It is more than thirty years since I last read this story and it is great that it is now available to read on a Kindle.
Even this story, originally written in 1971, was engrossing.
To see what your friends thought of this book. I genuinely found this one a bit hard to follow.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Which the lovely Nancy is flying. Refresh and try again. He's just into his new job with Derrydown Sky Taxi piloting trainers, owners and jockeys to horse racing meets around England when his plane, the company's new Cherokee Six, explodes on the tarmac.
Rat Race is one of my favourite of Dick Francis' books being a amalgamation of the flying and racing world, one of which most of us never experience in real life. Matt Shore is a private pilot whose career has slid slowly downwards due to circumstances beyond his control.
But I came away from this one torn over how to rate it, because it has good points and bad points. I would have sworn that the reader for this audio book was Cary Grant, but it was Simon Jones. His plane blows up right after he and his passengers have disembarked.
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Rat_Race_(novel)&oldid=885252921, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 February 2019, at 22:39.
I have read all of the Dick Francis novels and just decided to start reading them again. He makes it very easy to root for the main character (the quiet underdog hero who gets caught in some illegal / ruthless heist) and to sincerely hope he will get the girl in the end.
The 1950s were a really screwed up place.
It's extremely open ended, which isn't really Francis' normal style.
“«Caminando sobre nuestras cuerdas flojas, llevamos nuestros miedos y fijaciones como armas desnudas, y los usamos tan rápida y mortalmente como Billy "the kid" usaba su revólver»”, The Creators of 'Saga' Recommend Books for Their Fans. The mystery/suspense element is cleverly crafted, the material on aviation and horse-racing flawlessly integrated into the plot; and Francis creates some well-drawn characters that the reader comes to care strongly about. Matt Shore a loner, divorced and a pilot working as a taxi pilot for wealthy people between race courses in England. His plane blows up right after he and his passengers have disembarked. Life has kicked Shore to the curb and then peed on him. Alfred Bester's mainstream novel is a fascinating look at the early years of the television industry.
I have a soft spot for aviation stories, and when they're combined with a mystery? Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published But I came away from this one torn over how to rate it, because it has good points and bad points. Welcome back. by Dick Francis | May 2, 2019. It is a typical Francis mystery with a likable protagonist and a good plot with horse racing interwoven along the way.
He writes what he knows, horses and their surrounding environment. I have a soft spot for aviation stories, and when they're combined with a mystery? Read 5 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. More Buying Choices $14.06 (21 used & new offers) Other formats: Audio CD , Hardcover Ghost. Available instantly . But no one seems to be investigating these terrifying incidents, so he takes it on. It is more cohesive in plot and characterization, and actually feels like a non-sci-fi variation of his first big sci-fi hit "The Demolished Man," which was his previous publication. I do like the horsey-world in periphery for once and though I was surprised, it didn't detract.
I’ve only recently become a fan of Dick Francis, and wasn’t sure about a ‘pilot’ vs. a ‘horse’ story. The mystery/suspense element is cleverly crafted, the material on aviation and horse-racing flawlessly integrated into the plot; and Francis creates some well-drawn characters that the reader comes to care strongly about. Matt Shore is a pilot for a small airline service that makes most of its money ferrying owners, trainers and jockeys to and from horse races. It also feels somewhat autobiographical, with the author and his wife as characters. Hired to fly four racing buffs to the track, pilot Matt Shore expects it will be the kind of job he likes: quick and easy. It. Read this back in June and neglected to log it. 99.
is a lunatic variety show; one that started out as a panel quiz show and ended as comedy. This autobiographical touch is the greatest strength of the book. Like some of his other, later stories, I liked how he drew me into the piloting world without making it seem preachy or over-technical. Refresh and try again.
Welcome back. It is more cohesive in plot and characterization, and actually feels like a non-sci-fi variation of his first big sci-fi hit "The Demolished Man," which was his previous publication.
I read Dick Francis when I can have an early night, 'cos I know I won't turn the light off until I've finished it, this was no exception (good job they are fairly short). There was a bit of fragmentation in this story that had me confused a bit - and since I read it all in one go it can't really be blamed on recall. I shouldn’t have worried! I am a great Dick Francis fan and have really enjoyed getting acquainted with his work again. ), a tendency to bury plot points in boring dialogue, or just because I wasn't really paying attention? From the world’s biggest obstacle course to running 100 miles across a frozen lake in Mongolia – we have a brilliant sporting experience for everyone.
It was only his "We'd better land" precaution in mid-flight, the levers were sluggish, that saved his life and passengers including Colin Ross, the nation's leading jockey.
This is one of the more complicated Dick Francis mysteries. The ending of this book was a cruel way to treat readers.
Like a lot of Francis's heros, Shore has also recently been divorced and is very gun-shy regarding women, although inevitably a beautiful and desirable woman will soon be practically dropped into his lap.
When further incidents occur that appear to target him, Matt must discover who is behind it…and why.
When I downloaded this book I had not appreciated that it is a new copy of an old masterpiece. Rat Race: A classic racing mystery from the king of crime. Rat Race is a mystery/thriller written around the horse racing community in Britain.
May 24th 1984 Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Putnam's Sons. (January 2018). Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.
I loved his books then and have never turned down an opportunity to read another. It is dedicated To those few … Protagonist, pilot Matt makes this story the special experience it is. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published This was not the scifi book I was looking for.
The Rat Race is a science fiction novel by Jay Franklin. Great book for any mystery lover—and if you have any interest in horse racing, small planes, British or classic mysteries, that’s just a plus! RAT RACE, published in 1970, is one of my longstanding favorites. As Tompkins, he learns of a plot by German agents to poison Franklin D. Roosevelt and he tries to warn the authorities.
The novel concerns Lieutenant Commander Frank Jacklin who is blown up in a thorium bomb explosion while on the battleship Alaska.
But there was just a lot more profa. Maybe he'll see Nancy more often, the sister of Colin Ross. A routine trip turns into anything but routine.
I read my first Dick Francis book many, many years ago. His experience in this segment of life shines through the stories, giving them an extra "kick" to keep the reader interested.
announced that they'd be... Alfred Bester, author of the classic science fiction novels "The Demolished Man" and "The Stars My Destination," also penned this "lost" mainstream novel. It was first published in book form in 1950 by Fantasy Publishing Company, Inc. in an edition of 1,500 copies of which 1,200 were hardcover. There was a bit of fragmentation in this story that had me confused a bit - and since I read it all in one go it can't really be blamed on recall. No one is killed but when the investigation shows that a bomb caused the explosion, it certainly raises the question of whom someone wanted dead. Matt’s a very capable pilot who’s had a run of bad luck which is just about to get much worse. Luckily, no one is hurt, but it isn’t long before Matt realizes that he’s caught up in the rat race of violent criminals who are dead-set on putting anyone who stands in their way on the wrong side of the odds…. Alfred Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books.
This is one of the more complicated Dick Francis mysteries. Rat Race is one of my favourite of Dick Francis' books being a amalgamation of the flying and racing world, one of which most of us never experience in real life. The novel originally appeared in the magazine Collier's Weekly in 1947. by Hamlyn Paperbacks. “Look at everything upside down.Take absolutely nothing for granted.”.
Matt’s a very capable pilot who’s had a run of bad luck which is just about to get much worse. It's no wonder the 1960s happened. In this book, the horseracing plays only a marginal role, rather it is about flying. I previously read Bester's other novel that wasn't science fiction (which was kind of a mess) and hoped that this one, published in his lifetime and a minor financial success - would be better.
He awakens in the body of Winnie Tompkins who had perpetrated the explosion.
Luckily, no one is hurt, but it isn’t long before Matt realizes that he’s caught up in the rat race of violent criminals who are dead-set on putting anyone, Hired to fly four racing buffs to the track, pilot Matt Shore expects it will be the kind of job he likes: quick and easy.
To see what your friends thought of this book. When I downloaded this book I had not appreciated that it is a new copy of an old masterpiece. Originally published in 1970, this reformat and re-release out 2nd May 2019 from Canelo is 170 pages and available in ebook format (earlier editions available in other formats). Matt's been dropping in job level; now he's broke and being harassed by almost ev, 3 Stars.
He's just into his new job with Derrydown Sky Taxi piloting trainers, owners and jockeys to horse racing meets around England when his plane, the company's new Cherokee Six, explodes on the tarmac. If you like flying and/or racing, this mystery will keep you entertained.. Matt Shore is an experienced pilot, but he has gone from commercial airline pilot to now flying high class gamblers to race courses.
It's not initially clear why this is the case.
It was first published in book form in 1950 by Fantasy Publishing Company, Inc. in an edition of 1,500 copies of which 1,200 were hardcover.