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About this listen

John Kendall knows how to survive. He's written six handbooks on the subject. Now he wants to become a novelist, preferably without starving to death. But when cold and hunger set in, Kendall impulsively accepts an unlikely job.

He is to research and write a biography of Tremayne Vickers, a famous racehorse trainer. Staying at Vickers' home in rural Berkshire, Kendall soon learns to like his host and friends, learns to ride racehorses, learns about murderers ... and how his own survival tips can become deadly traps.

©1990 Dick Francis Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Scary Fiction Survival Sports Animal Sports

Critic reviews

"Intelligent, fast-paced." ( The New York Times Book Review)
"An exuberant, irresistible collision between writing and racing ... Few match Francis for dangerous flights of fancy and pure, inventive menace." ( The Boston Herald)
"Fast-paced, meticulously plotted ... Nobody sets up a mystery better than Dick Francis." ( San Francisco Chronicle)
All stars
Most relevant
Written with humour and.irony, this book keeps you on your toes throughout. Thoroughly enjoyable, delightfully narrated with plenty of twists and turns. Dick Francis is a master of descriptive narrative and you are there in the unfolding events with nerves stretched to the limit! The skill in writing such involving books is an immense talent and this one will twist your mind in knots!!

Expect the unexpected

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having been a fan of Dick Francis for almost 20 years now, I whave read and re read all of his books. The narrative form has ticked every box, when reading we enter our own imagination. The narrator has his voices down to a tee. I throughly recomennd to any one. five stars.

great narrative

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I keep on giving Tony Britton’s readings of Dick Francis novels 5 stars across the board, even though I wrestle with it every time. I try to evaluate the experience fairly and critique it thoroughly but end up thinking:’Oh hell. I loved every minute of the journey.” Britton’s rendition of the story and characters is beyond reproach, so empathetic of the nuances of the story.
Yes, it was a hero typical of the Francis stable... they always are. Unassuming about his general brilliance at all he does, valued by all except the baddies who are hell bent on taking him down, but at least in this take we were spared the toe-curling romantic element which is the one part of a Francis story that I ever skip over: too pre-enlightenment strong silent type .

The characters are well drawn, fleshed out and likeable and the Climactic scene is utterly gripping. Given the theme of the book, it’s survival at its rawest. A very good listen.

Gripping story: I couldn’t stop listening.

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I found the book quite hard work by his usual standards but excellent in this format. Helped by the excellent work of Tony Britton.

In some ways better in audio

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Unfortunately a poor overly dragged out ending to a good story. Oh well, you can't have everything....

Poor End

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