The Quest

Life always has its ups and downs, but for Kevin O’Keefe, it feels more like a rollercoaster.

Set in the 1920s on the Isle of Man, seven miles from the city of Douglas, Kevin has thrown himself into his work after losing everything. His boatyard is now thriving, twice the size it once was, with over a dozen employees and even a secretary. Yet despite his success, there remains a deep emptiness that business alone cannot fill.

Everything changes when Kevin is called to Cove Manor. There, he discovers the woman he once loved, the mysterious and beautiful Elizabeth Churchill, also known as Biddy Bell of British Intelligence, or Liz Monaco. Alongside her is a surprise that turns his world upside down: a five-year-old son he never knew existed.

Kevin’s life seems to be on the rise. He now has a family, a prosperous business, and has even purchased the grand estate of Cove Manor to ensure a beloved friend could remain in the home he cherished. But all is not as perfect as it appears.

Treachery brews within the manor. Doris Kingsley, driven by greed and resentment, demands more from her ailing father and is furious to learn who now owns the estate. Determined to ruin everything for her own twisted satisfaction, Doris sets a dark plan into motion.

Can Kevin and Elizabeth rise up against her and win?

The Quest: Secrets of Cove Manor is the second book in The Quest trilogy, a story filled with mystery, betrayal, murder, and unexpected twists. You will be turning the pages to uncover every secret hidden within the walls of Cove Manor.

Kevin William Bowden, born on July 27, 1949, in Liverpool, England, is the eldest of four brothers. The house he was born in is long gone, demolished as part of Liverpool’s “slum” clearance program. It lacked hot water and electricity, and the toilet was an outhouse at the end of the yard, with yesterday’s “Liverpool Echo” newspaper hung on an old rusty nail.

He lived there until he was seven. His father worked in radar at Liverpool docks, having served in the Royal Navy much to his mother’s disapproval, who declared she would never marry a sailor. His mother worked at “Ogden’s – Tobacco” as a stripper, a family joke referring to her job of stripping tobacco leaves.

Kevin lived with his Nan and Nin (his mother’s mother and grandmother) in a two-up, two-down end-of-terrace house. Nan nursed Nin until she died at the grand age of 96. They shared the same bed at the back, while Kevin, his mother, and father slept in the front bedroom.

Kevin spent most of his adult life as a site carpenter, having tried his hand at various other occupations, including car salesman, pub manager, folk singer, clairvoyant, palmist, tarot card reader, asbestos surveyor, and counselor/therapist.

He has been married to Lisa for 25 years. Together, they have seven children: Kevin’s two sons and a daughter, and Lisa’s four daughters. They are also proud grandparents to 14 grandchildren. They currently live on a boat on the south coast.

During the 2008/9 recession, they lost their home and 90% of their business. Kevin retired in December 2015 after a mental breakdown, but he has since recovered.

Kevin started writing just over a year ago, inspired by a vivid dream. “It was as if I was watching a full-length movie, so clear, so detailed,” he describes. The dream was about a young girl who lost the lower part of her legs in a freak accident.

Within a few days, he began writing The Quest: Lucie No Legs, compelled by the vivid images and persistent dream. He had never written before and has struggled with dyslexia throughout his life. “I am dyslexic,” he admits. “I thank goodness for spell-check.”

He is now three-quarters of the way through the sequel, “The Quest: Secrets of Cove Manor,” a more mature story that continues the lives of Kevin O’Keefe and Elisabeth Churchill, filled with intrigue, secrets, and murder. They eagerly await its completion and publication.