The Devil’s Porridge Gang Plot Summary

1969. In a town where nothing happens, a gang of kids uncover a kidnapping plot.

In the days following the excitement of the moon landings, a group of criminals plan to kidnap the son of a Government rocket engineer – but they don’t expect a gang of kids to get in the way…

Sam Todd dreams of adventure and longs for something exciting to happen for him and his friends. When he and the gang try to add a touch of excitement to their lives by stealing empty bottles from a pop factory, they are easily caught. But the consequences lead them back to the factory where they begin to uncover a villainous scheme.

THE DEVIL’S PORRIDGE GANG is book #1 in this Sixties adventure series.

For other books I’ve reviewed for damppebbles blog tours, check out my post about The Good Mother!

My Thoughts on The Devil’s Porridge Gang

The Devil’s Porridge Gang, by Colin Garrow, is set in an ex-mining town shortly after the moon landings. I received a copy to review via the damppebbles blog tour.

The book has a distinct feel, partly due to the way the speech is largely written in the dialect of the place. I quite like it when character dialogue is written in dialect. It adds a lot of personality. It took me a little while to get used to, and I know it can be distracting for some people, but I think it was a plus.

The plot moves fast, and it’s certainly got a lot going on. Although the kids’ perspective means it can be hard to follow at times, feeling like a mad but somewhat directionless dash. This is largely a feature of the protagonists not knowing why the bad guys are doing what they’re doing. This makes a lot of sense from a narrative point of view, it just has its downsides when it comes to coherency.

Sam’s loyalty to his friends, and Roxanne in particular, is very sweet. And the main characters make for a fun, if chaotic, driving force for the story. Some of the side characters tended to blur together a little, but the main kids were both distinct and entertaining.

The Devil’s Porridge Gang is a fun, characterful caper. And even when the plot feels a little thin, Garrow creates a strong sense of place to keep you grounded in the story. I think it would be a fun read for kids.

You can buy The Devil’s Porridge Gang on Amazon (UK/US) or Smashwords.

About the Author

True-born Geordie Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland and has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate. Colin has published three stage plays, six adventures for middle grade readers, two books of short stories, the Watson Letters series and the Terry Bell Mysteries. His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including: SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Grind, A3 Review, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. These days he lives in a humble cottage in North East Scotland where he writes novels, stories. poems and the occasional song.

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/colingarrow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colingarrowthewriter/
Website (adults): https://colingarrow.org/
Website (childrens): https://colingarrowbooks.com/