The race is over...

Another example of writing competence. The author knows his subject and the nature of the characters therein. In a competitive sport there are strong and talented people. In this story you will meet new ones, of whom some are of a different bent, but still can't handle a challenge without losing a bit of their better judgement. Another winner.

3.5 stars

This was a very enjoyable mystery. Instead of focusing on horse racing, like the other books I have read by Dick Francis, Longshot was set in the world of books, writing and literature, although the Vickers family were British horse-racing royalty.

As usual, the hero, this time John Kendal, was quiet, resourceful, intelligent and very likeable. I also liked Gareth, Tremayne Vickers' 15-year-old son and the local inspector Doone, with the Berkshire lilt, who was determined to solve the murders which were occurring in his area. Both brought some humour to the novel. With a tight plot, which included plenty of twists and an unexpected ending, Longshot was a fun whodunnit.

Dick Francis is the best!

I’ve read most of the Dick Francis books. I loved them all and this is one of the best. My only regret is that I become attached to his main character, but I know they will not reoccur in other books. At least not exactly. In this one one I became attached to the suspects, and like the main chapter John, did not want to see any of them guilty. But someone is and Dick ties it all up nicely. Well done

This was my first Dick Francis book and I think it's about 3 1/2 stars. It was also the first book I've read that immersed me in the horse racing world. I like horses but horse racing has never appealed to me. I think that is probably what kept this book from being great in my mind. While I thought some of the horse racing details were interesting, my eyes would start glazing over after a while. Other than that, I really enjoyed the main character and the side characters (esp. Tremayne, which was surprising since I didn't care for their first meeting). I liked all the survival stuff and the mystery. I did figure out the culprit fairly early BUT spent the whole rest of the book changing my mind and wasn't truly sure until the reveal. It seems as though Dick Francis writes a lot of horse books so I may or may not try another one of his in the future!

I've read this several times. I used to own a huge collection of Dick Francis--he's reliable and interesting as a writer and his books are easy to find at book sales--but then we moved out of the house with the huge built-in bookshelf over the stairs, and choices had to be made. I kept this one, and have not regretted it.

This one is especially strong as Francis adds survival writing to his usual racing backstory, and the book is a corker! On this read through, I found the conclusion quite a bit of a let-down, but until the last ten pages or so--BAM! Great choice for someone who needs a fast-paced, absorbing story for a distraction. Just be sure you ask for it back!

Interesting book

This was an interesting book, set not about horses but a murder mystery and unusual angle for Mr Francis. As usual the characters were mostly likeable and the murders very original.

Brilliant read

The master of twists and turns does it again! Brilliant plot and fast action makes for a fascinating story. The characters are real and interesting. I love this author and would definitely recommend this book!

Two murders, two killers and one writer with multiple holes where God didn't intend them. Dick Francis was firing on all cylinders when he wrote this tale of racing in small town England. It's hard to write a review without giving something away, so I'll just say this:

You won't be disappointed and it is well worth your time to track down.

Read it!

A good reliable thriller with some interesting twists. As ever with Francis he takes you into an aspect of the horse racing industry that is not generally known to the public - which makes this book an education as much as it is a murder mystery. Great holiday reading

Another great plot from Dick Francis. One thing leads to another for our hero as he gets sucked deeper and deeper into the affairs of people he once thought he would only have minimal contact with. The reveal of the killer comes as no surprise and for me this is a plus. Too often, authors reveal killers at the end of a book when there has been little to point the reader in their direction. This is sometimes followed up with an explanation which introduces information which should have been revealed before. Francis cleverly identifies plausible motives for a few characters and provides information which leads to the action taken when the killers identity is confirmed to the reader. A very satisfactory and enjoyable read without too much to tax the brain.

John Kendall is a struggling author who is hired by a horse trainer to write his biography. The bones of a stable lass who went missing are found and John is helping the police. John wrote several survival guides and the family are very interested in them. When another murder is attempted with survival techniques in the guides fails, things heat up.
Really interesting survival information for all different circumstances are in the book which make it really interesting.

Not my usual type of book to read but it was an ok story would have preferred if it had of been more about the horses and not a murder mystery but again an author I hadn’t read before and would be Interested in reading more material again from the same person if you like murder mysteries then this book would definitley suit you and it’s not overly long which is good