Two Cows and a Vanful of Smoke

When young Elliot gets a labourer's job at Mr Evans's after being sacked from a pig farm for liberating six of its sows, he thinks he'll have even more opportunities to lean on gates or stare at fields. But his best mate Spike keeps getting him into trouble, first by showing him what is being grown in a tucked-away polytunnel, and then turning up at his caravan's door with a van full of weed. As Elliot tries to help his friend get rid of the hot merchandise, they find themselves at the receiving end of a cruel cat-and-mouse game. 'An adventure story written in Benson's distinctive, flourish-filled style and suffused with his deep and abiding love of the West Country.' The Daily Mail 'a coming of age novel that turns the plot of a thriller into a lyrical celebration of the mysterious and enchanting power of the natural world' - TLS 'At a time of growing urbanism and reductive social interaction, this delightful novel extols the simple virtues of landscape and love, a sentiment that is as important now as it was when Benson first became a storyteller. Perhaps even more so.' Independent on Sunday 'One of the most distinctive voices in modern British fiction' Evening Standard 'A sharp stylist' Sunday Telegraph.