Spike Sanguinetti’s name suggests a prickly optimist yet with the swagger of a handsome athlete his real character somehow transcends this superficial clash of appearance and personality. This disconnect in personal characteristics complements the plot’s diverse settings in which the soporific idyll of Corfu, synonymous with the inoffensive olive, locks horns with the apparently lawless … Continue reading “Sleeping Dogs by Thomas Mogford”
Author: Rich Jones
Armadillos by PK Lynch
Armadillos are the ubiquitous roadkill littering the endless highways of the American prairies and in 15 year old Aggie we have a human reflection of this seemingly dispensable and inconsequential mammal. She is the daughter of an abusive father living in a “sub family” where any semblances of sexual and social normality have disappeared and … Continue reading “Armadillos by PK Lynch”
The Planner by Tom Campbell
Town planning and local government are synonymous with bureaucratic negativity but in the sepia tinted goals of these much derided institutions we uncover an unlikely antidote to the social media driven generation whose morals have become warped by the desire for quick fixes with little substance, unless they are stimulants of the narcotic variety. Wheatley … Continue reading “The Planner by Tom Campbell”
When We Were Alive by C J Fisher
Bobby Baker the Illusion Maker is a magician’s moniker more suited to a children’s birthday entertainer than a modern day Dynamo but it’s this lack of pretension that is a fitting metaphor for these semi-autobiographical stories tracing the lives of three generations and their battle to preserve the innocence of truly living from becoming a … Continue reading “When We Were Alive by C J Fisher”
Tamsin and the Deep by Neill Cameron and Kate Brown
Cornish mythology and vibrant colours give this story unexpected depth, both literally and visually, and while obviously a story appealing to the younger reader the contemporary language and subtle humour will strike a chord with all ages as brother and sister surfer dudes, Tamsin and Morgan, unwittingly release an underwater demon that takes them back … Continue reading “Tamsin and the Deep by Neill Cameron and Kate Brown”
A Commuting Life – The Brompton Man
The Brompton Man appears to be of his of time, concerned about the carbon footprint and setting an example to his four wheeled counterparts. You can see him every morning on his approach to the station, teetering at the end of his never ending saddle, with his head in the clouds and curiously detached from … Continue reading “A Commuting Life – The Brompton Man”
A Commuting Life – Groundhog Day
Is it what you read or what you’re reading on that tells you most about the modern day commuter? The intense, unsmiling character reading the Wilbur Smith’s blockbuster “Hungry as the Sea” could be that supressed adventurer desperate for a more exotic life and unwilling to accept that a daily commute on the Chiltern Turbo is anything other than … Continue reading “A Commuting Life – Groundhog Day”
The Artificial Anatomy of Parks by Kat Gordon
An enigmatic title potentially lending itself to an obscure dissertation on the declining importance of greenspaces in modern day leisure does in fact subtly convey the emotional dissection of the Parks family seen through the eyes of Tallie, the daughter of a seemingly happy couple whose unquestioning love is replaced by only unanswered questions following a … Continue reading “The Artificial Anatomy of Parks by Kat Gordon”
The Sword of Moses by Dominic Selwood
The race for the Ark of the Covenant may seem a well worn fictional path but the prospect of stifling a yawn is initially rendered highly unlikely by a lead character whose occasionally comic book escapades would surely lend themselves to a more memorable soubriquet if this this story were ever transferred to the silver … Continue reading “The Sword of Moses by Dominic Selwood”
Office Politics by Oliver James
James Bond is unlikely to swap his gun for a word processor yet if , like him, you are able to squeeze the most out of your working environment by being ruthlessly self serving then you should be able to push aside any latter day Goldfingers to reach the top of the office pile. Oliver … Continue reading “Office Politics by Oliver James”