Malcolm Brooks, aged 83, has lived many different lives – he has been a RAF fighter, an award winning pétanque coach and has most recently embarked on a career as a novelist.
He has always been fascinated with murder mystery books such as Murder at the Savoy by Jim Eldridge and decided to take on the challenge of writing one himself!
A fellow pétanque enthusiast Christine Saunders helped him turn this idea into fruition.
Co-writer Christine Saunders said: “I first met Malcolm two years ago on the opening of a new pétanque club in Cricklade.
“I had never played before but he became the coach there and everyone loved him. He is always so happy and wants us to have fun!
“Where he gets his stamina from is a mystery!
“He wrote the plot and asked me if I could help set it out. He knew I had written and edited two books 20 odd years ago on Lydiard Life.”
The book is called The Mediterranean Mystery and is set in Cyprus where Malcolm himself survived three murder attempts between 1957-1960.
Malcolm said: “My own experiences come through the book quite a bit, in parts like the hospital and the shooting. I was there during the trouble in 1957.
“I have a medal for it, it was quite frightening at times.”
Despite multiple near death encounters he looks at the Greek island fondly.
He loves everything about it, from the hot climate to the excellent cuisine.
The RAF veteran said: “The food is exceptionally good, we love the mazurkas, the brandy, the Greek salads. You find out quite a lot about the food in the book.”
He revealed that everything from the material of the book cover to the size and type of the font was carefully taken into consideration.
Malcolm said: “I am very proud of how it has turned out and thankful to have had the assistance of Christine.”
To find out more about The Mediterranean Mystery visit https://rb.gy/zr3zts
