Which Book First?
Not sure where to start? You’re not alone.
One of the most common questions I’m asked is: Which of your books should I read first? It’s not an easy question to answer because we all have different tastes, and we all want something specific from a book, depending on our mood. What I can promise is that all of my books offer a form of genuine escapism, but in different ways. This is a long-winded way of saying there’s no single right place to start — it depends entirely on what you’re in the mood for.
If you’d rather work through all of my books in the order I’d recommend, take a look at my complete reading order guide.
Here’s a quick guide to help you find your first Keith A Pearson book.
If you love time travel and 1980s nostalgia…
The ’86 Fix
It’s the book that started everything — a middle-aged man gets the chance to travel back to 1986 and fix the mistakes of his youth. It’s funny, nostalgic, and the most popular entry point for new readers. The story continues in Beyond Broadhall. If you enjoy it and want more time travel, Tuned Out is a standalone companion novel set in 1969.
If you want time travel with more emotional weight…
A Page in Your Diary
Darker and more emotionally intense than The ’86 Fix. A man in his fifties discovers what became of the girlfriend he callously dumped in the 1980s — and is given a chance to travel back to 1988 and save her. It’s a story about guilt, atonement, and whether you can undo the damage you’ve caused in someone else’s life.
If you’ve ever wondered “what if I’d never met my partner?”…
In Lieu of You
Facing a bitter divorce, Gary Kirk is offered a chance to travel back to 1996 and stop himself from ever meeting his wife. If they never meet, they never marry, no divorce. Simple, right? Not quite. It’s a time travel novel that’s really about the value of the relationships we take for granted.
If you enjoy comedy mysteries with an unlikely hero…
Who Sent Clement?
Clement is a former 1970s gangland fixer who claims he died in 1975 and now appears in people’s lives to help them, seeking redemption for his past sins. He’s politically incorrect, wears double denim, and can’t believe you’d pay five quid for a pint. There are four books in the Clement series, and he’s arguably my most beloved character.
If you want something funny that also makes you think…
Meeting Mungo Thunk
A comic novel about a man with no common sense whose life falls apart — until a mysterious, bald little stranger called Mungo Thunk turns up offering an unorthodox brand of therapy. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, but readers frequently say it genuinely changed the way they think about their own behaviour. There’s a sequel, The Way We Thunk.
If you prefer women’s fiction with a twist…
Kenneth
Told entirely in first person from the perspective of Kelly Coburn, a freshly divorced woman whose quiet life is upended by family secrets, a scheming ex-husband, and a mysterious stranger in a brown suit who knows far too much about her. It’s funny, dramatic, poignant, and a proper page-turner. Think Marian Keyes meets something unexplained.
If you love an underdog story with a twist ending…
The Strange Appeal of Dougie Neil
This book centres on a deeply unattractive, lonely middle-aged man who suddenly becomes irresistible to women after a mysterious incident at work. It’s heartwarming, funny, and builds to an ending that readers consistently say they never saw coming. If you liked A Man Called Ove, Dougie is cut from similar cloth.
If you want a “be careful what you wish for” story…
Terms May Apply
A modern cautionary tale. A man’s idle birthday wish is miraculously granted — and then a mysterious old man called Edmund Wishkin turns up claiming credit and demanding payment. It’s funny and twisting, but the final act is genuinely poignant. Think magical realism meets moral fable, set in suburban England.
If you want something literary and emotionally powerful…
Waiting in The Sky
My most personal book. Simon Armstrong believes he’s from another planet and is counting down the days until his extraction from Earth. It’s not science fiction — it’s a story about identity, loneliness, and what it means to see the world differently from everyone around you. Readers compare it to Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and The Humans by Matt Haig.
If you enjoy magical realism about memory and grief…
The Last Stop Video Shop
A divorced man in his fifties discovers a mysterious video shop that plays back unrecorded memories from his life on VHS tapes. It’s darker and quieter than my other work — a poignant, life-affirming story about faltering relationships, abandoned dreams, and a man quietly running out of road.
If you want 1990s nostalgia and workplace comedy with a speculative twist…
No Easy Deeds
The tale of a young man, Danny Monk, who takes a job as an estate agent in 1990 and stumbles into a mysterious offer involving a house on Echo Lane. It’s the first book in the Echo Lane series — funny, character-driven, and compelling. The sequel, The Fourth Clause, is available now.
Still not sure?
If you’re genuinely stuck, start with The ’86 Fix or Who Sent Clement? — they’re the two books that have converted the most new readers over the years. And if you’re on Kindle Unlimited, every single one of my books is included.
All of my books are available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook. You can browse the full catalogue on my Books page.