The Winshaws

Mainly centered around the a family called The Winshaws. Each one plays a part in the demise of Britain in the 1980s (Maggie Thatcher era). They all treat others as puppets on strings! A good analogy that I could use in designing the cover!

I just want to establish the main characters portrayed in the book and what they are about:

Thomas Winshaw: Banker. Fascination with Cinema. Voyeuristic tendancies.

Henry Winshaw: Career Politician. Member of Conservative Association. Knew Margaret Thatcher (nee Roberts). Instrumenal in policies to reform the National Health Service.

Dorothy Winshaw: Agriculture/Farming. Inhumane treatment of animals to produce meat. Builds a business empire around this.

Mark Winshaw: Arms Dealer involved with Saddam Hussein.

Roderick Winshaw: Arts Dealer/Gallery Owner. Seduces female artists and drops them straight after.

Hilary Winshaw: Tabloid Journalist. Takes advantage of other peoples generosity and betrays them. Right wing

Each chapter depicts one of these characters and the distressing and far reaching consequences their actions have on people, including the "biographer" in the book, Michael Owen. (Example - the reforms made on the NHS meant that Michael's friend died before they had chance to find out she had Lymphoma - no staff, no beds!!)

I've picked a quote from the book to describe the family (said by one of their own!!)

"They're the meanest, greediest, cruellest bunch of backstabbing, penny-pinching bastards who ever crawled across the face of the Earth. And I include my own offspring in that Statement." Mortimer Winshaw.

The ending replicates the 1961 film the book is named after. The surviving members of the Winshaw family, Michael Owen, Phoebe Barton (a young aspiring artist who was duped by Roddy Winshaw, but later ended up working as a nurse for Mortimer Winshaw) and the family solicitor are invited to the reading of the late Mortimer Winshaw's Will. But one by one they are picked off and murdered by the "undead" Mortimer Winshaw. Quite amusing!! Reminds me of Cluedo!! Another idea I could bring into the design!!