The Mother by Alex Kane

The Mother by Alex Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages -

Publisher - Hera Books

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

Being head of a family is what she knows best
A decade ago, Cara Fraser, wife to one of Glasgow’s most notorious gangsters, was left a widow after Kyle Fraser was slain on the city streets.

The intervening years haven’t been easy – not least as Kyle’s murder left her to bring up little Ryan and Sean alone.

Now, Ryan and Sean are adults, and honouring their father’s memory by rising up to become the top gangsters on the dark streets of Glasgow.

Cara’s kept her head down, but has spent the last few years vowing to take vengeance on the crime family who killed her beloved husband and left her children without a father.

Glasgow gangland is about to discover that a mother will do anything for her family… even murder.



My Review

The blurb focuses a lot on Cara Fraser and her sons, Ryan and Sean and whilst the latter part of the book they do come more to the front it is the Bryson's who feature as the main runners at the start. Angie Bryson & her husband Dale have their fingers in a lot of pies and Cara's husband Kyle and brother Ian work for the Brysons, distributing drugs primarily. Angie and Cara don't get on and Kyle and Ian have put their plans in motion to become the top dogs. The timeline splits between then and now when the Frasers have decided, again the time is right, the time is now.

There is a lot of rivalry, competitiveness as often there is in gangland type books, fights for power, actions and consequences, shady underhanded behaviour and of course some people will go to any levels for what they feel is due them. Revenge, pride, business, drugs, rivalry, family, murder and is it even a gangster stle book if we don't have betrayal.

There are quite a few relationship dynamics, some you are shaking your head at antics/choices and behaviours but in this lifestyle it is a different world. One characters behavior though I was almost screaming NOOOOOOOO what are you doing?!?!?!

I have read a few of Kane's books and have another couple on my tbrm, when you pick up the books you can get lost in a different world or chaos and danger just waiting for some consequence to their actions. Bad behaviour, shady choices and the old secrets can never remain in the past dun dun dun, 4/5 for me, a wee bit of build up setting the scene and then you are plunged right in! This is a standalone, if you like gangster/ganglands then this is for you - oh and it is set in Glasgow.

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City Lives by Patricia Scanlan

City Lives by Patricia Scanlan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off over 4 days

Pages - 484

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Blurb from Goodreads

Devlin, Caroline and Maggie. Women in their prime. They have it all. Careers. Success. Marriage. They are the envy of their peers. But at what price?

City Livesis the story of three women who have one great certainy in their lives: their friendship. The enduring bonds of loyalty and love will carry them through the toughest times towards a brighter future.

'A page-turner for romantics'Ireland on Sunday



My Review

This is book two of a trilogy, if you haven't read the first one I would recommend it however you could get away with reading this as a standalone. I think you would enjoy it more though having the background info.

Three very different women, Devlin is a successful business woman with her own chain of beauty salons, married and in love she has everything she could want from life. Caroline, married to a man with his own demons and over bearing mother. When they agree to divorce and pursue happiness, Caroline's Mother in Law has other plans. And Maggie, a now well known author, a husband with more than a roving eye, young babies and the struggle between her own happiness and that of her children. The trio have already overcome so much together, now taking scary steps in each of their own lives to achieve what we all want, happiness.

I do like Scanlan's writing, it is like slipping into an episode of one of your favourite sitcoms, the writing flows and you're quickly drawn into the world created and following the ladies recent adventures. I think within the characters there will be someone each reader can identify with, even though they have fame or money they still experience the same woes as everyone else. I will buy the third part of this series as I want to know what is next for the ladies, a perfect read for round the pool or just to switch off from your own every day, 3/5 for me this time.

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