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The Camel Trail
The story of a family on the edge, and another not far behind... Sarah Catchpole was raped and beaten by her husband one too many times. When Frankie is sent to prison, Sarah and her young son, Kevin, flee London and start over in the sleepy town of Padstow, Cornwall. They meet their new neighbours and their son, Martin, who is slowly dying from muscular dystrophy. He's almost wheelchair-bound but ever hopeful of being able to walk unaided the full length of The Camel Trail, an eleven-mile stretch of scenic path near the coast.
But when Frankie is released from prison and tracks them down, the hunt begins. With Kevin and Martin missing, Sarah and Martin’s parents are plunged headlong into a fight for their boys’ survival and, ultimately, for their own redemption.
But when Frankie is released from prison and tracks them down, the hunt begins. With Kevin and Martin missing, Sarah and Martin’s parents are plunged headlong into a fight for their boys’ survival and, ultimately, for their own redemption.
- GenresFiction
Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Peter J. Merrigan
6 books11 followersPeter J Merrigan was born in Northern Ireland and became interested in writing from an early age. He was first published at the age of 17.
He went on to study a Bachelor of Arts in Writing at university in London. He has worked in advertising and marketing for almost 20 years and now freelances as a copy writer.
Peter returned to Ireland in 2016 where he now lives with his partner.
His latest novel, STONE FORGED, is his second venture into historical fiction, following on from STONE HEART, set in ancient Ireland in a time of Celtic warriors.
He is now working on the AILIGH WARS SAGA.
He went on to study a Bachelor of Arts in Writing at university in London. He has worked in advertising and marketing for almost 20 years and now freelances as a copy writer.
Peter returned to Ireland in 2016 where he now lives with his partner.
His latest novel, STONE FORGED, is his second venture into historical fiction, following on from STONE HEART, set in ancient Ireland in a time of Celtic warriors.
He is now working on the AILIGH WARS SAGA.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 4, 2022
The Camel Trail is the second book by Peter Merrigan that I have read and it didn’t disappoint one bit.
It is a gripping drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat, reading as quickly as you can to see what happens next.
When Sarah’s abusive husband is sent to prison, she takes her young son and they flee the life they led. She eventually settles in Padstow and Kevin makes friends with Martin next door. Martin suffers from Duchenne's muscular dystrophy and his physiotherapist, Alan, becomes friends with Sarah, with the potential for it to become a romantic relationship.
Then her husband is released from prison.
This is an extremely well-written and gripping drama that will have you on the edge of your seat, not knowing what happens next. The characters are so real, I feel I know them personally. The emotion the author injects into every scene left me feeling I had experienced everything the characters went through.
Five stars is nowhere near enough for a novel of this calibre.
It is a gripping drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat, reading as quickly as you can to see what happens next.
When Sarah’s abusive husband is sent to prison, she takes her young son and they flee the life they led. She eventually settles in Padstow and Kevin makes friends with Martin next door. Martin suffers from Duchenne's muscular dystrophy and his physiotherapist, Alan, becomes friends with Sarah, with the potential for it to become a romantic relationship.
Then her husband is released from prison.
This is an extremely well-written and gripping drama that will have you on the edge of your seat, not knowing what happens next. The characters are so real, I feel I know them personally. The emotion the author injects into every scene left me feeling I had experienced everything the characters went through.
Five stars is nowhere near enough for a novel of this calibre.
April 4, 2018
A moving story featuring two very different families struggling to cope with the same crime.
January 15, 2023
Book Review
Basic Details:
Book Title: The Camel Trail
Subtitle:
Author: Peter J Merrigan
Genre: Literary fiction
Part of a series? No
Order in series:
Best read after earlier books in series?
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Overall score:
I scored this book 5/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
Sarah and Kevin escape a life of abuse and head for Cornwall where they strike up a friendship with their new neighbours.
Will they remain safe from her husband, or will disaster strike when he is released from prison?
What I liked about the book:
The book is action-packed and full of suspense, love and heartbreak. And there is an unexpected hero.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I loved the entire book.
My favourite bits in the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
My least favourite bits in the book:
The book was enjoyable in its entirety.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
This is the third book I’ve read by this author and a totally different genre to the first two I read. It’s still a fabulous book that I can highly recommend.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This is a book full of suspense, love, courage, and heartbreak.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book to the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes
If you like stories about underdogs, this book may be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more by this author.
Book Description by Author:
The story of a family on the edge, and another not far behind...
Sarah Catchpole was raped and beaten by her husband one too many times. When Frankie is sent to prison, Sarah and her young son, Kevin, flee London and start over in the sleepy town of Padstow, Cornwall. They meet their new neighbours and their son, Martin, who is slowly dying from muscular dystrophy. He's almost wheelchair-bound but ever hopeful of being able to walk unaided the full length of The Camel Trail, an eleven-mile stretch of scenic path near the coast.
But when Frankie is released from prison and tracks them down, the hunt begins. With Kevin and Martin missing, Sarah and Martin’s parents are plunged headlong into a fight for their boys’ survival and, ultimately, for their own redemption.
About the Author:
Peter J Merrigan was born in Northern Ireland and became interested in writing from an early age. He was first published at the age of 17.
He went on to study a Bachelor of Arts in Writing at university in London. He has worked in advertising and marketing for almost 20 years and now freelances as a copy writer.
Peter returned to Ireland in 2016 where he now lives with his partner.
His latest novel, STONE FORGED, is his second venture into historical fiction, following on from STONE HEART, set in ancient Ireland in a time of Celtic warriors.
He is now working on the AILIGH WARS SAGA.
Basic Details:
Book Title: The Camel Trail
Subtitle:
Author: Peter J Merrigan
Genre: Literary fiction
Part of a series? No
Order in series:
Best read after earlier books in series?
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Overall score:
I scored this book 5/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
Sarah and Kevin escape a life of abuse and head for Cornwall where they strike up a friendship with their new neighbours.
Will they remain safe from her husband, or will disaster strike when he is released from prison?
What I liked about the book:
The book is action-packed and full of suspense, love and heartbreak. And there is an unexpected hero.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I loved the entire book.
My favourite bits in the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
My least favourite bits in the book:
The book was enjoyable in its entirety.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
This is the third book I’ve read by this author and a totally different genre to the first two I read. It’s still a fabulous book that I can highly recommend.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This is a book full of suspense, love, courage, and heartbreak.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book to the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes
If you like stories about underdogs, this book may be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more by this author.
Book Description by Author:
The story of a family on the edge, and another not far behind...
Sarah Catchpole was raped and beaten by her husband one too many times. When Frankie is sent to prison, Sarah and her young son, Kevin, flee London and start over in the sleepy town of Padstow, Cornwall. They meet their new neighbours and their son, Martin, who is slowly dying from muscular dystrophy. He's almost wheelchair-bound but ever hopeful of being able to walk unaided the full length of The Camel Trail, an eleven-mile stretch of scenic path near the coast.
But when Frankie is released from prison and tracks them down, the hunt begins. With Kevin and Martin missing, Sarah and Martin’s parents are plunged headlong into a fight for their boys’ survival and, ultimately, for their own redemption.
About the Author:
Peter J Merrigan was born in Northern Ireland and became interested in writing from an early age. He was first published at the age of 17.
He went on to study a Bachelor of Arts in Writing at university in London. He has worked in advertising and marketing for almost 20 years and now freelances as a copy writer.
Peter returned to Ireland in 2016 where he now lives with his partner.
His latest novel, STONE FORGED, is his second venture into historical fiction, following on from STONE HEART, set in ancient Ireland in a time of Celtic warriors.
He is now working on the AILIGH WARS SAGA.
December 29, 2022
A heartbreaking tearjerker
The story starts off with Sarah and her son Kevin moving to a new house in Padstow to make a new life for themselves. There Kevin befriends another boy called Martin and they soon bond over their walks of the Camel Trail which Martin vows to complete despite his muscular dystrophy condition. What is growing into a story about a blossoming relationship between two 9-year old boys soon drastically changes gears though. The reason for their move to Padstow was to get away from Sarah’s husband and Kevin’s dad, Frankie, who had been sent to prison for abusing the both of them. Unbeknownst to them though he has been let out of prison for good behaviour (or maybe it was due to overcrowding depending on which reason you want to go with) He is on the search for his estranged wife and son and manages to hunt them down all the way from London to Cornwall. Upon seeing Kevin and Martin walking home on one of their trips from the Camel Trail he decides to take them both and run. And so starts a nerve wracking and emotionally intense journey from Padstow to Bristol and finally to the remote Welsh countryside as the police and Kevin and Martin’s families try to find them but time could be running out for one of them. This was a beautifully written and emotionally charged story. I loved the descriptions of the places and felt like I was there as I have been to Padstow and along the Camel Trail on numerous occasions. I definitely recommend this to everyone.
The story starts off with Sarah and her son Kevin moving to a new house in Padstow to make a new life for themselves. There Kevin befriends another boy called Martin and they soon bond over their walks of the Camel Trail which Martin vows to complete despite his muscular dystrophy condition. What is growing into a story about a blossoming relationship between two 9-year old boys soon drastically changes gears though. The reason for their move to Padstow was to get away from Sarah’s husband and Kevin’s dad, Frankie, who had been sent to prison for abusing the both of them. Unbeknownst to them though he has been let out of prison for good behaviour (or maybe it was due to overcrowding depending on which reason you want to go with) He is on the search for his estranged wife and son and manages to hunt them down all the way from London to Cornwall. Upon seeing Kevin and Martin walking home on one of their trips from the Camel Trail he decides to take them both and run. And so starts a nerve wracking and emotionally intense journey from Padstow to Bristol and finally to the remote Welsh countryside as the police and Kevin and Martin’s families try to find them but time could be running out for one of them. This was a beautifully written and emotionally charged story. I loved the descriptions of the places and felt like I was there as I have been to Padstow and along the Camel Trail on numerous occasions. I definitely recommend this to everyone.
August 17, 2023
A heartbreaking tearjerker
The story starts off with Sarah and her son Kevin moving to a new house in Padstow to make a new life for themselves. There Kevin befriends another boy called Martin and they soon bond over their walks of the Camel Trail which Martin vows to complete despite his muscular dystrophy condition. What is growing into a story about a blossoming relationship between two 9-year old boys soon drastically changes gears though. The reason for their move to Padstow was to get away from Sarah’s husband and Kevin’s dad, Frankie, who had been sent to prison for abusing the both of them. Unbeknownst to them though he has been let out of prison for good behaviour (or maybe it was due to overcrowding depending on which reason you want to go with) He is on the search for his estranged wife and son and manages to hunt them down all the way from London to Cornwall. Upon seeing Kevin and Martin walking home on one of their trips from the Camel Trail he decides to take them both and run. And so starts a nerve wracking and emotionally intense journey from Padstow to Bristol and finally to the remote Welsh countryside as the police and Kevin and Martin’s families try to find them but time could be running out for one of them. This was a beautifully written and emotionally charged story. I loved the descriptions of the places and felt like I was there as I have been to Padstow and along the Camel Trail on numerous occasions. I definitely recommend this to everyone.
The story starts off with Sarah and her son Kevin moving to a new house in Padstow to make a new life for themselves. There Kevin befriends another boy called Martin and they soon bond over their walks of the Camel Trail which Martin vows to complete despite his muscular dystrophy condition. What is growing into a story about a blossoming relationship between two 9-year old boys soon drastically changes gears though. The reason for their move to Padstow was to get away from Sarah’s husband and Kevin’s dad, Frankie, who had been sent to prison for abusing the both of them. Unbeknownst to them though he has been let out of prison for good behaviour (or maybe it was due to overcrowding depending on which reason you want to go with) He is on the search for his estranged wife and son and manages to hunt them down all the way from London to Cornwall. Upon seeing Kevin and Martin walking home on one of their trips from the Camel Trail he decides to take them both and run. And so starts a nerve wracking and emotionally intense journey from Padstow to Bristol and finally to the remote Welsh countryside as the police and Kevin and Martin’s families try to find them but time could be running out for one of them. This was a beautifully written and emotionally charged story. I loved the descriptions of the places and felt like I was there as I have been to Padstow and along the Camel Trail on numerous occasions. I definitely recommend this to everyone.
January 14, 2023
Beautifully Heartbreaking
It has been a long time since a book had me trying to read through tears and snot, but this one did it. From the description, I definitely thought it was going to be a pair of friends fighting for survival on a trail as they ran from an abusive father, but the tension and horror cranked up when they were fighting for survival after being kidnapped by him instead. The author builds a compelling cast of characters: from the desperate mothers willing to do anything for their children while still wisely involving the police every step of the way as their own relationship matures and strengthens, to the kind and patient love interest, Alan, the ex-con father who believes he has every right to treat his child how he pleases, and finally the brave young boys who stuck together through the terror and fought at every turn to encourage each other and escape Frankie. The writing is beautiful and raw with powerful, throat-gripping reality that steals your breath and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I definitely recommend.
It has been a long time since a book had me trying to read through tears and snot, but this one did it. From the description, I definitely thought it was going to be a pair of friends fighting for survival on a trail as they ran from an abusive father, but the tension and horror cranked up when they were fighting for survival after being kidnapped by him instead. The author builds a compelling cast of characters: from the desperate mothers willing to do anything for their children while still wisely involving the police every step of the way as their own relationship matures and strengthens, to the kind and patient love interest, Alan, the ex-con father who believes he has every right to treat his child how he pleases, and finally the brave young boys who stuck together through the terror and fought at every turn to encourage each other and escape Frankie. The writing is beautiful and raw with powerful, throat-gripping reality that steals your breath and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I definitely recommend.
October 14, 2020
Great read, gripping and gritty. The story is centred on two boys who have formed a close and unlikely friendship from very different backgrounds and one of them has a muscular disease - Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy. Merrigans cinematic writing style transports you into the story.
It's not a comfortable read in terms of a violent character but handled very well by Merrigan.
It's not a comfortable read in terms of a violent character but handled very well by Merrigan.
July 5, 2019
It was about two boys that made a close friendship with each other until the end which was nice to see that the only part that interest me the other characters in story I wasn’t bothered about
January 9, 2023
The Camel Trail Peter J Merrigan
Sometimes I like to sum up, or trap the essence of a book in a single word. The word for The Camel Trail is relationships. It’s all about people coming together and how they develop in a relationship.
It’s also a harrowing, gripping sinister thriller. A sensitive timeless and delicate love story. A story of mothers and their firerceness. One that’s heartbreaking and empowering. It’s simply stunning.
Two families come together and build strong and lasting friendships that will be tested to the limits.
Kevin’s abusive father is rotting in jail—until he isn’t. What happens next will have you on the edge of your seat until the climatic and poignant ending.
Merrigan: a master of his craft.
Recommended Read.
Sometimes I like to sum up, or trap the essence of a book in a single word. The word for The Camel Trail is relationships. It’s all about people coming together and how they develop in a relationship.
It’s also a harrowing, gripping sinister thriller. A sensitive timeless and delicate love story. A story of mothers and their firerceness. One that’s heartbreaking and empowering. It’s simply stunning.
Two families come together and build strong and lasting friendships that will be tested to the limits.
Kevin’s abusive father is rotting in jail—until he isn’t. What happens next will have you on the edge of your seat until the climatic and poignant ending.
Merrigan: a master of his craft.
Recommended Read.
September 26, 2016
An amazing read
I read books constantly...as I'm sure many of you do. Once in awhile you find one with a story that really touches you on a deep level. This was one of those books. An excellent storyline which is also very well written. The characters personalities, emotions and fears are clear from the onset and you're soon cheering on the main characters and quickly abhoring their nemesis. I will be surprised if this book isn't put on film. I'm off now to read "Rider", also by Merrigan. If he happens to read this review...thank you for such a wonderful story.
I read books constantly...as I'm sure many of you do. Once in awhile you find one with a story that really touches you on a deep level. This was one of those books. An excellent storyline which is also very well written. The characters personalities, emotions and fears are clear from the onset and you're soon cheering on the main characters and quickly abhoring their nemesis. I will be surprised if this book isn't put on film. I'm off now to read "Rider", also by Merrigan. If he happens to read this review...thank you for such a wonderful story.
June 12, 2013
Eh, not really sure what to think about this book. Not bad, but not really good either. The misspellings were very distracting and it seemed to take a long time to get to nowhere. Only because of the last several chapters was I able to bump it from 2 stars to 3. To many other great reads out there for me to be able to recommend this one to anyone.
October 1, 2012
Breathtakingly sad story. Fortunately, since it was on my Kindle, I resisted throwing it across the room when it broke my heart, because the wrap up after that moment was even more beautiful. I will certainly to looking into this author more.
August 30, 2013
I just finished this book and I'm writing this through tears,
I had hoped for a happier ending but it wasn't to be.
Although things didn't turn out the way I had hoped,
as sad as I was, I felt proud of a young boys sense of dedication to his friend in life and after.
I had hoped for a happier ending but it wasn't to be.
Although things didn't turn out the way I had hoped,
as sad as I was, I felt proud of a young boys sense of dedication to his friend in life and after.
August 18, 2012
An absorbing book which was difficult to put down . Prepare for some tears!
June 23, 2013
Incredible! I did not want to put it down. Make sure to have a box of Kleenex at the ready.
September 7, 2016
Brilliantly written, heart-thumping story.
August 14, 2016
brilliant ! i'm writing this in tears.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews