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the storyA weekend away is just what Rob Purcell needs. He's recently been dumped, he's in a dead-end job and he's about to hit 30. Yes, a stag weekend with a group of old mates is just what the doctor ordered. It'll be a chance to get away from it all, have a laugh and get down to some serious drinking. The trip doesn't go to plan, though, and Rob's alcohol-fuelled antics soon have comic and tragic consequences. As the group trawls Newcastle's pubs and clubs, he comes to realise his pals are moving on in life and leaving him behind. He's been looking forward to seeing these guys for ages - but now he's with them, everything's different. Maybe the party has gone on for too long? Maybe it's time to settle down? This is a tale of one man's coming of age - in a bar! why i wrote itStag is a book about the fine line between 'social' drinking and 'problem' drinking, told from the perspective of an everyday 29-year-old man who's slipping across that line. My intention was to deal with a serious issue in a sensitive and funny way. I also wanted to explore the way young people live today - how relationships, friendships and careers are made and broken. Hopefully that doesn't all make it sound too worthy - basically, it's a book following a group of mates on a night out! (Perhaps the best thing about writing a book about booze is that all the time I've spent in pubs now counts as research!). reviews A genius. Sunday Express Darkly comic yet painfully real... Stag exudes wisdom. Maxim A funny and touching read. Star Riveting... Relf's gimlet-eyed execution makes this a great read. The Washington Post Utterly compelling. Will make you laugh, cringe and cry in equal measure. Waterstone's A portrait of Generation X alcoholism as light-hearted as it is horrifying. A sobering tale of inebriation that rolls along like a drunken rant... The LA Times
the storyIt was only intended as a weekend visit. But Nick's visit to see his parents becomes extended when he finds his dad is setting up home round the corner with a woman half his age and that his mum has had some sort of breakdown. Still, he'll be leaving the village as soon as his mum's better and his dad's come to his senses. He can't wait to get back to his high-flying IT job. But nothing's ever that simple, and when Nick meets up with a local girl, suddenly he's not so keen to escape back to London. Maybe the time has come to put down roots? To build a home of his own? Could he be rediscovering a love for the place he left 10 years before to go to University. Village life is not necessarily the straightforward life, though, as Nick is about to discover... why i wrote itWhere is home? Is it the place you live now? Is it the place you were born? Where you grew up? Is it a house, a collection of people, a state of mind? I've always been fascinated by this notion and wanted to explore what it means and how it changes. Told from the perspective of a man in his 20s, Home takes a wry look at identity, ageing, family relationships and depression. reviews A novel of contrasts - comic, sad, relaxed yet full of tensions... compelling. The Herald This sharp-witted tale is an essential read. Star Takes the reader on a funny, unsettling, insightful and memorable journey... a cracking yarn. The Northern Echo Sensitive and enjoyable... a fantastic follow-up to Stag. Waterstone's |
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