This was a fantastic read. On the surface a Martina Cole or Kimberley Chambers type of gangland novel. But much more. Explores the mind of a psychopath. Well worth a read/

Whew! I finished Owen Mullen’s novel, Family, over an hour ago, and I am still sweaty and trying to catch my breath. It is HOT! I am a huge fan of gangster stories, and this one left me stunned. There is so much insanity and red hot hatred to fulfill any gangster lover’s dream.

I fell in love with Luke Glass from the very beginning. I couldn’t get enough of him. There were times when I wanted to smack him for being dense, but otherwise, he is my kind of guy. A baddie with the right hint of goodness in him.

Danny Glass was a psychotic mess of a man. I hated him from the first introduction. The man has no sense of reality. He thinks he is the Godfather, but he is a weak little man who thinks the world bows at his feet. I was literally sickened by this character. (Yes, I know how to use my “literally” correctly.)

Nina Glass is one helluva spitfire. I loved her immediately. She was brilliant and knew exactly what she was doing at every moment. She was sexy, and she knew how to work it to her advantage. I was afraid for her, though. She was playing with fire.

I had my suspicions about how the events ran through the book. The way the beginning catches up with the end was a little predictable. But damn, did I have fun on the ride! This novel is a rollercoaster I don't want to get off of.

I am thrilled to award Family a full 5 out of 5 stars, and I look forward to more from the Glass family. If you love gangster sagas, I have the perfect book for you here. I haven’t read a crime fiction novel as good as this in a long time.

If you are looking for a totally addictive story about what family means and what lines can the members cross to keep them together, this is the best book for it.
I’m blown away by this novel.
Dark, twisted and unpredictable moments kept coming up with each chapter and I was so intrigued by everything that I literally couldn’t stop reading till the last page.
I really hope there will be more books in this world because I need more and the author is a must read for me now.

FAMILY is a gangland thriller featuring the Glass Family, a south London Gangster, a family business that sticks together through good times and bad times, by Scottish author, Owen Mullen. The novel, reminds me of “The Godfather”, with strong ties to gangland feuds, thuds settling old scores or control of territory.

The Glass family business is crime, and they’re good at what they do. The Family consists of Danny the eldest and the leader and sister Nina and brother Luke who has just came out of Wandsworth prison after 7 years, after killing rival gangland north London boss, Albert Anderson. Vengeance took Luke Glass behind bars – but now he's free and he's never going back. Luke wants out of the gangster life – all he has to do is convince his family to let him go. But his brother Danny wants him back in the business.

Nina and Luke both owe Danny everything after he brought them up from a young age, and protected them, after the death of their father and disappearance of their mother…but they both want out! Nina has never got on with Danny, and has her own ideas for the future.

Danny holds the reins of the South London underworld in his brutal hands - nobody tells Danny Glass no and expects to live - not even DCI Oliver Stanford, a bent copper on Danny’s payroll. The way Danny sees it, his younger brother and sister Nina owe him everything. The price he demands is loyalty, and a war with their arch enemy gives him the leverage he needs to tie Luke to the family once more.

But then Danny’s grip on reality starts to slip, and Danny commits a crime so terrible it can't be forgiven. Love turns to hate when secrets are extracted which pit brother against brother. Left with no choice but to choose a side, Nina holds the fate of the family in her hands.

In the Glass family, Owen Mullen has created a crime dynasty about a gangster family with bent policemen, rival gangs, torture, murder and non-stop action, a disturbing story of revenge between two rival gangster families, both committing heinous crimes. I loved this book and it provided a welcome change from the psychological thrillers that I mostly read. I was totally engrossed in the characters and the storyline and couldn’t put it down. Loved the major twist at the end of the story, that I didn’t see coming! Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for my digital copy.

I have been a fan of Owen’s work for a little while now. I haven’t quite caught up with all the books that he has written but I am getting there slowly but surely. I am a huge fan of all things gangland and so when I read the synopsis for ‘Family’, I knew that I was in for a treat as the book sounded like just the kind of read I enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Family’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that the characters in this book scared the crap out of me. Some of the ways in which they spoke or the things that they did, sent a shiver down my spine on more than one occasion. They are the sort of people that I would cross the road to avoid. I am a bit of a wimp by the way. Some of their actions are pretty darn brutal and I certainly wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of them. Taking all that into consideration, I still found the characters to be very interesting and intriguing.
It took me next to no time to get into this book. In fact the synopsis was enough to grab my attention and the fact that this book was recommended for fans of Kimberley Chambers and Mandasue Heller sealed the deal as it were. I am a huge fan of both ladies and their books. I knew that if Owen’s book was being compared to theirs then I was onto a winner. To say that reading ‘Family’ became addictive, is a wee bit of an understatement. I picked the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half hour and to get a toe in the door so to speak. Well, let’s just say that I became so wrapped up in the story and so intrigued by the characters that I read for two solid hours. I developed a desperation to find out what happened to the characters and whether or not they managed to bring their plans to fruition. I seemed to race through the story because I was enjoying it so much. I found ‘Family’ to be a compelling and addictive read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Family’ is well written but then I think that to be true of all of Owen’s books that I have had the pleasure of reading. He has the knack of starting the story in such a way that will stay fresh in your mind for a long time to come and which makes ‘Family’ stand out from the crowd. For me, ‘Family’ is perfectly paced. The story starts with a bang, hits the ground running and maintains a fast and chilling pace throughout. Reading ‘Family’ felt like being on one hell of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster with more twists and turns to it than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board. Just when you thought that you could take a moment to catch your breath, gather your thoughts and reclaim your stomach then off the action would go again.
In short I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Family’ and I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Owen’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Danny Glass is head of a South London organized crime family. One morning his daughter Rebecca begs her mother Cheryl to drive her to school in the family car instead of being taken by their minder, a big tough guy called Marcus. Minutes later the car explodes killing them both and injuring many innocent bystanders. Danny is convinced the bomb must be the work of his arch rival Albert Anderson in retaliation for Danny stealing some of his turf, and younger brother Luke Glass chases Anderson to a highrise rooftop when he spots him at a café. Anderson plunges to his death and Luke serves seven years in Wandsworth prison. On the day of his release Luke is collected by sister Nina who has visited him faithfully during his sentence. Albert’s son Rollie has been mentored by the very experienced criminal George Ritchie since his father's death but now it is time to take revenge on Luke. His first attempt fails badly but shakes up the Glasses enough to step up their security and each side seems to be biding their time now. Meanwhile Luke tells Danny he wants nothing more to do with the family business and Nina is making double crossing plans of her own. Danny relies on help from bent DCI Oliver Stanford to let him freely pursue his criminal enterprises but the DCI and his two sidekicks are worried men. One word or false move from Danny could bring their whole cushy little lucrative number crashing down for good and even Stanford is unsure who he can trust any more. When the second clash between the gangs makes Danny a laughing stock, this means war. Danny plots to stop Rollie and become top dog once and for all in the most brutal and bloodthirsty manner imaginable. As Danny becomes more ruthless and unpredictable a collision course is set in motion from which very few will walk away unscathed. With trust and loyalty in tatters, one thing is certain. No one makes a fool out of Danny Glass, not even if you’re family.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. All the characters are very true to type, from the heavy set minders to the men like George who are much cleverer than the people they serve. You can just picture Danny clutching his bottle of whiskey in his office over the pub plotting his next move with his band of thugs, and I liked the way his unravelling was portrayed as he started to become more unhinged and psychopathic. Rollie was great too as the clueless “inherited” boss who could never have become a success on his own. What started out as appearing to be a straightforward story of gang rivalry became so much more as the plot was revealed, culminating in an absolute corker of a surprise and shocking ending. Blood might be thicker than water but it is also a lot messier. 4.5*

Danny Glass is running the dark underworld of South London when his wife and daughter are killed by a bomb attached to their car. His brother, Luke goes in search of the man responsible and makes him pay. After serving 7 years for murder he is released but he wants out of the family business. Danny is not going to let him go easily. Luke and his sister, Nina were looked after by Danny when their father died and it is now payback time, they are expected to spend their lives doing Danny's bidding. But Danny is verging on insane the violence is ramping up and Nina and Luke are no longer fully invested in 'Team Glass'.

This is a very gripping, twisty turny story which had me turning page after page all the way to the shocking end. Fraud, corruption, lies, jealousy, love, hate and revenge all play a part in this brilliant book.

As I expect from Owen Mullen the characters are totally unique and fit the story perfectly. The sadistic ruthlessness of Danny the fiesty Nina and then Luke the softer option a character with compassion who is revulsed by the actions of Danny but is he the sensitive soul that he appears to be or is it that events have forced him to act out of character. You will have to read the book to find out.

A brilliant read I hope there is more to come from Luke and Nina

Thank you to Netgalley, Bombshell Books and the author for the advance digital copy. This is my unbiased review.

3.5 stars. I have read a few of this authors books and enjoyed them all. I read a lot of books in this genre and personally this fell a little short for me. It didn’t keep me hooked as much as other books of the same nature. I still look forward to his next book

For all gangland lovers, this is most definitely one for you. Danny Glass is an evil psychotic crime boss who will stop at nothing to get his brother Luke' who has recently been released from prison, back where he belongs, by Dannys side, running the South side of London.. But Luke has other ideas and has vowed to himself that he wants nothing to do with the criminal side of life any more, but of course things don't quite go according to plan. Danny thinks Luke and his Sister Nina owe him, for all the years he brought them up. Team Glass! This book is a superb read. The story lines running through this book are top class. It's gritty, violent, hard hitting and certainly not for anyone with a nervous disposition, lol. There are some fantastic top gangland writers out there and I now place Owen Mullen as one of them. This is the first time I have read this author but it certainly won't be the last.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review..

Family by Owen Mullen is crime fiction at its most tragic and compelling as I witnessed Danny Glass traverse the deep dark descent into depravity through his brother's eyes.
Though admittedly not my cup of tea, I found this story to be full of action and suspense. The telling is technically superb with artful use of two different narration types to more fully tell the tale. Foreshadowing maintains the suspense through the last page, and the flowing language tells a darkly vibrant story that's gritty to its core.
As I read, the Godfather kept running through my mind, but this story is nothing like that one. It is unique in its premise and its characters. Danny Glass is the head of the family-run gang in South London, and he is coldly ruthless, blinded by rage, and disturbingly sadistic. There is nothing he will not do or no one he will not kill if he feels wronged. Luke tells his story through first-person narration. And though Luke is hardened and ruthless, there is a caring side of him that leads me to believe he is redeemable. They are Team Glass.
On most occasions, left out of Team Glass is Nina, their little sister who was raised by Danny. I had wished that she would be a more Lucky-Santangelo-type character, but instead, she is more of a mafia princess and wears the crown disturbingly well. I wanted her to have moxie. I wanted some sass. I hoped she would be different because this story desperately needs a strong female character. Women and children do not fare well in this gangster world - killed at a whim, used for sex, and treated like objects rather than people. Even the policeman's wives were described in an extremely negative way, though I am sure they were treated well by their husbands, or one can hope.
If you like gang/crime fiction and have very few triggers (as this story contains many), then this is a story you will want to check out further.

Family - the very title of this book evokes all sorts of emotions as family can mean all sorts of things to different people. Mullen is a crafts-person with a versatile style that can take us from the streets of Pakistan (Out of the Silence) to the streets of Scotland (Games People Play) t - and now we're walking the streets of London with the Glass family.
With a strong family dynasty behind him, Luke Glass could be forgiven for thinking he could look forward to better times on his release from prison. However, the head of the Glass dynasty thinks differently. How could Luke possibly think he could go straight after all he is a Glass.
This is a ferocious and compelling insight into 'family' dynamics and from the very first page I was gripped. Mullen has a knack of gripping you by the throat and defying you to put the book down.
His characters are compellingly visceral, addictively devious, and completely believable - especially if you've heard of the Krays or read Martina Cole.
The plot has been devised to keep you on your toes and to make sure you're never entirely sure what might happen next. I particularly loved Nina - who is the lynch pin in this entire novel. She holds more power than either of her brothers should she choose to use it.
Another brilliant read!

On his release from prison, Luke wants a fresh start but is immediately catapulted back into the family business. Unfortunately that business is tied up with the London gangland. His brother is still behaving in the way he was seven years ago and continues to see any one wanting to move away from the family as a traitor. Bent coppers, lots of violence – a crime dynasty novel.

Family by Owen Mullen is a gritty, gangland thriller that gripped me as I read the first page. I was plunged into the world through the eyes of the Glass family. There are three members, Danny, Luke and Nina Glass. We join the Glass family as Luke is released from prison were he has finished his sentence for the vengeance he wrought after his older brother Danny's wife and Child were killed by a bomb detonating on the car they were in. Luke wants nothing more than to leave the gangland life he has lived and breathed until his prison sentence, he just needs Danny to let him leave.
His brother is the most feared person in South London, everyone is just a puppet in his hands - nobody tells Danny Glass no and expects to live - not even DCI Oliver Stanford, a rising star within the Met and as bent a copper as you will ever find! The way Danny sees it, his younger brother and sister Nina owe him everything due to him bringing them up. The price he demands is loyalty, and a war with their arch enemy gives him the leverage he needs to tie Luke to the family once more.
As the story unfolds Luke feels tied to Danny still, until everything comes to a head, Luke cannot forgive the final act that Danny jas done and it puts them up against each other. Only Nina, the younger sister may be able to defuse the situation, but can she?
As I said, I was gripped immediately as I began to read. There is nothing I like better than a good old Gangland thriller to make my day pass quicker! This is the first book of Owen's I have read and I already put him up there with the likes of Kimberley Chambers and Mandasue Heller! The pace of this book is perfect and the twists, well, you just need to read it, as I am not about to even hint at them! Just know, they took my breath away! An absolute belter of a book and I am so grateful I was offered a place in this Blog tour by Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources. Thank you so much! Also Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the copy of Owen's book so I could be part of the #BoldwoodBloggers today.

If you like a tough, hard-hitting gangland crime thriller then look no further than Family by Owen Mullen. This book really does take the reader into a dark, dangerous and criminal world of the Glass family. This gangland family is run by Danny, older brother to Luke and Nina. Danny is responsible for raising his younger siblings and they have a lot to be thankful for, but how far that gratitude stretches is anyone's guess.

This book is very addictive, I mean really addictive and I was pretty much hooked within a couple of chapters. The main character is Luke, and it's through him that I got an idea of how the family was run, the controls, the loyalties and also how people changed during the years he spent in prison. Luke had wanted to break free from the family business, but Danny is not having that.

Danny is a character who you don't say "No" to, you agree with him and do as he says no ifs no buts. Nina, not so much a main character but one that does have a smaller role to play, she gives another perspective on what it is like to be a member of the Glass family.

As this is a gangland crime thriller there are certain things I do kind of expect, such as corruption, feuds, infighting, and the obvious criminal and murderous elements. This book definitely fills all those criteria and then some. The author has twisted this story in such a brilliant way that it definitely kept me on my toes with its fast pace and unique characters. Fast-paced it definitely is and I had to keep turning pages.

The characters are brilliant and I do think this is something that this author really does excel with, providing a realistic set of characters that all have their own traits. He weaves the stories of the characters really well and at no point to you get a feeling of something not quite working, for me, everything just flows seamlessly to create a wonderful read.

This is a dark story, there is violence, there is murder, there is drama, there are hopes and dreams. The body count rises, the corrupt coppers are having their hands forced, the net is tightening and who is still standing at the end I will leave you to discover.

This is a book that could easily be the first in a series or trilogy. Even though there is a satisfactory ending, I have to admit, to not wanting this to be the last time I meet some of the characters. This is one for hard-boiled crime readers who love a gangland thriller story. Excellent book and one I would Very Definitely recommend.

If you love gangsters and crime thrillers then this is the book for you. I’ve not read any books by this author before so was unsure what to expect. This story is the tale of the Glass family. Danny Glass brought up his younger brother and sister Luke and Nina from a young age. He started off small nicking cigarettes from the local newsagents but was soon running South London. Danny was always an unsteady character but the death of his wife and daughter made him worse. There is so much going on in this book from the very start that means you won’t want to put it down. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of what Owen has to offer.

This is my first Owen Mullen book and I quite enjoyed it, I think I'm going to have a wander to see if I can find his previous work. It's set in and around South London and it's about Danny, Luke and Nina Glass and their place in the criminal underworld.

Following the death of his sister in law and niece in a car bombing incident Luke Glass hunted the culprit down and the rest is history as they say. Fast forward to 7 years later and Nina is collecting a different Luke from Wandsworth Prison. Having had this time to think things through he has decided on a career change, going straight, we can guess that Danny is not going to like this one bit.

Danny comes across as your stereotypical London gangster who enjoys the power that he holds over his men and to an extent his family. Nina tends to do exactly as she pleases when she pleases which is usually the exact opposite of what Danny wants or expects from her. For him it has been all about "Team Glass" ever since he was a young man who had to take care of his siblings. There's definitely a lot more to come from Luke and Nina and I'd like to see where the author will take the readers in relation to how they see the running of the family.

This is a gritty story of an underworld family and their rivals, their lifestyles, the shocking viciousness of some of the acts that take place in the name of money. I would say this that this isn't for those with a queasy disposition as the some of the incidents of violence have been rather brutally described. #Family is written in the same genre as Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers and although it doesn't have the polish that the ladies novels but it's still a blinking good read. Please let's bear in mind that both of these authors have been writing this style for quite some time and if this is the authors first foray into this world I'm already looking forward to what comes next.

Read for an honest review. Thank you Mr Mullen, #Netgalley and #Boldwoodbooks

Hi I love this authors books but this one was not for me,apologies for that,am giving 3 stars as the writing was fine was just not the story for me at the moment and I look forward to future books by this author

Is there any genre Owen Mullen can't write? I've read everything he's written and every single time he blows me away. It's not just the variety of concepts, it's also the brilliance of their execution. This gangland book, set in London, is not for the feint hearted. Some terrible and inhumane acts take place. But the evolving story of Danny, Luke and Nina was heart in your mouth, scary stuff. As for the twist, well I never saw that coming. Gripping, captivating, with superb characters and excellent dialogue, this must surely be another hit for Mr Mullen. I await its arrival to the big screen.

This is a fast paced powerful gritty thrilling read. Be prepared to read in a single sitting! Once I started I couldn't stop reading although I also didn't want it to end. Already desperate for part two, which I hope is coming soon.

This book had everything you would look for in a Gangland Thriller. There are murders, bent Police Officers, rival crime families who are out for revenge and unexpected twists and surprises along the way. Brilliant!

I have read everything this author has published to date and couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of this new release.

Thank you to Owen Mullen, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Fast paced gangland thriller

Two opposing London gangster families with scores to be settled.

Luke Glass, younger son of the powerful Glass family, comes out of prison and wants to change his life, get away from the family business, and go straight. His sister Nina has life and death personal matters to worry about. Luke’s older brother Danny is intent on keeping Team Glass on track and on top.

As with all of Owen Mullen’s books this thriller starts with drama. Tensions run high throughout and with plenty of action and drama included everyone’s nerves are stretched from beginning to end (the characters’ and the reader’s!) Twists, turns and police corruption make this an exciting and gripping read.

4*s from me, because I found it a little too gritty for my tastes, but even so a great read. Gangland thrillers probably aren’t really my thing, I prefer at least some of the characters to be the sort of person I might enjoy an evening out with. However this author is so brilliant I may have to review my thoughts about this genre.

Rumour has it that a second book in this series in on the way 😊 . I’ve read all of this author’s thrillers, and all of them are exciting and great reads.