Where There’s Brass, There’s Muck

In the glorious May of 1998, the governors of the Tanswold School Trust are looking forward to a new era in which they are about to build a new dining hall for their independent school. However, the unbridled optimism soon turns to despondency as they realise that the bursar has been doing DIY stock-broking with a very large bequest which has provided security for the school.

For the band of elderly socialites that form the governing body this is not just a disaster, but a scandal that attracts the attention of the fraud squad of the Middle Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary who open up a financial can of worms. And it’s not just financial; the appalling standard of hygiene in the school dining hall leads to a serious outbreak of food-poisoning with heart-breaking consequences.

The headmaster is placed under the spotlight and his management becomes more and more capricious as the spotlight is shone on him. The remaining part of the summer term becomes more and more of a comedy of errors as he loses his grip. As for speech day…

When Lily Ponds Ripple

ENTWINED LIVES

A SECRET THAT RIPS THEM APART

TWINS ON A TURBULENT VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

A sugar plantation, a waterlily pond, and a decades-old deception are the backdrop for When Lily Ponds Ripple. It is a forceful narrative about the West Indian twins, Florence and Charlotte Montague. Their rivalry for the same man underscores just how close loyalty and betrayal are.

The revelation of a family secret takes the Barbadian sisters from their sheltered island to London and Germany. In Frankfurt, Florence becomes a notable author, while Charlie’s career leads her from the London stage to Hollywood. Despite their geographical separation, the sisters cannot escape one another, far less their shared history. To face the future, they must confront the past together.

Voodoo Politics

The lives of four unrelated people are caught up in changing events as Haiti is again racked by corruption and violence during a few days of a brutal struggle for power and regime change.

A fast-paced novel that covers the tragic impact on a poor Haitian boy and his family who fight to survive in a world of unbelievable violence. A visiting businessman is kidnapped for ransom whilst an indulgent Catholic Bishop has to face his own demons and a dedicated local priest pays a heavy price. These seemingly unrelated events are initiated by a sadistic Haitian security officer whose own world gradually falls apart.

Whilst all this unfolds Miami based drug cartels are determined to maintain their supply lines through Haiti from an unlikely alliance with the CIA. This is unknown to the US State Department and other well-meaning but conflicted international organisations during this period of confusion, chaos and violence.

Two Funky Felines

Jupiter and Aphrodite are two splendiferous cats! Married for some years, they live with Rob and Emma. There’s no doubt who’re the bosses in the household but our heroes allow their human parents to think of themselves as owners. Little do these mere humans credit the intelligence, wit and cunning of their pets. Jupiter is a wily, battle-scarred tabby and white from the wrong side of the tracks – his wife a beautiful prize-winning British Blue. Theirs is a union of true love. A shrewd operator in her own right, Aphrodite has a soft spot for goldfinches, the cheeky chappies Human Mummy adores. It takes all her deftness and cunning to save the little birds from Jupiter’s renowned hunting prowess, while hiding this role from her husband. After all, Jupiter would think her, well, just a little mad! 

Follow these funky felines in their rib-tickling, nigh-on-human, daredevil escapades: “Come on, Aph, we’re going to pay the puppy farm a visit.” “Oh, be careful, dear! We don’t want to get into any difficulties, do we?” “No, we don’t, but I’m going to sneak into their office and get a compliments slip. Then we can take it to the police. If they investigate, they’ll find out the truth of what’s going on.”

Toerags in Orange Caftans

Frank and Neil are two odd characters for whom life at the start was tough. Separated by one floor at birth, their friendship over the years grew to form an unbreakable bond.

From humble beginnings to stratospheric success, they rode the crest of a wave never once stopping to see what lied ahead. Aston Martins and trophy wives filled this idyllic existence until one day it was all taken away.

Blindsided by circumstances beyond their control, the world as they knew it then, changed. Plunged into a twilight existence, seldom seen by few, their once spectacular reign fades ever further into the abyss where anarchy rules.

Never had there been two individuals so unequipped to deal with life – in the gutter. And as their journey begins in earnest, a wealth of bizarre situations begins to unfold.

Then just when you think it couldn’t possibly get any stranger, enter a host of oddball characters in this most unusual of tales.

Scottish gangster, psychopaths and orangutans all add flavour to this rib-aching plight of two men’s struggle to survive.

The Stony Stage

Peter travels the world with his guitar and harmonica, searching for a sense of belonging in a remote and mysterious place called Belonging Sun. Along the way, he encounters obstacles that test his determination and resourcefulness. But he remains determined to fulfil his principle: that progress comes from taking action and not just waiting. Join Peter on his journey to find belonging in this inspiring tale of self-discovery.

The Yoga School

Ellie is a quirky, successful girl enjoying life in Dublin with her boyfriend, Alex. Alex is a director in her office who is driven, good-looking and a real catch in her mother’s eyes. In her precious spare time, Ellie loves to do yoga and even teaches it in an old people’s home, where her nana was a resident before she passed away. The future seems rosy for Ellie until a series of events turns her life upside down. Grab a cuppa, pop your feet up and join Ellie on her journey to happiness.

The Yellow House, Susceptible to Broken Windows

Where to begin… Take a moment to breathe. The door isn’t yellow, I know. “It’s infuriating.” We know it’s infuriating, Paul, but we’ve only just arrived. “I haven’t even been given any directions. How am I going to find her office?” It’s unlikely that you will. He hasn’t even crossed the threshold and the complaining has begun. What will he say to her yellow stripe, to the cannon on the roof and the politics found in the halls? It’s hard to imagine but it won’t be hard for long. Open the door and you’ll feel the love. Paul might cringe time and time again, but we hope you’ll feel differently. The mind boggles, the stomach reels and the knees quake, come and feel for yourself. Madam President welcomes you with open arms.

The White Bookshelf

The White Bookshelf is in the study of an Oxford Professor of Anthropology. It plays a significant role in the life of the whole family, but especially for his daughter Alice. The family is loving and supportive through all the trials of life. Alice moves with her husband, another anthropologist, to Australia. They enjoy great happiness as their family grows, and they learn to adjust to living in both Oxford and Queensland. They meet many interesting people and form close and lifelong friendships with their foreign colleagues. They travel to Canada, Australia, and England together and suffer illnesses and tragedies. Her friendships offer support throughout all the difficulties. The children of the three families are dubbed the ‘anthropological cousins’. They intermarry and live on three different continents. The final part of the book deals with Alice as a widow and tells how, unexpectedly, she meets a man through her university colleagues who offers her another chance of happiness and a new life following her father’s example of running charities.

The Watcher

A footloose young graduate replies to a job advertisement and quickly finds himself swept into the world of counter-espionage. His journey through the system eventually places him in a series of difficult and complex situations as he struggles to find his place in this complex and tangled world, where things are rarely as they seem. We follow his journey, which is sometimes humorous and sometimes deadly serious, as he finds out about himself and journeys through the world of subterfuge and treachery. The author has applied a blowtorch to the world of “spookery” in a humorous and insightful exposure of the deep state.

The Top Storey

Keelyn O’Reilly’s world is thrown into chaos when his daughter makes a life decision that threatens to bring shame to his family. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect his reputation and preserve his traditional views.

Lana O’Reilly is shocked to discover the oppressive influence of apartheid South Africa’s bigotry on her community. When her father’s narrow-mindedness clashes with her own values, she must choose between conforming to his expectations or standing up for what she believes in.

The Spectre of Stanhope Lane

Macnutt has done it! He has made the foray from his previous architectural, travel,
and cultural books into a work of unique fiction and has done it with great skill. The
Spectre of Stanhope Farm is written with imagination, creativity, and amazing insight and
attention to historical detail and research into the Scottish world and the place of the
diaspora. What an exciting way to explore the 1770s world of Prince Edward Island
through the character of Frank and the spectre of Stanhope. Sense of place, heritage,
genealogy, class, and mystery are woven together and exhibit a writer who has come of
age. Warmly recommended to Islanders and visitors to the Island and atl who are intrigued
by all things Scottish. I want to see that wall!
- Dr Jack Whytock, author and lecturer