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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting relic of the cold war,
By Martha E. Nelson (Watertown, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Trial Run (Paperback)
I do like Dick Francis novels, and I do admit, as many other reviewers have said, that there is a certain predictability to the plots of many of them. What I find myself looking for, in mancy cases, is the philosophy beyond the plot. In this case, the plot is about an attempt to sabotage the Moscow Olympics. The plot holds together well, but what I enjoyed about this book is that it is a glimpse of the end of cold war Russia (of course from a British perspective) and it is an attempt to think about the personal decisions that humans make which shape of our lives and about personal freedom. I think Francis does a good job with these rather weighty themes, within the framework of the mystery/thriller genre that he has perfected over time.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews) 26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting relic of the cold war,
By Martha E. Nelson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Trial Run (Paperback)
I do like Dick Francis novels, and I do admit, as many other reviewers have said, that there is a certain predictability to the plots of many of them. What I find myself looking for, in mancy cases, is the philosophy beyond the plot. In this case, the plot is about an attempt to sabotage the Moscow Olympics. The plot holds together well, but what I enjoyed about this book is that it is a glimpse of the end of cold war Russia (of course from a British perspective) and it is an attempt to think about the personal decisions that humans make which shape of our lives and about personal freedom. I think Francis does a good job with these rather weighty themes, within the framework of the mystery/thriller genre that he has perfected over time. 57 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Perfectly average Francis thriller,
By Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Trial Run (Hardcover)
I'm not sure I believe it, but there it is: amazon has Trial Run listed as out of print. Amazing. By now I should be inured to the pace of a Dick Francis novel, which is roughly equivalent to that of a marathon turf stakes at Ascot: in order to conserve energy, the horses start off slow, knowing they have a couple of thousand meters ahead of them; the pace picks up after you get round to the backstretch the first time, and the finish is furious. Francis spent too much time on the backs of nags at Royal Ascot to forget that, I guess. And thus you know that the first three or four chapters of a Francis mystery are likely to bog down. Stick with it; it's almost always worth the trip. Randall Drew has been forced into retirement (like many of Francis' jockeys). In this case, it's because the jockey club has seen fit to outlaw riding with glasses, and contacts and Drew don't mix well. Drew, friend and lover to English royalty, is tabbed by the Prince to investigate shadowy claims of threats to a Royal who wants to ride in the 1980 Moscow olympics, threats that are backed up by the death of a German olympic rider, supposedly of a heart attack-- but foul play is suspected. Drew heads off to Moscow, and the fun begins. If you know Francis, you already know whether you're going to buy this or not, I suspect. Francis mysteries are basically formulaic. Ex-jockey becomes amateur detective, ex-jockey discovers something nasty is happening at a track somewhere, ex-jockey investigates, ex-jockey gets into scrapes, ex-jockey gets out of scrapes, ex-jockey solves crime. It's good clean mindless fun, and this one has nothing about it that stands out from the others, save its rather odd location (which seems quaint given the collapse of the cold war nowadays). Good if you like Francis, bad if you don't, and not a book I'd suggest as a jumping-off point if you don't know his work (try Odds Against or Enquiry instead, where Francis is on his home turf). 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable mystery with a quietly competent hero,
By David Brukman - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Trial Run (Mass Market Paperback)
Randall Drew, a former jockey, reluctantly agrees to visit Moscow. His mission is to look into vague rumors of threat to Earl Farrington, a world-class jockey and an Olympic contender. Neither the pro-forma Foreign Office inquiries, nor reporters were able to clarify the threats; but Randall's knowledge of the horse-racing world, and his careful observation uncover some very ruthless men connected with the threat.
The portrayal of Soviet Union in the late seventies is rather bleak, exaggerated by the weather. However, despite being dated and generaly superficial, the thriller's observations are eerily prescient. The main character is pleasantly unassuming yet insightful, engaging the reader's attention. At the end, the accomplishment results in mostly intellectual satisfaction, making it less enjoyable than some of the Francis' more personal resolutions. --inotherworlds.com |
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