MEN OF CONVICTION
Lionel Ross, in his fourth novel, tells the story of three young men released from prison in Manchester on the same day after serving short sentences. The first man is a burglar who had a terrible upbringing due to the fact that his mother, who was 15 when he was born, hated him and blamed HIM for ruining her life. The second man is a Muslim from a wealthy home but one where the father, who was born in Pakistan, never stopped pontificating about the decadent way of life of this country. The boy grew up with the sole ambition of turning the United Kingdom into the Caliphate of Britannia. The third young man was Jewish and his ultra-orthodox father never let him learn about anything other than how to study the holy books. Married at 20 he eventually committed a fraud when desperate for money to feed his family.
The real story starts with their release and charts their activities for the next ten years. During this time their lives almost touch but they are never aware of this. Not until they meet again when the story reaches a terrifying climax!
The Story Behind This Book
I wanted to write another thriller but this time with some strong socialogical ideas embedded. All three of my main characters are scarred by their upbringing in totally different but equally disastrous ways. As a result I have been interviewed on websites as far a way as Pakistan on the subjects of integrating into UK society and the dangerous radicalisation of Muslim youth.