THE KNOCK
by Jessie Keane
A young woman finds herself on the wrong side of the law in The Knock, a gripping gangland thriller from top ten bestselling author Jessie Keane.
Dora O’Brien had a good start in life, but things went bad when she began to mix with the wrong company. Pregnant by her gangster lover, she found herself on the streets and then in the grips of a bent copper called Donny Maguire.
When her daughter Angel is born, Dora is already under the influence of drink and drugs, and handed around to Donny’s mates. Growing up in the shadow of her mother’s abusive relationship, Angel is nothing like her mother, but when matters turn murderous, Angel is forced to grow up fast and survival becomes the name of the game.
For some, being on the wrong side of the law is the safest place to be.
The Knock is a family saga that blasts off and rockets the reader into its second half before there’s time to take a breath. Each of its snappy chapters drives the plot forward with action, menace, and impending consequences. Dora is the protagonist of the first half. She’d be a regular London girl of the mid-20th century were it not for her good looks which prove to be something of a curse. She gets in with the wrong crowd, and then an even worse one.
A brutal murder sees her on the run, her family showing her the door. A dangerous policeman and deadly hitman are on her case. She needs to grow up fast if she’s to stay alive. Just when you think things can’t get any worse for poor Dora they usually do, and those who come into contact with her fair little better.
Gangland London of the 1960s, of the Krays, and of all the trappings and pitfalls of the underworld, is the setting for Dora’s descent into the depths of existance, but might there be a chance of redemption?
The second half of the book, books 2 and 3, see the same threats pose a similar fate for another young woman, Angel. Can she escape the legacy she seems stuck with?
It’s a riveting read. There are some bad, bad men out there. The Knock defines the word pageturner.
About Jessie Keane
Jessie Keane is a British author who lives in Hampshire. Her fascination with London and the underworld led her to write Dirty Game, followed by best sellers Black Widow, Scarlet Women, Jail Bird, The Make, Playing Dead and Nameless.