Publisher's Synopsis
This is the seventh book in The Derby 9 series which centres around nine, middle aged male printers who work for the Trader Group of Newspapers based in Derby in the East Midlands. The Derby 9 are 'football mad' Derby County supporters and the year is now 1987. Derby County have just been promoted back to the top- flight under manager Arthur Cox and The Rams will start the season with two- star signings- England's No 1 goalkeeper, Peter Shilton and England defender, Mark Wright from Southampton bringing the number of internationals in the squad to five. The Derby 9 are obviously 'cock-a-hoop' and when the company's boss, millionairess Mrs Hanley, chooses the Isle of Wight for the Trader Group's annual fashion show and 'works outing, ' The Derby 9 are more than happy as The Rams are having part of their pre-season summer tour on the island while they will be staying there. So, all seems perfectly normal when 442 Trader Group staff, VIP's and the company's directors check into their luxury hotel one Thursday afternoon with everyone looking forward to a relaxing four-day break. However, all is not what it seems, and things soon start to quickly unravel. Who is the mysterious Italian hotel manager and his equally two mysterious Italian assistants? After meeting the Trader Group on arrival at the hotel, they then seem to 'vanish into thin air.' Then Darren White, chief designer for Calvin Klein who also designs all the Trader staff's outfits for the fashion shows, suddenly disappears. Dave Wilde (Controller) starts to suspect that the Mafia are running the hotel they are staying at.
His fears prove to be true and with news that Darren White has been kidnapped and held to ransom on the island itself, it's a dramatic race against time to rescue him and come up with the million- pound demand. With a shoot-out at night at a remote farmhouse where White is being held captive, Dave Wilde brings down the kidnappers with the help of some of his ex-Army mates. Meanwhile the Derby 9 make a crazy dash to the football ground where The Rams are playing to catch a glimpse of Peter Shilton and the new-look Derby team. There's also a paragliding contest off Ventnor cliffs and an emotional battle by Jackie Wilde to keep the jealous Mrs Hanley away from her husband, once and for all. This latest book in the series, The Derby 9 Go to the Isle of Wight, really cranks up the drama, humour, passion and intrigue in spades, which should keep readers gripped from page one until the very end.
