Francis is so reliable a read. You know the ethical and loyal hero will triumph, there are plenty of red herrings and horses (of various colors) and action. Still, the writing is not flabby or plain. He writes with verve, good depictions of people and horses and places.

Never a disapppoinment.

This book has whirled and twirled around on my hard drive since June of 2014. I mentioned that only because I am rapidly running out of Dick Francis books. When the last one Collapses into the deletion bin, I will be sad and sorrowful indeed. While I certainly commend the work that his son has done in keeping the legacy alive, it's difficult to find a book as good as the ones Dick Francis wrote. I can understand completely why this is a bestseller.

If you open this, you will meet John Kendall. John is a struggling writer who currently lives in an attic while he waits for the advance on his second novel. His first one is at the very cusp of publication, and he is thrilled about that, but being between novels isn't exactly paying the bills. When the pipes freeze over in the old house he is renting, John agrees to take a ghostwriting job with a curmudgeonly racetrack legend who wants his life story written. The guy offers John free lodging and food for four weeks. John figures that's about as long as he needs to get back on track financially. Despite his reluctance, he takes the job.

Someone in the household, and what a household it is, is in some way involved in the murders of two young women. The jury Freed one member of the household determining that it didn't have enough evidence to convict on the murder of one of the young women. The second death occurred in an isolated forest area, and the cops are eager to blame someone in the racetrack legend's household. They just don't know who.

In addition to John, these characters are vivid and memorable. I won't list them here. I tend to glaze over when I see too many character names in a review. But you need to read this so that you can immerse yourself in the oddities and eccentricities of the household of the guy for whom John is writing the book. All these characters will intrigue you; more than one is capable of murder. Additionally, the character of John Kendall is one that will stay with you after you close the book. He's not a writer whose craft has gone to his head. He is humble almost to the point of being nondescript, and he comes across as a highly likable individual. Prior to working as a ghostwriter, John crafted a series of survival manuals designed to help the hard-core camper survive any number of difficult circumstances in a variety of environments such as the sea, the desert, and the mountain. He makes his manuals available to the people in the household, and that very nearly leads to his undoing.

This book's heart-racing denouement occurs in the second to last chapter, and it will thrill you to participate in it. It is one of the best and most suspense filled endings I've read in a long time. That's why this book deserves all five of its five stars! I'm hopeful you will read it. This is Dick Francis at his absolute best!

This is a very Goodread. Another excellent Dick Francis book! Intensively researched, Longshot is about survival. Not just survival in a wilderness but survival in, and of, the self.

It's been a long time since I read a Dick Francis novel and I'd forgotten how much fun they are. Ridiculous, for sure, but full of horses and jockeys and betting and intrigue and, well, lots of fun. Francis doesn't take himself or his story too seriously and if the ending is implausible and leaves gaping holes open all over the place, I didn't mind because I'd enjoyed the journey so much.

A great holiday read.

I listened to this on tape. Yup, cassettes. I did find very enjoyable. I didn't even guess the who dun it, till the end. But the very best part? It was read by Kenneth Branaugh and it was wonderful. I bet he could read the phone book and keep us riveted.

Page-turning derringer-do in the horse-racing world.

The GR blurb:

'Hot on the heels of his runaway bestseller Straight, Dick Francis once again breaks away from the pack with his dazzling new mystery, Longshot. A starving writer turns to work that will at least pay the bills, but he soon discovers the perils of rural England. His agent had warned that his impulses would kill him, but he didn't listen--not by a long shot.

While I enjoyed this story very much there was a problem with the ending, which is morally ambiguous.and not well thought out. The police would continue to investigate Angela's murder so either it would all come out in the end or innocent people would be arrested or at least under suspicion.

A Francis favourite

I’ve only read one Francis book I didn’t enjoy and that was due to the characters moral conduct not the writing but this is a favourite. It is also one of the first I read. Even without the killer surprise ending (which I knew) it was a treat to spend time in this world.

I really enjoy mysteries written by Dick Francis. They are always interesting and have fully developed characters, most of whom are likable, who are challenged to extend themselves. So far as I have read, there is always a tie-in to the British horse-racing scene. This is no different. A writer of survival travel guides accepts a commission to write a biography of a respected horse trainer. There's been a recent death by less-than-natural means. And there is the missing Angela, who once worked as a stable lad for a horse that was perhaps doped by feeding him chocolate.

In some ways the book's theme can be summed up by this passage: Through Nolan I began to understand how much more there was to riding races than fearlessness and being able to stay in the saddle. More than tactics, more than experience, more than ambition. Winning races, like survival, began in the mind.

If you like well-written mysteries, you will probably like this book. If you like horse racing or eventing and mysteries, this should be on your shelf!

It was ok. I had this author on my radar for a while, his books are popular. I had figured out who it was long before they reveled it, which isn't bad, I don't fault the book for that. What bothered me was that the characters all seemed so childish, they didn't seem real to me. Also, some of the actions seemed weird - how does one, who hasn't ridden in a while suddenly be good enough to race? The protagonist was told that he would regret going to that house and working with that person, but I have no idea why. The murders had nothing to do with that, so what was it? Hanging threads bother me most of all.

Another book from the reliable Dick Francis. This one, like most of his books is a compulsive read, but unfortunately, towards the end, the plot, for me, comes undone and loses it's focus. Its such a shame. This is a good book that should have been better.

I first read this book after buying the paperback at Publix 15 years ago to read on the beach in Florida, and it got me hooked on Dick Francis books. The dynamic between the principal characters and the interloper of book writer John as observer is compelling as it evolves from him being an outsider to integrating with this little society.
As always, there's an element of horses in this book, as that is Mr. Francis' forte, but the segue into survivalist terminology was enlightening.
I'll always have a soft spot for this book, but it held up. It's still a great read.