Cross-posted from Arts & EntertainmentOK, now I've got your attention, let me clarify that I'm talking about the
suspected murder of a fictional character, in a book.
I'm looking for a handful of people who have a good knowledge of bike racing and would be willing to read the near-final draft of a novel, in which the leader of the Tour de France dies in suspicious circumstances, and (gently) let me know if I've made any silly mistakes in my accounts of racing in the 1960s-70s, before I hand it over to the professionals for pre-publication editing.
The story isn't about cycle sport as such - it's actually about searching for truth and then being unsure how to respond when it's found - but several of the principal characters are pro cyclists and so there are several chapters that include detailed accounts of imaginary races, either to progress the plot or illustrate their characters.
I've followed races and read numerous biographies and other books about racing, but I've never raced myself. So, while I've tried to reflect what I think goes on in the peloton and off the bike, my nightmare is that I'm published and a week later somebody pops up to point out a glaring trivial mistake (e.g. "everyone knows that Belgian riders in the 1970s NEVER wore white socks") that undermines the entire book's credibility.
It's a chunky book - 115,000 words (a typical paperback is about 90,000) but I've been told by those who've already read it that it's a page-turner and the descriptions of races are 'more interesting than expected'. It's also been longlisted for a number of 'first novel' awards. I'm afraid all I can offer by way of recompense is my thanks, a credit in the published book and (of course) a free copy! But you will at least know the ending before everyone else
If you're interested, please DM me or reply here, as you prefer. I can send it as a standard PDF or in a larger type version that works better on Kindles.
Thanks
Rob
