Politics, drama and romance from pen of former editor
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Former Skegness Standard editor John Cowpe has had his fourth novel published underhis pen name John Pendleton.
“The Men in the Marsh” begins with the dramatic events of October 12, 1984, when an IRA bomb explodes at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, in a bid to assassinate UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Graham Robinson, an ambitious young entrepreneur, who is attending the Conservative Party Conference, leaves the hotel minutes before the explosion.
“The Men in the Marsh” traces the up and downs of Robinson’s life, loves and politics, leading up to dramatic events which have haunting echoes of his 1984 experience. It has strong elements of mystery, romance and humour.
As with his last two novels, John has mainly set the action in the fictitious Lincolnshire holiday resort of Sanderholme, a location which has strong similarities to Skegness. It includes the main character’s bold plans to develop a rundown area of the resort’s foreshore.
John, who lives in Skegness, says: “The idea of the novel came to me because of my own experience in 1984 when I left the Grand Hotel myself just before the bomb went off.
“One message of the story is that, contrary to the usual stereotypes, successful business people can be decent and philanthropic, and, above all, kind.”
The Men in the Marsh” is published by Blossom Spring Publishing and is available from Amazon Books as a paperback or on Kindle. See
John’s previous novels, “Ill Winds”, “All For Blood” and “Hector’s Revenge” are also available from Amazon books.
(For further information or interviews contact John on [email protected] or phone 01754 762826)