Bell, Book and Candle

 From an ancient Silk Road in the Spin Ghar mountain range and the red-bricked chocolate box skyscrapers of one of the oldest civilisations known to mankind, the travellers begin their journey... 

Fourteen hundred years of struggle and anguish arrive in the unspoilt backwaters of Cumbria’s Lakeland Fells and erupt in a bloody, deadly climax.

A simple bell, book and candle adorn the altar of a village church yet the parishioners are unaware of the gathering storm clouds that herald the arrival of the ‘Eternal One.’

Will the Cumbrian detective, Boyd, work out why it has taken since the seventh century for the problem to arrive in his back yard? It’s not until a child is kidnapped that Boyd realises he needs to separate out good from bad; normal from extreme, and the innocence of youth from the guilt of maturity. Boyd is fighting the biggest dog in the pack and the Shimmering Dawn is about to unleash its terrifying dogs of war.

Crammed with intrigue and drizzled with Machiavellian conspiracy, the plot dissects the culture and very existence of the Middle East as it gradually and passionately boils over into a turbo charged thriller of acrimonious conflict and religious aura when the history of yesteryear explodes with the reality of today.

The First couple of chapters in storyboard...
.
The Eternal One travels from the Afghan-Pakistan Border.

The Spin Ghar Mountain Range,

He looks back on his homeland.

The Khyber Pass from Afghanistan

Whilst another journeys from Sana'a in the Yemen.

They are followers of Islam.

The Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia - The center of Islam.

There's one last visit to see the Eternal One's Father in a mountain fortress.

The Fort Entrance

And the journey begins

Eventually they arrive in the rugged desolate mountains of north Cumbria.

Carrock Fell, The North Lakes of Cumbria, near Carrock Mine

Where they find an abandoned Base for young people...

unaware of the nearby village church and an enthusiastic vicar.

As the plot unravels, Boyd, the detective, visits an abandoned quarry

And the chase is soon on..... But a child is kidnapped not far from the radio transmitter station....

Boyd is fighting the biggest dog in the pack and the Shimmering Dawn is about to unleash its terrifying dogs of war. The problem for Boyd is..... There's more than two dogs on the loose.....

But why does the vicar keep a bell, book and candle on the church altar?

~

You can't beat a crime story written by a detective. Paul Anthony (a pseudonym, by necessity) was a top detective fighting the threat of terrorism, so is ideally placed to come up with a story about Islamist terrorism. A fast-moving tale is told in great detail, without losing the plot. It's full of facts and explanations about the rationale and reasons behind a on temporary threat to our security. Best of all, it's written in the language we all, understand, rather than that of bigwigs in the higher echelons of the police service or government.

It's a story that will also educate you.

Reviews: 

Fanatics want to model the world in their own image, don’t they?

This enthralling novel explores such an intriguing concept through the genius and intuition of Detective Chief Inspector William Miller Boyd, his team of crack detectives, and their colleagues in MI5. From the mountainous regions of central Asia and the Middle East to the Cumbrian Fells, terrorists are determined to bring their beliefs and values to the rest of humanity, or die trying. Boyd and his team battle prejudice, bureaucracy, and betrayal, to prevent disaster. But will their unique brand of policing be enough when the odds are stacked against them? 

Another masterpiece from Paul Anthony’s pen….

Paul Anthony does it again. His knowledge of the subject is profound but his understanding is also commendable. The plot is so realistic that this could actually happen. Another Billy Boyd 'seat of the pants' read leading to a nail-biting conclusion.

Click on Paul Anthony for copies of this novel in print and Kindle.