Hello bookworm, how lovely to see you so bright and early! The clocks sprung forward in the early hours this morning so I’ve made some extra strong coffee to help me adjust to it. I don’t know about you but I always feel a little discombobulated when I lose the hour to British Summer Time. Speaking of losing things, have you heard about Pluto’s In Uranus by Patrick Haylock? Let me butter you so doorstop toast to enjoy with your coffee while I tell you all about it.

First, here’s the blurb: This Christmas Jupiter and Saturn will become closer to each other than they have been for almost 800 years. It is an event that has set the world astrological community abuzz with the possible consequences of such an alignment and its potential impact on global leaders and world events.

But what happens when an even rarer conjunction between Pluto and Uranus occurs and what effect does it hold in store for the lives of everyday ‘ordinary folk’?

Well, it’s something that Dave from the post room is about to find out. Pluto is in Uranus and for him this indicates that everything is about to come up smelling of roses or so he thinks!

Dave suffers from OCF, Obsessive Compulsive Fatalism, and his Achilles heel is his daily horoscope, which is about to become dramatically affected by the historic planetary alignment.

The lucky omens predicted will compel him to take uncharacteristic chances, cross paths with a hotchpotch of larger than life characters who get him embroiled in situations with hilarious outcomes that are way beyond his control and out of his comfort zone.

Pluto’s In Uranus is written by globally unrecognised no award-winning Essex author Patrick Haylock.

Discounting his definitive guide to publishing books Pluto’s In Uranus is Patrick’s debut novel, and it is now available in bookstores on Amazon and other online outlets.

Now here’s a little about the author: Patrick Haylock is a globally unrecognised writer who if you discount a school sweet pea growing competition, has won no awards whatsoever!

He was born in Enfield at a very dark time in the world. It was 1.45am to be precise, and it wasn’t too long before it dawned on him.

To make something of himself he was going to need two things: the ability to tell the difference between a green onion and a scallion, and a good education.

Wormley Primary and Baas HillComprehensive schools did their best to fulfil both requirements, and after giving them 13 years of his life, they gave him seven printed sheets of paper, and the knowledge that there was no difference between a green onion and a scallion.

He also learned that the difference between onions and bagpipes was that no one ever cries when you chop up bagpipes.

The certified wisdom secured a national newspaper messenger’s job, which led to an editorial trainee position, followed by a production editor’s post, and progression into freelance journalism.

‘Knowing hisnonions’ helped him to successfully establish his own publishing company, design studio, online retro web store and high street art gallery.

Patrick lives with his wife in a converted Old Essex Brewery, where he claims the 6% ABV air quality inspires him to craft his nutty tales.

Although a ‘new voice’ in the literary world, those ‘in the know’ will willingly testify that his gift for imaginative storytelling is engaging and amusingly unique!

And here’s my review: I’ve been reading some intense, gripping crime thrillers recently so it was a completely different pace reading Pluto’s In Uranus. There may have been no corpses but there was plenty of humour scattered throughout the book instead, with plenty of double entendres to boot!

I found Dave an affable character, careening from self-induced pickle to self-induced gherkin. He meets some flamboyant characters along the way, all of whom have a part to play in his attempts to recover nearly £10,000 of his colleagues’ winnings – or at least, they would have been winnings if he hadn’t been tempted by his horoscope and a series of seemingly auspicious events which convinced him to be a little more creative with their bets than originally agreed.

I may officially be British but I’m Manx at heart having grown up on the Isle of Man so I had a moment of excitement when Dave finds a lucky silver Manx cat coin – we islanders and ex-pats tend to get rather excited when we see our little island get a mention!

I enjoyed the way the author blends real life ‘get rich quick’ situations we’ve all been presented with into the narrative – I have several gentlemen in my junk email box even as we speak offering to send me two million pounds if I send them my bank and personal details – and I found myself smiling wryly as Dave considers which ones to try.

The author’s humour is as dry as the Sahara and as quick as lightning so if you enjoy a rather brash, humorous, somewhat slapstick style read, this book is for you! 3.5 / 5 stars for me 🙂

Well bookworm, I believe it’s time to start my spring cleaning. Who knows, I may find a lucky silver Manx cat coin between the shelves? Until next time, farewell bookworm!

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Pluto’s In Uranus Giveaway: Click here to be in with the chance of winning a signed of of the novel and some cool merchandise including a lucky silver Manx cat coin. The terms and conditions are listed below. I’m not affiliated with the giveaway or the link to buy the book in the image above, I’m just being a helpful bookworm. Thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for the digital copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.