R J Ewen
THE BOOKS
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Matthews' Passion - Book 1: 1984
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This is the first novel of a trilogy that follows Physics lecturer Alan Matthews through traumatic years of his life. It begins in March 1984, a few days after the beginning of the miners’ strike.
Alan suspects that his French wife Chantal is having an affair, but his fear of the possible consequences deters him from confronting her. However, a small but crucial untruth from his past leads to Alan’s world – and his marriage – crashing around him.
His scepticism of paranormal phenomena is tested following the death of a close relative and the intervention of his brother-in-law Peter, who is a paranormal investigator.
Can Alan retrieve his marriage, or will he find new love following a chance encounter in Paris?
Irishman Rory seems to be an unseen presence driving Alan’s story to an unexpected and devastating conclusion.
Matthews' Passion - Book 2: 2000
This is the second novel of a trilogy that follows Physics lecturer Alan Matthews through traumatic years of his life.
Sixteen years after the events of 1984, Alan’s apparently stable life is thrown into disarray when Chantal reappears with her daughter Justine, and when a former nemesis is unexpectedly released from prison.
A holiday in Wales leads to an unsettling mix: the resurgence of old relationships, an abduction and some apparently supernatural experiences involving long-dead relatives. An investigation by Alan’s brother-in-law, Peter, appears to tap into knowledge furnished by these relatives and results in a race against time across Ireland to save a precious life.
Matthews' Passion - Book 3: 2020
This is the third novel of a trilogy that follows Physics lecturer Alan Matthews through traumatic years of his life.
Twenty years after the events of 2000, Alan’s brother-in-law Peter’s rapidly deteriorating health takes the family to Switzerland to enable Peter’s assisted suicide.
Alan agrees to continue Peter’s work, unaware of the deeply unsettling ramifications of this commitment.
In Paris, Alan’s ex-wife Chantal fears she is being stalked and seeks help from Alan, but when he is unable to assist her she contacts Marcus. Marcus travels to Paris answer his former lover’s distress call.
Two shocking events rapidly ensue. Aided by one of Peter’s inventions, Marianna, Judy, Marcus and Justine all work with Alan to discover the truth, but this soon leads to a disturbing race to save a life and to unmask an evil criminal.
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** Note added in May 2020: This book was published in 2019 before Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 aka SARS-CoV-2 aka Covid 19 even had one name, when it was just a mere twinkle in the eye of a bat.
The Gentle Revolution​
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“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Lord Acton (1834 –1902).
When prominent industrialist William Jones is accidentally assaulted by a male prostitute and rendered comatose, his son Russell, a pampered, immoral and unprincipled business theoretician, seizes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and assumes control of the family industrial empire. Almost immediately he starts to exploit his new-found power to make a huge personal fortune by illegal and nefarious means.
Mac, Russell’s former school friend, realises by the time they reach the sixth form that Russell is not the ally he had thought him to be, so on leaving school their paths diverge. Mac becomes a merchant seaman, an environmental activist and thorn in Russell’s side.
“Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources. With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That's the way the system works. And since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968).
Inspired by her American friend Gay Langer, Russell’s mother Felicity becomes involved with what the media terms ‘The Gentle Revolution’ – a radical style of business ownership devised and instigated by Gay in the USA. It causes alarm in traditional capitalist governments, media and industrialists, but ultimately proves to be hugely popular with workers.
Stress bears down on Russell and impacts upon his mental health. Can he withstand the pressure? Can Mac and his group expose Russell’s illegal activities to prevent disastrous environmental consequences? Can Felicity succeed in bringing Gay Langer’s revolution to the UK and Europe?
Madeleine Jones, Russell’s sister, reveals the whole story for the first time in ‘The Gentle Revolution’.
Walter, The Man With No Hat
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Walter, the lead singer and guitarist of Diabolo, collapses when his heart stops beating after he receives a mains-voltage electric shock whilst performing on stage.
As paramedics rush to help, Walter’s life story plays out before him from his birth in San Francisco in 1967, via watching the Live Aid concerts on TV in 1985, to the present.
It was Live Aid that inspired Walter to take the tough and rocky path to become a professional musician. But if he thought finding success as a musician was hard, Walter soon discovers that the path to true love can be even tougher when he falls for Brigitta the instant he sees her performing on stage.
So was the electric shock that caused Walter to collapse fatal, or can the paramedics revive him? Will he recover to win the heart of the girl of his dreams? Read the story of Walter’s life in Walter, The Man With No Hat.
The music by Walter's band Diabolo and Brigitta's band The Urbane Gorillas from the book 'Walter, The Man With No Hat' is available on streaming sites, including Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube. Click on the SINGLE or ALBUM below to link to these on Spotify. (Opens in a new window).
SINGLE - 'RAGGED' (Diabolo)
1. The Traveller (Diabolo)
2. Tanz, Baby (The Urbane Gorillas)
3. Peaceful Protest (Diabolo)
4. Gorilla Warfare (The Urbane Gorillas)
5. Jangky (Diabolo)
6. I Don't Want To (Diabolo)
7. Pioneer Ten (The Urbane Gorillas)
8. Words Worth (Diabolo)
9. Always (Diabolo & The Urbane Gorillas)
Walter, The Man With No Sense
Sequel to 'Walter, The Man With No Hat'
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Walter, the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter with Diabolo, should have been ecstatic. In many ways his life could not be any better – the world tour from which Diabolo are now returning has been a huge success and, following their final gig in London, he is about to be reunited with his German girlfriend Brigitta. He knows he should be full of joy. But he is not.
As the band’s tour bus makes its final journey along the motorway from Cardiff to London for their final gig, Walter broods upon a guilty secret that he has harboured for the four years since his and Brigitta’s relationship began: the true cause of the cataclysmic event that brought them together (see the previous book Walter, The Man With No Hat). It had seemed such a small thing at the time, but now it has ballooned into a huge burden of guilt that is threatening to derail everything.
After Diabolo’s final gig and Walter and Brigitta’s reunion, a chain of unforeseen and unfortunate events leads Walter into a downward spiral that badly affects his life and relationships with both Brigitta and the other members of Diabolo. Is there any way forward for Walter and Brigitta? Can Diabolo survive?
The music by Walter's band Diabolo and Brigitta's band The Urbane Gorillas from the book 'Walter, The Man With No Sense' is available now on streaming sites, including Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube. Click on the ALBUM below to link to these on Spotify. (Opens in a new window).
1. Plenty More Fish in the Sea (Diabolo)
2. Indeed (The Urbane Gorillas)
3. Rockfool (Diabolo)
4. DNR (The Urbane Gorillas)
5. Dover Soul (Diabolo)
6. Shadow Boxer (The Urbane Gorillas)
7. Tumbledown Thatched House 1984 (Diabolo)
8. Funk All (The Urbane Gorillas)
9. LB Street (Diabolo & The Urbane Gorillas)
More music will follow soon, including: Song for Petra (The Urbane Gorillas)
HiFi SoLo (Walter's first solo album)