The Bunny Run. Your "must buy" summer read

If you buy only one book this year, it should be "The Bunny Run" by Tim Topps.

When I picked up this novel I was captivated from the first paragraph on the first page.

I was hooked so much so that I had to read the 166 page book in one sitting. Which is very rare for me.

The novel tells the story of how the protagonist Tim Topps suddenly realises that his marriage, in fact his whole life as he has lived it so far, is at an abrupt end.

For work purposes for many years, he has driven between his two offices in Oxford and Cambridge.

He makes the journey in his beloved car, a vintage Sunbeam Talbot.

The route he takes is familiar to him and he keeps himself entertained on his route by making observations, often wry and humorous, about the villages and towns that he passes through.

He also has some very strong opinions on placenames and their likely origins.

He draws us into his life by telling us little stories (vignettes)  from his own life which, as he travelled with his government official father and his mother, involved trips to many exciting and exotic locations, Remembrance Day in East Africa, then back to England for boarding school, romantic encounters with young ladies and the like. Sometimes in an aside to the reader he will point out that although there is a basis of truth in the particular story that it is not true.

Tim regales us with digressions as to why The Pooh books are, in reality, extremely witty books aimed at the adults who are reading them to the children, rather than being 'pure' children's books.

He tells us about his wife and her horrible family, including his violent and criminal brother-in-law.

Tim likes to correct people almost to the point of it being an obsession. He also has a faith or a conviction that the number seven has some deep significance for him.

Although the book might appear to be a random collection of highly entertaining and very diverting travelogue style musings on the towns and villages he is travelling through and the roads and bridges he is passing over, the book is far, far more than that.

There are several 'markers' throughout the book, plus several threads of bright material that cunningly disguise the real, true nature of the book which will shock, amaze and enthrall you at the same time, when you realise exactly where the journey was always going to end up.

It is published by paperback by Matador at £8.99. I can promise you that it will be the best £8.99 you will have spent in a long time.

The book is available from the bookshop at That's Books and Entertainment, to the righthand side of this review.

The Unforgiving Shore

The Unforgiving Shore is a novel by Gil Hogg.

It describes the lige of youthful Ellen Colbert who has cared as much as she can for her paralysed husband, so she takes the decision to move on and leaves him behind her.

She seeks work amongst the kitchen staff at Marchmont Mansion and eventually catches the eye of one of the Marchmont family itself, John Marchmont.

He whisks her off to Australia for a new and all together far more exciting life on the other side of the world.

For several idyllic months the two lovers enjoy their lives at the vast cattle station owned  by John's family. The cattle station is called Mirabilly,

But then John receives a letter from London. It describes that through several family deaths and a will that had been destroyed, John has suddenly become a very wealthy man indeed, as he is the inheritant of the vast bulk of the family fortune.

Immediately John leaves for London, leaving a distraught Ellen behind, jilted by the man she had hoped to spend the rest of her life with.

Four years later he returns to Mirabilly, he wants to pick up their relationship where he had abruptly left it, but as a now married woman, Ellen will not hear of it and tells him so in no uncertain terms.

She has her stockman husband, her son and her reputation to consider.

But then tragedy strikes and her husband is drowned in an accident.

Then the niggling doubts begin. Was her husband the father of her son, Paul? Or was John Marchmont his real father?

His mother denies it, but it eats at him. Could he be a Marchmont? The son of his mother's one time lover?

This is a compelling novel which touches on a variety of themes such as fidelity, love, the meaning of parenthood and of love and loss.

It is published by Matador at £10.99 and is available from the mazon-powered bookshop on this site.

The Gift-Knight's Quest

The Gift-Knight's Quest, by Dylan Madeley is a debut fantasy novel that bids you welcome and fair journeying through the magical and mystical lands of the world of Kensrik.

You will learn about the lives of a range of very special characters.

There's Chandra. Chandra is the ruler of Kensrik. She never asked fro the burden of rulership, but it was thrust upon her, nevertheless.

It is felt by many that she should not be the ruler, she is scorned as a sorceress by most people of Kensrik.

Her life is ruined, one could say, by the traumatic events that brought her to the position of ruler, but she must make use of the few remaining loyal friends an allies that she has at her side, because although she never asked to be ruler of Kensrik, this is her fate, and she must rule it to the best of her abilities, in order to keep the restless empire in one piece.

But she is also attempting to identify the conspirators who forced rulership upon her. And then she can deal with them. But is this risking her own life and the lives of her loyal followers?

And what of Derek? He is an aimless, feckless wanderer, the youngest member of a once proud and noble family, long fallen from the position that it once held. Tradition summons him to serve someone who is, also by tradition, his bitterest of enemies. He struggles with personal demons and begins to question his loyalty to the mission that he is sworn to uphold.

Then there is Duke Lenn, he found love, but this all consuming love cost him everything he held dear.

His legacy has shaped the present that Chandra and Derek are struggling to exist within. Now the choices and options that face them will shape the future of Kensrik for ever...

What will they do? How will they cope? Who are their real enemies?

It is hoped that this will be the first of many novels from Dylan Madeley, who is a real find for fans of fantasy novels.

This book should be in the Christmas stockings of all fans of fantasy fiction, for those thinking ahead to Christmas gifts.

This book is published by Matador at £11.99 for the paperback version and £3.99 for the ebook version.

 It is available for purchase from the That's Books and Entertainment bookshop, powered by Amazon. on the righthand side of the site.

A New Vision by Bola Ogunkoya

A New Vision by Bola Ogunkoya, is subtitled 'Observations, experiences and hopes for black people in the diaspora.'

It is based upon the author's own life, his own experiences and on his observations of the world about him.

It explores how the black community is viewed and represented in the society of today.

It asks questions that often seem to be unasked, let alone unanswered.

What of the history of those people who were torn from their homelands in Africa?

What about the abolishment of the evil slave trade?

Why are black teenagers represented as failing in our school system when, states Bola Ogunkoya, this is, actually, far removed from the truth?

Why is "black on black violence" still an occurrence today? (Why was it ever an occurrence?)

He also muses on why a country like the USA has produced a black president, a black attorney general and four star black generals, when the UK, a country less riven by the legacy of recent segregation, has not?

It is the intention of Bola Ogunkoya that his book should help people to once again dream and to take ownership of their destiny and to achieve great things in the way their forefathers did.

The book is published by Matador and costs £8.99 in paperback and £2.99 as an e-book.

 It is available for purchase from the That's Books and Entertainment bookshop, powered by Amazon. on the righthand side of the site.

It's Never Easy, These Days

It's Never Easy, These Days, is a book about the NHS from the point of view of Gareth Hollbrooke, a retired NHS hospital manager.

He reveals some home truths about life within the NHS.

Like how a hospital manager has to deal with fights over car park spaces between consultants? How he must cope with senior surgeons who are out for metaphorical blood?

How he must cope with hippy travellers who decide that the hospital car park is an ideal place for them to live their alternative lifestyle, whilst putting two fingers up to the staff and patients?

How to cope with a bossy medical secretary, how to spend one's days firefighting one crisis or another, or perhaps several, all at the same time, dealing with doctors who aren't from round these parts, learning what the various staff member are supposed to do and learning what they actually do. often above and beyond, as they say.

He also points out how control of a hospital can so very easily be lost, if the manager loses one thing. (You'll find out what this is, if you take the time to read this absorbing and truth telling book)

He also reveals what actually happens during hospital board meetings with unwarranted accusations of murder, grandstanding, shroud waving, position taking, point scoring and so on.

The period covered is from the 1970s right up to the last decade of the 20th century. It contains stories of horror, pathos, bewilderment and confusion interspersed with moments of real humour.

At £9.99 this book by Matador, will tell you are you ever wanted to know about NHS hospitals and their management.

A healthcare worker who read the book said: "This is a fairly accurate book, though obviously biased toward the viewpoint of a hospital administrator!"

It's available for purchase from the That's Books and Entertainment bookshop, powered by Amazon. on the righthand side of the site.

Petra Minx and Dead Man's Legacy

Petra Minx and Dead Man's Legacy is another novel in the Petra Minx series.

Petra Minx is a highly dedicated. motivated Sergeant in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police force.

She is thrilled that she is assigned to deal with something of an International case, involving a visit to Nassau to work with Betty Graceby a now retired poupar Canadian Las Vegas dancer and singer of some repute.

Betty has spent considerable time filing complaint after complaint against Ken, her vile and obnoxious grandson.

All of a sudden, the authorities have decided to take notice of her complaints against Ken. But why now, after ignoring Betty's complaints for such a long time?

An investigative journalist who has an eye, ear and nose for a good story and he feels that there is some sort of mystery behind a new arts centre, said to be funded by a benefactor who is ticking the "no publicity box." Why is he so secretive? What are his motives?

And how come, since her husband's death in an "accident" when the car was driven by Betty's son, has Betty's fortune tripled in size? What does Betty know about this? Anything? Or is she an innocent dupe in this and many other matters?

Withe the action of the story flitting from the Bahamas to Las Vegas and the Great Lakes, Petra becomes deeply attached to her fellow Canadian, Betty and her policing role is sublimated into a more personal role as she uncovers greed, treachery, hatred and unadulterated lust.

She realise that the legacy of Betty's late husband is a ponderous one with far reaching consequences that are lasting well beyond his death.

This novel by Marion Leigh is a must for the bookshelf of any mystery fan. Petra Minx is a welcome addition to the fictional female police officer hall of fame.

Petra Minx and Dead Man's Legacy costs £9.99 and is published by Matador and is available from the That's Books and Entertainment book shop, to the right of the site.

The Hounds of Falsterbo

The Hounds of Falsterbo is an utterly charming book for adults and their children

It is a wonderful book that is well illustrated, telling the story written and illustrated by Jules Nilsson of the dogs that live in Falsterbo, in Nasset, Southern Sweden.

It is illustrated in a bold, yet simplistic style, telling the story of the dogs that inhabit the area in joyous, rhyming couplets.

The three canine friends have wonderful doggy adventures at the seaside, amongst the beach huts and sand dunes and into the inviting sea, where the frolic and gambol in the waves.

The names of the dogs are Nalle, Buster and Teddy and the book is probably the best attempt to capture the exciting nature of little doggies out on a spree that I have seen in a long time.

It is an ideal book for reading to children before they go to bed, filling their dreams with the magical story of our three canine heroes and their life in and around their home the Kust Cafe.

It costs £5.99 and is published by Vind and Vag. A delux hardback version costs £15.99. These (and a e-book version) are all available at the Amazon-powered bookshop at That's Books and Entertainment, which is at the righthand side of the site.

You can learn more about The Hounds of Falsterbo at www.falsterbohounds.com.

Incidentally, the book was "highly commended" in the Junior Design Awards of 2014.