Faces [Paperback]

I had previously read Martina Cole's, "Close". I loved the book, the characters, and the plot. So I was excited to finally recieve this book. I had high expectations, which were not met even in the slightest.
She starts her books off in the future and then goes back 40 years to lead up to where you start. This is a great read, in other books. Martine Cole starts the book with the demise of the lead character, once you read 450 pages and are ready to find out what happens, you will be surprised to find she re-wrote the beginning at the end ?? I was so confused I had to flip back and read the first chapter to make sure I wasnt mistaken. I despise inconsistancy.
She also has a real problem of repeating herself for pages on end. I read a lot of books and pride myself on my ability to breeze through them, this took me forever to get through because I would catch myself skimming and then getting lost because of her writing style.
My third problem is in her previous book she built up this family to be the end all in London crime families. Now this new character is the end all with a slightly different background. How original.

PLEASE dont waist your time.

In London, several mob thugs arrive at the Cadogen home to collect the patriarch's gambling debt. Dan knew he could not pay so he fled leaving his wife and three children to face the wrath of the mobsters. Almost fourteen year old Danny "Big Dan" Cadogen shows no fear as he faces down the gangsters wanting blood money from his vanished drunken dad. One of the crooks Louie Stein, impressed by the teen's fortitude and size, mentors him in the life of a criminal.

At fifteen, Big Dan kills a hooker with his fists and not long afterward kills someone who ratted on the mob. Over the years with his best childhood friend brainy Michael Miles at his side, Big Dan becomes the most frightening gangster in the city. He is the Face as even his wife Mary, sister of Michael, fears him. Now a notorious legend, Big Dan knows wannabes will try to knock him off his pedestal, but he welcomes all challengers wanting to die at his hands.

Though extremely well written and engaging, FACES is not an easy to read character study due to the lead protagonist consistent use of his fists and other weapons even on the innocent. The interesting story line focuses on Danny whose life of crime is based on either killing or beating the sh*t out of the other guy or gal to retain their respect; he brings home his terrorist philosophy to his family too. Fans will enjoy this gloomy look at a despicable kingpin who the audience will hope gets his butt handed to him while wondering why he was not assassinated by a sniper with a semi.

Harriet Klausner

I was lucky to get an advanced copy of this excellent novel from an author I did not know of. Based on this book, I will know her going forward. It is an excellent introduction into the world of the British mobster scene. In some ways it parallels "Wise Guy" (the book version of Goodfellas) however, Ms. Cole shows that these British thugs have very few rules of conduct.

Danny Boy Codigan is a fearsome "Face" which means he is a mobster that everybody knows and must give respect to (like a "made man" in the US mob). Ms. Cole starts the book with a glimpse of how the tale might end. We get the sense that everybody is plotting Danny Boy's death but afraid of the consequences should the plot fail. The book then flashes back to the beginning with a gripping story of how Danny got to be so powerful yet so hated. Danny was not even a teenager when two loan sharks appear at his door demanding payment for his father's (Big Danny) gambling debt. Big Danny had abandoned his family to pursue his own interests and didn't care that those interests may be detrimental to them. Danny Boy shows no fear to the loan sharks and when Danny Boy's mother attacks them, Danny Boy joins the fray. This incident changes Danny Boy forever, changing him into the dark yet flamboyant up and coming Face that people start to talk about.

Danny Boy is both charismatic and vicious at the same time. To those that don't know his vicious side, he is a "star" to be admired. However, behind closed doors he is brutal, especially to his own family. This book is an excellent read but those with a weak stomach for violence will be taken aback especially when Danny Boy deals with those that cross him or those he thinks need to be taught a lesson.

I give this book five stars and my only objection is that what happens usually involves pipes, knives and weapons of that sort and very rarely guns. So I wondered throughout why his enemies never gang up on him with firearms to take him out.