The story behind my book: Cruelty in Paradise

If you are going to take on a job that is going to test and tax all your mental and physical abilities and overwhelm you with frustration and hopelessness where better to do it than in the paradise of the Bahamas, where there was a multitude of diversions and friendly locals to keep you sane.

This is what happened to me when I accepted the post of chief inspector of the Bahamas Humane Society blissfully unaware of the frustrations, dangers and horrors I was about to confront. But this was the 1970's when Nassau and the Bahamas was still a relatively quiet backwater before Atlantis and Club Med ruined the peaceful haven of Paradise Island and when few cruise boats disgorged thousands of tourists. You could still find solace on deserted beaches across the islands.

My book Cruelty In Paradise chronicles my adventures and tribulations in Nassau during my my two year stint attempting to help relieve the suffering of the horses at the local Hobby Horse Race Track, and the iconic surrey horses which often dropped dead in the street, not to forget the poor potcake dogs often attacked by residents when perceived as a nuisance. I faced death threats and brushes with voodoo sacrifice, and despite the great emotional strain which began to take its toll on my mental health, I survived and still have many happy memories of the friends I made and the adventures I had. No one can live in the Bahamas without realising its beauty and welcoming people.