The Missing Links: A humorous dystopian urban fantasy adventure with sci-fi elements and a dash of whodunnit
About this audiobook
The Missing Links is the fifth and penultimate book in the Hamgeean Misfit series of K'Barthan Extras. It is urban fantasy, set in a dystopian parallel universe with sci-fi elements (laser guns and flying cars). The anti-hero is a misfit outlaw who is scared of everything and, therefore, very good at running away. It's as British as a cup of tea and mostly humorous in the tradition of other British writers like Pratchett, Adams and Forde. If you are at all socially lumpy, feel a bit of anoutsider or ever feel that you don't fit in, all M T McGuire's books are written for you.
For every hero doing hero's work there's a coward making a right pig's ear of it. Meet that coward ...
Since The Pan of Hamgee became a delivery man for Ning Dang Po’s premier gangster, Big Merv, he has learned a lot about when to run, where to hide and when to keep his head down. What with his very existence being treason, and the Grongle invaders tightening their grip on K’Barth, he counts surviving each day as a win.
Marcella the Pirate, a small-time gangster, has started a racket selling replicas of K’Barth’s most prized and expensive food: Goojan spiced sausage. When her plan becomes an overnight success, she sets her sights on toppling Big Merv as the Boss of Ning Dang Po, and The Pan’s world is upended into chaos. If Marcella succeeds in her bid for city-wide domination, it will be curtains for The Pan. But there’s more to her sudden rise than hooky sausages – she’s playing a high-stakes game, with blackmail, kidnapping, and a treasonous pact with the Grongles themselves.
Between Marcella, the security forces, and an illegal satirical comedy drag duo who need a stand-in, The Pan is pulled into a web of crime and intrigue that no amount of speed can outrun. As he navigates his way through the mayhem, he must learn lessons fast about power, loyalty and what it means to be true to yourself, even when the world wants you to be something else.
The Missing Links is written and narrated in British English and is the fifth in the Hamgeean Misfit series of comedy sci fi fantasy dystopian stories. It can be read without the first book, and works as a stand alone but is definitely better read with it's sequel. Estimated UK film/game rating of this book is: 12A or PEGI12
That means anyone who is alright with the darker bits of the Harry Potter books, concepts like the Hunger Games and the kind of light swearing found in Terry Pratchett’s books should be able to read this story without offence.
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About the author
Award-winning author, M T McGuire, enjoys the real world but wouldn’t want to live there full time. That’s why she writes books. After a short stint doing stand-up in London, M T got married and moved to East Anglia where she sat down to write genre-mashing, humorous, sci-fi/urban fantasy books. She lives in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, with a McOther, a McMini, a selection of very silly cars and, until recently, a cat.
M T also does street art and has published a de-luxe photo book of her work (eyebombing). She is working on a dementia carer’s memoir and a book of humorous poetry. Despite being over fifty now and supposedly an adult, M T checks all unfamiliar wardrobes for a gateway to Narnia. She hasn’t found one but she lives in hope. Find her at https://www.hamgee.co.uk/
Gareth's biog … Graduating from Mountview Academy, it was with great pleasure that my first professional role was that of King Arthur in Purcell's opera of the same name. A role I never expected to play and a pleasure diminished only slightly by having to wear a boy scout uniform throughout. Following this rather mythic start my career followed a path familiar to many actors. Fringe productions and student films, touring productions, low budget films, plays, musicals, comedies, dramas and pantomimes. I now have a cv of varied and enjoyable productions.
Somewhere in the midst of this, almost by accident, I began another career as a family entertainer. This was begun and nourished by several very talented people I met whilst working at Legoland, Windsor. This added juggling, magic and talking rubbish to my repertoire. There followed a move into a world of varied and strange jobs; children's parties, circus and magic workshops, street entertainment and a plethora of odd shows at theme and holiday parks.
Since 2015, I have spent much time working abroad. Touring English language theatre across Europe as well as China, Japan and Costa Rica. This led to me playing Igor in a new musical version of Frankenstein in Germany. In German! I have been working a little closer to home recently, touring as Avram in the Olivier Award-winning production of Fiddler on the Roof and taking the part of Shylock in Something Rotten with Jason Manford at The Manchester Opera House.
In recent years, I have been recording audiobooks - a passion I've had for a long time finally becoming part of my working life.
