IN spite of pressure from a wide readership, local author Brian John is keeping tight-lipped about the theme of his new novel called 'Guardian Angel', right up to the moment of publication. The book is launched at Newport Boat Club between 2 and 5 pm this Sunday, October 28. All are welcome. The novel, which he refers to as a sequel to the five novels of the Angel Mountain Saga, comes two years aftyer the publication of 'Flying with Angels', in which he killed off his heroine Martha Morgan. Only four people, including the author and his wife, know what this new novel is all about, and all Brian will say is that the story is an allegory, or a sort of fairytale for adults, without the fairies! From the information posted on his web-site, it appears that the tale is shorter than previous novels, and that the heroine is a mysterious 'woman in black' called Susanna Ravenhill, who is pursued by group of armed men through the pages of the book while she is protected by assorted guardian angels, including a mysterious Irishman and the Emperor of China. From the cover of the book, it is clear that Carningli features large in the story, although this time some of the action also occurs in places as far-flung as Merthyr Tydfil and Paris. "In some ways this story will be familiar to fans of the series," said Brian. "But it is also full of surprising twists and turns, and there are many new characters, including a little boy called Merlin Ifans. You may well wonder what he is doing in the story, with a name like that..."
