In Review

04 December 2008 04:26 BST

Albert Jack's Ten-Minute Mysteries

Published by Penguin, out October 4th, hardback, 348 pages, £12.99.

In a nutshell…

Mildly entertaining. Intriguing. Easy read.

What's it all about?

Conspiracy theorists are likely to be drawn to this work of non-fiction, which explores famous mysteries such as the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, as well as celebrity secrets such as Marilyn Monroe's death and the theory that Beatle Sir Paul McCartney actually died in 1966. More obscure enigmas such as coffins being disturbed in a sealed vault in Barbados are investigated, along with a plethora of others.

Who's it by?

Albert Jack is the author of Penguin Christmas bestseller That's B*ll*cks! as well as Red Herrings and White Elephants, which sold more than 250,000 copies across the world.

The writer and researcher from Guildford also had his Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep serialised for four months in the Sunday Telegraph.

As an example…

On footage claiming to prove the existence of Bigfoot:

"Having now made my own detailed study of the film, using ultra-slow, frame-by-frame pausing technology obligingly provided by Sony (namely, the DVD player in my front room), I can now add to the debate. To my albeit untrained eye, the creature looks suspiciously like a man in a monkey suit on his way to a fancy-dress party."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

There is not enough new information in this book to inspire a film, although the subjects' stories definitely lend themselves to being told on the big screen.

What the others say

Nothing yet.

So is it any good?

An enjoyable book for those fascinated by the seemingly inexplicable and the downright mysterious.

Author Albert Jack has certainly done his research but fails to uncover much new and previously unknown, particularly when investigating high-profile enigmas such as the suspicion surrounding the death of screen siren Marilyn Monroe or the theories surrounding what is claimed to be a monster living in Loch Ness.

The passionate conspiracy theorist is likely to have already come across the majority of pieces from the puzzles put together by Jack, whether it be through other books, TV documentaries or Wikipedia and the like.

However, the strength of Ten-Minute Mysteries lies in the fact that it offers a good mix. Apart from the secrets we have all wondered about, it is the tales of the more obscure ones, perhaps only known to hardcore fans of the subject will have knowledge of, that impress most.

Entertaining and a leisurely read, Jack's fourth book will appeal to those who enjoyed some of his earlier work - as well as conspiracy theorists the world over.

6/10

Karen Moller