[Callan 05] • Bonfire Night

Written at the very end of his life when he was terminally ill, Bonfire Night was the last novel by James Mitchell to feature his most famous creation, David Callan. Out of print for more than a decade and never before published in paperback, Bonfire Night has been the rarest of the five Callan novels, eagerly sought after by dedicated fans of the iconic Callan television series (1967-72). As James Mitchell's son Peter explains in a poignant Introduction especially written for this new edition, Bonfire Night was never really meant to be published, but rather written as a form of therapy. The novel undoubtedly has major structural flaws but also many flashes of Mitchell's trademark cynical wit and his flair for fast-paced action, as he introduces the reader to a Callan who is now wealthy and living the high-life with his own 'castle' in Spain, a Lonely who is even wealthier and almost changed beyond recognition, and a new 'Hunter' - who is now a woman. Fortunately, Callan has not forgotten his old skills...