A SELF-PUBLISHED author who lives near Lapford has written a new thriller based on his experiences working in gold mines in Indonesia. 

Set in the 1990s, Pascoe’s Gold is Ken McKechnie’s fourth book and follows geologist Tom Pascoe’s journey into “a world of avarice and intrigue” where “government and corporate corruption flourish”. 

“The true story behind the novel is that I used to work for a major mining company,” Mr McKechnie told the Courier. 

“The company bought a portfolio of gold mines in Indonesia... and I was at the time climbing up the management industry.  

“I had been working in Brazil and I was transferred to Indonesia to run this portfolio of gold mines and gold exploration. 

“I was literally parachuted in. I knew nothing about the country, I knew nothing about the people, I couldn't speak the language.” 

The novel centres on a real gold mine, and the main character’s interactions with an irascible manager and fictional romance with a female mining entrepreneur. 

“It's the story of an extraordinary gold mine in the mountains of Sumatra, which is real - I've changed the name - managed by an alcoholic son of a Derbyshire coal miner who went to the Royal School of Mines and became a mining engineer,” Mr McKechnie said. 

“This guy is an alcoholic, a complete drunk, but a fantastic miner and he hated authority and he hated me and I was his boss.  

“It's a relationship between this tough miner, a geologist and... the owner of the company that he takes over is a beautiful woman, an entrepreneur... and their relationship develops.” 

The book also deals with corruption Mr McKechnie faced while working in the country. 

“I've worked in lots of countries and [Indonesia] was by far the most corrupt,” he said. 

“I once flew right across the archipelago, 6,000 kilometres, to take a tennis racket to an official... because that's what he wanted, otherwise he wouldn't give me a licence.” 

If you would like to buy a copy of Pascoe’s Gold, you can enquire at The Bookery on Crediton High Street or place an order online here: https://redgatebooks.co.uk/products/pascoes-gold.