But he’s a good character to watch the world through the eyes of. And the characters he meets along the way… well they all change him in their own unique way. Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth

It moves fast, skipping through years and focusing on the big events in our history, namely the World Wars. We see the USA and most of Europe at various times and it is a nice little introduction for readers who might want to delve further into our world history.The positives for this story are in its secondary character development and in the direct foreshadowing offered as occasional bridges between scenes, characters, and time periods. I also found the historical period details and descriptive recounting of certain scenes and locations where the story takes place, very satisfying. The sense of place is consistently strong, and that always earns points.

The two men find themselves in a desperate race against time to find the murderer before any more people die. A race that will take them from the murky world of the East End to the even more shady world of the Victorian upper classes. The characters are wonderful; not just Willow, but her new found companion Ruby, the mysterious Raven and Rev. Goddard. All of these come across as three dimensional and, good or bad, they are believable.A riveting and heart-breaking tale, simply and elegantly written in the first person, which puts a new spin on the classic themes of the immortality tale. All in all, a victory for the author. His characterisation of the two protagonists is sublime, and we see their weaknesses as well as their obvious strenghts (especially Boswell's love of booze which is used at times for a bit of comic relief from all the mystery and horror. Only after many years did he come to realize the truth. The truth about himself and his unique condition. He finally found the medic. The medic had become an old man. He was dying. How had that happened? Richard Ayre gives us Rob Deakin, a young man who has been blessed with eternal life. Or is it a curse? With descriptive, imaginative, spellbinding writing Richard takes us on Rob’s life journey to discover for ourselves if this “gift” Rob has received is a blessing or a curse. An emotional journey for sure as I cheered for Rob, felt sorrow, empathy, anger and love for him. I easily connected with and truly cared about him. Then we have the mysterious Medic, the true friend Jonathon Greene, the alluring Molly, the beautiful and wise Madeleine, the endearing Pearl, and many other wonderful characters that bring richness and depth to this story.

From the trenches of the Somme to the tranquillity of a rich English country estate; from the gangsters and molls of Prohibition New York City to the decadent nightlife of Weimar Berlin, Rob Deakin struggles to come to terms with the gift that helped him survive the trenches, while hunting a quarry both elusive and mysterious. During this journey he attracts love and death in equal – and equally devastating – measures. This is a psychological study as well as a journey through the ages. It’s a sociological study as well. Rob’s experiences change him, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. It’s interesting to follow along and to wonder what turn he’s going to make next. It makes one wonder what they would do in his situation. Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-life-eternal-richard-ayre/1137644772?ean=9781912946099 It's hard to give this story a genre; if pushed I would call it a thriller with a slice of grounded sci-fi. If you enjoy either of these then this book is for you. Whatever the genre is, though, it is simply all you could want from a book; something to take you out of the ordinary and the mundane and transport you into a world populated by characters you'll love (and hate).I started this book as I usually do, right before bed. I generally read for an hour or so then fall asleep around 9:30-10:00-ish. I stayed up till 1:30 in the morning that first night, then read all the next day (even though I read a LOT, I'm a pretty slow reader much to my annoyance). I read this every chance I got until about the 70% mark when I stopped. I didn't want it to end. I loved it so much I didn't want to continue because that would mean I had finished it and would no longer be experiencing it for the first time. Does that make sense? My husband said that made no sense, lol.

Great story. A believable character, flawed but in the end loving person. The story was well thought out and in the end was good enough to bring tears to my eyes a couple of times; that makes it a good book. I was left wanting to know what happened to him did he die, did he get treatment what?? The protagonist of the novel, Rob Deakin experiences life and love and death in equal measure. Each experience shaping and changing him, the indestructible life force within him changing and hardening his attitude towards humanity. And bringing him to a life long resolution that is poignant and well considered. I usually try very hard to find something good to say about everything I read. I don’t believe there really are any “bad books.” A Life Eternal may have me revise that opinion. This is not just another trite tale or formulaic adventure; it has clearly been written by someone with a particular story they want to tell, and Richard Ayre’s passion to tell it well is evident throughout. I found myself easily carried along on the main character’s incredible journey, sharing his experiences and emotions. The author’s knowledge as a history teacher also shines through, and Ayre is able to deftly summarise the stark realities of key events of the twentieth century through the eyes of his protagonist in a way that’s always plausible and interesting. And if the sense of time is – quite rightly – the star of the show, the sense of place also deserves a mention. From the wilds of Northumberland to New York, Paris, London and Berlin, and from those big cities to the remotest corners of Scotland, all of these environments are portrayed brilliantly.Before reading it, the idea of living forever, not growing old and not having to think about the inconvenience of dying seemed like it would be a perfect existence. It was one of those books that made me forget I was reading - it was that well crafted and involving. It wouldn’t take him long to discover that the medic he met had imparted eternal life to him. He would never age and he would never die. He emigrated to America where he was involved in running rum during prohibition. He knew that he must keep traveling to hide his condition. He saw that people kept their distance from him. He pretended that it did not bother him and pretty soon, he began to realize that it really did not bother him. Through the years, he saw much of the world. He did many jobs. He learned several languages. He found lust and he found love. So I'm a huge horror fan. It's my go-to genre. I love the adrenaline, I love the seemingly neverending fought against Evil and how all these characters overcome their plight. It seems the more intense the horror, the greater the cottage too overcome... But like with all good things you need a break. I wanted something to warm my heart, bring treats to my eyes, and yet keep my attention and interest. This book did just that.