Forethoughts: Pocket Notebook by Mike Thomas

It’s not every day that one gets to pick up a novel penned by a serving police officer. But today is that day as I begin my journey through Pocket Notebook (William Heinemann), the debut novel from bona fide bobby, Mike Thomas. Before I do start reading it though, I thought I’d offer up a few forethoughts on it.

First off I should really tell you a little bit about the book, shouldn’t I?. And probably the best way of doing that is to give you a run down on the official synopsis (because it was after all the very thing that got me hooked on wanting to read the novel in the first place):

Meet Jacob Smith. Your good-old British policeman. The sort revered around the world. But Jacob’s no ordinary ‘tit-wearing’ beat bobby. He’s a tactical firearms officer – a handsome, popular, financially secure specialist, no less. He’s also married, with two children; a connoisseur of fine cinema, who also enjoys the occasional hit from his expansive collection of do-it-yourself ‘art’ DVDs (the latest of which was ‘borrowed’ from a flat during a drugs warrant); an amateur historian, with a keen interest in the Vietnam War. And he does like to keep himself in shape, hence the rather large steroid habit – and the even larger amount of money he owes to his dealer. And did we mention he’s partial to women’s feet? That the local shoe shop is his lap-dance palace? And the girlfriend, his little Christmas treat to himself, who’s desperately trying to shrug him off now it’s the New Year? Or what about his parents – do we really need to go there?

And now the his family and friends are starting to worry about our Jake … and his police superiors are increasingly taking notice of the way he conducts himself. As you can see, Jake’s a very busy boy. And his life is about to get a lot more complicated…

So what did you get out of that then dear reader? Personally, in what must definitely be a ‘bloke thing’, the very mention of Jacob Smith being a ‘tactical firearms officer’ tends to get my juices flowing. It’s not that I’m some kind of gun crazy obsessive. Rather, I’m intrigued by the ‘exotic’ nature of such a job. A tactical firearms officer on its own may be one thing, but a tactical firearms officer who has an addiction to steroids? Can’t sustained use of those things unhinge a person somewhat? Emmm..interesting! From the synopsis it also looks like Smith may be a bit of an over confident gigolo too, and he’s married with kids? I can see a few fireworks coming from that direction. Lastly, his superiors are beginning to take notice of his behaviour? What’s he doing in order to attract their attention? And aren’t firearms officers meant to be the most level-headed of all officers in the police force, noted for keeping their minds firmly on the job at hand?

So the promise of an exciting reading experience appears to be there, as the journey forward through this novel looks to be primed with multiple ‘flashpoints’ which no doubt all contribute to Smith’s fall from grace. The blurb is definitely a winner for me but what about aesthetics?

Well of course, the first thing that strikes you when you first see Pocket Notebook, is its amazing cover. The creation of artist Willie Ryan, it’s not difficult for fans of Anthony Burgess’ The Clockwork Orange to work out exactly where Ryan got his inspiration from. The artwork may well closely resemble David Pelham’s iconic 80s cover for Burgess’ dystopian novel, but I think we can all agree that it is a fitting tribute to Pelham’s original design. As I stated in a recent Daily Bookshot, this is one book that will really stand out in the bookshop. And having now seen the book myself ‘shining’ out from the shelves at my local branch of Waterstones, I can confirm that to be the case. Good job Mr. Ryan!

I mentioned at the outset that Thomas is a serving police officer, but what more do we know about him? Well, he’s married with two children (just like the main character – gulp! ) which is sure to keep him on his toes. And if you were impressed to find out that Thomas managed to pen this novel at the same time that he was keeping the streets clean of criminals, then you’ll be even more impressed when I tell you that he also managed to cram a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Glamorgan, into his hectic life. In fact Pocket Notebook was written during the course of Thomas’ studying, which if nothing else is glowing praise for the University of Glamorgan’s writing course. Talking of his degree course in a recent interview with the online magazine for the university Thomas reveals something of the juggling act that he had to adopt in order to fit the course into his busy schedule:

The framework works really well. Those rolling eight-week deadlines really give you a kick up the backside to write. I’d return home after an afternoon shift at midnight, then write until 5am. It was almost a compulsion for me.

And nestled discreetly within the above quote from Thomas, is perhaps the biggest reason why I’m choosing to pick up this novel (aside from that out-of-control gun-totting firearms officer of course ). Here is a police officer working the beat, who comes home and infuses within the pages of his novel – whether subconsciously or not – all of his working experience and insider knowledge. This compels me to to read Pocket Notebook, because if nothing else Thomas is offering us a contemporary glimpse into the world of twenty-first-century policing in the UK, and all of the stresses which can come with the job. Of course, I’m well aware that this insight is going to be a bit of a warped one – I don’t think for a minute that everyone in the police force is borderline psychotic and on the verge of a ‘spectacular breakdown’ – but it is a view nonetheless, and from a uniquely embedded vantage point.

So that’s a rundown on my first impressions of Pocket Notebook. I’ll be back in a few days to let you know how I got on with it. Meantime you can follow my progress through this novel in the virtual pages of my Reading Journal.

Finally if you want to see something a little more ‘bells and whistles’ with regards to Pocket Notebook – including a few words from the author himself – then get yourself over to YouTube for a quick look at the official trailer for the novel.

William Heinemann | 04 February 2010 | £12.99 | PAPERBACK | 288 PP | ISBN: 0434020087

A note about forethoughts
‘Forethoughts’ offer an insight into what my initial thoughts and impressions of a book are before I begin reading it. Informal, and largely written as a stream-of-consciousness exercise in a single sitting, my ‘forethoughts’ capture an important stage of the reading experience for me – the anticipatory period before the book is first opened, when my excitement is piqued for the reading experience which lies ahead.

Blissfully ignorant my ‘forethoughts’ may well be, but when combined with my eventual ‘afterthoughts’, the result is a unique and comprehensive record of a very personal literary ‘journey’ through a particular book; a literary journey which will hopefully be of some value to other readers.