Ian Daenner's debut novel is a genre-busting, Action-Adventure, Spy, Historical Conspiracy ...... set in Melbourne, Australia.
Matt Lockwood discovers how to speak any language, by taking a pill.
Set in Melbourne in the 1980’s, Matt Lockwood, a second year medical student, works part-time in a pharmaceutical research lab. He experiments with ‘nootropics’ pills and gives them to the other students, which brings him into trouble with Professor Greenberg, the dean of medicine.
His experiments regenerate memory and he has flashbacks to his childhood, being left at an orphanage at the age of four. He discovers he is remembering more about his early childhood and his memories that haven’t been accessed since early childhood.
His roommate Ronny, a computer science student, has just achieved the challenge by the famous physicist, Richard Feynman in writing the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica to the head of a pin, and the friends talk about their accomplishments.
Matt combines Ronnys science achievement with his own experiments, when he puts the entire French dictionary in a pill, becoming fluent in French. He makes pills in other languages, leading them to some hilarious situations, but it attracts the unwanted attention of a gang of Chinese Triads who believe they have overheard their criminal plans and ASIO who want the formula.
Matt meets Marianne, a fellow medical student who is trying to find out what happened to her father, who went missing while in Australia years ago. With the recurring flashbacks of his childhood, Matt is trying to discover who his parents were and why they left him at an orphanage. Together they join forces and help each other in their search for the truth.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Melbourne, Ian studied English Literature at Melbourne High School before following the family profession into teaching. Not stimulated by a classroom environment, he pursued a career in Information Technology. Having worked as an IT professional in Melbourne, London and Europe for over twenty-five years, he now devotes himself full time to writing.
His debut novel, The Smart Pill, was completed in 2024, and he is currently working on his second novel, Superboot. His novels capture the Australian environment and culture, while adding adventure, imagination and intrigue to the plot.
Ian lives in Melbourne with his wife, and is an ardent fan of Australian Rules Football, 1970’s and 80’s pub rock, Motown, The Wrecking Crew, Fender basses, long sandy beaches, SUP, the Taunus mountains, San Clemente CA, Alpes-Maritimes, Bathurst Monaro’s, Isle of Man TT, biographies, the blue hour, comedy, cafés and beer gardens.
Books
Books by Ian Daenner
The Smart Pill 2024
Set in MELBOURNE in the 1980's MATT LOCKWARD discovers he can speak any language by taking a pill.
MATT LOCKWARD, a second year medical student, works part-time in a pharmaceutical research lab. He experiments with ‘nootropic’ drugs, believing there is more to be discovered about their qualities and contends their values in his Pharmacology class, putting him at odds with the dean of medicine, Professor Greenberg....
His experiments regenerate memory and he experiences ‘flashbacks’ to his childhood, and memories of being left at an orphanage at the age of 4, and he is driven to find out more about his parents. He discloses his discovery of ‘memory pills’ to his roommate Ronny, and they socially experiment with Matts creations, to hilarious and disastrous results. Matt combines Ronnys science achievement with his own experiments, and he puts the entire French dictionary on a pill, becoming fluent in French. He uses the same formula to create pills in other languages, but attracts the unwanted attention of a gang of Triads who believe he has overheard their criminal plans. ASIS, who are monitoring the Triads movements, focus on Matts ability to speak languages and pursue him for information.
Ronny goes home to his wealthy family at the end of the semester and Matt teams up Marianne, a fellow medical student who is trying to find out what happened to her father, who went missing in Australia years ago. Together they join forces and in the search for their parents. Marianne has her father’s last belongings and they find clues leading them to a bayside beach box used by her father. They discover her father, Jacques, was a French DGSE agent, posing as the paparazzi, who was involved with the CIA in the disappearance of Harold Holt, the Australian Prime Minister.
Matt begins to remember his early childhood and he recalls the number plate from the car who dropped him at the orphanage and they trace the address through the motor registration branch.
Rogers is a CIA agent with a dark past, being punished by being assigned to ASIS for botching the Holt mission. He is desperate to get back to the CIA and believes if he offers them Matts formula for language pills, they will take him back. He approaches Matt and Marianne and discovers they have previously unseen photos of the botched mission. Rogers lies to them and tells Marianne her father was killed. He forces Matt to attend ASIS headquarters so he can learn more about his language abilities and has them followed in hope they will lead him to the discovery of the formula.
Matt discovers his mother, Nellie, is still alive in a home for people with Alzheimer’s. They visit her, and Matt switches her medicine with his pills which restore memory. On their return, the Triads capture them, and take them to their hideout in the old malting silos. Matt and Marianne escape and turn on an old advertising sign on the roof above them attracting attention. The sign attracts the whole of. Melbourne and ASIS comes to their rescue, but they escape both the Triads and ASIS influence.
Professor Greenberg warns Matt about the power of knowledge. Later Matt discovers that it’s not just language pills he can generate, but knowledge on any subject.
Nellie’s memory improves and she and Matt emotionally reunite.
In an attempt to discover the source of Matt’s ability, Rogers discloses that Marianne’s father is still alive in a military prison and offers to swap her father’s return for Matts formula. Matts feelings for Marianne develop, and the discovery of his own family routes drives him to help Marianne. Rogers organises a meeting at Point Cook, but they are whisked away to Pine Gap, the American spy base, for the exchange. While in Pine Gap, Matt discovers the interference by the CIA in the removal of the Whitlam government. Rogers reneges on the deal and decides not to release Marianne’s father, for fear he will expose the truth about the Holt mission. Matt is furious and he, Marianne and Jacques escape by stealing a cargo plane undergoing maintenance. The plane gets them as far as Lake Eyre where they land on the salt flats.
They meet Earl, head of the Wangganguru tribe, who own the land next to Lake Eyre. They help Earl by moving the cargo plane to his land, giving him the ability to negotiate support for his community in exchange for helping them find their way to the Birdsville Track.
Their SUV is hit by kangaroos at dusk, and they drive without headlights by tailgating a road-train in the night. Jacques has been implanted with a CIA tracking device which is slowly poisoning him. They make their way to Port Augusta and the flying doctor service takes them to Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Rogers and his team fly to Melbourne and arrive at the hospital, desperate to get the formula at all costs. Matt, Marianne and Jacques escape through the tunnels under the hospital built by General MacArthur during WW2. They escape on a motorbike to the State Library, pursued by ASIS agents trying to capture them and who end up dead.
They head back to the University library thinking all is over and that it is a safe haven but Rogers is waiting for them and threatens to kill them if Matt doesn’t disclose the formula. Professor Greenberg appears and disarms Rogers and makes him tell the truth about the Holt mission. Rogers relents and acknowledges that Jacques was framed and innocent. CIA head, Colby listens in the background before revealing himself, and takes Rogers away.
Colby wants retribution from Matt and Marianne who damaged Pine Gap, and stole a US plane. The professor intervenes, challenges the CIA and threatens to close all US bases if Colby doesn’t agree to keep out of Australia politics.
The professor reveals his past to Matt, and his reasons for not disclosing his previous discoveries. He is a member of the elite group (Royal Society) who’s scientific minds support equality and world peace. A disclosure of ‘smart pills’ could create a new level of society with superior intelligence. The professor asks Matt and Marianne to attend the next meeting and they are asked to become members. Royal Society recommend Matt for a Nobel Prize for his cure for Alzheimers.
Jacques and Marianne fly home to France, Matt returns to Australia where Nellie is going to teach him how to swim. Marianne, on her return, offers to teach Matt how to surf.
Superboot 2025 (Coming Soon)
Crans Montana discovers he can kick a ball the length of a football field.
Crans Montana, a talented young footballer has a accident while surfing. Rescued by his brother Alex, he learns that his injuries threaten his career as a professional footballer. When Crans returns to health, he finds his injuries have given him the ability to extend his leg muscles and kick a ball the length of a football field....
