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Escape to Danger
This timely book has something of the urgency of The 39 Steps in it. The hero, Duncan, newly retired as a British carmaker, is deeply concerned at reports on the BBC News that religious terrorists are threatening to blow up Britain with atom bombs. Recently widowed and now with no job to hold him back, Duncan decides to leave Birmingham to visit Cornwall, hopefully well out danger from. the threatened firestorm. Not only do we sense the urgency of his journey, we also realize that he is seriously questioning a lifelong pacifist conviction. Is Duncan a coward?Facing the probability of the bombs going off, Duncan attempts to steal a yacht to put even more distance between him and the conflagration. Graham, the owner of the boat enters and the two of them venture on the high seas into the teeth of a gale. Having run from danger, the pair now confront it head on. In an exciting series of events they find themselves in the heart of the danger from which they had tried to escape. In a brilliant series of moves the book moves to make its conclusion about Duncan's issue of cowardice, and gives a royal accolade to a suspenseful and thrilling adventure.
204 pages, Paperback
First published December 20, 2000
389 people want to read
About the author
Peter Watson Jenkins
23 books21 followersSome people like to write about one important idea or tell stories that are of a well-known type, romantic novels are one example. My life has been very varied and I have chosen to write in a variety of ways. Some examples are: my recent collection of short stories, "Found Money," in which I set out to explore the idea of wealth coming to people in totally different ways. Then a Young Adult book "Saved by a Tweet" that is about teenage romance and a thrilling and dangerous episode the two lovers go through. One of my best books is "How I died, and what I did next." Before 2013 is out I will have added a book on spirit guides and what they have to tell us; "Fine Writing" a book of poetry and prose; "Spiritual Walkabout," my memoirs; and a sci-fi novel. They have not all been written in the past few months, of course, but happen to be coming out in a burst of activity. My favorite book took the longest to research and write. It is called "Training for the Marathon of Life" and is about the central core of Jesus’ teaching and how he explained the way that leads us for a fulfilled life and the creation of a good society
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 7, 2012
Escape to Danger is a charming tale where the author cleverly turns an exciting thriller-style premise into a riveting yarn. Have you ever visited an elderly person (as in, seen two world wars, not newly retired) prepared to do your bit to cheer their day up, only to be left spellbound, mouth parted in astonishment, as they regale you with key events in their life? Events that make your life pale in comparison? Well this is kind of what Duncan Sutherland, the unlikely hero, did to me. Duncan told me his story. And I listened. More than that, he made me roll my eyes, groan, shake my head in despair, and laugh at his antics. But as his story reached its climax, I had to applaud both his resourcefulness and his courage.
The story starts on Duncan's retirement as a car factory supervisor. Although Duncan endures the "retirement day" formalities with good grace, his mind is on the current terrorist threat facing the UK, for he is convinced the worst is going to happen. So he's made preparations and the next day he's off to Cornwall where he believes he can survive whatever the "Sons of Armageddon" can throw at him. And as the problem becomes bigger and bigger in his mind, I begin to feel the approaching threat, too. His growing tension builds mine. Then his plans go a little awry and his attempts to recover traction go off the rail. At this point, Duncan starts to make choices that surprise both him and me, but his determination to survive empowers him. I really enjoyed his tale and was happy to suspend disbelief as events took a turn I didn't expect that revealed the mettle of the ordinary man. His companion, Graham Taggart, provides an interesting counterfoil. Taggart should be the more likely hero, and he does well, but he possesses a streak of self-interest that makes Duncan the better person, in my book.
Overall, Mr. Jenkins' writing style is warm, chatty, and makes for easy reading. There are several poignant moments relating to memories of Duncan's late wife and fear for his family. I loved the interesting details Duncan reveals of his life, and particularly appreciated that Duncan Sutherland was allowed to properly finish his story. I highly recommend this novel.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
The story starts on Duncan's retirement as a car factory supervisor. Although Duncan endures the "retirement day" formalities with good grace, his mind is on the current terrorist threat facing the UK, for he is convinced the worst is going to happen. So he's made preparations and the next day he's off to Cornwall where he believes he can survive whatever the "Sons of Armageddon" can throw at him. And as the problem becomes bigger and bigger in his mind, I begin to feel the approaching threat, too. His growing tension builds mine. Then his plans go a little awry and his attempts to recover traction go off the rail. At this point, Duncan starts to make choices that surprise both him and me, but his determination to survive empowers him. I really enjoyed his tale and was happy to suspend disbelief as events took a turn I didn't expect that revealed the mettle of the ordinary man. His companion, Graham Taggart, provides an interesting counterfoil. Taggart should be the more likely hero, and he does well, but he possesses a streak of self-interest that makes Duncan the better person, in my book.
Overall, Mr. Jenkins' writing style is warm, chatty, and makes for easy reading. There are several poignant moments relating to memories of Duncan's late wife and fear for his family. I loved the interesting details Duncan reveals of his life, and particularly appreciated that Duncan Sutherland was allowed to properly finish his story. I highly recommend this novel.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
December 6, 2012
A thrilling adventure by land and sea and....well...read it to find out!
I read this novel after meeting the very courteous Mr. Jenkins on twitter @KornerKaff. I must admit that halfway through the book, I could not put it down. I had to shoo the kids and wife away to continue reading uninterrupted.
My initial impression of Mr. Jenkins novel was that the main character, a 60+ recent retiree named Duncan, was a coward. Duncan continually does the Chicken Little routine "The sky is falling". Duncan is driven by a personal conviction that a terrorist-fundamentalist group threatening to bring destruction to the heathen British will make good on their threats at any moment. He tries to convince friends and family to flee, but it's an inconvenient thing, they don't listen. Duncan goes it alone, and so begins his great escape adventure.
I found the pace a little slow at first. The author gives us a very detailed picture of Duncan's life and memories of his deceased wife. I don't want to give away too much, but I'll say that when the proverbial shit-hits-the-fan in the plot, I was hooked, and the pace rolled right along perfectly.
In the end, Duncan's metal is sorely tested, and he's found to be a far braver individual than he ever believed himself to be. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey discovering what kind of man he really is. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wants an exceptionally written thrilling tale of adventure and perseverance through adversity.
I read this novel after meeting the very courteous Mr. Jenkins on twitter @KornerKaff. I must admit that halfway through the book, I could not put it down. I had to shoo the kids and wife away to continue reading uninterrupted.
My initial impression of Mr. Jenkins novel was that the main character, a 60+ recent retiree named Duncan, was a coward. Duncan continually does the Chicken Little routine "The sky is falling". Duncan is driven by a personal conviction that a terrorist-fundamentalist group threatening to bring destruction to the heathen British will make good on their threats at any moment. He tries to convince friends and family to flee, but it's an inconvenient thing, they don't listen. Duncan goes it alone, and so begins his great escape adventure.
I found the pace a little slow at first. The author gives us a very detailed picture of Duncan's life and memories of his deceased wife. I don't want to give away too much, but I'll say that when the proverbial shit-hits-the-fan in the plot, I was hooked, and the pace rolled right along perfectly.
In the end, Duncan's metal is sorely tested, and he's found to be a far braver individual than he ever believed himself to be. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey discovering what kind of man he really is. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wants an exceptionally written thrilling tale of adventure and perseverance through adversity.
December 18, 2012
The simple prose used in the telling of this story is refreshing and does not detract from the building of excitement in the plot. Treat yourself to this fast paced read, you deserve it!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews