My Review (5 stars out of 5)
When a gang rob a jewellery store, things don’t go as planned. Leaving two people dead, the thieves decide to grab a customer as hostage. Unfortunately, the hostage turns out to be Nina Glass—sister of gangland boss Luke Glass. But sending Luke the usual ransom demand isn’t quite what this particular gang are into, and disagreement in their ranks doesn’t do them any favours. In the meantime, Luke, along with Nina’s lover Mark, are left with no clues as to Nina’s whereabouts. Even bending the ear of bent copper Oliver Stanford doesn’t help. Can Luke track down the kidnappers before they carry out their threat to kill Nina?
This is book three in the Glass Family series and as with the others, it’s an absolute stonker. This time around, the family not only have to contend with Nina’s abduction but must also deal with a rival gang who seem intent on encroaching on the Glass family’s territory. What I love about this one is the development of the characters, especially the relationship between Nina and Mark, and the troubling issues Mark is forced to deal with. Mr Mullen’s writing is as sharp and witty as always and the underlying humour prevents the story from becoming too mired in murder and mayhem (though there’s plenty of that, too).
I’d thought it might be a bit of a long call to expect the author to come up with something new in the age-old London-gangs type story, but Hustle thrilled me at every turn, and with an ending that left me stunned, I’d have to say this is Owen Mullen’s best work yet.
A riotous rollercoaster ride with shocks and surprises galore.
Author Bio
Owen Mullen is a highly regarded crime author who splits his time between Scotland and the island of Crete. In his earlier life he lived in London and worked as a musician and session singer. He has now written seven books and his first gangland thriller for Boldwood, Family was published in January 2021.
Social Media Links
NB This post first appeared as part of the blog tour for Hustle, via Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources.
Colin Garrow 