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Caution, Cobbles
When a storm cut the power to the village of Cobbles, Harry took the lack of electricity as an excuse to take shelter in the local pub, looking for warmth and friendship. He found the slightly warm cider and lack of Wi-Fi brought everyone together and enjoyed the novelty of candlelight and people actually talking to each other.
As the power stubbornly stayed off the next day, and the next, people had to adjust to life without technology or hot showers, while mysterious men searched for missing stolen money. Breakfast Television came to the rescue, with the intention only to provide everyone with a hot meal but exposed a complex web of long held secrets and desires. Caution, Cobbles was inspired by true events.
As the power stubbornly stayed off the next day, and the next, people had to adjust to life without technology or hot showers, while mysterious men searched for missing stolen money. Breakfast Television came to the rescue, with the intention only to provide everyone with a hot meal but exposed a complex web of long held secrets and desires. Caution, Cobbles was inspired by true events.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2024
7 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Richard C. Mellor
2 books2 followersIn school, I remember my English teacher looking over the top of her glasses at me with disapproval whenever I handed in an assignment. Then she would reach for her red pen. Her comments normally included variations on ‘could do better, see me'.
My handwriting was always a scrawl, looking worse than a doctor's handwritten note. The content was, at best, average. I loved reading. Writing, not so much.
Many years passed and, although my writing was mostly restricted to tapping out comments on social media, I did try my hardest to always write something interesting.
Then Doris the Airedale Terrier entered our lives, as a ten week old puppy, all teeth and attitude. I began to share stories of her antics on social media, just a few lines of observational humour about life with the world's largest Terrier. To my surprise, people told me they enjoyed my writing style. Could this be the same writing style I got marked down on many years before? Had the knocks and scrapes of living through all those years unlocked something inside of me, and now I could actually string a sentence together?
People asked for more, and complimented me on my writing style. I collated all the Doris stories and made them into something loosely resembling a book. But something was missing. A book of stories about a life journey with a delinquent dog and nothing else held only so much interest.
Then the cancer came along, and suddenly I had another life journey to intertwine with my untrainable puppy. A serious side to Doris’ antics. A yin to the yang.
The book was born, and after many hours and many rewrites, Surviving Doris was published on 1st October 2021. That date is also my birthday, and exactly one year before I was in hospital with my life very much in doubt, so it seemed a perfect time to launch the book.
It is said that authors have two fears: no one will read your book, and that everyone will read your book.
People did read it and, much to my surprise, they read it by the thousands, and said very nice things about it. I am so very humbled that the words I have tapped out on this keyboard have resonated with so many people.
My second book - Caution, Cobbles - was published in 2024, and is a humorous fiction, inspired by true events. It is based in a quintessential English country village, over a period of six days when all power was lost following a storm. It features a selection of eccentric characters, including an Airedale, getting up to mischief because their life has been disrupted - this much is true, as I lived through that week. The rest, well, I’ve let my mind run free, which I was not able to do with Surviving Doris.
Hopefully, I’ve now made my English teacher proud. See, I did listen sometimes and didn’t spend all my time looking out of the window.
My handwriting was always a scrawl, looking worse than a doctor's handwritten note. The content was, at best, average. I loved reading. Writing, not so much.
Many years passed and, although my writing was mostly restricted to tapping out comments on social media, I did try my hardest to always write something interesting.
Then Doris the Airedale Terrier entered our lives, as a ten week old puppy, all teeth and attitude. I began to share stories of her antics on social media, just a few lines of observational humour about life with the world's largest Terrier. To my surprise, people told me they enjoyed my writing style. Could this be the same writing style I got marked down on many years before? Had the knocks and scrapes of living through all those years unlocked something inside of me, and now I could actually string a sentence together?
People asked for more, and complimented me on my writing style. I collated all the Doris stories and made them into something loosely resembling a book. But something was missing. A book of stories about a life journey with a delinquent dog and nothing else held only so much interest.
Then the cancer came along, and suddenly I had another life journey to intertwine with my untrainable puppy. A serious side to Doris’ antics. A yin to the yang.
The book was born, and after many hours and many rewrites, Surviving Doris was published on 1st October 2021. That date is also my birthday, and exactly one year before I was in hospital with my life very much in doubt, so it seemed a perfect time to launch the book.
It is said that authors have two fears: no one will read your book, and that everyone will read your book.
People did read it and, much to my surprise, they read it by the thousands, and said very nice things about it. I am so very humbled that the words I have tapped out on this keyboard have resonated with so many people.
My second book - Caution, Cobbles - was published in 2024, and is a humorous fiction, inspired by true events. It is based in a quintessential English country village, over a period of six days when all power was lost following a storm. It features a selection of eccentric characters, including an Airedale, getting up to mischief because their life has been disrupted - this much is true, as I lived through that week. The rest, well, I’ve let my mind run free, which I was not able to do with Surviving Doris.
Hopefully, I’ve now made my English teacher proud. See, I did listen sometimes and didn’t spend all my time looking out of the window.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 8, 2024
Caution, Cobbles is a wonderful debut fiction offering from Richard C. Mellor. This lighthearted story could easily occur in Agatha Christie's St. Mary Mead-- but there is no Miss Marple and no dead body in the vicarage. That said, an engaging cast of characters gives this English village genuine interest. There is a crime, suspense, a manor house, a lively pub, a little romance, some dad jokes, and a few twists at the end.
Plus, there is an Airedale!
Mellor previously published his memoir, Surviving Doris: A True Story. This new fiction offering demonstrates that his success with Surviving Doris was no fluke; he’s a natural storyteller with artful plotting and imaginative characters. I'm looking forward to his third book!
Plus, there is an Airedale!
Mellor previously published his memoir, Surviving Doris: A True Story. This new fiction offering demonstrates that his success with Surviving Doris was no fluke; he’s a natural storyteller with artful plotting and imaginative characters. I'm looking forward to his third book!
July 29, 2024
Mellor’s first book, a memoir, was so enjoyable. I love his subtle British humour (see I put the U in it), and enjoyed that antics of his goofy Airedale terrier, Doris.
Caution Cobbles is the fictional story of a single week in a sleepy English village during a power outage. Mellor’s same storytelling style made me laugh and connect with the characters. He out me right into the town of Cobbles and wishing these folks were my neighbors.
If you are looking for a delightful antidote to all the dreadful news in the world, this is your next read.
Caution Cobbles is the fictional story of a single week in a sleepy English village during a power outage. Mellor’s same storytelling style made me laugh and connect with the characters. He out me right into the town of Cobbles and wishing these folks were my neighbors.
If you are looking for a delightful antidote to all the dreadful news in the world, this is your next read.
November 2, 2024
Great…. Loved this book.
Definitely a nice change from a lot of the darker mysteries I often read.
Loved the way Richard developed the characters and the descriptions of the scenery and the village.
You really felt like you knew the village and all the people that lived there.
Thanks Richard.
Give “Chester” a pat on the head for me!!
Definitely a nice change from a lot of the darker mysteries I often read.
Loved the way Richard developed the characters and the descriptions of the scenery and the village.
You really felt like you knew the village and all the people that lived there.
Thanks Richard.
Give “Chester” a pat on the head for me!!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews