Review by Jon Wilkins of "The Portable Nine" by Pete Mesling

I’ve steered clear of American thriller writers for a while now, but after reading this novel I can’t understand why!

Pete Mesling concocts a world of shadows and deceit as his protagonist, Davenport, fails on a mission, a mission to kill. Davenport is an assassin, known as the Mad Marksman of Malta. When the contract to kill Max Brindle misfires, and with his mission unfinished and his courage shaken, Davenport has to face the consequences and they are far reaching. 

Mistakenly thinking the contract has been fulfilled, the mastermind behind it, the Black Phantom, plans to perform a spiteful act of retribution. Davenport has no choice but to join again with a group of skilled mercenaries in an effort to exact his own revenge as he finds himself the target of the Phantom's displeasure. He needs to work again with his old compatriots. These are the Portable Nine: Davenport, Abel Hazard, Miranda Gissing, Joseph Intaglio, Mr Bonnet, Twitch Markham, The Butcher, Lovinia Dulcet and Robin Varnesse. 

They operate outside the law, but they still maintain a code of ethics. They may all be outcasts, but they are still heroes to the underclass and adversaries to society's enemies. But what is the society they try to maintain? They are the white knights to the brutal black knights, they are clever and resourceful, brave and fearless, and they will all stop at nothing to see that their brotherhood maintains the status quo.

Well written, though perhaps over the top, the novel draws the reader into the seedy cold-hearted underbelly of society. Should evil ever win or should another, different evil be allowed to succeed? The age old story of an eye for an eye is given new life by Mesling. Whose side will you find yourself on? Who are the truly evil?

About the reviewer
Jon Wilkins is 66. He is married to the gorgeous Annie with two wonderful sons. He was a teacher for twenty years, a Waterstones bookseller and coached women’s basketball for over thirty years before taking up writing seriously. Nowadays he takes notes for students with Special Needs at Leicester University. He has had a work commissioned by the UK Arts Council and several pieces published traditionally as well as on-line. He has had poems in magazines and anthologies, art galleries, studios, museums and at Huddersfield Railway Station. He loves writing poetry. For his MA, he wrote a crime novel, Utrecht Snow. He followed it up with Utrecht Rain, and is now writing a third part. He is currently writing a crime series, Poppy Knows Best, set at the end of the Great War and into the early 1920s.

Review by Jon Wilkins of "The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn" by Amber A. Logan

A beautifully written opening chapter draws us into Amber Logan's world of Marissa Lennox - a world I’m not sure that we'd want to enter. Still grieving her mother’s death, the pain almost unbearable, Mari Lennox travels half way across the globe to Kyoto, Japan to take photographs of Yanagi Inn for a client. As she wanders about the inn and its grounds, her camera captures unusually fascinating images, which seem to uncover layers of mystery that envelope the old resort, the most enticing, overgrown, secret garden on a forbidden island. 

But then eerie weeping starts to keep Marissa awake at night. The only problem is that no one else in the inn seems to hear the sounds. Mari searches the old building, despite the warnings of the staff, to find the source of the spectral sobbing, only to discover that her own family’s history is intertwined with that of the inn, its mystical abandoned garden and the frightening enigma it shrouds.

Beautifully written and wonderfully illustrated, I recommend this to all who want to have company on a dark night as the wind and the rain sweeps against their window. At least I hope it is the rain.

About the reviewer
Jon Wilkins is 66. He is married to the gorgeous Annie with two wonderful sons. He was a teacher for twenty years, a Waterstones bookseller and coached women’s basketball for over thirty years before taking up writing seriously. Nowadays he takes notes for students with Special Needs at Leicester University. He has had a work commissioned by the UK Arts Council and several pieces published traditionally as well as on-line. He has had poems in magazines and anthologies, art galleries, studios, museums and at Huddersfield Railway Station. He loves writing poetry. For his MA, he wrote a crime novel, Utrecht Snow. He followed it up with Utrecht Rain, and is now writing a third part. He is currently writing a crime series, Poppy Knows Best, set at the end of the Great War and into the early 1920s.

Review by Julian Salt of "The Card" by Arnold Bennett, adapted by Deborah McAndrew, with the Claybody Theatre

My wife and I have just seen a stunning adaptation of Arnold Bennett’s The Card. Claybody Theatre's Deborah McAndrew, writer, and Conrad Nelson, director, have produced an enthralling masterpiece which should not be missed. The seven professional actors / musicians with supporting brass band and the enthusiastic entourage of Claybody volunteers created a gem of a riotous romp from start to finish. The actors played multiple roles and were all accomplished singers and dancers.

Bennett’s novel showed how with ‘dash’ we can break through adversity and ;cheer up' the world. O how we need  this today! McAndrew's and Nelson’s genius warms the heart and  makes you want to unleash the Denry in us all … we loved every moment of it!

Well done especially to the supporting cast of Claybody Theatre's volunteers. On a shoestring you have produced a most memorable show, which fully deserves a wider audience.

The renovated Fenton Town Hall gave the performance authenticity and a historical canvas exuding its own vibe, which served to enhance this exquisite production.

After watching Deborah McAndrew, the writer, pick up a basket of the actors' clothes and take them away to wash them, ready for tomorrow's performance, we appreciated the work ethic she shares with the whole of her team. The way the actors gave freely of their time afterwards reflected their wholehearted approach to the project. Celebrating the Potteries and Fenton, (the missing sixth town) in Fenton Town Hall, this masterpiece was given a magical authenticity. 

Throughout, the show was a rich kaleidoscope of polkas and waltzes, shanties and folk songs, Potteries humour and dramatic irony all of which warmed our  hearts in these cold Putinized days. From shades of unscrupulous landlords to excursions to Llandudno, from love to ambition and greed, politics and intrigue, all were combined within a simple tale of a Stokie who made good.

McAndrew, originally from Leeds and Conrad from Liverpool - we salute you. Welcome to The Potteries Hall of Fame for writing and directing such a stunning show! 

About the reviewer
Julian Salt is a retired Psychologist born in Fenton, who now lives in Derbyshire and enjoys revisiting his roots.

You can read another review of this adaptation of The Card here. 

Review by Carolyn Ruane of "The Card" by Arnold Bennett, adapted by Deborah McAndrew, with the Claybody Theatre

I went to the opening night of this new adaptation of Arnold Bennett's novel, The Card, adapted by Deborah McAndrew, with the Claybody Theatre in Fenton Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent.

The show is stupendous. Gareth Cassidy is amazing as Denry Machin. The part that amused me most was Howard Chadwick playing Mrs Machin; he was hilarious. 

The singing and dancing are preformed very well. It was slick. No first night nerves! The way the cast go out of one door, and then reappear through another door with a change of clothes is fabulous. 

The canal scene is done really well: you really feel worried about the water coming in. It's believable. The runaway horse is great and again you feel the action. 

The fact most of the cast play multiple parts does work really well. 

About the reviewer
Carolyn Ruane is from Stoke on Trent. She is a keen member of the Arnold Bennett Society. She enjoys plays at the theatre and is an avid reader.