COLT - A Time For Living

COLT aka Colin Theakston came to my notice through the Struggling Authors web site. Recently a review of his book A Time For Living was undertaken by this now well known reviewing site http://all-review.co.uk/
They are also affiliated to http://pushbooks.co.uk/ As the name suggests they review and push !!!

Below is what Neil Kirby at all-review said about Colin's book................

A Time For Living
By

Colt (Colin Theakston).

Genre. Thriller.

Colin Theakston aka Colt has merged many qualities into this gem of a read. Thrilling, mysterious, romantic and factual are some of the traits that could be used to describe it.

The novel is centred around British Writer, Laurence Hardy who lives in a small English town in Oxfordshire. He is a quiet albeit well respected member of his community and seemingly nice chap with what would normally be described as a fairly regular life. To his few friends and neighbours he is a normal man with a normal life, he is fortunate to travel the world in order to carry out research for his writing, but to everyone who knows him, Hardy is just a man who has found success in his work, a bit of a loner but well liked by the few who know him. In truth, Hardy was not all that he seemed; he has an alter ego known within worldwide intelligence factions as Geoffrey Summers.

As Summers, he is an independent agent who we first meet out-doing the American FBI when finding a young kidnap victim; returning her safely to her US Senator father and mother. Very little is known about Summers within the intelligence agencies. He is a wanted man but it has not been decided whether he is on the side of wrong or right, what they do know is that he has helped international governments on more than one occasion.

Summers is made aware of an impending terror strike by Al Qaeda and their intention to utilise his skills in the major terrorist threat. Summers is forced to take the assignment to avoid having his true identity revealed by the one high ranking official who knows it.
After very tense and interesting meetings with an Al Qaeda leader in Paris, who Colt portrays as a vicious
and dangerous man, Summers enters an agreement with the terrorists to deliver weapons intended for a terrorist strike within the United Kingdom, for a substantial amount of money.

At this point, the story takes a turn and Colt introduces Josh Wilson. Josh is a man of leisure living in the UK on his recently acquired canal-barge. He travels around the picturesque countryside along the canals of England sometimes making cargo deliveries between depots at different towns alongside the canals. Josh, through a very good friend and business partner Alec, meets Samantha, who as well as being seriously ill has other secrets that could damage her newly found friendship with Josh.

On their waterways trip together, Josh and Sam become very close and Sam, who up until this point had been diagnosed as terminally ill, feels that her time on the water with Josh had changed her life in a much better way. She knew it was not to last, Josh was to drop her off with her sister where she intended living out her final days. But since their meeting, everything had changed; she felt healthier, happier and was falling for her new companion. The only regret she felt was a past indiscretion that haunted her and would almost definitely end her affiliation with Josh.

Summers has made sure that Josh and Sam are involved in the terrorists plot. Unknowingly, Josh has taken cargo onto his barge to deliver further along his journey. It is the same cargo that Summers had agreed to take for a substantial amount of money.

Colt has painted a contrasting picture of Summers; he is a clever man who appears to be on the right side of the law, but as the story progresses, you ask yourself what his intentions are. He appears to be a renegade driven by greed. Will he redeem himself?

A Time For Living is numerous stories in one. A lot of time is spent becoming acquainted with Hardy and his other self, Geoffrey Summers. Then you are introduced to Josh Wilson and his new companion Samantha, who met through friends living in a public house near to the canal network. In time, the stories merge making for exciting and enthralling reading, With the well researched content including the factual towns, villages and public houses mentioned during Josh and Sam`s trip along their canal route.


You are kept on the edge of anticipation waiting for the next turn of events. The passages describing how Josh and Sam become closer are really well written and delicately done. As the reader you will find yourself hoping that everything works out well for them but doubting the possibility of it. As for Summers you are not so sure. Colt has created a very clever and elusive character who you commend at the start of the book for single-handedly saving the life of a young child. But your suspicions are alerted when he takes on a contract with the terrorist group; something that he would never normally do. But financial gain, in the region of millions seemingly plays a big part in his decision to work with the organisation.


This book is an excellent and well written story, with thrilling action, cleverly thought out plots and endearing tale. A must read which; I hope leads on to the next.

And the next - A Time For Crying - will be available by Christmas 2010 I understand. fingers crossed.