There are some books I come back to time and again over the years. Books that fit a chapter of life that demands familiarity, nostalgia and the ease that comes with effortlessly enjoying an old favourite. Often it’s not my original copy I find myself reading, but a charity shop replacement for a lost, eagerly gifted or loaned-never-returned book. I reckon I’m on my fifth copy of The Ginger Man, and that’s a lucky find first edition so there will be a sixth next time I happen upon it on some dusty charity shop shelf.

Now I’m not talking mind and mood enhancing spirituality, religion or health themed tomes. These are an eclectic selection that form part of a library that has travelled mentally, if not always physically, with me for nearly 40 years. Starting with Brideshead Revisited and Gullivers travels (unabridged), and taking in On the road, My wicked wicked ways (Errol Flynn), The Mortdecai trilogy (Kyril Bonfiglioli), Treat it gentle (Sidney Bechet), Regeneration, The Iliad, Ballad of the sad cafe, Never a normal man (Daniel Farson), Whitsun weddings and many more. Nothing from Paulo Coehlo mind- nada!

It’s the variety of personalities, styles and individual voices of these authors that means there’s always one to complement the mood of the moment. Broadly speaking they provide a mixture of romantic fantasy, bawdy storytelling, stark life affirming melancholia, whatever it is I need to accompany me at the time. Others beautifully evoke times and place’s I’ve partly or never experienced but which draw me into alternative worlds as a witness in the corner. Which brings me to Mirrorhead written by Diego Garcia.

Mirrorhead is a romping, drum pounding, horn-wailing carnival of a rum-soaked tale that pulls you from scene to character to scene, and never quite let’s you off until the final page is closed. As this summer in Turkey draws slowly to an end there are still enough dog-tiring hot days followed by the orchestra of crickets and tree frogs throughout the night to provide a apt soundtrack to Garcia’s sweltering Caribbean story. This is the third time of reading Mirrorhead for me. Nostalgic over past travels to the Caribbean and Central America led me to the bookshelf, a glass of Havana Club and the soundtrack of Benny More in a back room just loud enough to trick my subconscious into a displacement of era and place.

The plot revolves around the fortunes of a number of characters, primarily Sonny, Mo, Caitlin and Eli. All well written personas with their own distinct voices that relay the story at pace from their point of view and keeping the rhythm fast and tight. The story is set in Duende, a Caribbean island you may struggle to find in your atlas but with a familiarity from literature and travel many will recognise. The 1930’s timeline shades the plot beautifully in a sun- baked noir of vintage crackling dialogue, ill lit tune-filled speakeasy’s and hooch fuelled adventure.

The characters are involved in a plot to overturn the corrupt dealings of the villainous dictator Secundo Deschamps, backed by larger murkier forces, and his exploitation of this “speck in the powder blue waters of the Caribbean” and the resulting hardships of the locals. There’s something of the Graham Greene about plot and location though with a bump and grind the sainted GG wasn’t a noted devotee of in print.

This is no turgid grind through banana republic politics, though it mirrors and reflects events throughout history including the latest calamities hitting economies across the world, where the poor get poorer and the super rich prosper at their expense. Mirrorhead has a wry humourous vein running through it and a spicy musical backdrop maintaining the tropical air. I hate to condemn a book with a trite suggestion as this is quality writing, but this is a marvellous holiday read, whether slumped in a shaded balcony camping chair as the sun hits the mid 30’s (me- today) or on a wet weekend on the sofa. Garcia’s writing subtly takes you with Sonny et al into their story of hard knocks, triumphs, tribulations and tropical shenanigans. Like all great books you live the location as you turn the pages.

As I read the book there came that all important point where I was became invested in the fortunes of each character, their tales and fate being of utmost importance to me. So as I always do with great books I end up carrying it around the flat trying to keep up with the story as if I’d miss anything by closing it. A good feeling, but inevitably a book that can’t be put down becomes water wrinkled, booze soaked, crumb grease staining the pages, scuffed from being thrown at house-lurking vermin and a large splash of blood from last nights knife fight. Such are the fortunes of a coveted book in the den of vice E and I maintain out here.

Music is an important part of this book and there’s an excellent soundtrack to the story available online. The author provides links to his website and soundtrack to the book plus a compilation of the exquisitely chosen tunes that add flavour to Mirrorhead throughout. https://el-roy.wixsite.com/barakuka/video

The author, Diego Garcia, is the nom-de-plume of the very talented Gram Hullett who’s been putting out his own brand of excellent music and writing for quite some time now. There’s a genre of literature obsessed with the idea of Lost books and this is a book that deserves to be read by a wider audience. Hopefully Señor Hullett has more books in him to accompany this one.

As I read this spicy, thrumming story of fast paced action & dry humour I can’t help but be aware of the always present wake up call to the cyclical destructive actions of the worlds wielders of power. The book was first published around 2014 when recession was already in place and the future uncertain. Once again the world struggles with war and crashed economy’s and this adds a contemporary tone to this tale. At the same time, the anarchic and life loving characters provide a reminder of how the “little person” can revolt and triumph just by hustling through the bullshit and making the best of the days and nights. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.

Mirrorhead by Diego Garcia is available on Kindle and as a paperback through Amazon. Yeah I know- hardly upsetting the status quo using one of the worlds biggest exploitative companies as a platform but sometimes you’ve got to swim with sharks to get to the places where you’re heard. An excellent book that deserves another time in the sun. Viva Garcia.