of his before but must have mixed it up with something else. I listened this as an audiobook and this was very entertaining and easy to listen to and get engaged to. Interesting plot and I'm interested to try something else by Dick Francis but I'm wondering if I had actually tried one before but DNF it. But who knows

This is a typial Dick Francis book and I enjoy them. The main character goes along and finally by the end the mystery is solved. He writes so well and it is easy reading but enjoyable.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" and "Wesley's Wars"