Paul de-Freece is a ruthless, arrogant, self-made multi-millionaire who, on a visit to a gentlemans club in Birmingham's City centre, meets and falls in love with a stunningly beautiful high class prostitute, Davina Galliers. A charismatic and devastatingly handsome man, he's been used to women falling at his feet, but has never found true love. Until now. He becomes so obsessed with Davina that he takes his eye off his business empire with catastrophic results. Even an eventual knighthood can't save him.Charles Buckingham was a high ranking executive in de-Freece's empire but has resigned, breaking away in an attempt to make it on his own, by opening a private nursing home with his wife Sara, a highly qualified nurse.
De-Freece, later Sir Paul, is furious and considers it the ultimate betrayal, so sets out to bankrupt Charles' fledgling business. Charles discovers this, but is it too late?
The laws of chance might have it that either may succeed.
Buckingham's PA, Angie Jones, manages to escape her murderous, psychopathic husband, Griffith, who regularly beats their six year old son, David. Having unearthed his paedophilia involving Davids twin sister Rhiannon, she flees with her family. Griffith is incandescent with rage and determined to find them. But will he? Chance may decree he just might.
Sir Paul's wife, the vivacious Lady Caroline, is oblivious to her husband's infidelity and totally immersed in the running of their business empire especially as she is planning an audacious bid for one of the UK's most prestigious motor manufacturers - Rolls Royce. Convinced of success, she invests their entire fortune.
Set in England and Wales, a life-changing, roller coaster period between February 1996 and December 1997, witnesses vicious drug dealers, violent casino and brothel owners and revengeful business associates all playing their part in this highly charged, fast-paced thriller.
Then the biggest jackpot in Camelot's history is announced, by which time all of them are desperate for money.
Each buy tickets but will one of them scoop a massive win?
They have as much chance as anyone!
"Chance" : Prologue
November 1997
Angie Jones is comforting her six year old son, David, who has suffered yet another beating by his father Griffith. He is now lying on the stone flagged kitchen floor of their cottage having been rendered unconscious by Angie. She has been joined by Rhiannon, Davids twin sister and, in an attempt to deflect their attention away from the current mayhem, has taken them through to the living room to watch the results of the UK's biggest lottery on TV.It is it's 4th anniversary and the jackpot is rumoured to exceed £50 million. They watch as the first ball rolls out of it's shute - a six. And Angie clutches her ticket praying for a miracle.
Sir Paul de-Freece is sitting in his Bentley on the hard shoulder of the M5 motorway having been pulled over by a motorcycle traffic cop and told that his wife has collapsed at their mansion. His engine has been switched off and the onboard TV monitor has flickered into life. The 4th anniversary of the National Lottery is being broadcast and he hears the compere shout out the first number - a six.He wonders whether he has a winning ticket. Little does he know just how significant that would be. He'll soon find out!
Charles Buckingham is at the point of no return. His private nursing home business is close to collapse and everything he owns is about to be re-possessed or claimed by his creditors. He glances around the sumptuous lounge of his beautiful home perhaps for the last time and takes another draught of red wine, groaning at the same time at the television. He is a bag of nerves and impatient for the lottery draw to start, hoping fervently he will win something - anything! He is desperate for money. His ticket has become damp from the perspiration in his hand. The first ball rolls out - a six.Independent review :
This novel is written in a style that entices the reader into wanting to keep turning the pages as the story continuously oscillates between five main characters, each of them defined as they are introduced. The reader, however, never loses track of what is happening to all five in the same snapshot of time and, as the story unfolds, it emerges, ever clearer, that each character is being inexorably drawn down the road to failure - or worse!
As this becomes more apparent, so the reader decides which favourite character deserves to win a, potentially, massive sum of money on offer in the 4th anniversary of the British national lottery.
But they will have to wait until the end to discover the eventual fate of all concerned
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Hello there,I'm Dick james (the small "j" is deliberate by the way) and "Chance" is my first novel.
Interwoven into this predominantly fictional story are many of my real life experiences. It makes for an interesting weave.
"Chance" is ideal for shortening an otherwise boring or long haul flight, reading by the pool or on a beach.
I hope you enjoy immersing yourself in its twisting turning narrative.
And please don't hesitate in contacting me at dickjamesauthor@aol.com to tell me what you thought of it. Good or bad, I can take both!
These two are my sons and I am immensely proud of them. Jonathan on the left has just
turned 24, having obtained a 1st at Coventry University in Automotive Design. He also designed the cover of "Chance".Sam has just celebrated his 21st birthday and is in his second year studying business and economics at Cardiff University.
They are both on whom I based Rupert and George Buckingham in "Chance".
And how can I forget to include this fella below. This is George, my golden lab, with a couple of friends, "Big Bear" and "Scottie Dog". George was born on February 11th 1998 and I took him home seven weeks later. There is really only one word to sum him up - georgeous!
His father was a show champion, golden in colour
and his mother a gentle beauty in black.George was one of seven in the litter and the plumpest! Always first to the large, communal dinner bowl and usually ending up sitting in it, he would make sure he got his share!
He's inherited his fathers good looks and his mothers wonderful temperament - there's not a nasty bone in his body.
A great friend and loved to bits by all.
And so to a bit about me - Dick james.
I was born on June 10th 1949 in Narborough, Leicestershire to Audrey and Len. In 1952, we moved to Shirley, near Solihull in what was then the county of Warwickshire - now West Midlands. That year my younger brother, David, was born.Educated privately, I left school at 17 to pursue a career in advertising working in agencies before joining "Autocar" magazine. In 1973, I was asked to join a new BMW dealership which had been granted the franchise the previous year. Much of what happened next is, to a degree, chronicled in "Chance" so I won't repeat it here. Suffice it to say, I learnt a lot about the motor industry and the nursing home business - warts and all!!
My mother was taken from us at the premature age of just 59 in 1981, succumbing to a stroke. She had fought and beaten cancer over the previous 5 years, despite suffering two mastectomies and regular 3 month checks. Once she had been given the all clear she was a different person, all the worry gone and was planning her trip with my father to the Bahamas to celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary when she was struck down. I still desperately miss her.
My father is now 86 and re-married to Jill since 1987. Following being de-mobbed as a Wing Commander from the RAF after the Second World War, he became a postman before landing a job at the Dunlop Rubber Company, loading tyres on lorries at their Aston depot. 20 years later he was invited to join the board of directors and 5 years after that was head hunted by Automotive Products ( manufacturers of vehicle gearboxes and brakes) and appointed global Sales and Marketing Director. Very proud of him, I am too. A wonderful man.
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