Not my favourite Mandasue Heller book.This story reminded me of some other book I had read.
I wasn’t keen on the main character and the whole story was a bit far fetched.
I have enjoyed all the authors other books but not this one.

A huge fan of this author. And it definitely did not disappoint.
Fast paced, colourful characters
With a plot twist I definitely didn't see coming
5 stars for sure

WOW!! Fantastic read all the way through! Twists, turns and loads of red herrings and what if's! Loved this book and am looking for others written by this author. Brilliant!
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

The Family....by Mandasue Heller.
Mandasue is one of the great queens of British Crime Drama. This latest novel, set in Manchester, does not disappoint.
Golden hearted Cheryl has not had an easy life. When she meets her dream boyfriend she thinks all of that is about to change. However, this 'perfect' man drags her right to the heart of his toxic family, and into a story of human criminal depravity.
This was compulsive reading. There are enough twists and turns to make you giddy.
If something seems too good to be true.....then it probably is!

Not everyone is as they seem… A fitting introduction to this story.
Cheryl is a working class girl living a quiet life when she meets the charismatic, well off Dale and his family. Cheryl is quickly bought into the family hold, cared for and welcomed into the family home, before she realises that she may not be as safe or secure as she thought….
A top notch gangland thriller from Mandasue Heller. I have read all of her books and enjoyed this immensely. If you like authors such as Kimberley Chambers, Jessie Keane and Jacqui Rose this is a book for you.

This is a great gangland crime thriller.
Cheryl works in a cafe and is happy with her job and her house on a nearby estate. She checks in on her elderly neighbour Bob each day and makes sure he’s ok.
When some unfamiliar faces start work on the house opposite, Bob and Cheryl are intrigued.
When one of them comes over to help Cheryl when she has some unwanted visitors, she’s extremely grateful. Dale has taken a shine to Cheryl and she likes him too, but it’s clear he’s hiding things from her.
Cheryl soon falls pregnant and when Dale proposes, she couldn’t be happier. Dale’s Mum tells her she needs to have the wedding before she’s showing and Cheryl is soon caught up in the whirlwind of wedding arrangements.
When she visits Bob he tells her there’s some strange things happening at the house that Dale’s parents now own but when Cheryl starts asking questions, things don’t work out as she imagined.
Dale and his parents are very close and Cheryl soon realises that there’s more to their family than meets the eye.
This is a great read that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Devoured this in less than 24 hours, such a fast paced amazing read.
Cheryl lives on the Langley Estate, it’s not the best area but she loves it there. She works long hours in the Bluebell Cafe, she takes any leftover sandwiches to her elderly neighbour (and cat), her life is simple but she’s content.
When the rundown house across the road is finally sold, the new owners son Dale catches Cheryl’s friend Anna’s eye. Dale however comes to Cheryl’s rescue later that day when bailiffs come knocking for a debt she’s inherited from her ex.
Dale soon makes it clear he’s interested in Cheryl and they both enter into a fast paced relationship. When Anna finds out she is so cruel to her, walking away from the friendship because of this.
Cheryl is happy thought and so wrapped up in Dale, when a few things start to happen which she doesnt like he soon apologises, why should she have anything to worry about, he’s her protector.
When she meets his family, his mum and dad welcome her but she can’t help but feel the stares or whispered comments from others.
Cheryl’s life changes almost overnight and Dale and his parents are there to look her. Then when lies his family hold start to unravel I was literally on the edge of my seat. The ending seemed fairly abrupt but thankfully the Epilogue pulled it all together.
Thank you NetGalley, Mandasue Heller and the Orion Publishing for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

Since her mother died of an overdose, kind-hearted Cheryl's always had to look out for herself. Until Dale Moran walked into her life. Dale and his family have just bought the house across the street, and within a day, he's chased off the violent thugs who've been threatening Cheryl for her ex-boyfriends debts. Dale is devastatingly handsome and a fierce protector. It's no wonder Cheryl falls fast and hard. But when Cheryl finally meets the family; when she notices that they go quiet when she enters the room; when she hears gunshots in the middle of the night on her estate, she has to wonder whether her new romance has taken her out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Be prepared, this is an addictive read. Cheryl works in a cafe. She has enough to get by on, but her ex-boyfriend left her with a lot of debt. Someone has bought the house across the street from her. She has a good neighbour in Bob, he used to look out for everyone, do odd jobs for the neighbours, now Cheryl looks in on him to make sure he's ok. The night Dale Moran came to her rescue changed her life in more ways than she thought possible.

The Moran's are one of the worst families I've read about. Cheryl is so naive to what is really going on. This is a gripping and gritty story, 70% of the characters are despicable, and I was hooked. Filled with secrets and lies, you just want to keep reading to find out what was taking place. There are not a lot of books that make my blood boil, but this was one did because of some of the things that were going on. Loved this book.

Published 18th July 2024

I would like to thank #NetGlalley #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #MandasueHeller for my ARC of #TheFamily in exchange for an honest review.

Cheryl Taylor’s life isn’t what everyone dreams of but she is happy, with her little house on the Langley Estate and running Bluebell Cafe in the Arndale she is content with what she has. Popping in to check on elderly neighbour Bob and observing the sale of old Edna’s house across the road she notices the buyers young handsome son Dale and is blown away when he asks her on a date. Things move super fast for Cheryl and Dale, and Cheryl is also juggling Bobs addict daughter who has come back into his life, the slowing of the business at the cafe and her ruined friendship with best mate Anna. What Cheryl doesn’t know is how Dales family operate and as the pages turn we learn of their true intentions for Cheryl, her future and her life.

I havnt read a book by Mandasue Heller for a long time and was delighted when I was gifted an eARC (thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher) This was a great crime thriller, focusing on the dark side of Manchester and has reignited my love of this genre and author

I've always known Mandasue Heller as one of the queens of gangland crime writing and have not read one of her books for so long that I thought I would reacquaint myself with her writing.

As soon as the book begins you are thrown into the underworld and the plight of the characters within the story, Heller writes with detail and clarity that has you invested in the outcome of the vulnerables.

A fast paced gritty, intense read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Wow Mandasue has done it again. A page turning gripping read that I couldn’t put down. So much is happening in this book I was just one more chapter oh maybe just one more and ended up reading it in one go. I highly recommend this book and make sure you have some time to read as I guarantee you won’t want to stop reading

Wow what a book, I read this very quickly as I wanted to know what was going to happen.

I then re read, an absolutely gritty gangland story as are all the authors books.

When Cheryl meets Dale she thinks she has met the most wonderful boyfriend, but when she meets his family, her perception changes

Cheryl lives on a housing estate; it is a close-knit community, and she knows everyone on it. She notices Edna’s house has been sold and workman fixing up the place that has been run down over the years. One day she meets Dale who owns the house. It is part of the family business, and he sweeps her off her feet. Far cry from the last relationship she was in. When she meets his rich family, she can’t believe her luck and when Cheryl finds out that she is pregnant she scared that Dale might think after all they have only been together a few months. But when she tells him he is ecstatic, and they decide to get married. But once she moves into the family home, secrets are soon revealed, and the family are not as they seem. There is a darker side to them. Cheryl is worried about her safety.
I am kicking myself why I haven’t read more from this author because ‘The Family’ by Mandasue Heller is a fabulous gritty gangland thriller and a brilliant page turner from start to finish. I couldn’t put this down because I wanted to find out what the secrets the family had. That I read so much that I read it to the small hours of the morning. I can’t wait to read more f this author. 5 stars from me.

Another brilliant read from Mandasue.

Sometimes we cannot see what’s going on, right under our noses. You think you know someone. Then they turn out to be someone completely opposite!

A gripping read it really was!

Another nail-biting thriller from Mandasue Heller. The plot is tense and taught and you will find yourself rooting for Cheryl who unwittingly gets herself involved in a family who have more than a few dark secrets. Unsettling and nerve shredding.

Mandasue’s never disappoint and this one was no exception. It was a cracking read and I couldn’t put it down. It was fast paced and gripping. She is definitely one of my favourite authors by far. Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gang family book

I love my gritty gangland crime thrillers, so whenever I’m looking for such a read one author I turn to is Mandasue Heller. As she’s one of my favourite author’s in this genre and delivers time and time again. The Family is now firmly one of my favourite reads thanks to skulduggery, and the goings on of a toxic crime family. One of Mandasue’s strength is her ability to bring each character to life. So much so that you’re living their story alongside them. Fuelled by treachery, lies and betrayal, The Family begs to be read in one hugely satisfying sitting.

Cheryl is one of the good guys, kind, lovable and unfortunately for her, she’s very gullible! When she meets ‘perfect’ Dale Moran its love at first sight. But as the old saying goes, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’ and once she’s introduced to the Moran family, alarm bells start ringing. It’s obvious to the reader that Cheryl is being manipulated at every turn, I wanted her to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’. The Moran’s idea of family loyalty is twisted to say the least! So unfortunately for Cheryl, the story takes a chilling turn, which is one of the reasons I found The Family to be such an addictive read. Highly recommended.

I found this book a good read. Cheryl meets Dale, a man who seems to good to be true, then she gets quickly drawn into his family and realises there's something darker going on. It'll keep you reading to the end to find out what happens.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Mandasue Heller books, and she is on top form with this one. A great plot, twists turns and gritty action. Recommended.

Wow, loved this book. Really good ending, not what I expected. Think there's room for a sequel, would recommend this book to everyone