Lost in Juarez

Douglas Lindsay

Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)

From the creator of the cult Barney Thomson crime series, comes a darker and more sinister novel.

The government is watching: 4 million names on the DNA database and counting; CCTV cameras on every street corner; telephone records available to any agency which requests them; restrictions on movements around Westminster; and ID cards and spy satellites. All in the name of freedom.

When his latest book is shelved due to government interference, Lake Weston - international bestselling, Bob Dylan-addicted children's author - decides that it is time to stand up for personal rights.He writes and anonymously publishes a scathing Animal Farm-esque diatribe against a government which seeks to restrict civil liberties in the name of freedom. The book quickly achieves notoriety and within a month is banned under an obscure paragraph of anti-terror legislation. The media is animatedly curious about the author of the book; the government, however, already knows.

As the security services close in, Weston finds his name dragged through the gutter press, and suddenly he must run for his life, not knowing who he can trust and with nothing in his pocket except a few pounds and an iPod loaded with 1256 Bob Dylan tracks.

Review by Nigel (010209) Rating (9/10)

Review by Nigel
Rating 9/10
Lake Weston is a successful author, a multimillionaire and second only to J K Rowling in sales. He has what appears to be a comfortable life and his main problem as he sees it, apart from two ex-wives and a penchant for wine, is that he has been labelled a ‘Children’s Author’, a label he can’t seem to get rid of despite his best efforts. While his children’s series of ‘Fenton Bargus Takes On…’ books have been a great success he wants to be taken more seriously and break away form the ‘Children’s Author’ label; however, his publisher is not interested and turns down anything other than Fenton Bargus Books.

When his next book, ‘Fenton Bargus Takes On The Prime Minister’ is shelved by his publisher Lake cannot believe the reasons. He is told pressure has been brought to bear and if the book ever saw the light of day the publisher would be investigated and charge under the Terrorism Act 2006.

Feeling decidedly affronted he sets out to write the book he has always wanted to write and hit back at the government at the same time; so is born his next work, Axis of Evil. As Lake starts to delve into a world of conspiracy and paranoia he pieces together a society governed by arrogance and utter disrespect for democracy, all in the name of shielding society by taking away the very freedom the laws and rules have supposedly been made to protect.

When the book is published so is set in motion a series of events that unravel Lake’s world and sees most of the people he knows discredited, disappeared or dead. In simple terms Lake Weston undergoes a similar fate to Will Smith in ‘Enemy of the State’ albeit for different reasons. His life is destroyed because he has dared to question the government and its policies to protect the people, where the cure has become worse than the disease.

This is Douglas Lindsay’s first novel not featuring Barney and if the author is trying to divest himself of the label ‘Barney Thomson Author’ he has done so with great style. The book is very well written with a topical and at times scary plot while still laced with the authors’ trademark dark humour. I’m ashamed to say it, being such a Barney Fan, but it could even be the best thing he has written to date.
Nigel (1st February 2009)