![Definitely Maybe, Probably Not: Fae Glesga Tae Goa by [Toner, James Joseph]](https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41m2DoR6KML.jpg)
Something a wee bit different from me on the blog today. This one isn’t a review but more a bit of a heads up for a new book coming out on the 15th December by Glasgow man James Joseph Toner.
“Definitely Maybe, Probably Not: Fae Glesga tae Goa” is the story of James’s life. Probably not the most conventional of lives James was brought up on well known Glasgow scheme, Castlemilk, where he found himself caught up in a life of drugs, alcohol and petty crime.
When his brother was brutally murdered James took the decision to escape to Goa, a destination close to his heart. What followed could have been the downfall of many but James took his experience and used it to aid his recovery. “Definitely Maybe” is the story of James’ life in Glasgow, arrest in Goa and his hell in the Indian prison system before being left in limbo in the country while his fate was bargained over by the legal system. It took over four years for James to clear his name and to be allowed to return home and rebuild his life. His memoir promises truth, humour and reflection as he highlights the corrupt and complicated Indian legal system which left him living on the streets reliant from handouts to survive.
I’d followed James’ story after my sister told me about his plight. He is now back in Glasgow after years in exile and is using his experience to inspire and educate others. I’m really looking forward to hearing James’ story and it gives me great pleasure to help him spread the word about his book.
The official synopsis:
Growing up on the rough streets of Castlemilk, James Toner found himself drawn to the worlds of drugs and crime. But from an early age, alcohol was the drug that had its claws firmly into the young
Glaswegian. And it was alcohol that led to his frequent brushes with the law. Rising from petty crime to being a bagman for various dealers, James operated on the fringes of society, riding the Ecstasy wave of
the late 1980s into cocaine addiction in the 1990s. But two events would change his life forever. The first was his brother’s brutal murder in 2004 which shattered the newly found life of normality he had
worked so hard for. The second took place when trying to escape the stress and aftermath of that murder. Leaving Glasgow and all its problems behind, he fled to his beloved Goa, a destination he had
been visiting for many years.
There, when carrying out what should have been an everyday pickup of
hashish for him and some friends, he found himself set up by the local police and his supplier. What followed was eleven months on remand in the hell of Indian prisons, then a 3-year period of limbo as he
found himself trapped in the maze of the corrupt and complicated Indian legal system. At times tragic, at others humorous, this is the true story of one man’s journey through life and all the hurdles he faced. More importantly, it’s a story of realisation and recovery, one that can inspire anyone who has battled drink or drug addiction.
The book is available to purchase on Kindle from 15th Dec and you can pre-order it using the link below. This is one that is definitely being added to my TBR list
Scottish Crime Fiction Blogger and Author 