Martyn Chapman

About The Grouse Conspiracy

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A story of snorkelling and wine tasting on the beautiful island of Korčula.

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Some places become very special to us, and a bit like love, their beauty and wonderment can bowl you over. You could even argue that they have a spiritual effect on the soul.

 

After visiting such places, some of us gaze longingly at our holiday photographs, others feel compelled to write reviews or travel blogs, and I wrote this book ─ sorry about that. The experience of writing felt like an extended holiday.

 

Usually, I have a story already in place in my head, and when I find the right place, I put the two together. With Korčula, I just had the place. Fortunately, the outline of the plot came to me before I arrived back home in England, but it was a long flight!

 

I knew from the first chapter that the narrator (Craig) drove a lorry, he was drawn to divorcees, and he had a prickly relationship with Juliet’s daughter (Olivia). But I was quite deep into the book before John Grouse suddenly appeared in my subconscious. Then, just like his memory haunted Craig, he began to monopolise the story and stamp his presence. The Grouse Conspiracy was born.

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Synopsis

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It was going to be a day of supreme leisure, relaxation, and tranquillity on Croatia’s gorgeous Adriatic coast. But when Craig’s girlfriend is struck down by a holiday illness, he is faced with the nightmare prospect of being trapped on a small boat with her obnoxious teenage daughter.

High winds, rebellion, and deviance plunge the trip into chaos, severely testing Craig’s patience. And when the breeze drops, and the boat finally leaves the medieval Old Town, it’s the secrets and revelations of his fellow passengers that bubble to the surface and stir uncomfortable memories from Craig’s past.

 

Publisher:

Martyn Chapman, 1 edition (15 November 2020),

Kindle Edition, Amazon