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Bed of Nails
Following a personal tragedy, Chris Randall travels to Oxford because of his friendship with John Devlin, who is working in secret on a cure for AIDS. When he arrives, John is missing and the more he tries to find out, the more hostile John's erstwhile colleagues become. But with the help of John's ex-girlfriend Sally he tries to solve the mystery. Then he is arrested for murder...
181 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 1989
2 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Puckett
27 books25 followersAndrew Puckett is a writer who feels he should experience for himself the trials imposed on his protagonists.
Examples are: Being locked in a freezer room at -40 degrees, Climbing a 1000 foot cliff from a rocky beach in the dark, Then encountering the Exmoor Beast (involuntary), Escaping from a prison ship (not actually incarcerated!), Falling into the sea from Durdle Dor (not quite), Escaping from a burning caravan etc.
Before that, he grew up on his parents' farms, the first in a remote part of Dorset, the second in the shadow of Salisbury cathedral.
He worked in a brewery, a chemical factory and Porton Germ Warfare Establishment, where he acquired a painful immunity to Plague, Anthrax and Smallpox (which did at least give him the idea for his novel Going Viral). He then worked in hospital labs in Taunton, London and finally Oxford, where he ran the microbiology department at Oxford Blood Transfusion Centre for fifteen years.
His first novel, Bloodstains, was derived from his experiences in the Blood Transfusion Service. He has subsequently published ten more, mostly on a medical theme. He now lives in Taunton with his wife and daughters.
Examples are: Being locked in a freezer room at -40 degrees, Climbing a 1000 foot cliff from a rocky beach in the dark, Then encountering the Exmoor Beast (involuntary), Escaping from a prison ship (not actually incarcerated!), Falling into the sea from Durdle Dor (not quite), Escaping from a burning caravan etc.
Before that, he grew up on his parents' farms, the first in a remote part of Dorset, the second in the shadow of Salisbury cathedral.
He worked in a brewery, a chemical factory and Porton Germ Warfare Establishment, where he acquired a painful immunity to Plague, Anthrax and Smallpox (which did at least give him the idea for his novel Going Viral). He then worked in hospital labs in Taunton, London and finally Oxford, where he ran the microbiology department at Oxford Blood Transfusion Centre for fifteen years.
His first novel, Bloodstains, was derived from his experiences in the Blood Transfusion Service. He has subsequently published ten more, mostly on a medical theme. He now lives in Taunton with his wife and daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 27, 2016
Bed of Nails is a medical thriller mainly set in a research laboratory in Oxford. Initially it was a good read, and everything sounded plausible, but towards the middle I felt that it lost its way somewhat. As a whole it became rather pedestrian with no real 'oomph' behind it. I couldn't really feel any affinity with any of the characters, although thankfully it was not overly populated. The location of Oxford was dealt with quite accurately, but at times it felt a wee bit like reading a travel guide.
The idea behind the book itself was intriguing, but it wasn't a book which made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. Perhaps not the best book I have read this year, but it was by no means the worst.
The idea behind the book itself was intriguing, but it wasn't a book which made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. Perhaps not the best book I have read this year, but it was by no means the worst.
November 29, 2016
‘Bed of Nails’ by Andew Puckett is a well-researched thriller set in Oxford and South West England. Christopher Randall, still grieving for his dead wife, returns to work as a locum in a research laboratory in St Frideswide’s Hospital. All the old faces are there, together with some new ones, but his irascible friend John Devlin is missing.
Mystified by the coldness of some of his colleagues, Chris begins to wonder whether their dislike is linked to his concern for John. When he and John’s former girlfriend, Sally Wytham, join forces they begin to unravel the secret of John’s research into a cure for the AIDS virus. A sinister multi-national company, a gruesome murder for which Chris is framed, a daring jail break and life on the run: this is a roller-coaster ride leading to the final unmasking of culprit in true crime thriller style. What makes this novel different is the Oxford setting and the descriptions of the scientific processes involved in the search for a cure for AIDS. This is a good read.
Mystified by the coldness of some of his colleagues, Chris begins to wonder whether their dislike is linked to his concern for John. When he and John’s former girlfriend, Sally Wytham, join forces they begin to unravel the secret of John’s research into a cure for the AIDS virus. A sinister multi-national company, a gruesome murder for which Chris is framed, a daring jail break and life on the run: this is a roller-coaster ride leading to the final unmasking of culprit in true crime thriller style. What makes this novel different is the Oxford setting and the descriptions of the scientific processes involved in the search for a cure for AIDS. This is a good read.
December 22, 2016
Dull as can be
I read 15% of this book and nothing interesting even remotely happened. As far as I am concerned, something needs to happen by this point in a story. Found this to be not worth the time.
I read 15% of this book and nothing interesting even remotely happened. As far as I am concerned, something needs to happen by this point in a story. Found this to be not worth the time.
December 28, 2016
Brilliant book!!! Very well written with a fantastic and gripping story line. A real Page turner that I couldn't put down!!! I've read about 5 books from Andrew Puckett and they were all Brilliant. Straight onto the next one :)
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March 11, 2017A good Yarn, gets a bit far fetched and Dick Barton in the middle, but worth reading.
December 7, 2016
An enjoyable read.
Slow to get going at first and was hooked by chapter 3.
Couldn't put it down. Will look for more by author.
Slow to get going at first and was hooked by chapter 3.
Couldn't put it down. Will look for more by author.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews