No Time For A Retreat — Paul Smith

Barrington and Alan both wanted to take a break and separately checked in to the 'Retreat'. Their break was more exciting than they expected when they met a spirit hiding in a drinks machine and were then told by an attractive and enigmatic woman that they had a very important duty to perform. Another visitor to the Retreat, Nikolas, is embroiled in the adventure. He was not in the master plan but nobody told him so he went anyway. "Unlikely saviours," Dole said, "they look like wimps to me." The story is deeply spiritual and asks questions about the very nature of our existence. These are questions that every thinking person has asked at some time. "An enjoyable read which makes you think about the things that are important in life. Deeply philosophical and quite funny in places. I liked Dole; he was a real character." The Reading Group.