Before it all begins

…

Anyone can write a book.

It’s an extravagant statement and not necessarily true, but often used by relatives when one of their numbers says they’ve written a book.

My brother said that when I told him I’d written one

I didn’t tell him that I’d written a dozen and published five, it seemed irrelevant at the time.

But as easy or hard as it may be to write one, writing a second is so much harder.

This year, I’m tackling a book I started nearly 35 years ago when I first married my wife and discovered she liked reading Mills and Boon Romance stories.

There was always a stack of them in the restroom, so I took to reading one, and after a few chapters, I decided I could write one for her to read.

Of course, writing the first 100 pages was easy. Then it got hard, because I’m a thriller writer, not a romance writer, and suddenly it veered off into thriller land.

And the end result left it on the shelf.

Then, things happened, the book was put to one side, and over the years other stories became the focus.

Yes, I did keep writing, and yes, I eventually finished it, but it sat in a box for nearly 15 years before I brought it out.

In the last few years, with COVID preventing me from leaving the house, the story got moved to the top of the pile, underwent three rewrites, and now just needs to be finished.

It recently acquired the title ‘The Things We Do For Love’, and is the project for this year’s April NaNoWriMo.

Before it all begins

…

Anyone can write a book.

It’s an extravagant statement and not necessarily true, but often used by relatives when one of their numbers says they’ve written a book.

My brother said that when I told him I’d written one

I didn’t tell him that I’d written a dozen and published five, it seemed irrelevant at the time.

But as easy or hard as it may be to write one, writing a second is so much harder.

This year, I’m tackling a book I started nearly 35 years ago when I first married my wife and discovered she liked reading Mills and Boon Romance stories.

There was always a stack of them in the restroom, so I took to reading one, and after a few chapters, I decided I could write one for her to read.

Of course, writing the first 100 pages was easy. Then it got hard, because I’m a thriller writer, not a romance writer, and suddenly it veered off into thriller land.

And the end result left it on the shelf.

Then, things happened, the book was put to one side, and over the years other stories became the focus.

Yes, I did keep writing, and yes, I eventually finished it, but it sat in a box for nearly 15 years before I brought it out.

In the last few years, with COVID preventing me from leaving the house, the story got moved to the top of the pile, underwent three rewrites, and now just needs to be finished.

It recently acquired the title ‘The Things We Do For Love’, and is the project for this year’s April NaNoWriMo.

Before it all begins

…

Anyone can write a book.

It’s an extravagant statement and not necessarily true, but often used by relatives when one of their numbers says they’ve written a book.

My brother said that when I told him I’d written one

I didn’t tell him that I’d written a dozen and published five, it seemed irrelevant at the time.

But as easy or hard as it may be to write one, writing a second is so much harder.

This year, I’m tackling a book I started nearly 35 years ago when I first married my wife and discovered she liked reading Mills and Boon Romance stories.

There was always a stack of them in the restroom, so I took to reading one, and after a few chapters, I decided I could write one for her to read.

Of course, writing the first 100 pages was easy. Then it got hard, because I’m a thriller writer, not a romance writer, and suddenly it veered off into thriller land.

And the end result left it on the shelf.

Then, things happened, the book was put to one side, and over the years other stories became the focus.

Yes, I did keep writing, and yes, I eventually finished it, but it sat in a box for nearly 15 years before I brought it out.

In the last few years, with COVID preventing me from leaving the house, the story got moved to the top of the pile, underwent three rewrites, and now just needs to be finished.

It recently acquired the title ‘The Things We Do For Love’, and is the project for this year’s April NaNoWriMo.

Before it all begins

…

Anyone can write a book.

It’s an extravagant statement and not necessarily true, but often used by relatives when one of their numbers says they’ve written a book.

My brother said that when I told him I’d written one

I didn’t tell him that I’d written a dozen and published five, it seemed irrelevant at the time.

But as easy or hard as it may be to write one, writing a second is so much harder.

This year, I’m tackling a book I started nearly 35 years ago when I first married my wife and discovered she liked reading Mills and Boon Romance stories.

There was always a stack of them in the restroom, so I took to reading one, and after a few chapters, I decided I could write one for her to read.

Of course, writing the first 100 pages was easy. Then it got hard, because I’m a thriller writer, not a romance writer, and suddenly it veered off into thriller land.

And the end result left it on the shelf.

Then, things happened, the book was put to one side, and over the years other stories became the focus.

Yes, I did keep writing, and yes, I eventually finished it, but it sat in a box for nearly 15 years before I brought it out.

In the last few years, with COVID preventing me from leaving the house, the story got moved to the top of the pile, underwent three rewrites, and now just needs to be finished.

It recently acquired the title ‘The Things We Do For Love’, and is the project for this year’s April NaNoWriMo.

Before it all begins

…

Anyone can write a book.

It’s an extravagant statement and not necessarily true, but often used by relatives when one of their numbers says they’ve written a book.

My brother said that when I told him I’d written one

I didn’t tell him that I’d written a dozen and published five, it seemed irrelevant at the time.

But as easy or hard as it may be to write one, writing a second is so much harder.

This year, I’m tackling a book I started nearly 35 years ago when I first married my wife and discovered she liked reading Mills and Boon Romance stories.

There was always a stack of them in the restroom, so I took to reading one, and after a few chapters, I decided I could write one for her to read.

Of course, writing the first 100 pages was easy. Then it got hard, because I’m a thriller writer, not a romance writer, and suddenly it veered off into thriller land.

And the end result left it on the shelf.

Then, things happened, the book was put to one side, and over the years other stories became the focus.

Yes, I did keep writing, and yes, I eventually finished it, but it sat in a box for nearly 15 years before I brought it out.

In the last few years, with COVID preventing me from leaving the house, the story got moved to the top of the pile, underwent three rewrites, and now just needs to be finished.

It recently acquired the title ‘The Things We Do For Love’, and is the project for this year’s April NaNoWriMo.

All’s well …

…

After an uneventful trip back home with some friendly Russians, it’s back to business for David and Alisha.

There’s the compound in rural England, the one with the fence that would normally be impenetrable.  David and the team, forced into action because of a basic mistake, take the fortress by storm, and discover … nothing.

The birds have flown the coop.

Well, they think they have.

Then there’s the castle, and discreet movements at night mean something’s afoot, and there’s yet another fortress to be stormed.

And, in the process, David is reunited with an old acquaintance.

But, a search of the new buildings finds something David never expected to find.

Back in London, David goes to visit Prendergast, not so well protected these days, at his private residence.  After a meaningful chat, the association between them is over, and Prendergast has played his last game with David.

Then it’s simply a matter of going to pick up Susan from the airport, and Boris getting the word she can come home.

They, too, have a meaningful chat in the car back to the London residence, and then the Castle, where Boris has accepted an invitation from David for a short stay.

Skeet shooting is only one of the things David has lined up.

Then, after a few months, life returns to normal in an unusual place, far, far away on the other side of the world.

…

All’s well …

…

After an uneventful trip back home with some friendly Russians, it’s back to business for David and Alisha.

There’s the compound in rural England, the one with the fence that would normally be impenetrable.  David and the team, forced into action because of a basic mistake, take the fortress by storm, and discover … nothing.

The birds have flown the coop.

Well, they think they have.

Then there’s the castle, and discreet movements at night mean something’s afoot, and there’s yet another fortress to be stormed.

And, in the process, David is reunited with an old acquaintance.

But, a search of the new buildings finds something David never expected to find.

Back in London, David goes to visit Prendergast, not so well protected these days, at his private residence.  After a meaningful chat, the association between them is over, and Prendergast has played his last game with David.

Then it’s simply a matter of going to pick up Susan from the airport, and Boris getting the word she can come home.

They, too, have a meaningful chat in the car back to the London residence, and then the Castle, where Boris has accepted an invitation from David for a short stay.

Skeet shooting is only one of the things David has lined up.

Then, after a few months, life returns to normal in an unusual place, far, far away on the other side of the world.

…

I know what you know

…

When a façade cracks one of two things will happen.  First, it will stay in one piece long enough for the artisans to fix it before it falls down, or, the most likely scenario, it will all come tumbling down.

In Nigeria, David’s captor gives away several pieces of information which, in itself, might not mean very much, but when taken with a number of other unexplainable events and actions, gives David a lot of pause for thought.

And he will have plenty of time for that because the team have to leave the compound and get back home by a stealthier means, and this is where Boris can lend a hand.

If only Prendergast knew!

But, three events are set in motion, one monitoring Prendergast, the second, monitoring a compound in the English countryside, a recent Featherington acquisition, and thirdly, intensive surveillance of the castle.

Susan is back in Moscow, so no need to worry about her yet, but just in case, David has Boris keep her there on a minor pretext, and take away her means of communication until the situation becomes clearer.

Just what is going on at the country compound and who is residing there?

Just what are all the new buildings at the castle for; it seemed unlikely the stables really are stables even though from the outside they looked like stables?

And, what is Prendergast really up to? It’s time to ask some pertinent questions.

…