Patrick Brighams newest novel tells of a period in the late 80s when a shrewd property dealer could swiftly make a fortune, with huge amounts of cash changing hands, contracts flipped and deals moved on. Although the downside was that you could lose everything just as quickly, it was always a question of timing, because property takes time.
In terms of gambling, property-dealing might have seemed just a little “flutter” to some, but for Mike Mostyne as a struggling estate agent, it was unquestionably about life and death.
With property dealing, you win some and you lose some, but what is more important is being alive at the end. And the end? Oh, that? That is usually caused by a government hiccup when the entire economy crashes through the floor and takes everyone with it!
Meanwhile, Mike Mostyne has other things to get on with. Firstly, an ugly divorce from his wife Lavender. Secondly, getting access to his son Mark, and thirdly, he also needs someone to love. London in the 80s was full of bars, music venues and clubs and with a bit of spare cash, Mike now becomes embroiled in new and unfamiliar relationships, and has affairs with a variety of women, most of whom are quite unsuitable and even quite treacherous.
As his new life changes, things begin to happen around him, and well before the Good Friday Agreement, a few dubious Irish Republicans are known to roam the streets of London, and MI5 wants to know who they are. As an estate agent, Mike Mostyne makes the perfect spook and is approached by them to help them with their search in West London for dangerous terrorists.
Patrick Brigham Live 