Rat Scabies and the holy grail - Christopher Dawes

Christopher Dawes lives in a quiet street in Brentford, opposite Rat Scabies, former drummer with The Damned and best noted for setting his drums on fire while still playing at a live concert. Life with Rat as a neighbour isn't run-of-the-mill, but things turn even stranger when Rat announces that the two of them are going on a search to find the Holy Grail - the magical relic which has eluded everyone from King Arthur to Monty Python.

Rat and Chris's search begins in Rennes-le-Chateau in France, where in 1891 a local priest discovered a treasure whose mystery remains unsolved. Once they've written a list of things to do ("Buy metal detectors!") they need only unravel a tale involving the Cathars, the Knights Templar, the Man in the Iron Mask, Louis XIV - and along the way, visit Paris, Rome, Glastonbury and Tintagel and perhaps join the Masons (Rat thinks they know something).

The legend of the Holy Grail is far from unknown (viz the bestselling THE HOLY BLOOD AND THE HOLY GRAIL and also the DA VINCI CODE) but this is the first time the quest has been given the punk rock treatment. RAT SCABIES AND THE HOLY GRAIL is a psychedelic road trip, a rich historical yarn, and a testimony to the sometimes odd nature of certain friendships.