Bücher von Nick Cowen

Historical novel, first of a trilogy, set in south-east Wiltshire in 1633. Robert Penny, a twice-widowed father, returns to the parish of his birth with his eleven-year-old son Samuel. Struggling to find food for the table, Robert quickly becomes burdened with the unpaid duties of Parish Waywarden inheriting a legal responsibility to survey and maintain the parish highways or answer to the Justices. As he commences this onerous task, he discovers a young woman's body in a highway ditch. Whilst Robert Penny tries to rebuild his family reputation and regain the pew in church, will he instead be charged with the murder of this stranger to the parish?

A strange interdependence has been forged between local authority lifer, Victor Wayland, public rights of way officer and the enigmatic Harrison, a young and streetwise volunteer. Harrison and his gang have torn up the volunteer's rule book and are finding their own ways and means to sort out the thornier issues of public rights of way maintenance. Meanwhile Victor is really starting to feel part of something…he's just not sure what that something is…and can a sedentary population really be persuaded to heave themselves up from the sofa and take their first steps towards walking back to happiness? They will ifHarrison has got anything to do with it.

Very funny novel, first in a series, involving a harassed English rights of way officer who inadvertently recruits a young streetwise volunteer, with unexpected resaults. A tale of hopelessness and hope.