2005 was a lively year in what the Police Authority termed Northern Sector, South East. Edgar Hutton, the long time leader of the powerful Eastgate gang had been arrested for armed robbery and was, somewhat surprisingly, succeeded by Nat Dawson, someone he had recruited and nurtured through the gangland ranks. The front runner for the job, Gabriel 'Angel' Smith, who had received similarly privileged treatment, lost out on his expected promotion to the top job and promptly vacated the scene to pursue a career in foreign parts. Ten years later the Organised Crime Squad is in disarray. Having wasted a full year investigating a crime of political corruption that got shelved at the eleventh hour, they are now directed back to their original task of combating gang crime, but with a drastic reduction in personnel. The Unit is currently in the process of losing the services of two more experienced officers and the one new recruit to their ranks is a raw academic Intern fresh out of college who looks like being of extremely limited use. DI Daniel Loache and his number two, DS Geoff Strickland, are not optimistic for the future and the new arrival does little to lift their spirits; especially in light of the fact the current leader of the largest local gang, Eastgate, has just gone missing and their bitter rivals, The Tyson Mob, seem intent on instigating a turf war to take advantage of the situation. However, things could always be worse....... and very soon that proves to be exactly the case; word is received that Gabriel 'Angel' Smith has returned to the country and is heading directly for his old stamping ground. The fact that DI Loache is now partnered with Smith's sister, Miriam, serves only to further complicate matters.

Have you ever asked yourself how you can finance the RV lifestyle? Most of us have. If you're thinking or dreaming about becoming a full-time or part-time RVer, and you must work to make it happen, then this is the book for you. In it you will find what we've learned (often the hard way) in over eight years of workamping while full-time RVing. We provide many tested links to the websites of those businesses that hire workampers and volunteers. The advice we offer is based on our own experience. We take you from doing the initial homework, to choosing the right job type for you, to the writing a workamper resume, to the interview, and way beyond. We discuss what other considerations there may be such as taxes and home domicile. We wind it up with a chapter on our most memorable lessons learned. We have had many experiences working on the road, most good, but some not so much. This book would also make a great gift for a would-be workamper or for folks who wonder why we do this.

MOTHBALLED London has been awarded the 2012 Olympic Games, but preparations are not going to plan. There is an immediate requirement for an expensive, indoor training facility, but times are tough, and money does not grow on trees. The problem could be solved by a generous act of selflessness, from the European Community.......motivated by a desire to keep under wraps, recent illegitimate funding, of French agriculture. Better still, Milton Pigden, an entrepreneurial Developer, with all the right connections, is aware of a piece of land that will be ideal for the development......and he's well connected with its owners, the international consumables manufacturer, Oswald and Parker. The O & P Company even have the right men on hand to ensure the project will be a redoubtable success; Paul Silverman their local Chief Executive, has years of business experience, and allowing that he can keep his alcoholism and penchant for the fairer sex under control, will be just the man for the job. Better still, he can be assisted by O & P's workaholic Export Manager, Melvyn Garratt, who appears to have most of his phobia's and neurosis, in check, these days.....and Simon Chang, a man with a big heart, and small understanding of English, whose father owns a slice of the Company. Problem solved then? Well possibly, but we should remember that the proposed site is perilously close to the infamous Newhall Wood Estate, the home of the ultra right wing, English Assembly political party........and not forget that the recent escalation of violence, as street gangs vie for control of the local drug trade......... and bear in mind that the Moslem community, is still outraged at the rejection of their offer, to buy the land and build a super mosque? I suppose we should also not forget, that construction work could prove unsettling for a timid resident of the wood, the elusive Carriage Clock moth......and that disruption of this type is not likely to be welcomed by the resident Gypsy community, led by the redoubtable Shamus Duffin. These problems will all need to be addressed, as will a question that has remained unanswered for too long.....why is Oswald and Parkers number one best seller, the Chixta cracker, so popular with teenagers? O & P have not failed to recognise the importance of the project, and assigned their two top guns to oversee completion. Malcolm Irving and Brian Hopwood don't know the meaning of the word failure......... and nor does their Special Services associate, Raymond Richards. Just as well really; With the Olympics just round the corner we wouldn't want there to be any mistakes, would we?

Charlie Brinsworth, a career criminal who has just completed a lengthy prison sentence, decides to take up temporary residence at the Black Bear, an old pub he inherited from his father some years previously. This is not a long-term commitment. Charlie has few fond memories of his formative years and hates the pub with a passion. He just needs somewhere quiet to hole up for a few weeks while he reconciles his business affairs and figures out what he intends to do with the rest of his days. Charlie's return to his old stomping ground quickly attracts interest from the forces of law and order and is viewed with outright suspicion by the gang that is top dog in the local area, not least because they are currently involved in a vicious turf war. The bloke who manages the pub on his behalf has also started to act a bit strange; but that can doubtless be put down to women trouble.......with Mickey Smith that is always the case. On a brighter note it isn't long before Charlie receives a somewhat unusual job offer. Pity the work is illegal but with his record what else could he expect? At least the money is decent so it's hard to say no. As Charlie Brinsworth slowly comes to terms with his murky past and attempts to bring some form of order to his chaotic lifestyle all hell breaks loose and very soon he finds himself drawn into a conflict he would have been very happy to avoid.

Schuster settled back in his chair. The pain in his chest was returning but it had to be worth one last throw of the dice before he was obliged to capitulate. He sensed he would need to make it good. Brastic was smiling again. He gave an involuntary shudder. `I think it has escaped your memory, First Minister, that I know too much for you to blackmail me.' The smile for a second left Brastic's face and he stared sternly across the table from behind hooded eyes; then without warning he relaxed and broke into a broad smile. `On the contrary, Heindrich, you know exactly the right amount; which is the precise reason I selected you to play a part in this little enterprise.'

`A Dip in the Gene Pool' will hopefully serve as a demonstration that you can attain anything you desire, so long as you crave it with sufficient avarice and are prepared to encourage other people to work hard enough to make it worth your while claiming the credit once your goal has been satisfactorily achieved. If there is a single lesson to be learned, it is that whilst intellect and diligence will eventually triumph over ignorance and sloth, victory is unlikely to occur soon enough to be of any immediate help; and because we are born with inbuilt character traits that it is impossible to subjugate, we will ultimately finish up being outflanked by the inevitable. Perhaps the fact that the meek were promised inheritance of the earth a couple of thousand years ago, but when you turn on your television set you still see Simon Cowell, should tell you as much about the subject as you wish to know. Anyway, let's look on the bright side, face ahead and embrace the positives. Life isn't all bad; Woolworths and BHS may no longer exist but cans of baked beans have recently gained pull rings, wine bottles have reverted to screw tops, and we can take comfort from the fact that global warming has been mitigated to climate change. Don't worry about the bastards grinding you down. If it wasn't you it would be someone less worthy; and doubtless they would prove considerably less interesting.