Starlight Cafe
A new adventure by Rob Alexander
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This is Jack’s story. Jack grew up on a rough council estate in London and has hit a rough patch with his business going to the wall. His Uncle Stan is ready to retire and suggests that Jack take over his long-standing Starlight Cafe. With the help of his partner and friends, Jack transforms the rundown Cafe into a successful gourmet burger bar.
With the future looking bright, the Starlight Cafe begins to attract the attention of ruthless burger chain Mack ‘n’ Morti’s. With the local health inspector on its payroll, Mack & Morti’s plots to bring the Starlight Cafe to a close. But Jack isn’t going to give up without a fight. As the battle of burgers escalates, Jack uncovers a dark secret that reveals things are not all as they seem at Mack ‘n’ Morti’s.
Starlight Cafe is a story with the lot - gourmet burgers, friendship, love and the power and greed of big business.
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Starlight Cafe is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and at select bookshops.
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An uplifting story about the turnaround of a family business If you like rooting for the underdog, you’ll enjoy Rob Alexander’s Starlight Cafe.
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The novel’s high point is undeniably in its intriguing plot of a big burger chain coming after a small family business. The chain is owned by a big tobacco company, making them an easy villain to hate. There are many scenes with the workers of the company that are so hilariously evil, it’s impossible not to chuckle. Author Rob Alexander creates the perfect bad guys for this lighthearted story, and their antics add a good amount of extra stress to the already stressful job of trying to run a restaurant.
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“When a few determined young people start a gourmet burger cafe they rattle an international burger franchise - and get into lots of trouble…… A light fun read, with lots of entertaining moments that had me laughing out loud at times.”
StarLight Café, is a novel by Australian author Rob Alexander. Alexander has previously had success with a children’s book, Goodnight and Thanks for the Teeth published by Pan McMillan. His novel is a light-hearted, rollicking tale which is great fun. He has assembled an engaging cast of characters whose antics kept me turning the pages, all the time wanting to read just one more chapter.
Starlight Café’s main villains are a fast-food chain and an American tobacco company. Minor villains are a council health inspector and a journalist, both of whom are “on the take.” The good guys are a couple of young blokes, a grandfather, a female graffiti artist and, funnily, a local underworld family. The story is set in North London where the author grew up, which gives his descriptions of the suburban landscape and its people authenticity.
There are plenty of twists and turns, and plenty of laughs as the story winds its way through the book’s four hundred pages. Starlight Café is a well written, well-structured, entertaining book that lifts the spirits and will put a smile on your face.
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Toni Woodruff -
Independent Book Review
Pixie Emslie - Journalist
Peter Hill - Author
BIO
In 2021, Rob published his second book, a satirical novel called Starlight Cafe.
Rob's first book, Goodnight and Thanks for the Teeth published by Pan Macmillan, remains a favourite picture book for Australian children keen to learn about tooth fairies.
Rob Alexander grew up in London, but having itchy feet travelled to Australia via Turkey, India, Thailand and Singapore when he was 20. He worked for an English consulting company as a computer programmer in Sydney and Melbourne.
He stayed for a couple of years before returning to London, but missed the Australian lifestyle and returned to start his own computer software business.
Rob lives in Daylesford, Victoria with his wife Ros and their loveable Irish Wolfhound Anya.
He is a keen cyclist, covering numerous kilometres in the course of any week.
