What do you think?
Rate this book
TURF WARS "Ingleton Manor"
George Craven has run from a failed marriage and an angry ex-wife, to a remote Manor in Ingleton. Here, he blags his way in as a gardener's assistant. Initially he finds the obscurity he seeks with a loving and eccentric family, but all is not as it seems.
Five years on... Lady Quail has disappeared, fifteen-year-old Melissa Quail is amorously infatuated with George, and Lord Quail discovers a small patch of white grass on his croquet lawn that alarms their newly promoted head gardener.
George didn't want to have a new grass virus named after him, nor be persuaded to attend a COBRA meeting at Westminster. Yet, this was just the beginning; everything was about to change as an ecological disaster unfolds and our fragile food-chain is torn apart at its very roots.
Turf Wars is the debut novel of Richard T Weston. This complex, yet plausible story, was inspired by his Environmental Sciences teacher in the 70's, Richard's dyslexia prevented him from producing a viable book for four decades. Yet, he persisted, and after suffering a TIA in 2015, he tried again using methods he developed himself to defeat his dyslexic challenges.
What has resulted is a book unlike any other: Written in a unique style, it tells a World changing story from the perspective of believable characters, none of whom are hero's. These characters, while burdened with problems and prejudices, come together to form a new community.
The book is deserving of its glowing reviews, fully researched, the reader is slowly drawn in and teased by characters that evolve as the plot twists and turns. This is not a predictable story and challenges you to predict the ending - if indeed it is the ending?
Five years on... Lady Quail has disappeared, fifteen-year-old Melissa Quail is amorously infatuated with George, and Lord Quail discovers a small patch of white grass on his croquet lawn that alarms their newly promoted head gardener.
George didn't want to have a new grass virus named after him, nor be persuaded to attend a COBRA meeting at Westminster. Yet, this was just the beginning; everything was about to change as an ecological disaster unfolds and our fragile food-chain is torn apart at its very roots.
Turf Wars is the debut novel of Richard T Weston. This complex, yet plausible story, was inspired by his Environmental Sciences teacher in the 70's, Richard's dyslexia prevented him from producing a viable book for four decades. Yet, he persisted, and after suffering a TIA in 2015, he tried again using methods he developed himself to defeat his dyslexic challenges.
What has resulted is a book unlike any other: Written in a unique style, it tells a World changing story from the perspective of believable characters, none of whom are hero's. These characters, while burdened with problems and prejudices, come together to form a new community.
The book is deserving of its glowing reviews, fully researched, the reader is slowly drawn in and teased by characters that evolve as the plot twists and turns. This is not a predictable story and challenges you to predict the ending - if indeed it is the ending?
496 pages, Paperback
Published November 19, 2016
2 people want to read
About the author
Richard T Weston
8 books1 followerRichard T Weston was educated in Stevenage, during the 1970's, with undiagnosed dyslexia. He found reading difficult and writing nearly impossible.
However, he had an active imagination and had been inspired to write an ecological disaster thriller while still at school.
The origins of his debute novel. Turf Wars, date back to 1976 when he was inspired by an Environmental Sciences teacher. Yet it was to be 40 years later that he finally developed techniques to combat his dyslexia and produced this novel: Turf Wars - Ingleton Manor.
However, he had an active imagination and had been inspired to write an ecological disaster thriller while still at school.
The origins of his debute novel. Turf Wars, date back to 1976 when he was inspired by an Environmental Sciences teacher. Yet it was to be 40 years later that he finally developed techniques to combat his dyslexia and produced this novel: Turf Wars - Ingleton Manor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 13, 2017
I’ve just finished reading this, and enjoyed every page. It is full of twists and turns, some really great characters, and also plenty of food for thought.
As the events unfold we gradually get to know the narrator, George, and his past. His sense of humour, occasional mistakes, and willingness to tackle whatever challenges the plot throws at him make him a very appealing narrator. His world is peopled with lifelike characters, and we get to know them one by one as George goes about his daily life and discovers the first signs of an incipient ecological disaster.
Without giving too much away, the theme is similar to that of the excellent 1970s BBC TV drama series Survivors. One of the things I loved about the series was that the absence of background music meant you had no idea what was about to happen, or what you should be feeling; you just had to pay attention and bring your own emotional response to it. Turf Wars has a similar lack of signposts. Each chapter brings plenty of unexpected developments - of personal, social or national significance - that keep the reader absorbed. There are several moral dilemmas experienced along the way that are intelligently mulled over, passionately discussed, and sometimes fought over, but the author doesn’t ever impose a ‘right’ answer; we are given points of view and never a lecture.
I read the paperback version. The text could be improved with some professional editing, and I found the dyslexia-friendly paragraph spacing interrupted the flow slightly until I got used to it. I hope a publisher will pick it up and consider producing two editions, with and without the extra spacing.
In summary, I’d say this is an enjoyable read that gives you plenty to think about. It’s a very impressive first novel, and would be even if the writer didn’t have dyslexia. I hope to read more from this author!
As the events unfold we gradually get to know the narrator, George, and his past. His sense of humour, occasional mistakes, and willingness to tackle whatever challenges the plot throws at him make him a very appealing narrator. His world is peopled with lifelike characters, and we get to know them one by one as George goes about his daily life and discovers the first signs of an incipient ecological disaster.
Without giving too much away, the theme is similar to that of the excellent 1970s BBC TV drama series Survivors. One of the things I loved about the series was that the absence of background music meant you had no idea what was about to happen, or what you should be feeling; you just had to pay attention and bring your own emotional response to it. Turf Wars has a similar lack of signposts. Each chapter brings plenty of unexpected developments - of personal, social or national significance - that keep the reader absorbed. There are several moral dilemmas experienced along the way that are intelligently mulled over, passionately discussed, and sometimes fought over, but the author doesn’t ever impose a ‘right’ answer; we are given points of view and never a lecture.
I read the paperback version. The text could be improved with some professional editing, and I found the dyslexia-friendly paragraph spacing interrupted the flow slightly until I got used to it. I hope a publisher will pick it up and consider producing two editions, with and without the extra spacing.
In summary, I’d say this is an enjoyable read that gives you plenty to think about. It’s a very impressive first novel, and would be even if the writer didn’t have dyslexia. I hope to read more from this author!
Displaying 1 of 1 review