Book 1

Catalyst

by Michael Knaggs

Published 2 January 2014

When three brothers, the leaders of a brutal gang, are lured to an isolated street and shot dead by a mysterious stranger, the subsequent euphoria on the estate where they lived is picked up by the national press.

Tom Brown, an MP for the Opposition Party, whose constituency includes the estate, seizes the opportunity to exploit the story. Having built a reputation as a champion of law and order, he leads the crusade to implement a New Justice Regime with several supporters in tow, including local campaigner George Holland who embarks on a tour of the country to rally support for radical change. There are those who steadfastly oppose these reforms, one individual being Tom’s wife Maggie, a high-profile Human Rights activist.

Their relationship suffers badly during his campaign, a situation which pushes him dangerously closer to Grace, his assistant. When the killer is eventually caught and sentenced to life imprisonment, the gang sets out for revenge, targeting George for his outspoken condemnation of their activities and uncompromising proposals for their demise. They descend in large numbers on the quiet village where he lives, armed and ready to kill, and the resulting event is dubbed ‘The Meadow Village Massacre’ across the national papers. Meanwhile, Party Leader Andrew Donald is pursuing his own agenda…

This intriguing novel, the first of the Hotel St Kilda books, contains themes of politics, crime and the military with family drama at its heart, creating a wide appeal for readers both young and old.


Book 2

Heaven's Door

by Michael Knaggs

Published 28 November 2014
The public demand for radical change in law and order in the wake of a catalytic event on a tough East London estate featured in Catalyst, the first book in the 'Hotel St Kilda' Trilogy. Now with the second installment, Heaven’s Door, we rejoin the story as the new government, who swept to power off the back of the public’s appetite for reform, start to assert their control. The new measures for addressing street crime include lifetime banishment for worst offenders, a popular development which receives widespread support, and which Tom Brown, the Home Secretary, decides to extend to cover other serious crimes. Although he meets strong opposition to this change, he steadfastly pushes it through. Then, at the zenith of his political achievement, and just when he seems reconciled with his family, his decision backfires. His private and political lives collide dramatically and Tom is faced with a devastating choice which, either way, will lead to personal tragedy. Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Jo Cottrell and a former colleague, David Gerrard, begin looking into the circumstances that led to this situation and uncover unexpected liaisons which raise a number of questions…