Candy Jar is pleased to announce The Benton Files IV, the latest in their series of quick-read books about everyone’s favourite UNIT sergeant. The book features two new stories by Hayden Gribble and Ian Ball.

The first story is Rotten to the Core, by Candy Jar newcomer, Hayden Gribble.

“Hayden was recommended to me, although we had already connected via social media,” says Range Editor Tim Gambrell. “He pitched a strong idea, and what he’s written is essentially that same pitch, only with a few minor tweaks around the involvement of the Brigadier.”

Hayden says:

‘It’s always been an ambition of mine to write Doctor Who fiction. So, when Tim and the good people at Candy Jar asked me to write for the Benton Files, I was over the moon! It didn’t take long for me to come up with the idea of the Hem and what kind of terror they would put Benton through – it’s a solo adventure that puts our beloved UNIT man at the heart of danger.”

Tim takes up the story again…

“Hayden’s aliens were such an interesting concept that it seemed a shame to only have them in one story. I asked Hayden and he was happy for another writer to pick them up. I then approached Ian Ball, a writer who’d previously contributed a story for The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat, about the second story.

“I’m getting suspicious,’ says Ian. ‘It’s happened twice now, that Tim has come to me with a very specific story requirement and a tight deadline! I loved the imagery that Hayden had created with the Hem for his story and could immediately see more possibilities there. The challenge was to make it sufficiently the same and different, to give a sense of continuity and progression. What helped hugely was being able to set the story in the JB Motors period of Benton’s life.”

Ian’s story is called Scrapped Plans. Tim continues:

“This book is essentially telling a story across a long period of Benton’s life, and it’s allowed me to integrate the modern-day pub scenes a little more than in previous books. That was probably the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place.”

But what are the Hem? How does Benton become embroiled in their invasion? You’ll have to read the stories to find out…

The Benton Files IV will be issued free with the hardback edition of The Vaughn Identity by Tim Gambrell. It will also be available to buy on its own, exclusively from the Candy Jar website.