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The Road
This book has been written by one who has seen the cumulative effects of those in power lining their own pockets at the expense of the public. Humorous, hard-hitting, emotive and always thought-provoking, The Road tells it as it is and it isn't always a pretty picture. The 'victimless' crime is never victimless - it's just that the victim and the perpetrator don't necessarily have to come into direct contact and real people suffer when others bend and break the rules at will.
That's why we're where we are today.
Returning to the story, the interlocking elements of this powerful novel are bound together by the building of a ring road round the fictitious English town of Stockton. From the cynical statistic which provides its impetus, through the farcical Council meetings at which residents' objections are swept under the carpet, to the planners and builders who seek to profit from it, a whole microcosm of greed and corruption is exposed and examined.
Every character in The Road has his or her own story: an unhappy marriage; loss of control over children; frustrated ambition; personal tragedy. The threads weave in and out like a tapestry, showing us both the 'fair' side and the seamy side, always with humour and unstated compassion. Not everyone is self-seeking: there are genuine victims as well, like the people who innocently bought houses which criminal negligence has rendered unsafe. Above all there is the woman who only wanted some peace in the countryside and whose life is taken away from her a piece at a time.
This is a book to make you laugh, cry and pound your fist on the nearest inanimate object in roughly equal proportions.
That's why we're where we are today.
Returning to the story, the interlocking elements of this powerful novel are bound together by the building of a ring road round the fictitious English town of Stockton. From the cynical statistic which provides its impetus, through the farcical Council meetings at which residents' objections are swept under the carpet, to the planners and builders who seek to profit from it, a whole microcosm of greed and corruption is exposed and examined.
Every character in The Road has his or her own story: an unhappy marriage; loss of control over children; frustrated ambition; personal tragedy. The threads weave in and out like a tapestry, showing us both the 'fair' side and the seamy side, always with humour and unstated compassion. Not everyone is self-seeking: there are genuine victims as well, like the people who innocently bought houses which criminal negligence has rendered unsafe. Above all there is the woman who only wanted some peace in the countryside and whose life is taken away from her a piece at a time.
This is a book to make you laugh, cry and pound your fist on the nearest inanimate object in roughly equal proportions.
479 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2012
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 29, 2012
Having worked in the design / construction business for the last 30+ years in America, I was immediately drawn to the similarities in my industry here versus in the UK. Henry and John’s transgressions are mild compared to some I’ve seen (not participated in) here in the U.S. Clive West takes us down the main road, and all of the side roads involved with the development of a single road and the resultant vertical construction the invariably occurs. From the tree huggers to the dubious business dealings, I found his account amusing, sad, and painfully true. This may be a fiction story, but there is nothing fictitious about human nature contained within these pages.
I laughed, I cried, and I found myself hoping Henry would come out on top. But I won’t be a plot spoiler here. Five big stars for The Road.
I laughed, I cried, and I found myself hoping Henry would come out on top. But I won’t be a plot spoiler here. Five big stars for The Road.
January 20, 2013
This seemingly innocent road project is rife with greed, corruption, intrigue, and downright sleeziness. What makes this book chilling is the fact that these kinds of underhanded deals are being carried out around us every day, as we blindly go about our everyday lives. People are way too trusting of their government leaders, and think that everything they do is "for the people" and "above board". Not so.
You will get a taste of the seedy side and the underbelly of what REALLY goes on in your community, state, country, and in your world. The author has created a cast of characters that we love to hate, while we root for sweet justice to right all of the wrongs that have been perpetrated.
"The Road" will keep you guessing until the very last page. What you think will happen, may or may not--and this book keeps you riveted until the shocking end.
You will get a taste of the seedy side and the underbelly of what REALLY goes on in your community, state, country, and in your world. The author has created a cast of characters that we love to hate, while we root for sweet justice to right all of the wrongs that have been perpetrated.
"The Road" will keep you guessing until the very last page. What you think will happen, may or may not--and this book keeps you riveted until the shocking end.
February 24, 2018
The Road is one of those books that sucks you in from the very beginning. We know from the get go that a suicide has occurred, but are unsure who the unnamed victim is. As the story unfolded, I kept coming back to those first few pages and trying to guess which of the characters it was. To be honest, this book kept me guessing about that until close to the end.
I think that's the charm of The Road. It's a highly detailed, character driven tale where you can't help but get emotionally involved in the character's lives. I felt a little like Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window, always peeking in at the raw events that occurred. Mr. West definitely knows how to create characters that are strong and evoke feelings from the readers. I liked the character of Henry a great deal, even when I knew he was stooping to a low level with his development deal. His frustration with his wife and the disinterest of his kids was well written and pulls the reader right into his life. His wife, Margaret (Maggie), is a piece of work. She nags, complains, and feels that nothing is ever good enough.
I felt a little sorry for Sandra. It was obvious to me that her boyfriend, Angelo, was never going to be who she wanted him to be. I've met lots of girls like her who are blinded by love and don't really see the truth.
And then there's John. Talk about smarmy. Underhanded, seedy, and definitely someone who knows how to work the system, John is that guy we've all met who seems to be just a little better off, just a little better dressed than everyone else. We know that he's gotten all his success by playing the odds and not caring who he steps on as he climbs the career ladder.
When these characters come together, they create a stirring story about corruption and greed.
If you've followed my past reviews, you know that I can't ever write a review without being a least a little critical. My only negative comment about The Road would be that at times I felt there was too much backstory which slowed the action down. However, it wasn't enough to stop me from reading the book!
Bravo, Clive, on an excellent tale!
I think that's the charm of The Road. It's a highly detailed, character driven tale where you can't help but get emotionally involved in the character's lives. I felt a little like Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window, always peeking in at the raw events that occurred. Mr. West definitely knows how to create characters that are strong and evoke feelings from the readers. I liked the character of Henry a great deal, even when I knew he was stooping to a low level with his development deal. His frustration with his wife and the disinterest of his kids was well written and pulls the reader right into his life. His wife, Margaret (Maggie), is a piece of work. She nags, complains, and feels that nothing is ever good enough.
I felt a little sorry for Sandra. It was obvious to me that her boyfriend, Angelo, was never going to be who she wanted him to be. I've met lots of girls like her who are blinded by love and don't really see the truth.
And then there's John. Talk about smarmy. Underhanded, seedy, and definitely someone who knows how to work the system, John is that guy we've all met who seems to be just a little better off, just a little better dressed than everyone else. We know that he's gotten all his success by playing the odds and not caring who he steps on as he climbs the career ladder.
When these characters come together, they create a stirring story about corruption and greed.
If you've followed my past reviews, you know that I can't ever write a review without being a least a little critical. My only negative comment about The Road would be that at times I felt there was too much backstory which slowed the action down. However, it wasn't enough to stop me from reading the book!
Bravo, Clive, on an excellent tale!
January 3, 2016
Fantastic debut novel
I found this book by chance whilst searching for another with the same title. The description intrigued me and I'm so glad I went on to purchase and read it. I've always suspected (with many people, not all) that with money and power comes corruption. Here we have a planning department in the local council who use underhanded ways to get what they want to build a relief road around around a town whilst making money to build a new housing development. With a suicide taking place in the first chapter of the book and the story then jumping back to 8 years previous, it was interesting to find out which of the main female characters would be the one to want to take her life. I did correctly guess very early on which of the women it would be. If anyone is reading this review who hasn't yet read the book then this the warning of a spoiler. Having read many books and watched films with great twists to the tale I did think the woman would be the one who started off being the happiest in their life. That said, it didn't spoil the fact that this is a cleverly written, interesting story and one that kept me grabbed right until the end. The subject matter of planning departments, a road being built along with a housing estate would probably be enough for many to write off as being potentially boring but believe me, it certainly is not. We find out how people's lives are affected by the new road and surrounding housing development being built and the repercussions this has on them. Strangely enough I did really feel for many of the main characters along the way although I would say that apart from one character Stuart, they all had selfish streaks in them. Women are portrayed as either gold digging or nag bags and the men are either having affairs or dreaming about doing so, but we get so see why the people are driven to do what they do. This was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the author's collection of short stories next whilst keeping an eye out for any future novels
I found this book by chance whilst searching for another with the same title. The description intrigued me and I'm so glad I went on to purchase and read it. I've always suspected (with many people, not all) that with money and power comes corruption. Here we have a planning department in the local council who use underhanded ways to get what they want to build a relief road around around a town whilst making money to build a new housing development. With a suicide taking place in the first chapter of the book and the story then jumping back to 8 years previous, it was interesting to find out which of the main female characters would be the one to want to take her life. I did correctly guess very early on which of the women it would be. If anyone is reading this review who hasn't yet read the book then this the warning of a spoiler. Having read many books and watched films with great twists to the tale I did think the woman would be the one who started off being the happiest in their life. That said, it didn't spoil the fact that this is a cleverly written, interesting story and one that kept me grabbed right until the end. The subject matter of planning departments, a road being built along with a housing estate would probably be enough for many to write off as being potentially boring but believe me, it certainly is not. We find out how people's lives are affected by the new road and surrounding housing development being built and the repercussions this has on them. Strangely enough I did really feel for many of the main characters along the way although I would say that apart from one character Stuart, they all had selfish streaks in them. Women are portrayed as either gold digging or nag bags and the men are either having affairs or dreaming about doing so, but we get so see why the people are driven to do what they do. This was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the author's collection of short stories next whilst keeping an eye out for any future novels
January 29, 2015
The Road is about the English town of Stockton, a little ways from my home of Nevada, USA. The local government has decided to do an expansion of a road. You will follow along with different characters, their personal problems, and how they all relate to this expansion.
Sandra has a fiancé that doesn’t seem to really want to be anywhere except at home with his mother. She works with Henry in the office that deals with permits and developing. Henry has a wife that is never happy or pleased even when she is spending all of his money. His two kids think of him as a walking wallet and he sees his career going no where.
John is in construction and seems to have everything going for him. John plays golf with Henry and proposes an offer to put his construction company on more developments than a competitor. In exchange he will kick back some money to Henry.
Sounds like a normal corrupt government deal, right? But as you read this book, you get wrapped up in all the characters. I felt for all of them at one time or another. They didn’t make the best decisions and I could see how things could go wrong so fast but there was no way to stop them.
Clive West has a wonderful ability to write. I admit that I usually avoid things that involve development or other dry subjects. But I was sucked right into the story; mind you the prologue did it for me. After reading that I just HAD to know what would push someone to commit suicide and who it was. And the best part was even though I thought I might know what was going to happen, nope, the ending will completely surprise you.
If you want to read a great crime thriller, this is the one for you. This is one book you don’t want to over look.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Sandra has a fiancé that doesn’t seem to really want to be anywhere except at home with his mother. She works with Henry in the office that deals with permits and developing. Henry has a wife that is never happy or pleased even when she is spending all of his money. His two kids think of him as a walking wallet and he sees his career going no where.
John is in construction and seems to have everything going for him. John plays golf with Henry and proposes an offer to put his construction company on more developments than a competitor. In exchange he will kick back some money to Henry.
Sounds like a normal corrupt government deal, right? But as you read this book, you get wrapped up in all the characters. I felt for all of them at one time or another. They didn’t make the best decisions and I could see how things could go wrong so fast but there was no way to stop them.
Clive West has a wonderful ability to write. I admit that I usually avoid things that involve development or other dry subjects. But I was sucked right into the story; mind you the prologue did it for me. After reading that I just HAD to know what would push someone to commit suicide and who it was. And the best part was even though I thought I might know what was going to happen, nope, the ending will completely surprise you.
If you want to read a great crime thriller, this is the one for you. This is one book you don’t want to over look.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews