James Pattinson (1915–2009)

When David Sterne went up to London to seek his fortune, Adolf Hitler was rampant and the shadow of impending conflict lay forebodingly over Europe. He was still struggling to make a living when war broke out and he was swept into it. Six years of his life were to be spent in the King's uniform. And so began his dramatic climb to success - with a little help from Frederica Lathwell. Then, of course, there was Angela Street . . . James Pattinson (1915-2009) was a full-time author who, despite having travelled throughout the world, lived in the remote village where he grew up. He wrote magazine articles, short stories and radio features as well as numerous novels including Crane and The Silent Voyage.… (more)

When Daniel Gregg inherits some money, he knows exactly what to do with it.
Leaving the merchant navy, he buys his own ‘tramp’ ship and goes into business with a friend, Frank Loder. Naming the ship W.H. Davies, together they travel the world, transporting goods and living free.
For Gregg, who is divorced and without ties, the world is his oyster.
Until the ship’s bosun goes missing.
Forced to recruit a replacement at short notice, Gregg and Loder take on Tommy Chan, a Chinese sailor of mysterious background with a sideline in knife-throwing.
This comes in handy when they must fight off some vicious pirates. From that point on, Chan becomes a pivotal part of the ship’s crew.
But is he a team player or a lone wolf?
Meanwhile, in port, Gregg gallantly retrieves a lady’s handbag from a street thief and finds himself fascinated by the bag’s charismatic owner, Margarita Diaz.
When she finds out that Gregg owns a ship, Miss Diaz seems set to become a client.
But a very particular, very dangerous, type of client. A client with a very dangerous cargo.
And so Gregg, Loder and the crew of the W.H. Davies become embroiled in the politics and intrigue of a distant land.
But not everybody is as smitten with Miss Diaz as Gregg seems to be. Which is why, in time, his ship is taken over by a stranger and Bosun Tommy Chan seems somehow to be connected with this turn of events …
A Passage of Arms is a fast-paced novel of action and adventure, glamour and danger. Will Captain Gregg recover the W.H. Davies and win the heart of his lady? Or will he suffer a similar gruesome fate as others who have travelled on his ship? The final denouement may surprise you …
Praise for John Pattinson
‘A crisp storyline and credible characters make it a cracker of a tale’ - Bolton Evening News
‘A Grim and exciting tale’ – Sheffield Star
‘There is the tang of the sea and plenty of excitement’ – Birmingham Mail
‘Bears the stamp of authenticity that has so effectively flavoured previous seafaring yarns by this author.’ – Nottingham Evening Post
James Pattinson (1915-2009) was a full-time author who, despite having travelled throughout the world, lived in the remote village where he grew up. He wrote magazine articles, short stories and radio features as well as numerous novels including Crane and The Silent Voyage.… (more)

A Fatal Errand
James Pattinson
★★★★
See at: Google, Amazon.com, 9781549678059

You never know where you’ll end up… John Clayton was touring the world but became involved, somewhat against his will, in guerrilla activities in a small Central American republic, recently taken over by a military junta. After a while he acquired a taste for the life; for the excitement, the danger, and above all for the companionship of the delightful Margarita. However, later the taste was to turn sour as he experienced double-dealing, betrayal, arrest and the threat of a firing squad…
Praise for John Pattinson
'Rip-roaring escapism' - The Times ‘Moves swiftly through coincidence and suspense, action and violence to a wholly unexpected denouement.’ – British Book News ‘A crisp storyline and credible characters make it a cracker of a tale’ - Bolton Evening News James Pattinson (1915-2009) was a full-time author who, despite having travelled throughout the world, lived in the remote village where he grew up. He wrote magazine articles, short stories and radio features as well as numerous novels including Crane and The Silent Voyage.… (more)

We’re not doing this for personal gain; we’re fighting a war.
Clyde Fawley was introduced to guns at an early age by his uncle, Daniel O’Higgins. Uncle Danny saw Clyde as an instrument he could use to carry out the cherished plan that he was now too old to put into action himself. So he let the boy use the armoury and the shooting-range in the basement of his magnificent house in Riverside Drive in New York and took him on hunting trips to his lakeside cabin.
Clyde was an able pupil; he loved the guns and quickly became adept in their use. He also listened to his uncle’s words and fell completely under their spell. All of which the old man noted with satisfaction. For O’Higgins had a dream and Clyde was an essential part of it.
It entailed for Clyde a journey to Dublin and thence to London. And it was there that the dream began to lose its glamour and assume the grisly aspect of a nightmare.
Praise for James Pattinson
‘A crisp storyline and credible characters make it a cracker of a tale’ - Bolton Evening News
James Pattinson was born on December 15, 1915. During World War II, he volunteered for the Royal Artillery in 1939 and was transferred to the maritime army to serve as a gunner on Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships in 1941. After the war, he returned to poultry farming in Norfolk. In 1950, he began working on his first book, Soldier, Sail North, which was published in 1954. During his lifetime, he wrote over 100 books including Last in Convoy, Obituary for Howard Gray, and The Unknown. He died on October 18, 2009 at the age of 93.… (more)