This was good but the long sequence at the end was excruciatingly tense -- I like the investigation part of mysteries and the relationship/setting parts of mysteries far more than lengthy action sequences, even when (especially when!) those action sequences are effectively nail-biting. Not a Francis I will reread, but I can imagine it being a favourite for those who like high stakes escape-by-your-wits situations.

There are many ridiculous things about the plotting in this book, but it's still Dick Francis. This one is more dated than many of his others, since Evil Communists form a large part of the plot. Still a fun read, but don't expect perfect realism or logic here.

Dick Francis can craft a masterful tale of twists and turns - and this novel is no exception. However, I did find the classist, patriarchal notes within the text rather annoying. None the less, it's a great read.

This book has been on my bookshelves, seemingly forever, but I have never got round to reading it. The price 5/9 is on the cover, so pre-decimalisation. As usual with Dick Francis books, Flying Finish was difficult to put down. Although written in the Sixties it felt like a modern historical thriller. Why only four stars: I just felt there were a couple of personal loose ends to tie-up for Henry Grey.

I find Dick Francis' books very hit or miss with this one being very much a miss in my opinion. The author, an ex jockey, was obviously also an accomplished pilot and the storyline is stymied with technical jargon and unnecessarily detailed explanations of aeronautics.

The plot is fairly basic with almost nothing at all happening in the first half of the book and then an explosion of violence, with next to no build up, in the second half.

The main character is totally unlikable - a minor aristocrat with an unforgivable naivety in terms of his dealings with other people. There is a love interest which is clumsily handled and an ending which peters out very unsatisfactorily. Not one of the writer's best.

Dick Francis, a little like Agatha Christie, must be a guilty pleasure. An author this prolific and popular must concede something of true quality, right? Well, perhaps. It's not great literature, but from what I remember from college work, great literature isn't exactly fun. What I say here can be said of everything I've come across in Francis's work.... an interesting, unusual, entertaining story with likable good guys, surprising bad guys, and interesting (and sometimes misleading) inbetween-guys, not to mention the gratifying resolution that's hardly ever predictable. In this particular story, I enjoyed the novice-landing-a-plane-he's-not-prepared to line, one I always seem to appreciate. Yes, that's a little weird. Not to mention the down-to-earth titled fellow hiding his privilege to prove his worth. Good stuff.

I really like this one but I wish some big questions were answered at the end. Maybe it's better to imagine but I still want more closure. Other than that the book is great. There's many different threads to follow even if most of the characters are pretty one dimensional. But let's be real you don't read these books for deep character development, you read them for cracking good mysteries and ties to horses.

I'd really probably go 4.5 stars on this if I could, but it's good enough to round up rather than down since I have to choose. The plot here is another excellent one, and the main character another hero who does the right thing, even when it calls for self-sacrifice, but this one is just that little bit less appealing. He tends to feel a bit sorry for himself, but he definitely comes through in the end, and I like the fact that he really learns from his experiences.

I can’t believe I found a Dick Francis book i haven’t read! A super story with characters believable and human! I highly recommend Flying Finish!!

Sign of a busy summer, and kids that are almost adults and stay up as late as we do...this book took us ages to read. But I loved it.

Another enjoyable read. This one starts off a bit slow but has a flying finish, as advertised.

A horse transport worker discovers that his company is not always on the up and up. This book takes place in Italy, having the main character falling in love as well.
Lots of death, exciting.