Urban Scarecrows

Urban Scarecrows is a terrifying novel from Jim Chambers.

This is an alternative history novel set in the immediate past. What if the Labour Party had won the election in 2019 and ushered in a genuinely radical socialist government?

A wealthy celebrity chef Dominic Green is a dedicated Labour Party activist, which harks back to his time growing up in a mining village. He is an enthusiastic backer of the new government, yet his Spanish wife Rosa isn't so sure.

However, rapidly the Labour Party's radical socialist government mutates and changes into a frightening and vicious totalitarian Marxist state and Dominic finds himself an unwilling spokesman for the opposition as his house is confiscated and he and Rosa are sent to live in a dingy, faded council flat.  

Children and young people are arrested, often on trumped up charges and taken away to mysterious re-education camps, including one of his own family members, and a brutal paramilitary force, the SNPS, enforce new, draconian and illegal laws and target Dominic as the government tags him as a terrorist, illegally incarcerating him with other dissidents. 

With the leader of the Conservative Party on the run hunted down as an enemy of the people, with Dominic himself illegally incarcerated and the Royal family spirited out of the country into exile in Canada and the UK declared a socialist republic and with Rosa fleeing the country for her homeland, what can Dominic do? And where is his other son? Is he a part of a secret resistance group, attempting to free the political prisoners?

And what is the meaning of the republican government's terror control tactic, Urban Scarecrowing?

And out of his circle of friends who, exactly, can Dominic trust? Will he ever see any of his family members again? Will the opposition succeed in taking down the illegal republic?

And what will the international community do as a result of the fact that Britain has become a dangerous and illegal Marxist state?

It's a extremely well-written book that is a terrifying look at a dystopian past and future.   

It's published by SilverWood Books at £12.99.

https://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk.

Bobby and Bubba's Small Adventures

Bobby and Bubba's Small Adventures is a truly wonderful book about the big adventures of two fantastic canines, Bobby and Bubba Coombs who are two absolutely delightful British Bulldog brothers. Their human mum and dad are called Alexander and Michela and their human grandfather, Anthony Coombs was called upon to use his literary to write this charming canine autobiography. It is illustrated with a photograph but the main illustrations are some remarkably well-executed pieces of art by Adam Share. 

Readers (adults and children should the adults ever let this book out of their grasp!) will love to find out about what the brothers get up. The face that they own shooting jackets for the cold weather, that they spend their time between a lovely home in Chelsea and a big, rambling house in the Warwickshire countryside. They reveal that although they love the clean city streets they prefer the Warwickshire countryside as they need harnesses to keep them safe in London, but they have the opportunity to run free in the fields surrounding their Warwickshire home.

They have a special friend who is an elderly tramp called Alfie. The dogs have reason to believe that he lives on a bench not far from their home in Chelsea. The dogs? They thought the smells emanating from Alfie were interesting, but as for Michela, she wasn't so keen on his smells. Though she was pleased when he helped untangle the dogs.

Later on the dogs were able to return this act of mercy at least 100 fold, with the assistance of Alexander, a branch of Boots and a nearby Methodist Church.

There's more to the story of Bobby and Bubba and their new found friend, but you'll have to read the book to learn what it is.

There was an unexpected oracle wearing a Chelsea shirt, the trials and tribulations of COVID, the question if Bobby was a dunce or a genius, how the two loved sleeping, how they also loved eating and going out for walks, the mystery of cats, a deer made of old iron, constructed by an artist called Adam during the COVID lockdown, and what happened when a hard lesson had to be taught.

This book is ideal for parents, grandparents and for older siblings to read with young children.

It's published by SilverWood Books at £14.99 in paperback and £22.99 in hardback.

Author Anthony Coombs is a former MP, an avowed Aston Villa fan (up the Villa! says your reviewer) even though his father once owned Villa's rivals, Birmingham City. He's also a director of the board that runs the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The Accidental Assassin

In the latest novel from author Maurice Perkins we read about a poor, deluded soul who is a bit of a loser,  somewhat hapless and who has morals that the charitable would describe as "questionable." 

Unfortunately he comes to the attention of someone who has no morals, questionable or otherwise, a man who is a ruthless serial killer.

The seedy underground community of society is unaware that they are being targeted and groomed for attention as part of a nationwide killing spree by a highly dangerous predator with a disturbingly kinky outlook.

But unbeknown to the killer, he is being doggedly tracked down by a skilled investigative journalist, a dedicated and skilled police detective who is nearing the end of his time with the police force, plus there's also an ambitious, young uniformed police officer who is involved in the case.

The Accidental Assassin is a somewhat dark comedy thriller that will have you laughing and cringing in equal measures as it races towards its thrilling climax.

It's available on Amazon as a Kindle book at £1.99, £15.00 hardcover or £7.00 in paperback.

The Logos Prophecy

The Logos Prophecy is an exciting, breathtaking novel from Martin Treanor.

Two people meet, by apparent chance. There's Ary Long, she is an actor, model and face double, who is heavily into conspiracy theories. And Jordon Burke who is heavily into science.

When they meet they find a symbol that is intriguing and bizarre and their lives will never be the same again.

They find themselves brought together by a strange and mysterious group and chased down by implacable and bitter foes as they race all over the world trying to seek out the origins of the mysterious, eldritch, ancient symbol.

But they also make some truly shocking and literally world shattering discoveries. Including the reality that lurks behind the existing world order and the arcane metaphysical wisdom known only as Logos.

There has been 13,000 years of exploitation of humanity. But that's fine. Because Ary and Jordon have three months to put everything right!

But who, exactly, are Ary and Jordon? Why are the Gnostic interested in them? And who are the Gnostics? And who is the enemy? Who can be trusted?

It's a wild ride of a book and is part one of the Fall of Ancients series. 

It's published by Fire Hornet Codex a DRPZ Publishing imprint. 

Mary and Her Seven Devils

In the novel Mary and Her Seven Devils we meet Mary Fleet, who is a very attractive young lady, intelligent, smart, serious, courageous, sensible and honest.

As a result she finds it relatively easy to navigate through the weird, delusional activities of many of her contemporaries. Despite it all she manages to become a right-minded and good-natured woman. She's confidant in her own self and has developed the ability to tell right from wrong and good from bad.

She manages to succeed in this despite working in the film world, which is not known for being "normal" for want of a better expression!

She's assisted and strengthened by her flat-mate and she has the backing of her loving but somewhat innocent mother and father. Her father is a Church of England Vicar, well-meaning but put upon by his parish officials.

Mary forms a band, attends university, and learns some hard lessons including that some people take the care out of caring, and that many of the people in the caring professions are corrupt, self-serving venal and some are even depraved.

This novel by Peter Morris is exceptionally well-written and is very readable.

It's published by Brown Dog Books at £13.00.

Brexit Unmasked

Brexit Unmasked is subtitled The memories of a nonagenarian and is written by Albert Kemp.

It's clear from the beginning of the book that Albert Kemp was avowedly pro-European union, even before that was an actual political reality.

We learn about Mr Kemp's attendance of a French language course at Strasbourg University, dining with, possible, Mormon missionaries on a train on the way to Paris, when he was a junior civil servant.

Albert Kemp also tells the story of his family, of his birth in October 1927 in the east London borough of Shoreditch. His family, he revealed was small and also politically aware.

He reveals the history of his family, how his uncle Jack, as a member of the Territorial Army from 1912, was mobilised immediately. 

His own father joined the army after he had made sure his family would be able to cope with his absence.

He had a supportive family although he didn't have a particularly close relationship with his older brother, due to the age gap between them.

His health was troubled by severe bacterial infections, having to spend two months in hospital and later was discovered to have tubercular cells in his lungs and scarring, spending time in a convalescence home in Folkstone for several weeks.

He later spent time at an open air school, seen at the time as important in the treatment of children who had experienced severe chest ailments.

We learn about his postwar experience in the army, his involvement in politics and his trenchant opinions on Brexit and related issues.

The book has several photographs which added some background to the book.

It's published by Brown Dog Books at £9.99.  

That's Food and Drink: For Father's Day: Single malt, shortbread and the ...

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