David Treanor

I read this on holiday and really enjoyed it. It's part ghost story, part suspense mystery with good characters and evocative descriptions of Tuscany. A classic page-turner which keeps you guessing. Nice twist at the end which I didn't see coming.

Modestly downplaying their role as charity ambassadors, David recounts his overland trip from England to Mongolia. Memorable mishaps dotted with interesting facts about Mongolia's landscape and Kazakhstan's nuclear tests. Escapades from shady border guards and dodgy hotelier then bluffing through the mechanics of cars. Ordering off a foreign menu proves comically disastrous with the universal beverage of beer fueling their journey.

This is the sort of book that people stare at you when you're reading it -- because you're laughing so much. It's an account of a charity drive to Mongolia by two middle aged blokes -- coping with cops and border guards trying to part them from their cash and getting lost in mountain ranges and desert tracks. Along with a daily search for beer! Self deprecating and funny -- but with a serious edge too in the descriptions of the lives of people and places they pass through. Highly recommended.