“The Four Weddings and a Funeral of the book world.”
2021 CIBA International Mark Twain Grand Prize Book Award Winner.
Three tales, following one man through birth, marriage and death. Inspired by real life events this humorous but poignant book takes you on a journey of joy, loss, and heartache, through life’s certificates.
One Unexpected Birth: The long road to fatherhood. Missed opportunities, a car ride with Bet Lynch, a 1963 Silver Cross Pram, and finally the shock on becoming a dad. A story of heartache, elation, and Peter Beardsley.
One Hapless Wedding: The pressures of matrimony. A dream wedding scuppered by Justin Timberlake, an encounter with armed police, an Austin Powers lookalike, and the relief of ‘I do’. A story of love, commitment, and a stranger, Wally, and his Scooby Doo Van.
One Bizarre Death: The sadness of loss. Confused emotions, a JCB funeral, £25k in ceased bank notes, an eccentric clairvoyant, and finally saying goodbye. A story of regret, family reflection, and Morrisons, the Supermarket.
A book to stir the memories in us all. The realisation we have all been certified.
I’m Roger Wilson-Crane and whilst I was born in Harpenden I was raised in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, so hopefully, I would be described as an honorary Yorkshireman.
Since leaving the Dales in the late 1990s, I have had a successful career in the motor trade, working in senior roles and as Managing Director for over a decade.
My passion for writing has always been with me, stemming from writing and directing a school play at the tender age of 14. This enthusiasm resurfaced in late 2019 when I decided to take a reduced role within the company, giving me more time to write the stories that had been whirling around my head for over 20 years.
In addition to being the obligatory bookworm, I have always been interested in the creation of film, TV, and theatre. I enjoy studying scripts and listening to different writers about their styles and how the story and characters develop.
I have also enjoyed the odd venture into amateur dramatics, playing lead roles in productions across Yorkshire and beyond, including Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys & Dolls and The Full Monty, the latter culminating in a NODA nomination for best actor. I do believe all these endeavours kept the creative juices flowing over the years when work was all-consuming.
My debut novel, Certified, was published in August 2021. It became an Amazon bestseller and recently won the 2021 Mark Twain International CIBA Grand Prize Award for humour and satire. I am currently working on my second novel, A Life Retrieved, which will be published in 2023.
I am honoured to be involved in a private Facebook dog group where I research and write personal memorials for those dogs that have sadly passed over the rainbow bridge.
My monthly blog, Man in the Mirror, is a nostalgic look at life and the weird and wonderful things that have happened to us all.
I am hugely proud of my 21year old daughter Holly, who has grown up in a world of live theatre, comedy, and music. She has just completed her degree at Leeds Beckett University, studying Physical Education and focusing on dance.
I settled in South Yorkshire 25 years ago and live with my wife Victoria, who finally inspired me to follow my dreams and become an author.
I absolutely loved this book, I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I held my breath thinking “oh no”. Could do many hapless disasters happen to one person? Of course they can. I have no idea which bits of this are true and which aren’t as the author calls it a loosely based memoir.
This is so well written, the story of one man’s journey through life, mistakes made in his youth, but we’ve all been there to some extent, I’m sure most people look back and realise there were things they could have done differently.
The story is told through the three certificates in life birth, marriage and death. Learning he had got his girlfriend pregnant, when he wasn’t ready and neither was she. To a next relationship with a woman who was violent. Finally escaping that toxic relationship to something better. Finding love.
The writing flows and is a delight to sit and read, I literally laughed out loud at parts. I love the family relationship, the father had walked out one day leaving the mother on her own with three children. This was tough on Craig as the oldest he had a job so helped out financially. But as you read on this is a very close family. I loved the characters, they are all so relatable, by the end you feel like you know them personally.
I could say so much about this book but I don’t want to give any spoilers away, because it has to be read to really appreciate how good it is. In each chapter there are side stories which add to the main story most of the time in a humorous way. With several twists in parts.
I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review. All thoughts are my own and have not been influenced in any way. I look forward to seeing what he writes next
For me this is an absolute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read it in one sitting. I highly recommend this charming read, guaranteed to make you chuckle, possibly shed a tear, but overall a real entertaining read.
Certified by Roger Wilson-Crane is a wonderfully memoir of an unnamed person The story follows our hero through three of life's more significant events: birth, marriage, and death and the book follows the life events in the form of three stories
The birth section is wonderful and very funny and how someone copes with becoming a father when he is not ready for it to happen and deals with love parenthood and a few surprises along the way
The wedding section starts with a look back at weddings our hero attended as a child and i found it hilarious and then we move on to our hero's own wedding which is told with humour and tenderness and then jumps forward in time and wonders why it has taken him so long to get to this point in his life and everything is answered with good humour and brings a smile to the face
I did wonder how the author was going to approach the subject of death and it was a joy to read and he looks back on family members to pets and is just wonderful
Overall i loved this book and thank the author for a gifted copy of the book and this should be on everyone's list of books to read
Think "My Family" with a splash of "Emmerdale" and a dash of "that-would-never-happen" and you have "Certified". I laughed a lot, a cried a bit, and I could not stop reading this book. It's written with an intimacy that feels like the story is being told to you and only you. And it's brilliant. I would like to book Mr. Wilson-Crane to write my biography, please! As I'm unable to rate higher than 5 stars, let's call this one a "Certified" 5 star read!
My thanks to the author. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
This was an interesting one, I have never read anything quite like it before! The writer of the book, Roger, talks us through three major events in his life. The narration flows well and is very relaxing. Perfect for the beach or a long train journey!
Roger lays parts of his life down before us and speaks with honesty and passion. We as humans are all flawed in different ways, the author embraces these parts of himself and delivers a wonderful reading experience.
The beautiful thing about fictionalised memoirs is they are more than just stories. It’s not easy to write an honest account of something very mundane and make it interesting - the author has managed that seemingly with very little effort. I haven’t got a clue which parts are true and which are not - I think we need to get this man on the TV show ‘would I lie to you’ and see if the panel can work him out!
This is an emotional journey told with humour and I could totally imagine myself sitting with Roger over a coffee chatting about the good old days! I could picture every scene and feel every emotion.
One of the most surprising things for me was that this is in fact Rogers debut novel! What a way to start! I feel that we can expect great things from this author in the future!
A very well deserved 5 stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I would like to thank the author for sending me a review copy of this book and I would like to wish him all the best for the future!
I primarily downloaded this book for the first story, but I was pleasantly surprised that the two other stories were great as well. I'm a big fan of this author's writing style, it flows very well. The characters were all well developed, even though we only get to know them through a short story I personally wanted to get to know them more and learn more about them.
One Unexpected Birth was my favorite out of the bunch and I really wish it was a full length book. It was a great ending but I was sad to see it end so soon. It was definitely a predictable story but I like how it was dealt with more realistically than a lot of other books I've read that deal with the topic and I respect that.
I definitely recommend this book for people who are interested in family drama dealt with in a realistic way.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to BookSirens and the author.
What a thoroughly entertaining read full of laugh out loud moments and a book once you pick up you don't want to put down. The story of one man's journey through three stages of life resonates with one's own experiences, but the writing style is brilliant in how the author portrays his fictional memoirs (or are they?). Read this either as a real-life journal or a work of fiction, but either way, you'll not fail to enjoy this three-part story. This has to be a literary success and I hope there is more to come from Roger Wilson-Crane, an author I am delighted to be able to call a friend.
My favourite kind of memoir is one that makes you feel like you’re chatting with a friend…albeit a fictional one here, and Roger delivers.
Easy to read, entertaining and thought provoking. Certified makes you realise that it’s the bits in between those pieces of (albeit official and important) paper that matter the most!
Thank you for sharing your ‘stories’ Roger.
Thank you to Random Things book tours and author Roger Wilson-Crane for my gifted copy and the chance to read and review.
I was hooked from chapter one. The book has a lovely flow to it, being based around the three events, and I liked that we hopped around the timeline of Roger's life. I have no idea which bits are true and which bits are made up, which must be the sign of a great fictionalised memoir. Some parts I hope never happened, others I desperately desire are true. It's a wonderful debut book and I hope there will be more books to follow.
Love this book really entertaining but so true to life Funny and sad great easy read excellent debut for Roger looking forward to sequal can't recommend highly enough
Certified by Roger Wilson-Crane is a wonderfully fictionalized memoir.
The story follows an unnamed protagonist through three of life's more significant events: birth, marriage, and death. The parts fall in that order, following the flow of life.
One Unexpected Birth is a lovely, funny story about becoming a father when he least expected it to happen. It is also one about love and relationships. We follow as our protagonist and his significant other, Dawn, go through the trials of getting ready for the baby and uncovering a few surprises along the way.
One Hapless Wedding starts with a hilarious anecdote about first weddings, i.e., those one attends during childhood, and proceeds into the protagonist's own marriage. We jump ahead in time from the last part a good ten years, and while the reader may be wondering why it took so long for him to marry Dawn, that is answered quickly and with good humor.
One Bizarre Death covers a range of deaths, from grandparents to pets to estranged parents. It's rather touching and sweet, illuminating how life is an endless circle. The topic of death is written with decorum and a touch of wit, as everyone needs a laugh when dealing with death.
Certified reminds me of Four Weddings and a Funeral. Roger's writing is concise, intelligent, and poetic. In addition, he proves to be a great storyteller with a few tangents that only add to the familiar prose. It's difficult to say what parts of the story are fictionalized and which ones are real. This is part of Certified's success as it comes across as honest and heartwarming.
While the protagonist could sometimes come across as a tad unlikeable, overall, he was just a goofy sort of person that we probably all have in our arsenal of friends. That sort of guy who often comes across as a wet noodle, but he's doing his best and has a strong heart.
Certified is a charming slice-of-life story with loads of realism and none of the soap opera dramatics that we really don't need. Life is crazy enough on its own.
This is not so much a book of three short stories, as some of the reviews might suggest, but rather three parts of the same story of one man’s life, each taking one of the themes of its three major events: birth, marriage and death. It does get you wondering while reading just how much is fictional and how much biographical or autobiographical. You hope it is not too much of the latter, to be honest, because in all honesty, generally the unnamed protagonist does not come across a particularly likeable chap. Additionally, as a memoir, it is engaging and cleverly constructed, but as slice-of-life fiction (or, more accurately, three slices), it is a wonderful read, and surprisingly poignant. In fact, going on the assumption that the book is primarily fiction, perhaps based on a collection of anecdotes from Roger’s life, or those of people he knows, the normality of the events in this book are in fact its biggest strength, making it unusually heartfelt and heartwarming at times. Don’t expect soap-style melodrama; Roger writes life stories we can all relate to, and I am sure there will be one of these three parts which will hit a nerve with any reader (I myself found the third particularly thought-provoking and personally relevant). These major life events are covered with humility, warmth and sadness, in just the right amount of emotive balance. You don’t just read this writing; you feel it.
Roger is a wonderful author, whose writing style is professional and articulate. Whilst I have read nothing else from him, I would very much like to read more of his fiction. If you have a liking for light-hearted family drama with a softly humming emotional undercurrent, and a warm and familiar prose, then this will probably be right up your street, too.
This is a really enjoyable debut novel which portrays all the highs and lows of human life. Roger Wilson-Crane originates from Yorkshire and it really shows in his humour, honesty and style of writing. The book details birth, death and weddings but also past relationships and strong family connections. Some of the content is fictional but all stories are told with the author's engaging style and witty perspective.
A book about life has to cover some sad and troubling events but this is done with sensitivity and emotions are sparked by some of the nostalgic recollections.
The anecdotes come thick and fast with a heartwarming poignancy and peppered throughout with laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed reading that the author is such a dog lover he resorted to kidnapping a dog (thankfully his own!).
Certified: One Unexpected Birth… One Hapless Wedding… One Bizarre Death by Roger Wilson-Crane is the riveting account of one man going through three milestones in life. One peculiar thing about this book is that we never get to know the character’s name, although we know almost everything concerning his life, episode by episode we get to know him better and better. His life is filled with ups and downs and the reader is there by the character’s side all-the-while, empathizing with him when he needs help and cheering with him after joyous events.
Crane writes in an elegant and charismatic way. The pace of the stories are fast, and the author frequently addresses the reader, almost as if the book were a conversation between author and reader. This detail makes the book feel realistic, engaging and absolutely entertaining because of it.
As a reader keen on details, I noticed that there was a lack of them, but this is not a story about details, this is an emotionally resonant story that focuses on the moments and emotions in life that we can all relate to. The author keeps the story moving along with flashbacks and flash-forwards, never confusing anyone as they remind the reader of any detail they might have forgotten after some chapters.
The story is clearly inspired by a real-life story, and even though these characters might have never existed, we get to know them and see them as familiar faces. The authenticity in this book is what makes it more relatable to readers and helps them find themselves in the story, making them grow attached to it.
Certified: One Unexpected Birth… One Hapless Wedding… One Bizarre Death is an enchanting and eloquent story, with its quick-rhythm and comedy-filled adventures it will catch any reader’s heart. I recommend this book to any reader who enjoys family stories, or quick and humorous reads.
When a book literally makes you google and laugh out loud right at the beginning of the book you know your in for one hell of an epic read. The adventure opens your eyes and builds so many connections on an emotional level. You really go through being on the highest highs and take a flashback at your own memories but also feel so much sorrow when you read the hardest parts. The book pulls you in so much you just flow with the journey and the author does a brilliant job describing everything to you. It’s like your reading but your sat with the author in front of you just telling you everything directly.
The fact that this book was broken up into three parts over three big events was amazing. It was brilliant reading a book from a man’s perspective the honesty and the actual fact and reality then men do think differently to women. What a bombshell I won’t give anything away but by this point I was yelling at the book what actually just happened. The reflection taking you back as the next part starts is again refreshing making you think again of the past and your own experiences.
You also get a real appreciation for the references to characters and programmes and films that make you chuckle if you remember or know who’s being mentioned. This was comical all the way through. I couldn’t believe what happened at the wedding although so funny I can imagine the feeling of embarrassment. I broke my heart at the final part. All the emotions throughout created tears of sadness and happiness.
This book absolutely captured my full attention. It flowed, it was honest, it was life right before you being told from the best perspective you can ever imagine. Absolutely wonderful.
A collection of three stories that are independent tales, but also interconnected with the life of one man. From our birth certificate to our death certificate, a human is certified at the beginning and end of life. Throw in a marriage certificate, and everything else that “certifies” us through the years, and we have a life filled with documentation and paper proof of our existence on this planet. Does this mean we don’t exist if we don’t possess a certificate or nobody has “certified” our existence?
I picked up this book from its intriguing title and synopsis, but Roger Wilson-Crane gives us so much more than a mere story. In a humorous, fictional tale of sorts, our protagonist takes the reader on a journey of relationships, friendships, fatherhood, school, career, church, family, domestic violence, loss of pets, exotic weddings, celebrity sightings, and a plethora of related and unrelated topics. The book is divided into three sections – birth, marriage, and death – that provide us with the three main certificates of life.
The writing is just wonderful. The first story is hilarious, the second entertaining, the third heart-wrenching. The reader is invested in the narrative, because these events make up our lives too. Peppered with pop culture references, Certified reads like a personal diary of the things that fill our lives. What’s even more commendable is that this is the author’s debut book. And a brilliant first attempt at that!
I bought this on the recommendation of a friend, and did not regret it. It's divided into 3 parts, each covering a major aspect of the writer's life... or does it?
It reads like a humorous memoir, and my understanding from someone who knows the author is that is what it is, but he states at the back that it is non-fiction based on real events. So it's not clear what is true and what is fiction. However, it's the reading equivalent of being entertained down the pub by your best mate who tells a good story. Very easy reading, many poignant points, and quite a few chuckles.
The first section deals with an unexpected 'birth' - a son he didn't know he had - although a lot of this section covers the time he spent being a battered boyfriend at the hands of a different girlfriend. It takes a lot of guts for a man to admit being caught in that sort of relationship.
In the second section, he looks at his wedding and all the things that went wrong, as well as right.
In the third section, he covers mostly the death of his estranged father, with the surprises he and his sibs uncovered, as well as some confused emotions. This was the part I found most moving, as it covered a range of other losses over time, including his pet Lab.
A story inspired by real events, told my the authors point of view!! From the outset, the humour just bounces off of the pages, even when talking about serious issues. Definitely had some real laugh out loud moments!!! The writer has an amazing style of writing that keeps you turning the pages to find out what next disaster or mishap may happen next. An absolutely fabulous read. Definitely recommend!!
“Certified: One Unexpected Birth… One Hapless Wedding… One Bizarre Death” by Roger Wilson-Crane is a delight to read. Mr. Wilson-Crane’s effortless writing style is full of wit and charm. He brings his characters vividly to life, with warmth and humor. He makes the unexpected and improbable circumstances seem oh so real and true, with no irony whatsoever. It’s no wonder the book garnered so many accolades and awards, including the 2021 Mark Twain International CIBA Grand Prize in Humour and Satire, the 2022 American Writing Awards Gold Medal for Humor, and the 2022 Global Book Awards Gold Medal for Humorous Fiction. I look forward to reading more from this gifted storyteller.
I’m very grateful to Mr. Wilson-Crane, New Generation Publishing, and BookSirens for providing me a free advanced readers copy to enjoy. My review is one hundred percent voluntary.
Beautifully written, it felt like being read to by a friend, the story is easy to read and hard to put down full of humour and talks about big subjects lightly. A must read!