Customer Reviews

Rat Race

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's kind of strange, but every Dick Francis is pretty much the same. It's strange because only two of his many books have the same lead character. What Francis does is find a profession, research what may pertain to said profession, and then plop his readymade protagonist and story-line into this situation.

The gift that Francis has is that as a reader I really don't mind that I have seen this plot and character twenty times before. The authors prose is elegant in its way and it allows the reader easy access to a world that is fascinating to visit. Whenever I think of Francis as an author I think of Cocteau, the French director who built worlds where poets were the rock stars of society. Francis does this with jockeys. Every time you open up one of his books, the jockey is on the highest echelon of culture even if the other characters don't realize this.

Rat Race is either a fine place to start on Francis if you have not read him before, or it is one of his more captivating short novels if you are looking for a next title in the series. If you want his best book in my opinion, try 'In the Frame.'

For readers like me who find most of Dick Francis's books a little chilling, this early (1971) entry to his collection is delightfully different from the others. As pilot Matt Shore investigates a series of bombings apparently aimed at one of his passengers, famous jockey Colin Ross, the points of similarity to Francis's later race-course thrillers will be obvious: a manly, laconic hero; race-course settings; a good dose of violence towards the end. But the characters here are drawn with a warmth and humanity too often missing in Francis's later works, and the writer seems truly interested in their relationships. I love the moment when the hard-as-nails trainer suddenly turns on one of the other passengers in Matt's small plane and tells him off for his lamentable self-absorption--only to find that the slightly-crooked jockey she's been at odds with throughout the story is cheering her on; the scene in the attic of a stately ducal mansion, where Matt finds the gentle and kindly, if somewhat befuddled, Duke of Wessex absorbed in playing with his ten-year-old nephew and the model trains they both love; the picnic Matt shares on a riverbank with the famous jockey and his sisters, who generously open their family to include a near-stranger even while they deal with their grief at knowing that one of the young women is fatally ill--all those and any number of other moments lift this from the deadliness of the standard contemporary crime thriller into something more meaningful, and make this a book worth reading, or even reading again.

If you are a Dick Francis fan, this book will neither disappoint nor surprise you. It's more or less like all his other books--similar hero (average to himself, to those around him stoic, tough, cool under pressure) in the standard situation (doing his job, which gets interfered with, when the hero feels called upon to take care of the interferers, which act reveals to him his true personality, plus down-toned love story). This one involves airplanes--also not unusual for a Dick Francis book. I sound critical. But I really enjoyed it--thus the stars--and though it isn't likely to burst anyone's literary bubbles or change their lives, it certainly provides an entertaining and exciting couple of hours. Which is the objective.

RAT RACE is the second Dick Frances that explores his love of flying light aircraft. Matt Shore has a air taxi service which he uses to transport race goers and jockeys from track to track. He has his competetors in this lucrative business who will stop at nothing to put Matt out of business.

Bombs and evil have become more sophisticated since this 1971 entry in mystery fiction, but that doesn't cloud the enjoyment of Matt's romance with the sister of a champion jockey, his resourcefullness in solving his problems and the excitement of his efforts to guide a cripple plane to a safe a landing.

Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS and QUALIFYING LAPS.

This 1971 entry into the Francis string of thrillers introduces us to Matt Shore, formerly of BOAC and currently an air taxi pilot. His passengers are often involved in the racing world, and through them Matt finds himself involved in fraud, both on and off the race course, and murder. Along the way Matt also discovers a family, new friends and romance.

Dick Francis' books are often dismissed as being formulistic. They are. The hero is always connected to the racing world, is alone and/or lonely, has a tragedy in his past, is thrust into some sort of crime conspiracy and always perserves against great odds through his fortitude. Within these limitations though Francis always manages to spin an exciting story, the mysteries are challenging, and the clues are all fairly laid out for the reader to follow. If you have read one of his books before and enjoyed it then you will probably like this one, if you did not like his work before then you will probably not like this one either. Obviously I enjoy his books.

I love Dick Francis' books.....mainly because he knows how to describe people's idiosyncrasies and is consistent in describing their characters to the very end...his main character is always tough, tenacious but underneath, vulnerable. Rat Race was an entertaining and intriguing story...and I really liked the girl he fell in love with. My only complaint: at the very end it's not clear whether he died, or only fainted!

Is there someone somewhere who can enlighten me?

This is a change from other Francis novels, as it is mainly set in aircraft services with horse racing a peripheral draw. In his introduction, he explains the change as stemming from his wife becoming enamored with aircraft and their dabbling in an air taxi service.

His characters are well-developed with personalities. I particularly liked his protagonist who was working on his own inner demons and dealing with a checkered job history stoically. Throughout his novels, his protagonists tend to be ordinary blokes not superheroes or magicians who conjure an ending from obscurities or put one over or one-up on the reader with the conclusion. I find this engaging. It makes for a good read to feel so comfortable with the characters, in my humble opinion.

I skimmed through other reviews, and my point of view differs with some. I am drawn to re-read some Francis and court the ones never read, as he weaves a different story in each. I am tired of some popular current mystery authors for currying favor by interesting titles only to start reading then find I'm not able to tell the current novel from the last. How boring. Other than the protagonist being delightful to cheer for and the antagonist deserving his just outcome, I see little redundancy in Francis plots. Part of the appeal to me, is knowing each book will be a little different and not a cookie-cutter version of the last. I did like his repeat characters in two books for the endearing familiarity, but that is not the usual case for his mysteries. This makes his characters less predictable and stale. I appreciate the Francis books. The writing is solid and refreshing. I need books like his to look forward to on cold Colorado nights after a tough work day. There was a long empty space between the early ones and the ones later in 2006-7. I hope there will be more to come.

Dick Francis is always a good read. His good guys are brave and tenacious. His bad guys are bad but he doesn't usually resort to horrible language or gratuitous violence to portray them. Francis was a jockey and each of his books have some form or racing in them but don't let that put you off. Each book is written about a main character that has a unique occupation. In this book it is about a man who flies racing enthusiasts back and forth to race tracks in a small plane. He always has me holding my breath to see how he is going to get out of the present mess he is in. His books are good on tape or cd too.

All books by Francis are excellent reads. I'm so sorry there won't be any new ones from him. Unlike the "ghosted" novels wriiten by some unknown and advertised as the work of Patterson, when Francis does this, the quality is still there and you aren't sorry you bought the book. Personally, I think maybe Dick Francis is acting the mentor for young writers while Patterson is simply greedily milking a franchise. I won't buy another by Patterson.

First Sentence: I picked four of them up at Whit Waltham in the new Cherokee Six 300 that never got a chance to grow old.

Matt Shore's life and career as a pilot have been on a downward spiral. His latest job is with a flying taxi service for racecourses and his first flight ends with the plane exploding after he lands from sensing a problem with the aircraft. Although all the passengers are safe, it's another black mark on Matt's career and he wants to know why.

Although I've not read this particular book since January 1977, it reminds me why I became such of fan of Dick Francis' writing.

The protagonist, Matt Shore, is so appealing and one of a style I appreciate--the "common" man caught up in an uncommon situation. He is not perfect. He is intelligent without being egotistical, attractive without being overbearing, and heroic without being macho. And, he gets the girl, but you know there are painful incidences along the way.

In spite of the opening portent, the story captivates you from the very first page and never lets you go. The pacing between suspense and respite is every effective. The writing is masterful--not a term I use lightly--and imminently readable. I was surprised how much of the plot I remembered after all these years, and that's a real tribute to the author.

Whether Dick or Mary Francis was the primary author of this, and the other books by Dick Francis, I frankly don't care. All I know is that it was a great read when I read it the first time, and it is a great read now.

RAT RACE (Ama Sleu-Matt Shore-England-Cont) - VG+

Francis, Dick - 10th in series

Harper & Row, ©1971, US Hardcover - ISBN: 978-0060113223