Paul Gee, The Fourth Beginning

Just found this book circulating in Book Clubs. Paul Gee seems to be a new writer and his book "The Fourth Beginning" is his first. The Fourth Beginning is a truly brilliant read. A cross between "Hitchhikers", "Dr Who" and "The Odyssey". Its about a couple who lose their daughter in a tragic accident and can't get to grips with why this has happened. They are approached by a "Storyteller", who invites them to come with him through space and time to seach for the answer on a journey of a lifetime. The journey is taken in a camper van that can pass through the time/space corridors, taking them to meet major figures who have shaped man's past and future. As the journey begins they meet two hitchhikers who join them. They get into the Garden of Eden where they meet God and his heavenly host including a fearsome six-winged Gabriel as well as a lowly two winged couple Rodney and Derek (the R & D department of Gods great workshop), to learn of the early creation of man and the world. The very Old Testament God is about to have them hung drawn and quartered when they escape with the help of a mysterious being called Kit and end up in the Caucasus with the Titan Prometheus who has his own account of the creation of mankind. Get the picture? Throughout their journey, they are pursued by a gang of people, one of whom is a shapeshifter, who try to force them to stop questioning everything, as this might trigger the Fourth Beginning and change the nature of the world. There are no answers in this book, just different takes on all the questions we have ever asked. The characters are endearing, even the bad guys. And as an aside, the names of the characters are anagrams which you don't notice at the beginning, but once you've cracked them they add yet another dimension to the book. I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the story as a story, the ideas it explored, and I fell in love with the characters. A truly romping read!