After the second world war, many members of the armed forces returned home to the UK to begin their lives again.
A number of them took up the writing of children's books - some featuring the daring dos of crack commandos or air aces, some featuring the ups and downs of boys and girls in England's sprawling public school network.
The Mystery of the Old Soldier offers a look at both sides of such a life - the perspective of the returning ex-serviceman as well as the book he is writing.
As the protagonist's health deteriorates and he becomes more dependant on strong medicines to keep him alive, his outlook changes from one of bleak hopelessness to one of seeming lightness and calm.
At the same time, his written prose changes from typical post-war schoolboy gung-hoery to a dark and savage reality.