I enjoyed this book. The unveiling of Frank's true character throughout was incredibly well written. Recommended.

I loved this book! Initially, you feel sorry for Frank for dropping dead at Heathrow airport and poor Jem, his estranged daughter is left to sort out the ensuing mess. The family dynamic then played out is funny and dark and there's an awful lot of undercurrents at work. I felt sorry for Jem and could have slapped Kathleen for being so prickly and self-obsessed; her son Scott (Sonny) becoming a spoilt replica of her. I liked the character of Walter and could understand his anger. This book draws you into the family dynamics at work when life isn't as straightforward as you think it is. A great read.

A Brilliant Read - A Modern Classic Thriller:
What an apt title: "The Frank Business". This is an engrossing novel which will keep you reading and guessing on the outcome until the final page. It possesses a timeless message which will reverberate as much in years to come as it does today. Betrayal of those you love can come back to haunt at any point in the future and have unforeseen consequences which we cannot control.
The sudden death of Frank in this novel (not a spoiler as it happens at the very start of the book) seems to mark his departure as a person of relevance to the novel. Far from it. He remains the focal point throughout or rather his personality and character do. This is a novel which encompasses nearly every theme effecting humanity: love, betrayal, loyalty, forgiveness, vengeance, hatred, domestic violence, to mention just a few.
All this wrapped up in a plot which takes us from the present back to events 25 years earlier. The novel features regular flashbacks to a period when Kathleen, the leading character and actress, was shooting a film in the south of France and was having a terrible ordeal with the Film Director.
Fast forward 25 years and Kathleen, her husband of 40 years Walter, son Sonny(Scott) and daughter Lauren are a settled, reasonably happy but fragile family unit who each face problems of their own. The fragility of their family ties is about to be torn asunder at Christmas when a total stranger turns up at their door with news which will test them all to the limit.
"The Frank Business" is an excellent novel of the modern classic thriller genre containing unexpected twists and turns which affect each of the Griffin family and Jem, the stranger who appears one night. Featuring three-dimensional characters each with their own flawed personality with which we can identify. An un-missable read, this novel deserves to go on every reader's "must read" bundle of novels.

Interesting unusual read. This is a very quick read, one of those books that are excellent if you want to escape into other people’s lives. All human emotions are here, love, lust, guilt, death, loss and betrayal
A good unique read

Quick and easy to read however it did struggle to gain my interest. I didn't like the characters. Not one of them had any redeeming qualities and the book fades in parts where it should have finished just as strongly as it started. Unfortunately I won't be passing along any recommendations.

When her estranged father Frank dies Jem discovers that she has a brother she never knew about and she needs to find him to warn him that Frank died of a congenital heart defect. Twenty-five years ago Frank had an affair with Kathleen, a spoilt and selfish actress, that resulted in the birth of Scott. Scott doesn't know that he isn't the son of Walter (Kathleen's husband) but he does know that he's very different to his sister.
There's a clever and interesting book at the the heart of this but it is spoilt by some over the top plot devices. Frank is portrayed as some kind of monster with no reason why. The fact that he has killed twice is glossed over and his stint in prison barely mentioned. Most of the characters are cliches but this does fit in with the tone. I wanted to love it but merely liked it!

Sorry to say that i couldnt finish this. I just didnt gel with the story or the setting. I was bored to tears. Sorry.

A really interesting book that starts with a sudden death just as the central character makes or tries to make a connection, and the rest of the story completely changes our initial view of him. It is a love story and a hate tale, full of hurt and cover ups but full of hope for the future. The characters are well drawn and the plot moves at a good pace. It is a well written, refreshingly different read.

I enjoyed reading this, despite the fact that most of the characters are unlikable and some aspects of the plot are fairly unbelievable. The beautifully descriptive passages and the evocation of a part of France I know well kept me reading to the end and the story unfolded without becoming predictable. I would recommend this if you're off to Provence as an antidote to the Peter Mayle cliches.

I did not enjoy this book, finding it too disjointed, most of the characters were annoying, and some of the plot went nowhere. What was the point in killing Vincent? The stories for some events started in depth, but then just faded away with no connection with the main plot. The only two characters I liked were Jem and Romy, however they never really showed any of that relationship (what little there was). Overall, the writer can write, but the plot and editing let it all down for me.

This is a very quick and easy read which begins with the death of Frank. I didn't care for many of the characters particularly Frank who wasn't very nice at all. However it was an interesting read.

As usual in my reviews, I won't go into the plot (plenty of other reviews out there if that's what you're after!).

This is a compelling and somewhat unusual read. In common with many other current novels, it features a number of rather horrid characters - tempered in this case by some rather loveable and sympathetic ones. The plot is excellent, beginning with the death of one of the main characters, and ending on an optimistic note. I would love to know what happens next - a sure sign of a good read!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I didn't love this book but I stayed with it to the end. Frank turns out to be a horrible man and the repercussions that filter through the lives of others is where the tension lies.

I really enjoyed this and zipped through it! A great exploration of character- at first luring you in to like Frank, his charisma and charm, before revealing a dark underbelly. When he drops dead his next of kin- his estranged daughter Jem is informed. The intricacies of dealing with unknown biological family and revelations were dealt with sensitively and felt true to life. A great read.

This is an Interesting storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed the different aspects. Good characters. A good read!

A bit too many coincidences, and rather an unappealing a set of people not really behaving in credible ways slightly put me off despite its wit. Two people who are really half brother and sister bump into each other at heathrow .. death of a rather awful father they share brings them together by torturous route. The misdirections of the author made me feel cheated in a way .. but I admit its wit even though it's all kind of cold. Very adept-cold though, so I admire this novel even if I do not love it! It's written to amuse and dissect in a way...

A tough read but definitely worth it. Estranged family and affairs lead to a brutal crime and trauma. Somehow the book ends on a positive note

I disliked most if not all the two dimensional characters in this book. I also was irritated by the author’s assumption that the reader would suspend all thoughts or intelligence just so the story could hang together. Sorry but it may appeal to others, but not to me.

This is a book which explores the way families interact and the ways in which they can fall apart. In theory, it is very intriguing as Jem, whose estranged and abusive father has died, searches for her half brother. Sonny and his family have to deal with the ramifications of his mothers previously admitted affair. For me though, this fell flat. I couldn't find anything redeeming in any of the characters, who all seems just awful. This is probably going to be a book that a lot of people enjoy, but it wasn't for me.

A beautifully written book which is both moving and heartbreaking. Frank is not what he seems but I do not want to give any spoilers, suffice to say this is a great book which I can highly recommend.