The latest St Neots Waterstones book reviews

Published:
11:00 a.m. May 8, 2022

Noah’s Gold by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight, both reviewed by Teresa Knight.

The Office of Premonitions – Sam Knight

In 1966, a psychiatrist named John Barker created the Bureau of Premonitions. In a true-life story worthy of the X Files, author Sam Knight investigates Barker and the paranormal and in particular those people who claimed to see the future.

Throughout his work, John Barker accumulated hundreds of correspondents and formed a network of contributors to his Office, two of his “percipients” in particular, it seems, had uncanny abilities to forecast and predict. future events, including the chilling death of John Baker himself.

Sam Knight has meticulously investigated these true life events and given us a fascinating and tantalizing look at the spirit and the power it can hold.

You will be quite amazed and deeply intrigued by this captivating book, it presents an insightful and astonishing account of coincidence and fate and the very human need to “know”, especially when disaster strikes. The truth, it seems, really lies elsewhere…

Noah’s Gold – Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Noah’s Gold by Frank Cottrell-Boyce
– Credit: Waterstones

Imagine if you will that you are a little boy who has smuggled into a school bus carrying older children including your older sister.

Imagine that on this geography field trip, satellite navigation tricks you and you and your classmates end up on a deserted island.

Imagine the teacher has gone missing and the internet is completely broken (which is sort of your fault!) and you’ve just found a treasure map leading to the gold.

So that’s the premise of Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s book and it’s a delightful and charming book. Noah is a wonderful hero and guide throughout the book as he and his compatriots investigate and explore the mysterious island overcoming hungry gannets and possible banshee sightings!

Told through a series of letters (you don’t need the internet for that, you see) this funny and joyful book is aimed at 9-12 year olds. Who knows, they may also be inspired to find gold!