The Debt

After eighteen years inside, Johnny Frank is coming out of jail with just one thing on his mind, to kill the man who put him there. But his plans soon go dramatically awry. As his past returns to haunt him, a vicious murder and kidnap force him back on the streets of London. He could choose simply to disappear - if it weren't for Simone. Through her marriage to Reggie Kray, the author has a unique insight into the inner conflicts of a long-term prisoner, and just as Roberta's life was irrevocably changed by meeting Reg, so Simone's will never be the same again after she enters Johnny's dangerous and unpredictable universe. Praise for Roberta Kray: 'Well into Martina Cole territory, Roberta Kray's first novel gets under the skin of the London underworld with no problem' - Independent 'Action, intrigue and a character-driven plot are delivered in well-written style, sure to please any crime fiction fans' - Woman 'You might expect a crime novel written by the widow of Reg Kray would be tough - and it is. Recommend this to fans of Ian Rankin' - Booklist 'The Debt convinces on every page - not only about the gangster world but also as a portrait of a woman whose life has been changed by forces beyond her control' - Chicago TribuneFrom Publishers WeeklyFans of Dick Francis and Simon Kernick will relish British author Kray's fiction debut, a cynical, hard-edged suspense novel told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of the two main characters—London mobster Johnny Frank and Simone Buckley, the daughter-in-law of the man Johnny blames for his long jail sentence. Convicted for the murder of a partner-in-crime two decades earlier, Johnny emerges into the world bent on revenge against Jim Buckley, the man who snitched on him. Taking advantage of the informant's greed, Johnny arranges to be a temporary lodger in his intended victim's household, where his path crosses with the attractive but unhappy Simone. Despite her intelligence, Simone is trapped in a marriage to a faithless rake, whose financial crimes have put an end to her career as an accountant. Razor-sharp writing and excellent pacing elevate this effort beyond the standard vengeance thriller. Kray is the widow of Reggie Kray, who with his twin brother, Ronnie, was a well-known London underworld figure. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistYou might expect that a crime novel written by the widow of Reg Kray, one of England's most notorious gangland overlords, would be tough and brutal, and it is. After spending 18 years in prison for murder, Johnny Frank is free. And he has a mission: to get revenge against the man who put him behind bars. But first he intends to tear the man's life apart, very, very slowly. The author, who previously published a biography of her late husband, proves to be an adroit storyteller, and her fictional creations feel authentic--so much so that it's easy to imagine running into them should one take a wrong turn and land on Britain's meanest streets. It's hard to know, of course, how much of the story draws on real-life events, but that hardly matters. The book is what it is, and that's an uncompromising, grit-filled crime novel. Recommend this to fans of Ian Rankin, Ken Bruen, and David Lawrence. David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved