
Longshot
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Narrated by:
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Tony Britton
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By:
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Dick Francis
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.
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Like the story, but sound was weird
- By Jeanette on 11-07-22
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Good but disturbing
- By oseedee on 06-08-23
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hampion jockey Robert Sherman has disappeared right before his wife was about to give birth. And right before he was sure to win the National. A coincidence? British investigator David Cleveland doesn’t think so. He’s convinced someone made Sherman disappear, but with every answer David gets, the body count rises. And if he isn’t careful, the next body might just be his own.
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- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
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Overall
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When globe-hopping British First Secretary Peter Darwin returns to his childhood home for a visit, he is sorry. Waiting for him were long-hidden memories, a string of racehorse deaths and homicide. As Darwin begins to realize that the key to all of it involves his own past, he wishes he'd never come back, because he just might never leave again—alive.
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Like the story, but sound was weird
- By Jeanette on 11-07-22
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Trial Run
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The last place veteran horseman Randall Drew wanted to go was Moscow. But when his royal highness the prince asks a favor, one doesn’t refuse. The Royal Family is worried about the prince’s brother in law, who aims to make the Olympics. Unfortunately a jealous Russian rider has sworn to kill him if he sets one hoof in Moscow. So Randall leaves his thoroughbred horses and loving girlfriend to investigate. But what he finds is more than jealousy. It’s a terrifying track of sabotage and murder. And now that he knows, the killer is after him.
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Excellent
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For a generous commission, ex-prizewinning jockey Jonah Dereham reluctantly agrees to bid on a young steeplechaser on behalf of a wealthy American woman. But his life is thrust into danger immediately following the auction, when he receives a blow to the head by two thugs demanding ownership of the horse.
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A Classic Dick Francis Story
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Field of Thirteen
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A superbly crafted collection of thirteen tightly plotted tales that treats listeners to murder, mystery, and mayhem in the world of horseracing. With his remarkable blend of unrelenting suspense, finely tuned narrative, and lean, stylish prose, New York Times bestselling author Dick Francis proves that he is as much a master of the short story as he is of the novel in this thrilling collection.
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Great narrator
- By Consuelo B. Graham on 11-22-22
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Driving Force
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Overall
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Story
A dead hitchhiker, empty canisters found at the bottom of several trucks, and the murder of a harmless mechanic are the bizarre events that lead ex-jockey Freddie Croft to suspect that his transport company, Driving Force, is involved in drug smuggling, or something far worse.
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A Good Suspenseful Mystery....
- By R. Pontiflet on 04-12-15
By: Dick Francis
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Rat Race
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- Narrated by: Ian Ogilvy
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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. That is until he’s forced to make an emergency landing just minutes before the plane explodes. Luckily nobody is hurt, but it isn’t long before Matt realizes that he’s caught up in a rat race among violent criminals, who are dead set on putting anyone who stands in their way on the wrong side of the odds.
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Vintage Francis
- By MICHAEL on 06-05-23
By: Dick Francis
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Forfeit
- By: Dick Francis
- Narrated by: Tony Britton
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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When reporter Bert Chekov falls to his death, his colleague James Tyrone is suspicious. Chekov’s column had recently recommended some ‘can’t-lose’ horses, who then wound up out of the running on race day. Tyrone thinks he can prove it was murder, but he may not live to tell the tale. Because as the dead man has already made clear, there’s no such thing as a sure thing...
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The plot was intriguing
- By Jaguar on 12-26-24
By: Dick Francis
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Dead Cert
- By: Dick Francis
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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The victory was hollow for Alan. He had been running a close second behind his good friend Bill Davidson, when Bill’s horse unexpectedly jerked as he soared over the steeplechase fence. Now, Bill was dead from his injuries, and Alan knew it wasn’t an accident. A small menacing thread of wire dangled from the top of the fence—a carefully constructed plot of malice. Curious, Alan begins an investigation that points to corruption that transcends the racing circuit—seeping into the town surrounding the track.
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Classic Dick Francis
- By Terilyn on 07-04-22
By: Dick Francis
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Straight
- By: Dick Francis
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Steeplechase jockey Derek Franklin has had more broken bones than he cares to count, but it seems his latest injury could very well bring his days on the race course to a screeching halt. But that’s the least of his concerns when his brother turns up dead, leaving Derek as the sole inheritor of his estate. It doesn’t take long for Derek to learn that his brother—a magistrate who imported and sold semiprecious stones—was keeping more than his share of secrets.
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Dick Francis and Simon Prebble
- By CarolinaBlue on 03-07-23
By: Dick Francis
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10 Lb. Penalty
- By: Dick Francis
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Even though Ben Juliard had always dreamt of becoming a jockey, he couldn’t say no when his father—a prominent politician—pulled some strings and got him a job in his campaign for Parliament. Now, Ben needs to do more than smile for the cameras.
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Father - Son Bonding Moments!
- By R. Pontiflet on 02-16-15
By: Dick Francis
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Wild Horses
- By: Dick Francis
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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When Thomas Lyon decides to make a movie based on an unsolved crime that shocked the horseracing world in Wild Horses, he discovers that someone will do anything - including commit murder - to make sure this story isn't told.
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Loved this Book - Problems with the download fixed
- By Casey on 07-31-11
By: Dick Francis
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To the Hilt
- By: Dick Francis
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Featuring the gripping plot, dramatic settings and believable characters that listeners have come to expect from Dick Francis, To the Hilt displays the master at the top of his form.
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Relaxed Entertainment
- By R. Pontiflet on 05-11-17
By: Dick Francis
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Shattered
- By: Dick Francis
- Narrated by: Fiacre Douglas
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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When jockey Martin Stukely dies after a fall at Cheltenham, he accidentally embroils his friend Gerard Logan in a perilous search for a stolen videotape. Logan is a glassblower on the verge of widespread acclaim.
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Narrator has flat, almost mechanical voice!
- By Jaegersmum on 05-21-14
By: Dick Francis
Critic reviews
"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)
What listeners say about Longshot
Highly rated for:
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Overall
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Performance
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- Mary A.
- 08-06-18
This has become one of my favorites!
I love this book—Dick Francis gets into the whodunnit territory here when a skeleton is found. I like the main character a lot who is trying to write a sequel to a novel. Previously he had been writing “How to Survive” in various travel destinations. I love the interactions and dynamics going on between the circle of friends. Will the untoward happenings cause irreparable damage to the close knit circle of friends? You’ll need to listen to find out! 😁
Ha
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Ant the Limey
- 12-04-05
slower pace than some of his others
not a good introduction to Dick Francis - slower (initially) than most of his others, even more rooted in the characters than usual. However - if you are already familiar with Dick Francis, then this one will knock your socks off. The protagonist is a writer, so you actually see some of Dick Francis' own feelings leak into the character about the process of writing. The languid pace lulls you into a false rhythm, so it absolutely galvanises you when the going gets wild. The characters are exceptional, and its a true classic murder mystery.
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10 people found this helpful
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Performance
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Story
- Tracey
- 04-25-14
got a longshot
Where does Longshot rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
good it was an interesting story as with most of dick francis books
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
it was well read with several twists
Which character – as performed by Tony Britton – was your favorite?
gareth
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
yes it was but i listened over a couple of days while driving it makes the trip more interresting on nightshift
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- Dana
- 11-02-21
Novel plus survival guide bonus. One silly error
Dick Francis never fails. His first person character is a young survivalist author with lots of book knowledge and previously unproven skills, very cool and quickly respected or envied by a family he moves in with.
As usual for DF, protagonist is tough and repeatedly tested, clever and careful in whom he confides. The alluring world of horses and rural pre-cellphone England make a great setting.
Dick is also great at solidly demonstrating his protagonists’ knowledge base and skill but here’s an exception. Spoiler Alert: I am dumbfounded that a survivalist needs a compass to figure directions when the sun has set in the west, the moon is rising in the east, traffic noise is north and Polaris is visible. Also that he doesn’t notice someone with a flashlight tramping past over twigs a few feet away at night.
His book contains some good ideas for a survival kit. I personally recommend 2 for-sure pocket items and 2-3 more if fanny pack space permits. This is in case a day-hike goes too long: a disposable poncho and either a collapsible water bottle or several 1 quart high quality ziplock bags for water transport. If there’s more room, add a headlamp or penlight, a torch lighter and a water filter straw. ( there are now compact filters on a straw that allow sipping dirty water but it’s much better if you put dirty water in a bottle so you can squeeze. If possible, have 2 bottles, 1 each for clean and dirty water; or fill ziplock bags.). More room? String, knife and space blanket, fleece hat. Safety pins or coil of bailing wire…
(I wonder if authors tease readers on purpose. Am reminded how Dan Brown’s professor is repeatedly enthralled with simple symbols but uninterested when he notices that Venus has left its orbit. Probably authors get sloppy when the book is almost done)
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- lindalovesbooks
- 10-01-13
Fabulous, Informative, Wow
If you could sum up Longshot in three words, what would they be?
Exciting, entertaining, intelligent
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Plot is fantastic, it draws you in within the 1st few pages and you begin to really like the main character. then the action starts and it never really lets up.
Would you listen to another book narrated by Tony Britton?
Not a Dick Francis Book. I know Tony Britton is very talented and has a lovely voice but it was wrong for this character. He just sounded too posh and too old. Because I've read this book many times, it was quite offputting. It just somehow seemed wrong.
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Overall
- Kindle Customer
- 01-28-08
Off to a slow start but a GREAT race nonetheless.
I have listened to most of the Dick Francis books offered by Audible and most if not all are read by Tony Britton. For some reason my download of the book made Tony sound slower or maybe pedantic is the better description. But once the story took off as usual with Dick Francis' books I hated to turn the book off.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-06-18
Love Dick Francis! He is one of my favorites!
I love Dick Francis! His books are very entertaining! Also, Tony Britton is quite fabulous!
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Overall
- Nina
- 03-13-07
My
Even tho all his books have something to do w horse racing, I have never, ever been bored by a Dick Francis book. I wish I could say the same about some of my other favorite mystery authors! Francis always comes thru w a great story and a human one.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Leoni Lubbinge
- 09-17-23
Excellent book
Excellent book, even better than the print edition. The story really comes to life. Wonderful writer and narrator
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Overall
- Bradley
- 12-23-05
Sounds Horrible
This might be a great book. I don't know. The sound quality is so bad it has distracted me since I started listening. It's too bad because I have liked what I can hear.
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2 people found this helpful