Synopsis

Paths Not Yet Taken is a satirical contemporary fiction, encompassing political, military and religious themes alongside human relationships, the importance of pets and the inestimable value of a game of golf.

In a Midlands food warehouse, a ministerial visit goes wrong when the prime minister disappears. The consequent nationwide search creates major issues in government, the security services, the local police force, and for a would-be terrorist who detests the PM, then finds him in his locked garage.

The subsequent events force those closely involved to reflect and re-evaluate their own paths in life.

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Review

I enjoyed this book so much! It addresses what would happen if a high-ranking government official (the Prime Minister (PM) in this case) decided they had enough and wanted to quit. I am sure many of us could relate to this situation, and we aren’t running a country. Not only does it address mental health issues, but it also examines what happens in war and the impact that has on soldiers.

The story is told from the perspectives of multiple characters. Simon Pope works in a warehouse, where the PM happens to hide in his car to get away from his life. But Simon isn’t just a warehouse worker; there is more to him than meets the eye. I don’t want to spoil the journey, but he has more depth to him than you might think at first glance. The PM takes on the name Paul and befriends Simon and his dogs. There are staff members for the PM, and we see how his disappearance affects their jobs and how they handle certain events. Of course, the country can’t go on without a PM, so an interim one is appointed. Rather, he is the only one that wants to do it. I think he discovered that the job isn’t easy, and he makes some decisions that no sane person might make.

A local detective realizes Simon’s past, which can lead to potential issues if not nipped in the bud soon enough. There are some tense moments, and you wonder if there will be a government coverup, as is common. No matter what side a person belongs to in politics, I think that they will see a little bit of their own politics in this book.

I thought the interplay between the characters was done well. We see a bit of their past, along with the current events. While the story only takes place over five days, it is five days filled with banter, memories, and two sweet dogs – Fred and Ginger.

We give this book 5 paws up!

About the Author

Phil Rennett’s writing career started in 1970, at the age of eleven.

“I found my mum crying with worry about how we were going to pay the bills. She thought we were going to lose our home,” he says. “I noticed that some comics published letters and offered prizes for the star ones, so I started writing.”

Phil’s first letter won a star prize in The Victor.  “I thought it would be some money,” he laughs, “I won a table tennis set.”

Undaunted, he did more research in the newsagents, wrote to the football magazine Shoot and won a £2 postal order, which he gave to his mother. She gave him a big hug, then put the money in his savings account.

“I realised I could make money doing what I enjoyed. I spent my entire working life writing, firstly for my employers and then for clients,” he says.

His career started as a public relations officer for a police force in the Middle East. Experiences included crash-landing in a plane whose pilots forgot to lower the undercarriage; flying in another plane with a dead body knocking against his leg; and gate-crashing a reception at the Sultan’s palace where he bumped into the UK prime minister and the Sultan.

In an unrelated incident, he spent a couple of uncomfortable minutes sitting in his Volkswagen Beetle while three very angry soldiers pointed guns at his head through the open driver’s window.

Opting for a quieter life, he returned to the UK and worked in newspaper advertising before starting his own public relations consultancy, which he ran for thirty years.

After decades of news releases, case studies, articles, advertisements, websites, award entries, major bids, mail shots and newsletters, he started writing for himself when he retired in 2020.

A keen if mediocre sportsman, he took up golf after his right knee decided it didn’t want to take part in more physical sports any longer. Missing the thrills of his early working life, he also goes storm chasing occasionally in Tornado Alley.

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