Rat Race

''Did your friends at interport ralley round and cheer you up?''
''They waited to see.''
He nodded. ''Didn't want to be contaminated.''
''It's a long time ago,'' I said.
''You never forget rejection,'' he said. ''It's a trauma.''

Each Francis title has a different variation, even though the underlying theme (integrity and its costs) is always heard.

This work highlights the pain of unjust disgrace and rejection, (wife, employer, government, friend, reputation, girlfriend) and, nevertheless, conquering.

Matt dead broke. . .

''Uncle would give you an advance.''
''I wouldn't like to ask him.''
''A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. 'No, I can see that, as he is so intent on slapping you down.' ''
''Is he?''
''Don't pretend to be surprised. You know he is. You give him a frightful inferiority complex and he getting back at you for it.''
''It's silly.''
''Oh sure. But you are the two things he longs to be and isn't, a top class pilot and attractive man. And don't tell me you don't know all this, because it's been obvious all along that you understand; otherwise you would have lost your temper everyday at the treatment he's been handing out.''

Unjust rejection from envy. One of many types of rejection in this story. Great!

Rat Race? What rat race?
Like all Francis' titles, multiple meanings are intended.
One, the dishonest jockey and owner who are fixing the horse races for gambling winnings.
Two, the competing pilots who inform on Matt's rules violations.
Three, the villain who promotes a fraudulent insurance scheme.

So what do we have? The ''honest'' humans running the ''race'' within the rules? Or human "rats'' winning by violating the rules and destroying the ''race''? And the the honest?

Thought provoking!
Touching, inspiring, captivating!

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.

I very much like Dick Francis novels, but some are better than others. Rat Race is workmanlike rather than brilliant. That doesn't mean that it's not a good thriller. I enjoyed it.

As a swedish- and finnishtalking Finn I usually read Dick Francis in one of these two languages. I'm a huge fan of DF, as all his translated thrillers (about 15-17) are just super. Now this one was a disappointment to me.

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.