DOCTOR THE - Tapa dura

'That was it. A coup de foudre. I'd heard of it, but never believed in it. I had to get out of there. That wasn't in the plan...' Nothing is what it seems in Tom Conti's passionate and exciting story of love, duplicity and retribution. Haunted by his past as a Secret Operations Pilot with the Intelligence Services, and in an attempt to shake off the ever-present shadow of his Controller, Hal flees England and the bed of the tempestuous Francesca for a new life in Africa. But there, as a pilot with the flying doctor service working in the wild, love and death precipitate him once again into a life of deception and danger. Adopting a new identity and returning home, he quickly discovers that the past is not easily shed, that fear and the unexpected lurk at every turn. Then a moral gun is put to his head, and he is forced to choose between his freedom and the death of another man. 'The Doctor' is actor Tom Conti's debut novel. Sexy, thrilling, often intensely moving, the detail and imaginative twists of his plot are handled with masterly skill. It is compelling.

Tom Conti, one of Britain's most gifted and versatile comedic actors, was born in Paisley, Scotland. He made his professional acting debut at the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre in 'The Rowing Boy', and went on to perform with the Royal Shakepeare Company in an acclaimed production of 'The Devil's Disciple' at the Aldwych in London, and then to New York, where he garnered praise for numerous leading roles, as well as a Tony and a wide and loyal fanbase. Conti won a Variety Club Award for his portrayal of Ken Harrison in 'Whose Life Is It Anyway', and then an Accademy Award Nomination. He has appeared in 22 feature films - most famously as the archetypal Greek lothario in 'Shirley Valentine', and is also an accomplished director, having staged productions of 'Before The Party', 'The Housekeeper' and 'Last Licks'. Recently voted the Most Popular Actor in the West End in the last 25 years (with Dame Judi Dench), Conti has just finished touring as the lead in 'Barrymore', a play about the legendary and eternally tipsy matinee idol.