The summer of 1949 changes everything for Andy and his three best friends. That is the summer they find an unexploded bomb buried in the hill where they ride their bikes. Faced with the choice of whether or not to reveal their discovery, the boys take a blood oath that will change their lives forever. Set against a crisply realised backdrop of post-war Britain, this explosive story of boyhood camaraderie follows the four friends as they confront the issues that have set their country, their community, and their lives ablaze.
“It convinces wholly”- Jan Mark, author of Riding Tycho
Read the full review of Time Bomb on The Guardian here.
What Nigel says:
Time Bomb started when I was sitting in my car waiting for traffic lights to change. Out of nowhere a sentence came to me: “I’ve never told this story to anyone because when I was twelve I swore an oath in blood that I would never tell it”.
It’s a sentence which begs a lot of questions. Who is “I”? Why did he swear an oath in blood when he was twelve? How old is he now? Why can he tell his story now? What happened?
I set about answering those questions and the whole story began to emerge. And that original sentence is the first line of the book.
Looking for your next read? Check out more of Nigel’s books here.