Professionally reviewed by Wymanette L. Castaneda at Discovery.
Loved it! We never rob, we just borrow a bit from those who can afford it-The Bedford Heist by Frederick Linden-Wyatt.
SYNOPSIS.
The Bedford Heist is based on a leading Prison Counsellor who after 20 plus years of service tires of
dealing with Britain’s problems daily, changes sides and pulls off a deadly but clever heist bringing
the market town of Bedford to its knees. Over the years, he had seen good and bad laws passed by
both the Labour and the Conservative parties, and even when a party had a huge majority of MPs,
they still didn’t make significant changes to how the country was being run. The rich continued to
get richer, and the poor get poorer, and essential matters such as the NHS, education and public
protection never got any better. The Bedford Heist target readership would be…. People who live-in
or around Bedford. Prison Officers. detainees or their family or anyone who is tired of seeing Britain
going downhill.
“I feel my wings have broken in your hands; I see the world has folded in your heart. And all my
dreams have fallen” (Somebody Save Me by Remo Zero). After two life altering events rock the life of
Lucas A. Payne, he feels these words to the depth of his very being, in The Bedford Heist by Frederick
Linden-Wyatt.
Lucas was a big brother to an autistic brother and helped in his brother's care after their father left them, when he was but six years old. He went to university and served his country by joining the army. He was also very lucky to meet and wed the love of his life. He would probably refer to himself as a typical English gentleman aged 53, good-looking, etc. Up until recently, he was a prison counsellor for over 20 years. But the daily grind of dealing with problems that never seem to have a plausible solution just got to be overwhelming. Still reeling from the death of his wife and the loss of the aforementioned job provides the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. And he begins to hatch a plan guaranteed to bring the town of Bedford to its knees.
Have you been fed up with the system? Had it up to here with injustice and just basically felt
disillusioned with the status quo? The author Frederick Linden-Wyatt has created a protagonist that
decides he isn’t going to take it lying down anymore. Instead of just complaining about it, he has devised a plan of action. And what action! Payne has a plan very well organized and thought out. Only the best criminal masterminds to help him on his quest to uncover what's wrong with society today.
One thing I appreciated above all else was the attention to detail that both the author and his
character Lucas Payne pay attention to. The author mentions a myriad of societal woes that include
rape in prison, drugs in the prison system, bullying, austerity, Brexit, non-dom status, not to mention
greedy companies that don't care about the common man or women. But with each problem
mentioned there is a wealth of research information provided to back up what is said. And of course, Payne, like his creator, is very detailed in planning of a fool proof heist that involves six teams, six banks, control of the traffic lights, mobile phones with interchangeable Sim cards, and don’t forget the untraceable debit cards.
In the book Payne and his ‘associates’ compare themselves to Robin Hood. A legend that robbed the rich to give to the poor. Enjoy Frederick Linden-Wyatt’s very on Robin Hood in The Bedford Heist (it’s for, anyone who is tired of seeing Britain going downhill).