Two a Second — C.J. Hearn / Clifford J. Hearn

Two A Second begins in 1940 when Paul Hughes, the Australian engineer, commissioned by Churchill, first meets Margaret Cotta who then loses their baby during an air raid attack on Nordhurst Airport, where she is serving in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. From that moment forth is born the Young Oak Saga and we follow Cassie Clay, the working class boy from the London suburbs, as he stumbles on the mighty Hepsom Estate, and Gareth Caesar, the larger than life son of North Wales slate miners, who rockets from obscurity to become Senior Advisor to Government. Always present is an overhanging fear of the worst type of incest and syphilis looms as the price of evil. The intrigue grows as Cassie meets the redhead Aurelia and the gracious Caroline. The Mile High Club takes Cassie's endorphins on a helter skelter rush of self analysis and deepest desire. Is Serene worth a quick frolic especially as Elizabeth is a source of all that is wonderful in bed. We have a suspicion that Margaret Banks, Cassie's girl Friday, knows more that she is prepared to reveal and Gareth gives powerful support, but why? What happened in the past? Cassie mends his soul in his secret hideaway on the slope of a mountain with his dog, reading the story of a lost saint and coming to terms with the lost love of Marianne, who hates waiting to get her own way. We feel the layers of society, from the aristocrats to the working men and women and meet John Sar, a school teacher working alone on ideas that confound the experts. There is deep societal understanding as we walk in circles around the secret of the Hughes Gun that destroyed enemy submarines. Wordsmithing and humour make us laugh out loud. The Lord Hepsom, Charles Fylde, lashes out prejudice and elitism to make us squirm. Yet he knows his English food and reminisces about King Henry V and President Roosevelt over the same glass of brandy. The fragile psyche of a lone child with education but solely dependent on male influences. The shared experience of friendship ensures that you will never forget the characters and be left on edge by the author. His evocation of all that is England, Wales and Los Angeles takes you on an unforgettable journey.