Retired officer enters new chapter with book publication
published on 28 Jul 2026
A retired Salvation Army officer has started a new chapter – publishing his first book which tells an entertaining and hopeful story of faith and friendship.
Cliff Allchin, who served as an officer for forty years, concluding his ministership at Leeds West Hunslet Salvation Army last September, drew on his love of literature and his own friendships and experiences for Four Men in a Van, the first in a series of four novels.
The book tells the story of Charlie Atkinson as he struggles with grief and a crisis of faith after his wife’s tragic death. Joined by three non-Christian friends, Charlie embarks on a healing road trip through North Wales, completing bucket list adventures. The story blends themes of hope, friendship and resilience with a suspenseful subplot involving terrorism at Wrexham Football Ground.
Cliff, a father of three and grandfather to seven, said: “I always said that I’d write when I retired, but I thought it would be children's books. I love reading and was heavily influenced by Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat. I liked the idea of four friends on a road trip. As the characters evolved, I brought in other elements and started to develop the plot in unexpected ways.
“It’s a suspenseful thriller and an easy read, deliberately so, but with deep themes covering grief, loss of faith and friendship.
“The main character Charlie is a caricature of myself. He’s a sports chaplain and was a minister like me, and the other three characters are a conglomeration of friends over the years.
“I'm writing the sequel now. I’ve got four books in mind with these four characters. The next one is a mercy mission to Ukraine and the third I’ll be using my Salvation Army knowledge focusing on anti-human trafficking.”
The book has already garnered rave reviews with many calling it a ‘page turner’.
One review read: “Very entertaining, loved the twists and turns of the narrative and how it all played out. More please.”
Another said: “Great read. I laughed at the antics of the wolf pack and cried at different parts. Amazing how all the different threads were gathered together in the end.”
While another said: “Not an avid reader, but I read this book in three days on holiday and enjoyed it. The writer explores the consequences of deep grief and loss of faith from a Christian perspective, whilst developing the characters of four friends who set off on an adventure, which gets them into all sorts of scrapes. The pace quickens as the story unfolds. You need to read it for yourself!”
Cliff added: “The feedback has been uplifting and encouraging. I've always said that I've enjoyed writing the book so anything that happens afterwards is a bonus. I belong to a writer’s group now and we’ve all said the same, that it's not about what happens, it's about the writing and the enjoyment of that.”
The book is published by Panda publishing and available to buy on Amazon. It can also be bought as an e-reader from Waterstones, Barnes and Noble and all good bookshops.
