I found this Dick Francis novel a bit slow and lacking the tension that can be found in his better novels. Nothing really happened and I didn't understand the killer's sudden, frenzied hatred of Freddie. However, it was an easy read with likeable characters. ( )

Another great one by Dick Francis. This time the main character is an ex-jockey who manages horse transportation. Freddie's mechanic discovers boxes underneath the transport vans but what is being smuggled? Then the mechanic ends up dead and Freddie nearly so himself. This is one I couldn't put down and it actually relates a little to the pandemic now happening in 2020. Viruses, anyone? ( )

Not the best of Dick Francis' novels, imo. The plot was all right, and most of the characters were well written; but the middle third of the novel dragged a bit. Francis thought/talked a little too much about computer viruses, and having a huge chunk of the storyline be about equine viruses as well was a weird combo.
The sudden, burning hatred of the craziest-psycho of the "bad guys" literally seemed to come out of nowhere.....? (I mean, who does these things...?)
Also, the protagonist had a daughter he had nothing to do with, that he kept mentioning, but nothing really happened with that storyline either. She never knew her "dad" wasn't her real dad. This didn't sit well with me. It seemed tacked on, to make the protagonist more likable.
Francis obviously knew a lot about horse transportation, and it showed. I didn't mind learning about this, since most of his protagonists were either ex-jockey/p.i., or ex-jockey/horse trainer. But with these other issues, and an ending that fell flat for me, I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I usually do.
I'd sprung for the audiobook/Ebook combo, and now I'm let down. The narrator was ok...... But that's it. I had to stop listening, as he was boring me to tears. Reading the novel went much, much faster. Too bad this novel isn't on par with his others, as I don't have many more to read, before I've finished them all. And the genius of Dick Francis has left us, some time ago....
3.5 stars. ( )

In Driving Force by Dick Francis retired jockey Freddie Croft owns a business that transports horses for trainers. The transports travel throughout England and sometimes into other European countries particularly Italy and France. When the employee that performs maintenance on the vans is found dead early one morning in the garage, Freddie thinks the death has the look of murder although he can't imagine anyone having a reason to attack Jogger.

Police and racing investigators are called in and although Croft cooperates fully, he also investigates on his own, making the chilling discovery that someone is attempting to use his vans to transport a virus into England from France that could disable and even kill horses. Driving Force is a bit of a departure from the previous Francis books I've read, more suspense than mystery, but as usual good escape reading. ( )

Freddie Croft seems to have hit a rather large bump in the road for his horse transport business. When two of his drivers show up with a dead man in their truck it is only the beginning of his trouble.

I enjoyed this Dick Francis story at least as much, and possibly more than any of the others I have read. The mystery was convoluted and had several levels, and the Cockney slang clues kept my little brain churning. Learning about the business of horse transportation and other things which will remain unmentioned so as not to provide spoilers, was interesting. ( )