- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Headline (1 Oct 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0755352955
- ISBN-13: 978-0755352951
- Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 2.5 x 19.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 96,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
'The book moves at a relaxed pace but the tension continues to mount until the surprising conclusion. Good characters, good plot and well worth reading' -- West Australian
Review
'The book moves at a relaxed pace but the tension continues to mount until the surprising conclusion. Good characters, good plot and well worth reading'
(West Australian )
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am not going to write about preview on this book as it is listed on this page.
i have found the last two books having too many characters, there is not this problem with this book. it took me two days to get to chapter 3 then i sat and read til the end.
we have Adrian the millionaire his wife christine the racehorse trainer, and her two kids Danny the jockey, who appears to be a bit of a wimp and spoilt, who loves Tara, his dead girlfriend's best friend, Steph who only cares about horses that fancies Rick, Kirsty's brother ( Kirsty was murdered) Tara has other reasons for being with Danny.
Kirsty's murderer is revealed at the end but it is a shock, i changed my mind 3 times in this book, but was totally wrong.
well worth reading.
i have found the last two books having too many characters, there is not this problem with this book. it took me two days to get to chapter 3 then i sat and read til the end.
we have Adrian the millionaire his wife christine the racehorse trainer, and her two kids Danny the jockey, who appears to be a bit of a wimp and spoilt, who loves Tara, his dead girlfriend's best friend, Steph who only cares about horses that fancies Rick, Kirsty's brother ( Kirsty was murdered) Tara has other reasons for being with Danny.
Kirsty's murderer is revealed at the end but it is a shock, i changed my mind 3 times in this book, but was totally wrong.
well worth reading.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I just didn't want to finish this book because it was excellent. John Francombe's weaving of the various plot-lines was superb.It is a brilliant thriller that just happens to be set in a racing environment. Well done. More like this one please!!
Format:Paperback
This 2008 mystery/thriller set in the racing world has renewed my opinion of John Francome as a singularly worthy successor to the (sadly) late Dick Francis. However, given Francome's now similarly considerable output should he really be continually belittled by comparison to his famed fellow jockey? Does former race trainer Jenny Pitman always suffer the same comparisons? (Note: JF does get 3 stars on Fantastic Fiction's listings to Francis's stellar 5.)
In the past I have started several other books of Francome's and had to abandon a couple early, because somehow I was not pulled as strongly as with this story. I found I couldn't put this one down, despite the potential for getting the rather larger number of characters confused, but then practically each protagonist harbours seemingly small guilty secrets, each of which contribute to the perhaps inevitable tragic conclusion. The 3rd person narrative rather than the more usual 1st person view, helpfully reveals individual motives. The plot twist at the end was well devised and all the stray threads neatly and infuriatingly well tied up - if I'd placed a Tote bet on the killer - one I'd pretty well sussed half-way but for no particularly logical reason - I'd have won nicely, no doubt at long odds.
Therefore, this proved a much more accomplished mystery, fluent, meaty, and better written all 'round, with the characters far more than the cardboard cut-outs which I found particularly grating in his 8th title OUTSIDER (1993) that I recently ploughed through. The arrogance of the supposedly Kentucky-born narrator in OUTSIDER, jockey Jake Felton, who neither sounded nor acted American, the storyline situations and his actions frankly at times suspended my belief.
However, if you look, the official authors credited for FINAL BREATH were Francome and one Mike Bailey, a jobbing editor, which tends to suggest that JF has the luxury of either ghost-writing help or lots of editorial input (as his first 4 novels also are clearly labelled as being co-authored with one James McGregor) so can it be that after 20-odd books John has not yet found his own individual way? Still, he proves that even parallel to, and after, Dick Francis there is still immense mileage available in the potential skulduggery associated with the racing fraternity. So, ride on, John, whether solo or in tandem.
In the past I have started several other books of Francome's and had to abandon a couple early, because somehow I was not pulled as strongly as with this story. I found I couldn't put this one down, despite the potential for getting the rather larger number of characters confused, but then practically each protagonist harbours seemingly small guilty secrets, each of which contribute to the perhaps inevitable tragic conclusion. The 3rd person narrative rather than the more usual 1st person view, helpfully reveals individual motives. The plot twist at the end was well devised and all the stray threads neatly and infuriatingly well tied up - if I'd placed a Tote bet on the killer - one I'd pretty well sussed half-way but for no particularly logical reason - I'd have won nicely, no doubt at long odds.
Therefore, this proved a much more accomplished mystery, fluent, meaty, and better written all 'round, with the characters far more than the cardboard cut-outs which I found particularly grating in his 8th title OUTSIDER (1993) that I recently ploughed through. The arrogance of the supposedly Kentucky-born narrator in OUTSIDER, jockey Jake Felton, who neither sounded nor acted American, the storyline situations and his actions frankly at times suspended my belief.
However, if you look, the official authors credited for FINAL BREATH were Francome and one Mike Bailey, a jobbing editor, which tends to suggest that JF has the luxury of either ghost-writing help or lots of editorial input (as his first 4 novels also are clearly labelled as being co-authored with one James McGregor) so can it be that after 20-odd books John has not yet found his own individual way? Still, he proves that even parallel to, and after, Dick Francis there is still immense mileage available in the potential skulduggery associated with the racing fraternity. So, ride on, John, whether solo or in tandem.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
You probably need to like horse-racing....
I have not read Francome before, nor am I a horse-racing fan, so I may be disadvantaged in writing this review. Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2010 by johnverp
Final Breath - The best one I have read so far
I am a firm Dick Francis fan and have never considered John Francome as being in the same league, however he is fast catching up. Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2010 by Mrs. S. J. Town
good but not that good!
I have found the most recent John Francome books absolutely gripping and exciting. This one just isn't in quite the same league. Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2009 by Mrs. G. A. Sherwin
Final Breath - brilliant
Another great read, strong story line, brilliant twist. Compelling writing - could not bare to put it down.
Published on 9 Nov 2009 by Mrs. Joanne Kennedy
Ok, Not the most gripping story.
This is not one of the better stories by this author. It is difficult to get into the book at the beginning but it improves as it goes along. Not the best scene setting.
Published on 24 Oct 2009 by poppy
Final Breath John Francome
Once again a great book from John, once started did not want to put down.
Published on 6 Feb 2009 by J. Duffin
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