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Good Thing, Bad Thing is the third volume in Alexander's "50 Reasons" trilogy.
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On holiday with new boyfriend Tom, Mark - the hero from the best-selling novels, 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye and Sottopassaggio - heads off to rural Italy for a spot of camping.
When the ruggedly seductive Dante invites them onto his farmland the lovers think they have struck lucky, but there is more to Dante than meets the eye - much more.
Thoroughly bewitched, Tom, all innocence, appears blind to Dante's dark side... Racked with suspicion, it is Mark who notices as their holiday starts to spin slowly but very surely out of control - and it is Mark, alone, who can maybe save the day...
Good Thing Bad Thing is a story of choices; an exploration of the relationship between understanding and forgiveness, and an investigation of the fact that life is rarely quite as bad - or as good - as it seems. Above all Good Thing Bad Thing is another cracking adventure for gay everyman Mark.



Selected Press Reviews:

Paul Burston – Time Out Magazine - Nov 27 2006

‘Good Thing, Bad Thing’ is Nick Alexander’s third novel, and again revolves
around Mark, the first-person narrator of ‘50 Reasons To Say Goodbye’ and
‘Sottopassaggio’. With many failed relationships and one dead boyfriend under his
belt, Mark is no longer going solo but is paired up with new boyfriend Tom and off
to rural Italy for a spot of camping. Of course, this being Mark, things are never as
straightforward as they seem. Already there are signs of discord in the relationship,
and when a handsome policeman suggests they park their camper van on land
belonging to a local farmer called Dante, the tension soon mounts. First Dante
appears at the window while Mark and Tom are enjoying a rare moment of
intimacy. Then he invites them in for dinner, at which point it becomes clear that
three is most definitely a crowd. Despite Dante’s wild eyes, calloused hands and
habit of walking around covered in pigs’ blood, Tom takes a bit of a shine to him,
which leaves Mark sulking in the van while Tom and his new farmer friend
perform odd jobs around the farm. How odd only becomes clear later, when Mark
finds Tom naked, gagged and chained to a radiator and our two heroes make their
escape through the Alps to France and the sanctuary provided by Mark’s old friend
Jenny.
Alexander is a keen observer of gay relationships, and for all the heightened drama
of the chapters with Dante, it’s the fall-out from these events which proves the
most gripping, as Tom suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and Mark is forced to
question the depth of his love for him. Bad things happen in this book, but out of
them something good emerges. Ultimately, it’s a tale about forgiveness, and a
rewarding one at that. 


Axm Magazine, March 2007

Bright and sexy continuation of Nick Alexander’s previous two novels, Mark and new
boyfriend Tom go camping and meet Dante’s peak! Excellent. (four stars).


Richard Labonte - BookMarks Syndicate - Oct 2006

The saga of Mark's endearing quest for one true love takes a dark, spooky, and
emotionally turbulent - but still profoundly comedic - turn in Alexander's insightful
third novel in a captivating trilogy.
This one is a roller-coaster literary treasure all on its own - but do yourself a favour,
and treat yourself to its two prequels as soon as you can, if you haven't already.

Good Thing, Bad Thing, was published by BIGfib in 2006. Buy it <here>.

Read Nick Alexander's Author Profile <here>

Support your local bookstore <here>

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