A Monster's Tale

A Monster's Tale is the story of Brett Kelso. Brett is 32. He is quite a rarity in his community. He is an honest man who does an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. Although his job in the care industry is poorly paid and he lives from pay-day to pay-day, even though some of the wouldbe gangsters in his town never seem to be short of a bob or two.

His life is beset by stresses form both his work life and his personal life. His loving bond with his sister Maria is the one thing in his life that brings him joy and comfort. But Brett wishes that her boyfriend was not the abusive jerk that he is.

Brett is also bedevilled by his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Lisa. They share the responsibility for raising their daughter (who is only four)  but it is Brett's worry that Lisa is more fond of being a good time party girl rather than a mother to their child.

To make matters worse a local bully decides that he is going to goad Brett in public, trying to deliberate humiliate him informant of an ex-girlfriend in the public setting of a local public house.

Brett, somehow, keeps his cool. After all, he has his daughter to think about.

But what if the circumstances changed? What would happen then? What if a situation arose where the tables were turned and Brett decided that he was not going to take any more nonsense from bullies? Or, at least, one particular bully?

What if he were to metamorphose from a bullied care worker into an extremely dangerous nemesis?

After all, if you bully a man who has nothing to lose, what can you, actually, expect him to do?

This is an extremely well-written novel from Kelso Simon, it's gritty and gripping an although a fictional story it does carry the ring of truth.

It's published by The Book Guild at £8.99 and will make a super Christmas present for those who like gritty, slice of life novels.