An absorbing novel centred on motor sport in the 1970s – Reviewed by Kim Henson.
Title: The Test (Testing Times)
Author: Jeremy Walton
Published by: Independently published
320 pages; paperback
Price: £7.00 UK
ISBN-10: 1976989779
ISBN-13: 9781976989773
How to Buy: Shop in Amazon UK-books-Jeremy Walton-The Test
(Average customer review 4.5 out of 5 stars, eight customer reviews).
National problems and politics aside, in terms of motor cars, rock/pop music and the exhilarating side of life, the early 1970s were great years for many in which to grow up in Britain. Add the excitement – and very real dangers – involved in motor racing at that time, plus an endearing romantic angle, and there is an excellent recipe for a gripping fictional thriller…
…In this case the author who has skilfully mixed together these evocative ingredients to create a very tasty dish is Jeremy Walton, who is highly experienced in terms of motor sport and cars in general, and is an accomplished and well-respected writer of many factual motoring books plus multitudes of magazine and website articles.
His well-written atmospheric tale, ‘The Test’ tells of the lows and highs of a young racing driver starting at ground level, working hard to impress and make his way into the big league of motor racing, around 47 years ago. However the story line is also cleverly interwoven with comprehensively detailed and thoroughly believable accounts surrounding the intrigue of the power struggles that could have operated within motor sport at that time, plus the dirty deeds of a number of ‘baddies’, also the heartening trust in, and love for, the story’s hero shown by a young lady.
Although the story is fictional, it could easily have been portraying much of true life in the motor racing world at that time, and no doubt the author’s own years in motor sport helped inspire/provide the raw materials for many anecdotes built into it. In any event it is graphically and exquisitely detailed, with many aspects based on the sorts of events that did take place.
I am not going to spoil the account for those who may wish to buy and read this book (and I encourage you to do so), but suffice to say that it is exciting and thoroughly readable, and it had this reviewer enjoying its pages through late nights and early mornings until there were no more pages to read!
VERDICT
Racy in every sense, imaginatively and comprehensively descriptive (fully engaging the reader and taking them into the heart of each scenario), and accurate in terms of recalling the atmosphere of the early 1970s, it is also irreverent and humorous when appropriate.
