Customer Reviews

Slay-ride

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4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(2)
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I listened to this book on tape, and initially I had to accustom myself to the Norwegian setting and accents. Once I had myself acclimated, I enjoyed it a great deal, although I will say that I "figured it out" faster than I do some mysteries.

What I liked, I think, was the slightly unique setting and the things about Northern European horse racing that I had not know before. I also thought the chracters were interesting and had some depth that is sometimes missing in Francis' books. There are some characters in this one that I have wondered about as you would with real people--what made them turn out this way? and what is going to happen to them afterwords?

Dick Francis always teaches the reader something, and in Slay Ride we learn that there aren't many homebred jump jockeys in Norway. The population is small, with not enough racing going on. So English jockeys are often invited to ride in races.

One of these jockeys, Bob Sherman, is accused of stealing the day's take at the Øvrevoll racetrack. He's disappeared with sixteen thousand kroner. Feeling somewhat embarrassed by the incident, the British Jockey Club sends its investigator, David Cleveland, to Norway to look into the matter.

David is the usual appealing Dick Francis hero, but with charms all his own. At thirty-three, he barely looks twenty-five, so he gets no respect (at first) from the bigwigs. In fact, he's a skilled fact finder. He's trained himself to watch the movements of people's eyes, and even to sense slight disturbances in the atmosphere caused by fear or aggression in others. His carefully cultivated jungle instincts are destined to come in handy.

David's inquiry into a fairly minor theft uncovers a much bigger game. So big that he has to deal with several attempts on his life.

The cast includes some wacky characters. Like David's chauffeur, a left-wing Norwegian who drives like a maniac, his Great Dane calmly ensconced in the back seat. And then there's the paranoid Norwegian security guy who's always looking over his shoulder for attackers. And David's weird neighbor in London who can't bear noise. Women enter the picture, too, giving our hero a chance to have healthy male thoughts, politely controlled.

I knocked this book down in a day, unable to stop reading. I'd certainly recommend it, along with everything else by Dick Francis!

SLAY RIDE

BY DICK FRANCIS

7 - 1 HOUR AUDIO CASSETTES

READ BY DAVID CASE

P 1991 BOOKS ON TAPE, INC.

ROBERT SHERMAN IS A CHAMPION JOCKEY.

HE'S SURE TO WIN THE UPCOMING NORWEGIAN NATIONAL...

THAT IS, UNTIL HE SUDDENLY DROPS OUT OF SIGHT.

CALLED IN TO INVESTIGATE, DAVID CLEVELAND SETS OUT TO FIND HIS MAN.

WHAT HE UNCOVERS INSTEAD IS A SERIES OF DEATHS THAT, IF HE IS NOT CAREFUL, WILL SOON INCLUDE HIS OWN!

"ONE OF THE LIVELIEST, MOST DEVIOUS, AND MOST CREDIBLE OF DICK FRANCIS'S THRILLERS." [THE NEW YORKER]

---from the back cover of audio cassettes holder

Fortunately this wasn't my first Dick Francis novel so I knew better than to become discouraged by the substandard plot. Francis' characters are usually more likable than in this story. Even if the formula is a little predictable, following along is always enjoyable because the people involved are fun to watch. Friends betraying each other is a fortunately unpleasant rarity for Francis. The mystery also lacked the suspense and complexity of his other novels. Lastly, the setting, Norway, bored me as a back drop for this offering. Slay Ride is the only Dick Francis novel that, for me, has failed to please.

Dick Francis's main character is not a jockey in Slay Ride. The story takes place in Norway which is not really known for it's horse racing. I wondered if it would be a good read or just dropped in the basket for things that go to a second hand store. The story is so good it would make a fabulous movie. David Cleveland, the main character is a skillful investigator who is humble. The story is fun & has some history in it.

When you read a Dick Francis novel you know that you are not only getting a great read but you are also getting a book written by a writer who knows his subject. Dick Francis was one of the world's greatest jockeys. Talk about horses and racing - he knew his subject. He was also Queen Elizabeth's and her mother's rider for many years. A great athlete!

I am not a great fan of Dick Francis. I've enjoyed every one of his books that I have read, but I do not go out of my way to look for his other books. After reading "Slay-Ride", I still feel the same way.

David Cleveland, an investigator for British racing interests, goes to Norway to track down a missing British jockey suspected to stealing racetrack money. At the risk of revealing too much, let's just say things are not as they appear. The plot is satisfactory with probably more emphasis on action rather than detection.

With just a couple of exceptions, I could not keep the Norwegian characters straight - I don't know whether this is my problem with their Norse names or it's Mr Francis's problem with not givng them more distinct personalities.

This really isn't up to Mr. Francis' usual high standards. The main character is an investigator for the Jockey Club, and that is pretty much all we learn about his character or motives. He is more a plot device than a living human being with whom one can empathize. The villains aren't particularly interesting either, nor any of the supporting characters. The story could have been more involving if the characters had been better drawn, but as it is, it drags. Francis is such a fine writer that nothing he has done is totally worthless -- but this book is only worth one reading, and one puts it aside with a sigh of regret that this very skillful author didn't have the time or inclination to give us a better race.

British Jockey Club investigator David Cleveland travels to Norway investigating the disappearance of British jockey Robert Sherman. It's presumed that he'd stolen the day's take from the racecourse and vanished. However, neither he nor the money has turned up, and some of the evidence doesn't quite fit together.

Things get complicated fairly quickly, and instead of a straightforward case of theft, Cleveland finds himself with a murdered witness, and his own life in danger.

If you like horses and horse racing, you'll probably enjoy this (and all of Dick Francis's books, for that matter) more than I did. In Slayride, there's a lot of detail about the Norwegian racing world, and how it differs from, say, the British.

I enjoyed the logical unraveling of clues--my favorite type of mystery. At times, this made the book seem a bit plodding, as Cleveland followed false leads, but it also felt realistic.

Best, though, was the twists and turns. The reader gets to experience them along with Cleveland--that is, they're not telegraphed or obvious... at least not to me.

I tend to mildly enjoy Dick Francis's books, and Slayride was no exception. He does a good job of crafting a mystery, but I get bored with the horse stuff after a while. So he's an occasional read rather than an author I collect.

SLAY RIDE follows the normal Francis formula, but the life threatening assault on the hero, David Cleveland opens the story. This doesn't leave much time to develop the suspense that characterizes most Dick Francis novels. It was too easy to figure out "who-done-it", which spoils the fun, for the reader, of a mystery.

The betrayal by a friend is sad, but plodding like a hard run race that didn't make it. But by all means read SLAY RIDE for the interest of knowing an author who stands head above the rest at a low point, it gives you insight into his power of storytelling.

Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.