A Confusion in Time
His secret could be the death of him. If only he knew what it was.
David Parks has made some good friends during his holidays on a tropical island. Not to mention his enigmatic chauffeur back in England.
He is going to need all of them – and their extraordinary talents – to get through what lies ahead.
As he comes up against assassins, a shadowy government department and a man set on world domination, one thing becomes crystal clear:
David Parks needs to unravel his secret before everyone he cares for is dead and the world is changed forever.
A Confusion in Time is available at
Book Snippets
Opening paragraph
A man was walking towards me. He was tall, well over six foot, and ungainly. Thicker than a beanpole, but only just. His pace was slow, almost brooding, as if even the weight of his skeletal body was too much for him. His cheap suit hung off him like he was a badly constructed clothes horse, angular and pointed. I swear, if he had turned round, I would have seen his shoulder blades sticking out of the back of his scuffed jacket. His upper body swayed just slightly as he walked, revealing a puke-inducing puce shirt and, more importantly, the strap to his shoulder holster. He stopped in front of me, feet slightly apart, poised, professional. It was only then that I could take in all the details. For later, if there was one.
A favourite line
His teeth shone silver in the late afternoon sun as if a light had been thrown into a cutlery drawer.
Denver’s Moke
So we took a leisurely drive out to the caves in his Moke, which was Denver’s pride and joy. It was a four-seater 1980s model, complete with roll-bars and a Stars & Stripes decal across the bonnet and leopard-print seat covers. Not easy to miss. He bought it for fifty dollars, he claimed, from another beach bum down by Santa Monica pier…
The start of David’s troubles
That was when the gunfire started. It was loud and incessant, like a group of drills going off in my head. For a second, I was disorientated and confused, but then, as I looked back over my shoulder, I saw Rufus go down, one sleeve of his expensive jacket shredded and a spray of blood pumping out of his arm. He was mouthing something, but I heard no sound.
Denver was heading for the café, his legs racing for all they were worth, his mind apparently only on self-preservation. I couldn’t blame him.
Arrival at the little fishing village
The first thing that registered in my mind was the frantic squawking of the gulls as they danced on the salty breeze and dive-bombed the fragile little boats, swooping back up with fish entrails tumbling from their beaks. Then it was the early-morning sun bouncing off the turquoise and white water, creating a kaleidoscope of translucent bubbles which seemed to skim across the gentle waves lapping around the boats.
The first glimpse of Gavin Wolstenholme
He was wearing a sharp, black three-piece suit, the waistcoat straining over his corpulence, and the top button of his shirt was clearly undone, despite the huge Windsor knot in his tie trying to hide the fact.
“Please, take a seat. I was just having a spot of lunch. Would you care to join me?” he said jovially, beaming at me. His voice was pure upper crust, straight from the playing fields of Eton, perhaps.
As he sat back down in the heavily upholstered chair behind his huge mahogany desk, he picked up the napkin he had been using and laid it almost tenderly across his lap.
Meet the Characters in
A Confusion in Time
David Parks
David is a multi-millionaire living the high life, with a house in Surrey (complete with chauffeur) and holidays on a fabulous tropical island.
However, all is not as it seems. He does not know it, but he has been a guinea pig for a renowned scientist, and now he has a secret.
While he may not know what is going on, others do… and they want him dead.
Denver Miller
An American who has made a life on the island, Denver has a mysterious past, but now cons holidaymakers by offering guided tours round the local caves in search of mythical mermaids.
He is a close friend of David’s and looks out for him. His services will be invaluable when the assassins come to call!
Morice Clémont
Morice is the jocular French owner of the beach café on the island, a longstanding friend of Denver and, more recently, of David Parks.
Morice also has a murky past, some of it possibly not quite legal, but he has a special talent and he will also prove a brave ally when David is threatened.
Robyn Newman
A scientist and valued assistant to the renowned Dr Rufus Allenby, Robyn was heavily involved in the work undertaken on David Parks, and is extremely proud of what they have achieved.
However, like David himself, she does not know the full extent of the experiment that was carried out on him, but she is determined to help him solve the riddle, as well as fighting off his advances!
Gregory the Chauffeur
The affable Gregory comes to David’s aid when he is called upon, and it is then that his amazing contacts begin to reveal his murky history, although, once again, he is a perfect addition to David’s armoury.
His Aunt Grace also proves to be an invaluable asset!
Captain Packer
David Parks’s nemesis, Packer is a hard ex-military man turned mercenary who was employed to keep an eye on the scientific laboratory.
However, it is not clear whether he is working for Dr Allenby, the shady government department run by Gavin Wolstenholme, a mystery man intent on world domination… or just himself.
Gavin Wolstenholme
The apparently avuncular Wolstenholme (“like the television chap: ‘They think it’s all over… it is now’”) works for a mysterious government department which appears to be controlling the laboratory, if not Dr Allenby himself.
He is, however, a man determined to maintain the status quo, and will stop at nothing to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
But, as he sits at his huge mahogany desk, ruling his little domain, is he really the one pulling the strings?