Flying Finish in Dick Francis Reading Group

Mar 23, 2010 James Thane rated it liked it

Shelves: crime-fiction, dick-francis

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 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. ...more

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Feb 16, 2011 Algernon (Darth Anyan) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2011

[7 / 10] I'm a big fan of the author, and this book is in line with his usual output, a little too much so. There's the usual quiet, but secretly strong hero, getting mixed up with crooks and finding love along the way, also having his ass kicked by the bad guys but getting the better of them through sheer perseverance and endurance. Mr Francis hit on a winning formula and this book is a simple permutation of the successful elements deployed in the previous books. I just felt there's not enough ...more

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Jul 02, 2009 Cathy rated it really liked it

I just listened to the Chivers Audio version of this book, narrated by Tony Britton, for the umpteenth time. I love the fact that it was written in the mid-1960's. It is classic Dick Francis and exactly what I want in a stress-relieving book on tape. ...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Contrarius rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller

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. ...more

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Sep 06, 2009 Lorraine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, dick-francis, 2009

Henry Grey is an amateur jockey, a certified small plane pilot and an Earl-in-Waiting. He despises his class status and takes a low paying job as a head groom with a service which transports race horses by air between London and New York and cities in Europe. He learns that two head grooms ahead of him have disappeared after overseas flights, and when his father suddenly dies, he is replaced on a flight to Italy by his friend Simon, who works in the office of the transport company. When Simon al ...more

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