One Good Turn

by Chris Ryan

1917, Western Front, Ypres

A soldier wakes up in a damp, dark basement. He can't get out. He is covered in mud.His skin is badly burned. And he can't remember anything. But his nightmare doesn't end there.

He is tried and found guilty of cowardice, impersonating a fellow soldier and theft. He can barely speak, let alone defend himself. As the verdict is passed and he learns that the death sentence awaits him, he remembers two things: that he took something from a dead man in the trenches, and that the name his accusers have been calling him is not his.

With time slipping away, Chris Ransom must try to remember the events that have led him to this moment, so that he can clear his name and save himself.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Historical, Action, War, Ebooks

92 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2008

About the author

Colin Armstrong (b. 1961), usually known by the pen-name Chris Ryan, is a British author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read this years ago and had completely forgotten about it.

However recently the entirety of the plot had come back into my mind, gnawing at my brain. But for the life of me I could not remember where it was from. Was it from a film? A wikipedia page? A story someone had told me over a beer? By some weird stroke of fate my wife handed this book to me from our library as I had been into war books recently, and from the second page I instantly recognised my recent thoughts had been this exact book I read years ago. This book had obviously held a special place in my mind for all those years and I greedily read the whole book again with relish.

I shall not forget this one again.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, the only criticism I could find was that it was a very short and therefore I read it in less than a day. One thing that the author managed to convey was the absolute futility of war and the very high human cost.
I was hoping for a better ending, however this wasn't to be. I don't think I've ever read a bad book by Chris Ryan.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though One Good Turn was a quick read, it was brutally realistic and gave a harsh insight into the reality of war; in this case Ypres, France, during World War One. This was clearly obvious in the Postscript which stated:

The whole bloody war was like a scene in the crater. Good men killing bad men. Bad men killing good men. Cowardice and courage. Selfishness and sacrifice. But war is like a big machine that devours everything with equal relish: the good and the bad, the weak and the strong. It is only the lucky that get out.

While John Stubbs could only be described as the 'bad guy', Private Chris Ransom was definitely a hero who displayed courage at every turn, giving all for his country and fellow soldiers.

Although I was hoping for a happier ending, Chris Ryan certainly showed the savage violence of trench warfare, and his own experiences as a soldier made his writing more believable. I just wish he had finished the book with a sense of hope. Ransom deserved so much better.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short novel is part of the QuickReads series.

Although not my usual read I found this one easy to get through and although the subject matter can be a little dark, it's a very good piece of writing and touches on different themes.

If you enjoy thrillers of a military setting, this WW1 set story may be one that appeals to you.

[John Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it gives you an insight to the first world war and how they dealt with soldiers

[jamie dodds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reading

Great short story found it hard to put down,excitement and sadness,treachery and cowardice,had me on the edge would definitely recommend

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and found it hard to put down

[Aileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the older Quick Reads books, this was a poignant story of mistaken identity in the WW1 trenches. Full of graphic description of the environment really brought home the horror of those times.

[Pesky Potato · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing example of how shorts should be written. It shows the horrors of trench warfare and how soldiers where treated. This book was simply an outstanding short read.

[Kelly Hine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps an unfair rating as I’m not ever too keen on short stories. This one was strangely poignant to read after all the thrill and gore of Ryan’s usual novels.

[Billy Emerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking quick read - recommended

[Sadie Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced and enjoyable story. Will he be able to remember in time?

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris Ransom wakes up in a cell in 1917. He is put on trial and found guilty of cowardice, impersonating a fellow soldier and theft. As the trial comes to a close, Chris remembers two things: that the name the accusers has been calling him is not his, and that he took something from a dead man in the trenches. Now, he has to remember, completely, the events leading up to this moment to convince the officers and save himself.

One Good Turn is not a book, but rather a novella, even a novelette. It’s quick to read, if you have a spare hour, or you could finish it during the day if you just had a few ten-minute instalments. Perhaps read it over your lunch break. Or maybe not, given the topic.

This novelette is brutally realistic and provides insight into the truly harsh fighting of WWI. Not only does it feature the human impact, but also the animal impact, and shows another side to the story which you may not have heard of or read much about before: what happens when your own troops turn against you.

Chris is the good-guy, John Stubbs the bad guy. We know that from the off, and Ryan reflects this well in his work. The stories run parallel to each other smoothly and you really feel like you’re living alongside them, through the whole torturous event.

I did like this novelette, but the ending, for me, whilst perhaps most realistic, was dissatisfying, and I didn’t particularly like it. However, if you’re interested in WWI, particularly as we are now living in the 100 year anniversary, it’s a nice little read for you. Just don’t expect to be left with a pleasant buzz of hope in your veins afterwards.

[Seamus Mcduff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little book actually succeeds quite well as a kind of All Quiet on the Western Front, conveying in detail the harsh reality of war. A little too harsh maybe - if only from the standpoint of being unrelentingly grim. OK, World War I was no picnic, but there must have been lighter moments away from the killing and dying. The squishy bodies, and guts, and so forth are perhaps laid on a little too thick, a little too often.

One thing I think Chris Ryan does well is dialogue. I thought the rough talk of the common soldiers and the clipped old-boy conversations of the officer characters were well rendered.

Overall the writing has a kind of amateur tenor to it. I noticed long paragraphs were every sentence began with "He..." Also I thought the premise upon which the volume is based - man is injured and can't remember who he is, leading to tragic case of mistaken identity - yes, that old chestnut - was rather hackneyed and contrived.

Has its moments. A fitting read for the approximate 100-year anniversary of the Battle of Ypres, mentioned in the story.

[Susan Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

One good turn by Chris Ryan is a well written story set during World War I. Ryan's own experiences of warfare help write a believable tale of courage and cowardice. The book describes the horrors of war and the different ways people respond in the midst of atrocious. For some, it brings out the best in them and others the worse.

I was disappointed however, with the ending and therefore did not grade this book as highly as it deserved. Ryan had the opportunity to conclude the story with hope and a small triumph over the injustices of war. Instead he opted for a brutally realistic ending. Probably Ryan believes fiction should not sugar coat the cruelty of war but I can read about these cruelties in history books, in fiction I want to come away with a sense of hope which Ryan denied me.

Nevertheless it was an engaging story.

[Wytzia Raspe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is more a story (novelle in Dutch) then a real novel. But it has a graphic way to bring the horrors of the first World War's trenches to light. I liked this booked "The one that got away" more but maybe because I know that is his own real life story.

[Devon Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good just as something to read quickly- not much expansion in plot as the story itself is so short. The ending ruined it a little, the main character deserved a much better death scene than that, although was granted better than 'This is so unfair, he thought. So unfair. And he died.'!!

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

short but sweet - this took me just an hour to read cover to cover

[T.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read and made me wonder about things that can happen in extreme situations.

[Helepod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing example of how shorts should be written. It shows the horrors of trench warfare and how soldiers where treated. This book was simply an outstanding short read.

[Cindy B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tragic, bad, then sad WWI tale.