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THE RETREAT

THE PAPERBACK VERSION OF PETER MCGREGOR'S FIRST NOVEL WAS PUBLISHED THIS MONTH, MARCH 2009.

IT CAN BE PURCHASED ON LINE OR DIRECTLY FROM BOOKSELLERS. ISBN 978-1-84923-201-2 RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE£10-99.

(THE hardback EDITION published 1997 and now out of print.)

This is a combination of political satire and science fiction,with a story set in the future to point out the foolishness of the present rather like George Orwell's "NINETEEN-EIGHTYFOUR". By coincidence it is set in the island on which he wrote it, JURA in the Hebrides




REVIEWS OF HARDBACK EDITION OF "THE RETREAT"

"It explores issues of conscience and belief facing characters for whom moral stance matters, but who are confronted by questions of loyalty and obligations. It's a fascinating read -an ingenious, futuristic political satire....”REFORM

“..quite excellent... I would unhesitatingly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading”. ILEACH

“Although primarily a story of love, duty and conflict this is a very up-to-date book which within its strong fictional story line ranges from constitutional change to the consequences of closing most of the coal mines, challenges political correctness, modern culture and the disappearance of absolute standards of morality in a humorous, satirical, tongue-in-cheek way and is well able to stand comparison with the great political satires of the past, notably George Qrwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'” PROBUS


COMMENTS FROM SOME READERS OF THE OPENING CHAPTERS OF THE PAPERBACK EDITION:

• You do have a good way with words when describing the settings. I thought the idea of
a technologically advanced set of ‘dropouts from the crumbling of 21st century society’ was
excellent and look forward to reading more of it one day

• It was a pleasure to read good, coherent English and I enjoyed your wry sense of humour.

• This work.......is a different kind of vision (from George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty four)... dystopia, yes is assumed, but the setting is very rich and exotic,the descriptions of the outer Hebrides were a joy to read and very heartfelt. Although complex I felt very comfortable with the pace and never lost the thread. I felt guided throughout. I loved the language...the author evokes the landscape excellently and there is gentle passion in the telling...I felt odd thinking of that beautiful surroundings covering a degree of menace...it is the sort of story I would like to really sit down and talk over for quite a long time.

• The most striking thing about “The Retreat” is how well the ideas are set out, like all decent futuristic/dystopian writing . It’s obvious that a lot of work has gone into this, and one of the best things about these chapters was that it made me wonder how events tied into one another...action sequences were handled at a good pace...Roger and David’s comments lent the piece a sinister edge...overall an involving read.

•I thought the premise of your book was an extremely good one! Very topical and great idea to extrapolate modern politics into a novel set in the near future. Apart from minor points an interesting concept and potential for a fascinating novel.

• Story seems a little sinister...was that your intention? I like the way you portray David - he reminds me of the cult leaders...I hope to read the rest of the story soon.

• You are clearly an experienced writer and you know where you are going with The Retreat, It moves along swiftly and you tell us no more than we need to know at any particular time. In addition (I say this with a shiver) it is not too far away from the realms of reality.

•......an extremely interesting plot, a very clever idea. The opening is quite atmospheric and I congratulate you on your English. Your technical expertise also shines through.

• The story at the start really gripped me, and the build up to the assault was very good. Overall I liked the idea of the story and your descriptions were very good. This was also a good opener for your book.

•...I found some of your descriptive writing to be very evocative Two good examples were.....

• Narrative is strong and engaging. Characters are believable. You weave a good story.. I would happily purchase the book.

• ...what I think is particularly good about your story is that it is genuine science fiction or ‘future fiction” at least - since we don’t know at this stage whether the story is going to develop along lines that are primarily concerned with scientific and technological developments or social and political developments...I think that adds to the strength because you shouldn’t (can’t) consider one without the other..

• This is an ambitious piece of work and it would be interesting to know how the strands will weave together later on. There are some big themes and ideas in this which I found intriguing...I must say that I enjoyed this work and loved the sustainable community theme and of course the 1984 connection.

• This was really an intriguing piece. You have obviously done your research and the concept of the novel is neat and plausible.

• The story is well written and as I read I could picture the whole thing as it happened, a sign of really good writing.

• A fascinating, well-constructed and sustained narrative which even manages to hold the reader’s interest through the political machinations of European Union committees. The manipulation of language is immaculate and the story has a density and conviction that produces a very believable set of characters and circumstances. The action sequence grabs the reader’s attention and the subsequent outlining of the overall context of the book is made more interesting by the attention to detail of the characterisation of those involved. Possible future conflicts are established at both individual and collective level. In other words, this is a fine, accomplished piece of writing.


• Very imaginative. An attractive idea and theme with real legs. Seemingly a far- fetched plot, the writer makes it credible through a series of realistic settings and pacey dialogue. The knowledge of the technologies is very impressive and imaginative and the story rattles along at a tremendous pace.

• Lots of characters, - possibly too many to take in at one sitting and some of them seem a little cliched. But this is a trivial complaint when set against the larger picture and background of the story.

• You have to concentrate to be aware of the time jumps, but on the whole I think it works rather well. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where the politicians are arguing the rights and wrongs of the German proposals.

• All in all a very good story; well written and with a good dash of adventure. A frightening image of a possible future for us all if we don't get our house in order

•I like the theme of the book as you laid it out in the prologue. It sounds very topical, the idea of people wanting to escape an ever growing rat race. But I wasn't sure about why the central govt was so keen to do away with the islanders. That needed more explanation.

•I think you have a strong story-line. It caught my attention fairly quickly. I have to say I was a bit confused, but I can tell that this is intentional early on in the story. I'm convinced that once all the pieces come together, it makes perfect sense. Although your work is definitely original, I'm reminded of a book I read long ago called "This Perfect Day" by Ira Levin.

SYNOPSIS

Helen Gordon is in discussion with the mysterious Catechist as she prepares to leave the island of Mingulay where she and colleagues have been undergoing survival training. Just after they reach the islands where they will join a new community there is an attempt by special forces sent by the UK government to destroy the community’s vital electronic surveillance equipment. The island defences are effective. She meets David Miller, the man whom she came to meet, but he does not know who she is. It is 2022.

There is a flashback to 1996. The Council of Ministers of the European Union decides that it will no longer recognise the UK’s right to a veto when a vote is taken unless its electoral system is changed to a proportional one. A young man in Conservative Central Office has a bright idea which might prevent the Labour Party from winning the 1997 General Election. It succeeds, the Tories are now the largest Party in the House of Commons, but chaos results. Former Parachute Regiment hero Walter Bell V.C., now a New Labour MP finds a way to take control of the situation. It is a subtle form of dictatorship.

Meanwhile a group of people who are tired of the decline in standards and morals in the UK decide that with the aid of modern technology they could create new communities, designed to have modest living standards and to be sustainable, with no ambition to impose their ideas on the rest of the country but a determination to defend themselves. This is a revolution. It is one of these communities at which Helen has arrived.

There is conflict between the UK Government and the communities. In London David Miller meets Clare Calderwood, the Leader of the Conservative Party. They discuss whether it is right for peoples to look after themselves without taking any responsibility for the rest of the country, especially if they concentrate on the interests of the indigenous population. Clare persuades David to let her visit Islay and Jura with Walter Bell. When Bell leaves she and David fall for each other. Clare returns to London

Helen discovers that she is particularly skilful at controlling computers directly from the human brain (the human computer cerebral interface or HCCI). As Clare moves into power in London Helen and David are surprised to find themselves in a desperate cybernetic struggle for the future of the communities.

532 pages













LESSONS IN DUPLICITY
Peter McGregor's second novel published 2007 (paperback)

SEE ALSO www.lessons-in-duplicity.com for further reviews, interview with author, press release, link to TheHintonPress.com to purchase on line at discounted price.

THE STORY

The personal struggle of the protagonist to deal with the challenges of life is set against a realistic industrial, political and financial background which the author’s wide experience enables him to handle with confidence. His characterisation brings real people to his pages, he knows the ways of owning families, bankers, management consultants, headhunters and shop stewards and how merger discussions (in this case with potential German partners) and takeovers are likely to develop. The plot is an ingenious one with a very surprising end.

An ideal book for a long air journey or a holiday read. Some comments from readers enclosed.

SYNOPSIS

In one weekend in February 1970 John Tamplin’s life is suddenly violently disrupted. On a business trip to Central and South Africa he is astonished to meet Avril Llewellyn-Rhys, a Cardiff teenage girlfriend from whom he was separated by her parents 26 years earlier when he was 18 and she was 15 and whom he had not seen since. They meet in Lusaka, Zambia. She is the only woman other than his wife Eleanor with whom he was ever passionately in love (although as teenagers they had kept within the moral standards of their day) and she is still beautiful. She suggests that she should join him on his planned weekend at Victoria Falls since they are both heading for Salisbury, Rhodesia and there are no longer any direct flights. John is very glad to have company in visiting this magnificent spectacle, but even after all the years which have passed he realises that it opens up another possibility in such a romantic location and is not sure how he will handle it.

Avril is now a sophisticated, self assured woman who is very different from her teenaged persona and finding that John is still an attractive man decides that he is going to sleep with her. She manages to arrange things to make his response more or less inevitable and he realises by what she has done that there is something rather mysterious about her. A combination of sentiment and desire make it impossible for him to resist. After a passionate weekend they fly on to Salisbury where she introduces him to the rebel Rhodesian ministers including Ian Smith and shoots their way out of a terrorist ambush. That evening they part, not expecting to meet again.

The same weekend in a Cotswold manor house the family shareholders in the company for which John works, the Boston Engineering Company Limited, are squabbling about the future of the company and more immediately about that of the Hyde Division of which he has been managing director for a year. When he gets home, ashamed of his disloyalty to his wife Eleanor, he finds that he has to handle relationships with the three directors who are members of the family (Chairman and MD Reggie Boston, merchant banker Lord Thame and Conservative MP and stockbroker Jeffrey Marsh) each of whom has his own agenda. Business is tough, and he has problems with some of his colleagues, management consultants and the trades unions.

Eleanor has accepted her Father’s view that living a good life and trying to make the world a better place is more important than being rich or famous. As the business situation becomes more difficult and complicated John begins to wonder whether he should follow Avril’s very different advice that you should do what you have to do to get what you want. Eleanor begins to worry that John is changing.

Avril unexpectedly arrives in London, curiously involved in Boston affairs and clearly determined to manage John’s career. Eleanor meets her at a Boston reception. To save two of the Boston group directors from arrest John has to let slip a little about what he now knows to be Avril’s secret intelligence service background. After a brief row he finds himself in bed with her again and in a personal struggle about his relationships with the two women and their two viewpoints. Avril’s surprisingly extensive network and connections in the UK coupled with his own involvment in merger talks with a German company lead to his being headhunted by a merchant bank to negotiate a take-over of Bostons by an industrial predator. When he tells Eleanor about his wish to take up this surprising new post he finds it necessary to explain Avril’s apparent involvement in the headhunter’s approach and to confess about his unfaithfulness. She is desolate as she remembers Avril although he tells her that he does not intend that it should happen again (and means it) and she believes him when he says that it is still she whom he loves.

At a critical point in the takeover negotiations Avril phones him to say that she can tell him how to put pressure on a key member of the Boston family to accept the bid, but only if they spend another weekend together. He agrees reluctantly, realising that this time he could have resisted the invitation and is merely using her to get the information. What she tells him is important, but to use it would involve him in blackmailing one of the family directors of Bostons. Unexpectedly however Eleanor has learned something which enables him to put effective pressure on the family without using Avril’s information.

Things move very quickly as the scene moves from meeting to phone call to meeting and John is able forcibly to persuade the reluctant family member that the bid must be accepted. Two of the family are furious. He is acclaimed for a very successful negotiation from which he will earn a large sum of money, but he feels that he has betrayed nearly everyone, and has learned some lessons in duplicity.

Eleanor and he try to think how to bring themselves back close together again in a world which is so different from what they had wished and in which their attempts to make it a better place are faced by constant resistance, Their love is strong enough for each of them individually and privately to decide to work to the other’s agenda but in a dramatic final chapter Eleanor produces a surprising solution, supporting him in his new role as a banker but replacing her intention to be a Methodist preacher with a search for a Labour Parliamentary
seat.

Available from bookshops and on line retailers

532 pages

SOME REVIEWS
“I enjoyed it”
Sir Geoffrey Owen, Former Editor The Financial Times

“Where are these people who think that engineers and scientists are an illiterate lot?”
Dr Tom Lunt, Manchester Statistical Society and Ferranti Limited

“What a great book.............. I really enjoyed it. And what a twist at the end!”
Robert Wilson, Chairman and MD Wilson Transformer Company Pty Ltd Melbourne Australia.

"A shrewdly observed tale of the cruel and ever-present machinations at the heart of industry, the City and Whitehall, with a fascinating glimpse of Africa emerging from colonial rule. It is interwoven with a romantic thread that reawakens youthful memories and 'what-if'’s but, in the final twist, banishes them safely back to reality. Definitely a book of the ‘can't be put down’ variety.”
Allan Duncan, formerly Director, HM Inspectorate of Pollution, Dept. of Environment."

“A well-written and absorbing book with an unpredictable and satisfying end."
Ted Murphy, former UK Government computer scientist