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Outlaws & Outcasts: The team no-one loved
Jim and Lucy Banks were the owners of a successful car dealership in Kidderminster, they were also the joint promoters of Kidderminster Olympic, the oldest speedway team in the UK. Their preseason preparation was going as planned until it was shattered when a powerful building development company decided they wanted the land on which the old stadium stood, and would not take ‘No’ for an answer. When things became murderous, the entire team, along with the manager walked away leaving the Banks without any riders and a month to the start of the 2023 Championship season. The team they cobbled together was a very dubious mix of riders that no other team would consider, but that was consistant, because Kidderminster was the team that no respectable riders were willing to join. The question was, can a bunch of no-hopers and ne'er-do-wells compete in the league or would they just live down to their collective reputation as a Band of Outlaws and Outcasts?
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 27, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 2, 2024
Outlaws And Outcasts: The Team No One Loved by Luke Eden is a thrilling contemporary novel that will grip you from the start. It is the second book in The Speedway Series but can be read as a stand-alone.
This is a novel of two parts. The first half has the element of a godfather-type crime novel interwoven with speedway, and the second is pure speedway.
I absolutely loved this book on so many levels – I enjoyed the storyline which was well thought out and executed.
I loved the whole speedway storyline – having been a fan for 49 years, I recognized some of the scenes from speedway at the highest level as well as league matches. I loved the tongue-in-cheek reference to the four starting line girls – as a speedway fan, all I can say is, thank goodness they have been scrapped now.
And finally, I loved the fictional Kidderminster speedway team and the many locations around the Wyre Forest were so familiar to me as I have lived in the area for 36 years! I found myself exclaiming out loud at the many real-life locations! For anyone who lives in the area, this is such a fabulous book, not many novels are set quite so close to home. It was a joy to read.
Luke Eden has constructed the perfect novel for the speedway fan. He intersperses fictional riders with real life ones. Even though the Kidderminster speedway team was fictional (where could you put a stadium on the Bewdley Hill?), I found myself willing them on through the 2023 season!
This is a rags to riches tale; a Cinderella story; a championing of the underdog; a novel of second chances and overcoming adversity. It is absolutely fabulous.
We see that to become a winner it takes not only good equipment but a good frame of mind. It is a matter of attitude and being teachable, of putting away self and putting on team.
I thoroughly enjoyed Outlaws And Outcasts. I certainly hope that Luke Eden will be writing more novels in this series. I devoured the book in just one sitting. As with the first book, this would make a fabulous early evening television series.
This is a novel of two parts. The first half has the element of a godfather-type crime novel interwoven with speedway, and the second is pure speedway.
I absolutely loved this book on so many levels – I enjoyed the storyline which was well thought out and executed.
I loved the whole speedway storyline – having been a fan for 49 years, I recognized some of the scenes from speedway at the highest level as well as league matches. I loved the tongue-in-cheek reference to the four starting line girls – as a speedway fan, all I can say is, thank goodness they have been scrapped now.
And finally, I loved the fictional Kidderminster speedway team and the many locations around the Wyre Forest were so familiar to me as I have lived in the area for 36 years! I found myself exclaiming out loud at the many real-life locations! For anyone who lives in the area, this is such a fabulous book, not many novels are set quite so close to home. It was a joy to read.
Luke Eden has constructed the perfect novel for the speedway fan. He intersperses fictional riders with real life ones. Even though the Kidderminster speedway team was fictional (where could you put a stadium on the Bewdley Hill?), I found myself willing them on through the 2023 season!
This is a rags to riches tale; a Cinderella story; a championing of the underdog; a novel of second chances and overcoming adversity. It is absolutely fabulous.
We see that to become a winner it takes not only good equipment but a good frame of mind. It is a matter of attitude and being teachable, of putting away self and putting on team.
I thoroughly enjoyed Outlaws And Outcasts. I certainly hope that Luke Eden will be writing more novels in this series. I devoured the book in just one sitting. As with the first book, this would make a fabulous early evening television series.
January 3, 2026
A great cast of characters.
Where the previous book 'Dead Heat's used speedway as a backdrop, this one brings it right to the for. The crime mystery still features strongly and very entertainingly but this gives Luke the opportunity to demonstrate his in depth knowledge of this great sport. This he does admirably by never losing sight of the fascinating characters that wholly live up to the title of the book. An excellent insight and an enjoyable read.
Where the previous book 'Dead Heat's used speedway as a backdrop, this one brings it right to the for. The crime mystery still features strongly and very entertainingly but this gives Luke the opportunity to demonstrate his in depth knowledge of this great sport. This he does admirably by never losing sight of the fascinating characters that wholly live up to the title of the book. An excellent insight and an enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews