The Wicket in the Rec - free download

Late last year, I finished the first draft of a novel called The Wicket in the Rec. Over the past twelve months I have spent a lot of time redrafting, cutting, tweaking and generally improving the manuscript, and submitting it to various publishers and agents.

Sadly, to no avail.

But I like Wicket, and I’m pleased with it – I don’t think it’s the greatest novel ever written, but neither do I think it’s entirely awful. I think it’s a decent little read, and I always want as many people to read my books as possible.

So, as nobody seems to want to buy Wicket, I thought I’d give it away. It is set at this time of year, from November through to late December, so it seemed appropriate on this first day of the festive  month to unleash it upon the world as my seasonal gift to you.

Yes, I’m giving away Wicket to download for free. All I ask is that, if you do happen to read it, you at least let me know what you thought of it. For those of you who like a bit more information about a book before you decide whether or not to read it, here’s a little blurb I wrote when trying to get some colleagues at work interested in reading it:

September 1939 – a cricket match between two Sussex villages is abruptly suspended, as German tanks roll across Poland and Britain declares war.

November 1989 – ten-year-old Nathan Wright is hit by a car as he runs from a dying man’s last confession.

Between the smoke of Bonfire Night and the lights of Christmastime, winter’s grip tightens on the Downs. The reconciliation of a family, the reunion of long-parted lovers and the saving of a village all depend on the uncovering of a secret that has stood for half a century.

So, there we go... Fancy it...?

Click here to download The Wicket in the Rec as a PDF file.

Edit, Monday 3rd December:

A couple of people who downloaded the above file reported problems with it displaying properly on their Kindles. So, with thanks to the incredibly generous (and published, damn him!) Lawrence Burton, here is another PDF copy which should be Kindle-friendly, should you wish to enjoy Wicket on your e-reader:

Click here to download the Kindle-friendly Wicket PDF.