A fast-paced, entertaining thriller. Henry Grey is a quiet achiever, the type that is often underestimated. People put him down as an upper-class twit because he has very little to say for himself, ignoring the underlying steel that is needed by even an amateur steeplechase jockey. Being quiet he is also an excellent observer & begins to notice discrepancies in his cargo when he takes on the role of head groom in equine transport. The danger is far greater than one might expect when carrying horseflesh around Europe & I found the tale quite exciting. I don't really believe the love story but that final flight is quite a doozy. I wish it hadn't ended so abruptly.

What is there to say about Dick Francis? As I think about all of his books (yes, this review covers all of his books, and yes I've read them all) I think about a moral ethical hero, steeped in intelligence and goodness embroiled in evil machinations within British horse racing society - either directly or indirectly. The heroes aren't always horse jockies, they can be film producers, or involve heroes engaged in peripheral professions that somehow always touch the horse racing world.

But more than that, Francis's heroes are rational human beings. The choices made are rational choices directed by a firm objective philosophy that belies all of Francis's novels. The dialogue is clear and touched with humor no matter the intensity of evil that the hero faces. The hero's thoughts reveal a vulnerability that is touching, while his actions are always based on doing the right thing to achieve justice.

Causing the reader to deeply care about the characters in a novel is a difficult thing to do. No such worries in a Francis novel. The point of view is first person, you are the main character as you read the story (usually the character of Mr. Douglas). The hero is personable, like able, non-violent but delivering swift justice with his mind rather than through physical means. This is not to say that violence is a stranger to our hero. Some of it staggering and often delivered by what we would think of normal persons living in British society.

You will come to love the world of Steeple Chase racing, you will grow a fondness for horses, stables, trainers and the people who live in that world. You will read the books, devouring one after the other and trust me Dick Francis has a lot of novels (over 40 by my last count).

There are several series woven into the fabric of Francis's work: notably the Sid Halley and Kit Fielding series.

Assessment: Dick Francis is one of my favorite writers. I read his books with a fierce hunger that remains insatiable and I mourn his death.

As usual, he wrote another good one. Great characters, good plot and as exciting as always. One of my favorite authors, so my reviews tend to be the same. Not the first time read and probably not the last. As usual, it does not answer all the questions raised in the book, but you can extrapolate.
Recommended.

In this Dick Francis novel the protagonist is an amateur jockey. However, unlike most of Francis's novels, our hero spends very little time on horseback, and racing constitutes a very minor part of the story. Henry Grey is heir to a British title but would prefer not to be. The last child and the only son in his family, he was largely ignored as a child and developed into something of a loner with few social skills. He's happiest when he's piloting a small rented plane on his days off, alone in the skies over Britain.

Like many of Britain's noble families, Henry's has fallen on hard times financially. The massive family home is ancient and falling into disrepair. His parents and elder sisters expect Henry to do the right thing and marry some wealthy heiress who will bail out the family, but Henry wants no part of it and constantly avoids the young women that his mother keeps throwing at him.

He works in an office that arranges for the transportation of racing horses to countries near and far, but he's bored with that and so takes a job on the planes that actually fly the horses from one destination to another. The man who owns the company humors Henry by giving him the job, but he's sure that the titled nobleman won't stick it out for very long.

Obviously, though, the employer has never read a Dick Francis novel and doesn't know the kind of man he's really dealing with here. Like most Francis protagonists, Henry Grey is a quiet but very intelligent and capable man. He's also very determined and once he sets his mind to something, it's virtually impossible to change his course. Before long, Henry will discover that something very odd is going on in the horse transport business, and his discovery could well cost him his life.

Like most Dick Francis novels, this one is well-plotted and moves along at a brisk pace. The climax is riveting and if I have any reservations it's only because Henry Grey is not quite as interesting as the protagonists in most of the other books. Still, I enjoyed the book, and I'm sure that most Dick Francis fans will as well.

Henry Grey is an earl's son,but he doesn't want a title.He'd rather take a dirty and dangerous job as a groom,transporting horses by air,much to the chagrin of his family.

But he soon discovers that something else is going on in the guise of transporting horses,in his new job.He confronts the culprit,who confesses,but is unfazed.

But,matters don't end here.Something even more sinister is going on,which makes the earlier swindle look positively tame by comparison.

Part of the book is set in Italy,where Grey falls head over heels in love with an Italian girl and keeps going back there to see her.

The book builds to a thrilling,violent and dark climax.While generally,most Francis books include a fair bit of torture,this one has multiple murders.

Francis combines his passions for horses and flying in this book (he was a flyer in World War II).Grey manages to fly and land a DC 4,with which he is not familiar.Scarcely believable,but makes for good entertainment.

This was the first Francis book in my collection,and after that I became an avid collector of his books.A new one appeared each year and I used to look forward to buying them as soon as possible.

I read this book for the first time 30+ years ago. I didn't love it as much as I had all the other Francis books I had read. This is the first time for re-reading this book, and I enjoyed it only slightly more this time around. Henry Grey works transporting racehorses by air. As usual, Francis' research is excellent, but the book and relating of the information on the business of air transport of racehorses was dry and a bit boring. Even the mystery is dry, and the characters in the books don't seem all that interested in resolving it. The ending is very slow and monotonous. Then, the book just abruptly stops without resolving several key plot points. We assume the happy ending, but it is not spelled out.

All-in-all, not the best of Dick Francis' work.

Dick Francis is a consistent good read!

What a roller coaster of a read! Francis lures you into the story, you get to liking Henry and then it totally takes off in a terrific mystery.

Exciting, fast-paced thriller in the author's inimitable classic style. The abrupt ending is typcial of his early books and it really leaves the reader shocked that the romantic storyline is not resolved. This would never be done today, but it is surprising and wonderful.

One of the author's best. Highly recommended.

What has age got to do with it?

I don't know how many times I've read this book but I have enjoyed it as much as when I first read it

FLYING FINISH - Ex
Francis, Dick - 5th book

Lord Henry Grey was an amateur jockey and pilot. But when he decides to abandon his desk-bound job for an active career in the bloodstock market, he finds that there is more to couriering valuable horses around the world than he had ever suspected.

Interesting information about shipping horses and the dangers involved. Great character, excellent suspense.

Has many moving parts, and all of them move vigorously

With 7-8 plots and sub-plots it is one of the most action packed novels by the author

Lively read