Trashed

They say that one's man's trash is another man's treasure.

In Trashed, Norman Townsend's exciting and vibrant debut crime novel, we learn what happens when trash becomes a reason to kill.

Paul Stafford is ex-military. And unlike some former servicemen, Paul rather rapidly returns to life on Civvy Street.

He opens a small recycling outfit which ruffles feathers, causes some ripples and raisers a fair few hackles when he unexpectedly wins the contract to run five waste tips in the county of Hampshire.

However, he soon finds himself facing a gang of ruthless criminals. A gang which had used the waste tips as a cover for their various nefarious activities.

And they'll stop at nothing to ensure that Paul's company is pushed out of operating the tips, launching a campaign of intimidation and violence against Paul and his staff members and their nearest and dearest.

In fact, the gang are willing to go to any lengths to re-establish control of the tips to keep their multi-million pound crime enterprise in operation.

Bombs are exploded, murder committed and a maelstrom of mayhem is unleashed on Paul and his staffers. And to add to the problems an executive from the local council has vanished.

But it's likely that the gang have never come across someone as wily and as skilled an adversary as Paul Stafford. They think they have him cornered. Will the might of an internationally connected gang of criminals prevail against Paul Stafford? Or have they bitten off more than they can chew?

This is one hell of an exciting read. I think we have found, in Norman Townsend, a new and very important voice in crime thriller fiction writing.

The book is a remarkably modest £8.99 (388 pages) and is published by Matador.

A Song for Demeter

A Song for Demeter is an interesting book from Richard Kemble.

It's an autobiography that serves multiple purposes. It's a mystical, spiritual journey that uncovers teachings that are normally kept hidden from the gazing eye of the public.

When he became an adult, Richard Kemble became something of a lost soul. A wanderer with no sense of direction, no sense of purpose, no sense of hope, no sense of ambition.

In fact, he seemed to be a young man without a future or a clue of what he should do with his life.

But somehow Richard is able to gather (or re-gather, perhaps?)  himself and to gradually and slowly reform himself and to evolve into someone who did have a purpose after all.

This occurred due to education and and the obtaining of some mystical spiritual training.

With new vigor he was able to forge a new pathway for himself which ultimately resulted in him becoming a school teacher teaching children who had special needs.

The book includes intimate spiritual notes and stories, some poetry and even a quite short play that he wrote whilst he was a student.

Richard also includes stories revealed to him by a range of people from clairvoyants to healers.

The book is very moving, it contains stories that will inspire and also bewilder. For example, what ever did happen to the autistic boy, Osho and his family after they apparently just abandoned their home, even leaving the lights on? Not even the police was able to establish what happened.

I highly recommend this autobiography. It's published by Matador at £9.95.

Am I Unique?

Am I Unique? is a novel from Collin Wallace.

It tells the story of George Wilson. His life is suddenly blighted by the unexpected and tragic death of his childhood love and fiancee.

As a result, he leaves home to travel on a journey of discovery, finding himself in North Africa.

He is tricked into becoming a drug mule and ends up being jailed in Spain as a result.

After his release from prison, he decides to join the French Foreign Legion. He is posted to Algeria during the troubled times of the Algerian War of Independence.

He swiftly becomes disillusioned with the policies of the French government and decides, after saving the lives of an Algerian girl and her brother, to join the freedom fighters.

After many escapades involving himself and the Algerian girl who he loves with a strong passion, he is captured by the French Foreign Legion and placed in detention. And he finds himself facing a court martial.

But after his guilty verdict, what would happen next? He thought his life was over. But what if it wasn't?

This novel is full of twists and turns and is based against the backdrop of the real events of the Algerian War of Independence.

It is published by Matador at £8.99.

Devil's Bridge

Devil's Bridge is a fast-paced adventure thriller that is based on real-life events.

Tom Cheke served as one of the RAF's top test pilots. After inheriting a derelict Antiguan plantation he decides to move to the Caribbean.

Still governed by the fact that he signed the Official Secrets Act, he is trusted by the British government to help a large American-based insurance outfit to search for a fugitive by the name of Kevin McIlroy and to return him to justice.

Using the resources of the Royal Navy and with the assistance of an American heiress and a former Australian pilot, he uses his own considerable skills as an ace pilot to hunt down Mcilroy.

The author, Lauri Seago-Taylor is a former pilot and is a retired businessman who had considerable experience living and working in both Australia and in the Caribbean, the latter being what inspired him to create this book.

It's a great and exciting read and will be in many suitcases heading out for the summer holidays.

It's published by The Book Guild at £8.99.

River Baker and the Warriors of Rala

River Baker and the Warriors of Rala Mali Baker's debut fantasy novel is a wonderful read and is aimed at children ages nine years and over.

There is a purpose behind this book. The author's noble intention is to promote the concept of belief and faith in the self.

River Baker is eleven. And, to be truthful,  she is not very enamoured of the idea of spending a long, potentially very boring, weekend at the home of her grandparents.

However, it suddenly ceases to be boring because River discovers the key to the room of her Great Aunt Violet. A room which she is forbidden to enter.

Unlike her twin sister, Kit, River is somewhat rebellious and she dares to use the key to unlock the door and enter the forbidden room. Follow closely by her twin.

However, what they find is something utterly mindblowing, they find a hidden, secret portal into the secret world of RALA.

When the two sisters enter RALA they find it to be a world in tumult, Eleon, a giant, has absconded with a crystal of great power which imbues the person who possesses it with the power to journey between worlds.

Eleon decides to kidnap Kit and River must take her courage to help save her sister from the giant.

She seeks the assistance of the Warriors of RALA. They reveal the shocking information that River's Great Aunt Violet had been a Warrior Princess who had vanished 56 years earlier when she had been travelling to RALA.

With the assistance of her Warrior Friends River discovers that, just like her Great Aunt, she is also a Warrior Princess and that she, too, possesses special powers.

What she must do is to learn to believe in herself and to trust herself. Then she can face the challenges of being a Warrior Princess, saving her sister, defeating Eleon and returning home with her sister.

But there are some more surprises for the twins before the end of their adventure.

It's published by Matador Children's Books at a very modest £7.99 and is a remarkable debut novel from a new voice in children's literature.

Neurones, Art and Morality

Neurones, Art and Morality is a new book by Graham Walker.

It takes the reader inside the brain of a person who is viewing art.

In his very interesting book, Walker applies up-to-date, modern scientific research into the biology of the human brain and mind to explain the impacts of art on the human mind.

It also takes a look at how artists employ brushstrokes, how they employ colours and different shapes to work with an,d to an extent, manipulate, our emotions.

It also deals with the concepts of how art has been used to morally guide the illiterate and, more latterly, used as a propaganda tool and as a way to promulgate protests.

It also looks at how the neurological system plays a role in how we view art and how it relates to our moral development and also how this impacts on communities throughout history.

Graham Walker employs his expertise as a head and neck surgeon and the holder of a Masters degree in ethics to produce this book which, although it is academically rigorous it is also highly readable.

It is also very well illustrated with examples of art that are used to prove the points of the thesis.

It is published by Matador at £24.99.

Dangerous Deceits

Thank goodness! Another Cherith Baldry novel about novel about her character Gwaine St Clair!

In Dangerous Deceits we are taken to the North Downs. A vicar has vanished from his vestry, mere moments before he was due to take the Sunday Morning Service.

Eventually the corpse of Thomas Coates, former incumbent of St Paul's, Ellingwood, is discovered on the North Downs.

And it falls on to our hapless and unwilling amateur sleuth, Gwaine, along with his companions, to find out who might have had motive an opportunity to murder the late vicar.

But who could it have been? Frank Reed, angry because he felt had slighted his wife over a doctrinal matter? John Bretton who had his own problems with the vicar? Or What about a pair of adulterers?

And what of the church treasurer who somehow appears to have more money than he should have?

Or might the murderer have been closer to home, a member of the victims own family?

But the situation is made even more cloudy by the suicide of the local doctor's receptionist. Might her death be linked to the murder?

And how is it that the pectoral cross of the vicar is missing? What is the significance? And could there be more people involved in the murder?

Cherith Baldry has a swift, no nonsense style and you'll be wondering who the murderer is and if there are characters in the novel who might know more than they are letting on.

Gwaine is drawn with such precision and clarity that it would be utterly impossible for women not to want to send him scented notes and for men to want to take him out for a pint.

If you are a fan of good mystery novels, or if you have someone in your life who is, you really do need to buy this book.

It's published by Matador at £8.99.