Ticket – Peter Dudgeon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ticket-Peter-Dudgeon 

Burb from the author

You're tired, lonely, living a corporate life on the road when you meet a vulnerable young woman in need of your help. She wants to repay your kindness with money and more. When your chance romantic encounter leads to her death, do you stay to face the music, or flee to face your past?

Review

Another cracking read from a brilliant author.

Paul Ranson (a married man) is on a journey by train from London to Newcastle (a journey that is becoming a habit) drinking overpriced beer from the trolley and watching Jack Nicholson films on his laptop. 

He meets a young woman (Annabelle) on this journey when she sits opposite him on a pretty empty train and a conversation starts.  It becomes apparent that she has misplaced her purse and therefore has no money to buy a ticket, and the ticket conductor is approaching.  Paul therefore offers kindly to buy the same, Annabelle informs him that her hotel is only a short walk from the station and if he accompanies her back to the hotel she has money in her room and will repay him.     

Upon arriving at the hotel a romantic encounter ensues and Paul wakes up the following morning to the woman lying dead and no recollection of what happened.  Suspecting he has been drugged and knowing the police will be after him, he walks out of the hotel and goes on the run. 

We are then introduced to various other characters in short punchy chapters which leave you wondering who is who.  People who knew Paul from previous jobs, people who are looking for Paul for various reasons including ones who he has upset through the course of his work and a reverend called Kassia and a detective called Vicky, both of whom believe in him and want to help him.

Want to find out more, then my suggestion is you read the book.   To give you a laugh, I was reading this on my way to and home from work on a train.  Made me think about the relationships that can materialise from train journeys.  I have a few train buddies who I catch up with most days to work and I was even telling them about this book and advising them that they need to read the same. 

As I’ve said before, another cracking read from this up and coming author and one that has definitely made a lasting impression on me this year with both books I’ve been lucky to read, this one I bought before I knew the author and Chance his second book which was kindly gifted to me as a review copy for the author.  Peter is an author who I will be following and waiting eagerly for his next book which I believe is due out in the autumn and called “Circle”. 

A well deserved 5 stars for me on Ticket!!