A Likely Tale, Lad (Lad Series) - Tapa dura

For a young lad like Mike Pannett, growing up in the North Yorkshire countryside in the late 1960s and early 70s was a dream come true. The sun always seemed to be shining, the summer holidays lasted forever, and when you were sent to buy a fish supper for the family there was change to be had from that crumpled pound note. They really were the good old days. Given a fishing rod, a bottle of pop and a jam sandwich, a lad could wander as far as his bike would take him, and the countryside was one big adventure playground peopled by larger-than-life characters and endless opportunities for laughs and larks. Like many a boy, however, Mike learns things the hard way. He goes on a bike ride and lands up in A&E. He tries to be helpful around the home and nearly burns the place down. And when he goes on a fishing trip it almost ends with a shipwreck. He's a likely lad, is Mike, and these are his likely tales.

Mike Pannett was born in York, and joined the Metropolitan Police in 1988. He became one of the youngest officers to be given his own patch, and served on the Divisional Crime Squad, Murder Squad and TSG (Riot Police). He transferred to North Yorkshire police in 1997 as he missed the countryside and fly fishing! He became a rural beat officer and eventually, a wildlife officer. Mike served nearly twenty years in the police, during which he became one of the highest-commended officers. In 2005 he starred in the BBC's Country Cops and was inspired to write about his adventures in the North Yorkshire force. He lives with his wife Ann and their three children in a small village in the shadow of the North York Moors.