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1983: Mirror Man
Jack String and Bruce Morfield don't like each other. The feud steps up when they become reporters on rival newspapers. The race is on for the big front page splash. Bruce is always one step ahead as Jack is distracted by the dark-haired daughter of a wealthy property developer ... when he's not playing football. He's never far behind Bruce but as he closes in, the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off. Jack is left with questions. He hopes to find the answers behind a mysterious locked door.
300 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2010
1 person is currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Garry Kay
7 books101 followersGarry is 49 and lives in Cornwall with his wife Ginny and two teenage children Hannah and Sam. Garry did an economics degree at the University of Surrey and Michigan State University. In 1986 he started as a trainee reporter on the West Sussex County Times in Horsham. After the County Times, Garry joined the Yorkshire Gazette & Herald in York as sports editor. He then took a career break with Ginny to work in a bar in Lanzarote while she worked as a holiday rep. He returned to York as chief sub-editor before joining The West Briton in 1995 as deputy editor. In 2000, he joined the Press Association in Leeds as new media chief sub-editor, but missed Cornwall so much that he returned. Since then he has made a living through property investments and writing novels. During his time at the Yorkshire Gazette & Herald, the paper won the coveted Press Gazette national award for Newspaper of the Year, a success Garry repeated at The West Briton in Cornwall.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 24, 2013
This is a really wonderful book by a sufficiently talented author. The setting, the plot and the characters are all very believable. Hence, we could find ourselves in them in one way or another. The style is quite readable and enjoyable. Of course, that is not an action-packed, highly suspenseful story, as the aim of this book is more reflective, analytical and thought-provoking.
The latter, however, does not mean this story is not applicable both to mature adults and teenagers.
Moreover, the story has its mystery, competition struggle, tough choices to make with respective consequences, nice sense of humour, dynamic human relationships, natural storyline development and a great moral.
In other words, it is a narrative that would definitely enrich you and will be remembered.
The latter, however, does not mean this story is not applicable both to mature adults and teenagers.
Moreover, the story has its mystery, competition struggle, tough choices to make with respective consequences, nice sense of humour, dynamic human relationships, natural storyline development and a great moral.
In other words, it is a narrative that would definitely enrich you and will be remembered.
May 21, 2013
Jack String is taking the first steps in his journalistic career with a local newspaper. He faces competition from within the office and also from a long-time sort-of friend, Bruce. Jack is haunted by a childhood memory of getting lost at a stately home and being unable to open a strange door, and is reminded of this event when he comes across a similar door in the course of his work.
He’s a rather lonely figure, calling out, ‘Is tea ready?’ to his empty home at the end of a working day. He makes genuine efforts to be sociable – going to the pub, joining a local football team - and the reader is naturally hoping that his efforts will be rewarded. The author’s presentation of each of Jack’s friendships and his relationship with his girlfriend is good, and better still is the depiction of the complex bond between parent and child, through childhood and into adulthood.
Jack’s experiences as a journalist drive the narrative along, and have clearly been written by someone who has worked in the profession. I particularly like the fact that this book is set in 1983-4 when we lived without mobile phones or the internet.
There is a wry humour to Jack’s tale. The story is well plotted, with a couple of good twists that I didn’t see coming at all. It’s a slow burn, so don’t expect fireworks from the start. However, if you’re patient you’ll be rewarded, especially when the strands of the story come together to create a very satisfying ending.
I’d like to thank the author for sending me a review copy.
He’s a rather lonely figure, calling out, ‘Is tea ready?’ to his empty home at the end of a working day. He makes genuine efforts to be sociable – going to the pub, joining a local football team - and the reader is naturally hoping that his efforts will be rewarded. The author’s presentation of each of Jack’s friendships and his relationship with his girlfriend is good, and better still is the depiction of the complex bond between parent and child, through childhood and into adulthood.
Jack’s experiences as a journalist drive the narrative along, and have clearly been written by someone who has worked in the profession. I particularly like the fact that this book is set in 1983-4 when we lived without mobile phones or the internet.
There is a wry humour to Jack’s tale. The story is well plotted, with a couple of good twists that I didn’t see coming at all. It’s a slow burn, so don’t expect fireworks from the start. However, if you’re patient you’ll be rewarded, especially when the strands of the story come together to create a very satisfying ending.
I’d like to thank the author for sending me a review copy.
January 30, 2013
'The Door' is the 1980's set story of Jack String, an easy going young man starting out in journalism with a job at a small town newspaper. He remembers a strange door he stumbled across as a child after finding another strange door while working.
There's a little mystery to the story but mostly it was about the daily trials of Jack, a very endearing character you will quickly find yourself rooting for to triumph over his co-workers, make friends, and of course get the girl. This was a slower paced book than I'm used to but it was ultimately a rewarding and satisfying read.
Kay has great talent for writing believable and relatable characters. I found myself getting really invested in Jack and wanting him to succeed. There were times I felt sorry for him or wanted Jan or Dick to be nicer to him but he stayed mostly positive throughout which only made him more likeable.
I would recommend this book to just about anyone. It's a feel-good book and it left me smiling!
There's a little mystery to the story but mostly it was about the daily trials of Jack, a very endearing character you will quickly find yourself rooting for to triumph over his co-workers, make friends, and of course get the girl. This was a slower paced book than I'm used to but it was ultimately a rewarding and satisfying read.
Kay has great talent for writing believable and relatable characters. I found myself getting really invested in Jack and wanting him to succeed. There were times I felt sorry for him or wanted Jan or Dick to be nicer to him but he stayed mostly positive throughout which only made him more likeable.
I would recommend this book to just about anyone. It's a feel-good book and it left me smiling!
August 20, 2013
The story begins when three years old Jack String discovers a mystical door in a garden. He tries every trick he knows to open the door but does not succeed in solving the mystery of the door. Then years later he sees the similar kind of door, locked and hiding its secrets from him just as the one from his childhood.
The author leads the reader into the life of Jack Sting’s, painting vivid images in a row and letting the reader dive into the news reporter’s interesting life in the eighties. He skillfully ties all the strings together keeping the reader on her toes and yarning to know what will happen next. If Jack is obsessed to know what’s behind the door, I was obsessed to keep on reading. Loved the writing style and the story!
The author leads the reader into the life of Jack Sting’s, painting vivid images in a row and letting the reader dive into the news reporter’s interesting life in the eighties. He skillfully ties all the strings together keeping the reader on her toes and yarning to know what will happen next. If Jack is obsessed to know what’s behind the door, I was obsessed to keep on reading. Loved the writing style and the story!
March 1, 2013
I downloaded The Door when it was on a free promotion for kindle and wasn't disappointed. The descriptions of work on a provincial newspaper were convincing and I soon found myself rooting for the main character Jack String against some of his more objectionable work colleagues. A good read from a self published author.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews