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The Gate in the Fence-bookcover

By: Bob Menzies

The Gate in the Fence

Pages: 186 Ratings: 4.4
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The book is about two neighbours who live in houses separated by a fence with a gate in it. It was there before either of them moved in. The gate provides easy access between the two properties. One of the neighbours is an ex-war vet who lives alone and is struggling with life and relationships after his combat experiences. The other property houses a family: a bank manager and his wife. The husband, Michael moves in first to take up his new role at the bank, while his wife stays on to sell the old house. In his new role he inherits a PA who sees her new boss as a bit of challenge, in more ways than one. Katie, Michael’s wife finally settles in to life at the new home, until one morning there is an unexpected knock at the front door. Who is it, and what do they want? What happens next will change all of their lives forever. The twists and turns in the storyline will have you wanting to know what happens next. Love, deception, deceit, planning, scheming, strength, courage, murder, revenge – the story has it all. Where will it all end and where will they all end up? Or will it end at all?

Bob has always fancied himself as a bit of a storyteller, an entertainer and a lover of a good party. A song, a joke, an embellished truth but always a good dose of humour. An innovator and a thinker outside the square, prepared to go where others may fear to tread.


Family (whanau) have always been most important for Bob and he has a very wide, extended family. Immediate family include a grown-up boy and girl, five grandsons, a great granddaughter and a great grandson on the way.


He has always been a dreamer, sometimes to his detriment, but when knocked down, he has never failed to get up. During the twelve years it took to write this book, much changed in his life. An aggressive B cell lymphoma cancer threatened to take him, before the book was even a short story. Then a business collapse took all of the immediate family assets. Depression attacked and took over. Family stuck by him.

He didn’t write through all of this time. There were long periods of nothing. Spurts of creativity and writing and lots of periods of doubt, about whether it was good enough or whether anyone would want to read it.


Writing this book and making up this story, because that is all it is, a story, has definitely helped Bob come through his challenges. But the love and support of family is the greatest love anyone can have. Bob dedicates this book to his family, and those he loves. If it sells, it sells, if it doesn’t, it wasn’t good enough but it has already served its purpose.


Kia Kaha (Stay strong), love and help one another.


Bob looks forward to meeting you.



Customer Reviews
4.4
14 reviews
14 reviews
  • Jan

    An easy read book - kept my interest and finished it in nearly one sitting. Could easily picture this as a movie in the future. I understand this is the authors first book. Well done - hope there are more to come.

  • Jenny

    Really enjoyed this book. Story is a well paced unfolding of intrigue. Room for a sequel here too…

  • Natalee

    Wow-what a great book, couldn’t put it down, mystery suspense and murder. Highly recommend

  • Michalla

    Waiting for my copy. From the reviews, it sounds like a gripping read!

  • Maureen Munro

    Keep me guessing until the end

  • Julia Wilson

    The Gate In The Fence by Bob Menzies is a contemporary crime suspense that intrigued me from the start.
    This had a cleverly constructed plotline which I did not predict. The perpetrator revealed themselves at the start but the ‘why’ was not obvious. As the reader hangs on, all will be revealed in due course.
    We see that human beings are a complex mix – not so much black and white but a murky grey. Lines of morality blur between what is acceptable and what is not. We see that people are not wholly ‘good’ or wholly ‘bad.’
    The action takes place in a suburban neighbourhood but what goes on behind closed doors is far from ordinary and expected.
    The Gate In The Fence did have scenes that I was not comfortable with and which I skipped over. This did not detract from my understanding of the story. I do understand that the level of detail was for realism and that some readers do like to be given all the details.
    The Gate In The Fence was an intriguing read with a hook that drew the reader in, and an outcome that was unpredictable.
    I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
    A word of caution: If you are of a sensitive nature, this is not the book for you. There are scenes of a graphic nature that some readers might not like.

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