Pleasantly Disturbed

The late 1980s.

Robin dreams of becoming Jim Kerr, singer in the best band in the world, Simple Minds, despite having no talent whatsoever.

Fliss is a musical genius, perhaps the East Midlands’ answer to Kate Bush, if only she had more confidence.

Until rock stardom inevitably descends upon him, Robin takes a job at the local garage, where for the first time in his life he finds a sense of purpose; while Fliss, pushed by her mother, reluctantly auditions for TV’s biggest talent show and proves an instant hit.

When dozens of fast cars are stolen, old mechanic Vern recruits Robin to help him investigate suspicious goings-on at a derelict railway yard on the edge of Sherwood Forest.

It’s all a bit of a lark until somebody gets killed and Robin and Fliss find themselves entangled in a police investigation.

But does death mean the end of their romantic and musical dreams, or is it only just the beginning?


‘Alive and kicking with big laughs and an even bigger heart.’
-Patrick Kielty

‘Effortlessly evoking its Eighties Midlands setting, Pleasantly Disturbed is a compulsive coming-of-age mystery that packs as many twists as a midnight burn-up across the Peaks with the humour of vintage Smash Hits and, at its core, a love story to rival Gregory’s Girl – all set to a Glittering Prize of a soundtrack. I absolutely loved it.’
- Cathi Unsworth – author of Season of the Witch: The Book of Goth and Weirdo

‘An upbeat love letter to the importance of popular music, Pleasantly Disturbed shows how it can educate and encourage the young to reject the restraints placed upon them by class prejudice and take control of their lives. While this novel shares the broader locations and sentiments of the great Alan Sillitoe, it delivers its story and message with Lee Stuart Evans’s trademark humour and decency. This book will warm your heart. It will also make you chuckle.’
-John King – best-selling author of The Football Factory and Human Punk

‘The world is complicated and cruel, but if I could switch on a button that allows me to come at it with all the guileless good faith that this book’s teenage protagonist does, I’d be just fine. I laughed like a drain and my appreciation of Simple Minds was quadrupled. Magnificent.’
-Pete Paphides – author of the smash hit memoir Broken Greek

‘My favourite funny writer.’
-Harry Hill