Books
Certified was published on the 15th of August 2021 by New Generation Publishing and is a multi International award-winning novel and Amazon Best Seller.
2021 Mark Twain GRAND PRIZE Winner, International CIBA Book Award
2022 Bronze Medal Winner, Readers Favorite International Book Awards
2022 Bronze Medal Winner, Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Certified
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“The Four Weddings and a Funeral of the book world.”
Inspired by real events, Certified follows one man stumbling—often cluelessly—through the moments that officially mark our lives. Along the way there are missed chances, questionable decisions, and the uncomfortable realisation that adulthood tends to arrive long before we’re properly prepared for it.
One Unexpected Birth – The road to fatherhood
Missed opportunities, a surreal lift with Bet Lynch, the discovery of a 1963 Silver Cross pram, and the moment everything changes with the shock of becoming a dad. A story of heartache, hope, second chances… and Peter Beardsley.
One Hapless Wedding – The madness of matrimony
A dream wedding threatened by Justin Timberlake, an unexpected encounter with armed police, an Austin Powers lookalike, and the enormous relief of finally saying “I do.” Featuring love, chaos, and one unforgettable stranger named Wally… and his Scooby-Doo van.
One Bizarre Death – The strange business of saying goodbye
Confused emotions, a JCB funeral, £25,000 in ceased banknotes, an eccentric clairvoyant, and the difficult act of saying farewell. A story of regret, family reflection, and—somehow—Morrisons supermarket.
Funny, honest and deeply relatable, Certified is a journey through the certificates that shape a life — filled with laughter, loss, and the absurd moments in between.
Three certificates. One life. And absolutely no idea what’s coming next.
Reader reviews for Certified
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The most striking aspect of Certified is the quality of the writing, which is original, fresh, and unique. It takes natural talent for an author to make a fictional narrative appear to be a real-life story.
Crane offers readers this rare experience, prompting readers to see themselves in the story. Themes of hope, heartbreak, loss, love, and change flow seamlessly, leaving no cliffhangers as they propel toward the end.
Overall, this is a tightly woven and intelligent comedy-drama
– 2021 International CIBA Mark Twain Grand Prize Winning Review
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Infused with themes of love, loss, heartbreak, and hope, Certified is a humorous yet moving anthology that perfectly demonstrates how life has a way of pulling the rug out from under your feet when you're least expecting it.
Author Roger Wilson-Crane's quick-witted dialogue and humour make the narrative a breeze to go through. Apart from the humour, there is a lot of heart and emotional resonance to the stories.
I had a wonderful time reading Certified. If you're looking for a grounded comedy-drama novel, I highly recommend it.
– Readers’ Favourite. 2022 Bronze Medal Winner
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This book is an absolute joy. I particularly enjoyed the multiple side stories; each one of them complemented the main essence of the chapter and several could be mini-books of their own.
Its clever, funny and has dozens of memorable moments in it. Plus, some brilliant twists in the tale too. No spoilers here, but let's say there are a couple of moments where I actually gasped and said an out-loud ‘oh no!’
Certified is a joyful book that I would heartily recommend you read. Five Stars.
– Michael Heppell, international Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author
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A riveting account of one man going through three milestones in life.
Crane writes in an elegant and charismatic way which feels realistic, engaging and absolutely entertaining.
An enchanting and eloquent story, it’s quick rhythm and comedy filled adventures will catch any readers heart.
– Literary Titan. DEC. 2021 GOLD AWARD WINNER
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I liked the writing style of this. Taking us through some of the bizarre occurrences of family life, the author deftly offers humour one minute and handles sensitive issues the next.
Certified is an entertaining family history that covers love, loss and life with humour and a deft hand.
– Lovereading.co.uk INDIE BOOKS WE LOVE
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This is a book that you won’t want to stop reading once you’ve started it. The author’s humorous writing makes for easy reading, but don’t let his light touch fool you into thinking this is not a serious book.
Certainly, there are laugh out loud moments but the author also deals with some tough issues. More importantly for those that enjoy character -driven stories, he draws his people with great skill.
The result is a book that is funny, sad and philosophical in equal measure.
– OnlineBookClub.Org
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Certified reminds me of Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Roger’s writing is concise, intelligent, and poetic. In addition, he proves to be a great storyteller with a few tangents that only add to the familiar prose.
Certified is a charming slice-of-life story with loads of realism and none of the soap opera dramatics that we really don’t need. Life is crazy enough on its own.
– Charlotte Zang, Author and Writer
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A fantastic debut from Roger, which was a highly entertaining read.
Throughout the book I kept asking myself, is this Roger's memoir or is it a novel?, either way it was so enjoyable & I couldn't put it down.
The writing flows from the pages, whilst we follow the stories of one hapless man's journey through the certificates of the events that encompass our lives...birth, marriage & death.
Poignant, humorous & full of realism. It's the Four Weddings & a Funeral of the book world.
– Stacey Hammond, Arc Reader and Reviewer
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Roger is a wonderful author whose writing style is professional and articulate.
The major events are covered with humility, warmth and sadness, in just the right amount of emotive balance.
It is a wonderful read, and surprisingly poignant.
You don’t just read this writing; you feel it. If you have a liking for light-hearted family drama, with a softly emotional undercurrent, then this will probably be right up your street.
– Matt McAvoy, Author and Editor