Did My Father Play Guitar?

By Roy Jenner

Brad Mason had never known a father’s love. Whenever he raised the question his mother’s answer was always the same. ‘He was a good man.’ Tilly Mason was a hooker on Kings Cross. Brad left Sydney on her death to seek seclusion in the outback. Trees, a paddock, a stream, no electricity, and no people he was able to fulfil his dream; play guitar and paint. His landscapes were good. Lester Arnold, an ex-patriot Nashville musician, recognised the potential of Brad’s paintings and displayed his work in his steak-house. Success created new friends for Brad. He was welcomed into a world of country music, romance and intrigue. Tilly Mason the name of Brad’s father.S Laurie Mason was on late shift when attracted by smoke billowing from a boarding house. He entered the burning building and rescued a young woman, leaving her on the road, as he tried to save her companion. Tilly Mason watched as firemen carried Laurie from the blaze and was by his bed the day the bandages were removed from his sixty five per cent burns. She was not repulsed by the synthetic mask that was his face. For Laurie the prospect of rehabilitation was long, but Tilly was there and supported him. Tilly continued to work at her profession, but stood by Laurie, and fell in love. When she lay with him she saw only the beauty within, but would not give up her profession and continued to do what she did best. Laurie grew strong enough to re-enter the work force. His reputation as a police officer bore him in good stead for a position with a security company. His daily routine saw him responsible for the collection of large sums of money. Life continued to be cruel for Laurie, but acceptable he lost the one thing in the world he cared about. Tilly died and left a legacy that tested his emotions to the full. She revealed she’d had a son by him many years before; her only child. The boy had no knowledge of his father. His name was Brad, a young man, running from life, grieving over a lost mother and yearning for a father he didn’t have. Laurie Anderson was a ruin of a man, inspired by the search for his son. They were two torn individuals, each a vital character in a twisting tale of romance and intrigue. Enter Nick Burgess, a Sydney property developer renowned for his orchestrated failure of investment companies, but well-engineered legal representation had seen him defy conviction. As a law-enforcer it was Laurie’s personal crusade to bring Burgess down. Laurie set up a meeting and used the developer’s greed to invite Burgess into an elaborate money-making scheme. Laurie convinced the man nothing could go wrong. Something did go wrong. Laurie Anderson, a senior security officer was convicted of theft as a servant. He walked free three years later to find Nick Burgess and his team of thugs waiting for him. There followed a battle of wits as the authorities and Nick Burgess competed for the millions of dollars missing four years before. Brad Mason was coming to terms with life. He was no longer as alone. The time he spent with Lester Arnold and his wife Alice became special. They welcomed him into their circle where the joy of country music opened up a new world to him. Lester explained how music was an hereditary trait. Brad was forced to ask of himself – “Did my father play guitar?” An innocent question to which he would be handed the answer, once Laurie Anderson had settled his score with Nick Burgess.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roy Jenner
• Release date: Aug 25, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465772596

Roy Jenner

Roy Jenner is the author of fourteen novels such as this one. Each reflects his experiences as he travelled the world from his homeland of London England to eventually settle in the Antipodes and make Auckland New Zealand his home.  Each page of each book is flavoured with the knowledge and understanding of life’s experiences gleaned along the way. Three years service with Her Majesty’s armed forces prepared him for life away from the docklands of London’s East End, where he was born, to taste the arid and vital atmosphere of Egypt and its controversial Suez Canal Zone where he served two years on active service. Forty years in the meat industry were superseded by twenty years of equal success in the real estate sales.   He was thrilled in later years to become involved with the magic of Nashville and Memphis Tennessee and venture into the challenges of the Australian Outback, being always pleased to return  to the security of his home in New Zealand. A strong family man he has four sons, eight grandsons, three granddaughters and now five great grand children. He continues to write for your pleasure.