13:55 Eastern Standard Time

13:55 Eastern Standard Time, is quite different from Nick Alexander's 50 Reasons series of novels centred on the loveable character Mark. This can be read as a collection of short stories, but it actually builds up into a complex and fascinating tapestry of lives and interconnections. It all starts when a disgruntled factory worker in China, more concerned about her private life, knowingly passes a batch of defective iPods as OK. The second story then moves to the USA as we follow the course of the defective iPods. As the subsequent stories follow on, we see how seemingly simple, sometimes deliberate, often innocent actions have far reaching consequences, at times good, but at others bad or even tragic, and how individuals can affect the lives of others who may or may not be in any way connected, often continents apart. As geographically the successive stories take us around the world, the range of characters is also diverse, from struggling workers in China to successful and wealthy celebrities in the West, and an array of individuals and families or couples in between, and unsurprisingly with Nick Alexander, straight and gay characters. Some are likeable, even endearing, others we quite happily observe as they receive their comeuppance. Some characters we encounter just the once, others we return to again and again. An entertaining and thought-provoking read. Also check out other books by Nick Alexander.

Paperback, 168 Pages, Published 2007