November Keys

by Brian Turner, Michael Turner

November Keys Inhabitant
"If we had known, we would not have sold the club. I admit we succumbed to greed but we did not realise we were putting our heritage at such risk. They did take the team to great heights but the consequences were disastrous."

American Gangster
"They asked for what they got. Did they seriously think that we were interested in some run down hick football club?"

November Keys Inhabitant
"Our benevolent buyers turned out to be ruthless. We had never experienced a murder in our village before. Not unless you include Cheryl's cooking."

American Gangster
"What did you expect? They had something I wanted. Something life changing. Do you think I was going to get it by playing peek a boo?"

November Keys Inhabitant
"Although we celebrated Harvesting Leaf Day and talked about the creatures in the tree, we did not actually expect to see them."

November Keys, a quaint village that was ready to sell its soul to the Devil for hastily promised riches. However, when the Devil buys he expects to collect. A very funny tale of greed, gangsters and things that go bump in the night.

Genres: Paranormal

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 8, 2014

About the author

Hi, thanks for visiting, we hope you enjoy our story.

We are a father and son team. Perhaps a little unusual in the publishing world, however we would like to think our relationship has improved and not impeded our debut novel.

Outside of writing we do share similar interests, both being passionate football fans.

Both have many interests, which include films and cinema, charity work, poetry, music and quiz shows.

Whilst Brian is a published author it is Michael who has invented most of the amusing characters you are going to meet in November Keys. Both writers have spent pleasurable hours burning the midnight oil, endeavouring to portray these character’s personalities and eccentricities in a light hearted manner.

Coupled with an original plot with more twists than a sixties band we hope we have created a novel that is different and humorous, which will keep our readers, young and old alike, intrigued and entertained for many hours.

We thank you for sharing our interest and would very much welcome your feedback.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it a comedy, a thriller, a tale of gangsters moving in on an innocent town, or is there a touch of magic in the air around November Keys that makes it an extremely unique type of read? Seems that authors Brian and Michael Turner had a good time writing this imaginative and chaotic tale! A small and old-fashioned English town is made an offer they cannot refuse by a powerful and shady “businessman” wanting to purchase their unknown football(soccer) club, rundown, makeshift arena and the lands all around it. One by one the town falls in love with the idea, could it have been the personal visits made by this mysterious buyer? Come to think of it, why would American gangster want an English football club?

Only one man holds out, and he is key to everything, but why? He’s a farmer with a small business making a very special honey concoction that seems like some magical beer that drinkers crave. …And then there is the old oak tree, a legend in the town, it must never be cut down, so do the gangsters listen? Noooooo and the tale really begins from here when one former resident, an eccentric billionaire shows up to save the town, the tree and the legends and myths surrounding November Keys!

Quirky, a little over the top and certainly a creative piece of writing, Brian ad Michael Turner have taken a little hearted approach to deceit, danger, drugs and the preservation of an old towns legacy. With quirky characters, a chaotic timeline we continually pass across and the quaint descriptions are light and easily enjoyed; just remember to leave your disbelief at the door along with your need for order. Bring on your own sense of crazy as you follow the twists, turns and confusion as greed and glamour blind become incentives. More entertainment than grit, makes you wonder how these people have survived.

I received this copy from the authors in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date: October 8, 2014
Publisher: New Generation Publishing
Genre: Humorous Suspense Fantasy
Print Length: 280 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great idea for a story but sadly very poorly edited.
I gave up three quarters of the way through after reading of a cat 'lying ridged covered in leaves' but the use of the word 'contently' instead of contentedly really grated on my nerves.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

November Keys is described by the authors as a comedy/thriller mingled with fantasy. The storyline is around a football club called November Keys from an English village of the same name. Mixed with this are American gangsters, a myth around ancient creatures who live in the village oak tree, plus a secret recipe for a honey drink magical with beneficiary powers.

It's a lot to get the readers head around. The village football club, originally housed in a Victorian built structure now plays in a World Super League from a stadium which seats 100000 spectators. The new stadium is funded by American Gangsters who seek a base for their drug cartels and want the secret honey recipe to take over the world.

The American's bribe or bully the villagers into selling their land, but strange events occur when they try to cut down the ancient tree. John Goldsmith, a man for whom everything must be gold, also wants the secret honey recipe and plots to rescue the village from the gangsters.

I liked the mystical leaf creatures and their desire to protect the village, it worked well as a fantasy storyline, with the back story of the village witch. Mixing this with a football theme was a brave move. Football and sport are a long stretch from fantasy and trying to move a reader's mind from what they know about football and persuading them to slide this towards fantasy is a risk. Then placing American gangsters who are suited to cities in an English village setting is also a big ask for a debut novel.

The storyline jumps 10 years back and forth at times and there are other plot jumps which take some getting used to. I would have liked characters to be introduced slower and with more depth and individuality so that the reader has a chance to connect to them. I think too many differing strong genre types have been worked into this book in a setting which I struggled to believe, would a football stadium of that size really be built in a village? No it would be a large town or a city. Every book genre, even fantasy has to be believable to work.

A good try for a debut novel but more attention to the storyline needed.

[Mike Siedschlag · Rating 3 out of 5]

Authors Brian and Michael Turner gave me an e-version of November Keys in exchange for a review (honest of course).

I liked this book, it didn't blow me away, but it was a pretty good read over all. First of all, and most important, the story was good, most characters were well developed, and interesting. There were fantasy beings that I had never heard of, always a good thing, and some very sneaky bad guys. Many of the characters were quirky and quite funny.

The story is set in England. Surprise for me as Keys immediately makes me think of Florida. Some of the colloquialisms were not familiar to my American ear. Not a bad thing by any means, just different.

My biggest problem with November Keys was a lack of balance. This is a story with a strong fantasy/mythological aspect still set in the "real" world. While the mythology was hinted at early in the story, it was so downplayed as to almost pass unnoticed. They didn't really appear in force until halfway through the book, then they were center stage. It just read a little abrupt for me. This may in fact have been the authors plan, but for me it was too much of a turn all at once.

The other thing that bothered me is a convention used by many authors, so I chalk it up to personal choice. When events in a story are leading to an important even climactic moment, many authors will then skip past the moment and reveal it in the past tense. Not my favorite story telling device: Here comes a big event and oops, it's over. Again, personal preference.

This is the debut offering from this father and son team. I think they show potential. November Keys is a good book, if a little clunky at times. I did enjoy it and I think other fantasy readers will as well. So, enjoy!


Mike

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

What to say about this book other than it was over long, verbose, a silly storyline and not very well written. A very disappointing read, whenever one or two words could have been used you can be sure eight, nine or even ten were. This really needed a good editor to pull it into shape as it could have been an enjoyable read, unfortunately it was not.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Erik Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the following films; “Goodfellas”, “The Village” and “The Witches Of Eastwick”. Now is there a way to combine the stories of these films together and create one whole story? I’m sure many people would say no but if you were to include two writers to the project, possibly a father and son team, I’d say it could work. As a matter of fact, this father and son team; Michael and Brian Turner did just that by presenting “November Keys”. I don’t know if any of the films I listed were inspirations to them but there were many motifs in the book that related to those films. But of course, the book stands brilliant and entertaining on its own.
A group of American gangsters come to a small English village to do some business. In other words, they want to take control over the village. The most significant change they make to the town is by buying the simple football club and turning it into an expensive and profitable stadium. The place isn’t just for sports however. They use it to house their drug cartels. Pretty soon, the gangsters buy more land and intimidate many of the villagers. But there is one villager who has the balls to stand up to the mafia. He is the creator of the villages’ most prized possession; his own homemade honey beverage. But the gangsters aren’t the only ones who are interested in the honey. A former villager who is now a billionaire also wants the drink. The drink isn’t just profitable for the taste, it also has magical benefits. If that’s not bad enough, the mafia also has their eyes on an oak tree. But what’s so bad about that?
I really like how this father and son team was able to combine many different genres into one story. I’ve read many books where authors were able to do the same thing but I really like how these genres together would normally seem so out of place. In this story, however, it seems all natural. Now, I really didn’t care too much for the flashbacks because it did confuse me at times. But aside from that, the book is definitely worth reading. I also like just how simple the village was before the mafia arrived. Get this; the village and the football/soccer team share the same name which is of course the title of the book. It seems that the villagers were living a simple, happy life until the mob came. It really goes to show you that money always corrupts something.

[Ashley Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all I think it's so cool that a father and son wrote this together. It's cool that they are close enough to write together because I don't know anyone I would be able to write with. So Kudos to this father and son writing duo for a job well done.

I have never read a book quite like this one before, it had so much in it that I've never really thought about reading. Like gangsters; I enjoy Bonnie and Clyde things but I've never considered sitting down and reading a book dealing with gangsters. It worked well for this book though and helped open my eyes to new things.

It was full of funny and witty lines! It was a good balance of funny with the whole scary myth thing. It was quick once I got into it. Sadly, it did take me a little while to get into it, I think I just had to get used to their style of writing. But once it captured my interest I was hooked.

It had a lot of fantasy, which I'm a sucker for. I never thought I would read a book that not only had gangsters in it but also witches, there is truly a first for everything. And I'll probably think twice before I stand under an oak tree ever again. (Must read to find out why) I thought the ending was fitting for the book, I can't think of a better way for it to end. Which is odd for me because I usually have a handful of alternate endings in mind.

[Nick Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The November Keys" does not fit into a certain type of genre. Instead, it borrows on key elements of the supernatural, comedic, and downright fantastical.

Uniquely told by real life father and son authors, "The November Keys" is an equally unique read. Eschewing any treading on formulas of books past, it instead focuses on telling a fun and thrilling tale. Football plays a large role in the novel, but it's not a book only sports lovers will enjoy. Rather, the authors take the passions and dedication of the sport and uses it to inject fervour into the narrative.

There are many interesting characters, ranging from local gangsters to purveyors of special beer, making the story charismatic and enjoyable. It is evident that the authors had an enjoyable time writing a book where life is absolutely not what you think it is, right when you think you have it all figured out.

There are mythical creatures and local witches, and stories of the quest for redemption and for the preservation of culture. Timeless and creative, "The November Keys" is a must-read.

Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humour, magic, witchcraft, evil, crime, football, greed and a legendary tree mix well together in this book by Father and Son team, Michael and Brian Turner.
There's a lot going on in this story (maybe a bit too much), with jumps back and forth in time and a lot of characters to get know.
The duo have done a good job of creating an entertaining read, but be prepared to leave your disbelief behind when you open the book.

I was sent an ecopy of November Keys by the authors for an honest review.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

November Keys is a quaint little English village that hit the news when 10 years ago an American gangster invested millions in a new stadium and money for upgrading the local football team. Only John Goldsmith, a restaurant chain owner from the village, knew that this was a long running plot to destroy the village and enslave the world. The reader is entertained by odd village customs, weirdly acting gangsters, addictive food, and strange happenings all leading up to the major boss fight foreshadowed in the opening chapters.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel that mixes genres and ideas pretty handily; the plotting is self-assured but the writing, for me, was a bit stiff. A few more passes by an editor with an unforgiving eye for structural repetition and pacing would add 2 more stars for me as I think the bones of this story are strong. Fun for a the soccer fan and fantasy hound alike.

I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
I have to say I just did not get on with this.
There was just to much going on and I did not think the genre's mixed well at all.