Faith: a gritty and gripping gangland crime thriller to keep you hooked

by Linda Calvey

'The most authentic new voice in crime fiction' Martina Cole

Wakefield, 1964.

Life is hardly rosy for Annie Wills – an unhappy upbringing and then married too young with husband Gary soon proving a lazy coward unable to hold down a job, his fists always ready to vent his anger on the world. The one shining star in Annie's life is her perfect little girl, Maria.

When Gary foolishly ends up in debt to local crime family, the Waltons, the only way for Annie to keep a roof over their heads is to work at one of the Waltons' drinking clubs. There, for the sake of Maria, Annie does the unthinkable and keeps men happy, night after night.

Maria grows into a stunning teenager who catches the eye of Fred Walton, volatile son of family boss, Ted. Despite Annie's desperate efforts to protect Maria from this seedy world, the young couple fall into a relationship and inevitably Maria falls pregnant. Fred is furious at the news, lashing out again and again with his hand, his ring with its secret razor tip leaving Maria with deep, livid scars criss-crossing one side of her beautiful face. Annie knows the marks on her daughter's face will never fade but they will be nothing compared to the trauma Maria will hold deep inside. Annie and Maria simply cannot stay in town.

With Maria's face wrapped in bandages, they flee to London. Joyce, a fellow prostitute from the Walton's bar who has recently moved to Stepney, shows mother and daughter the only generosity and kindness they've ever known and helps them find a new life in the East End.

But the secrets left behind in Wakefield fester. And while Annie and Maria may be finished with their hometown, the Waltons are far from finished with them.

Genres: Fiction

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 9, 2024

Reviews

[The Book Review Café · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been a huge fan of gritty crime land thrillers so I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of Faith. Faith is a story of violence, treachery, loyalty and family ties and although these are familiar themes in this genre, Linda Calvey still manages to write an exciting tale.

Annie hasn’t had the easiest life stuck with an abusive husband, but she’s determined her Daughter Maria will have a better one. But when Maria falls pregnant by Fred Walton, the son of the local crime family. After a brutal attack the women flee to London for a new life in the East End. Maria is determined that her own daughter, Faith, will have the opportunities she didn't. But the past has away of catching up with you, and Annie, Maria and Faith must face their demons head on if they are going to have a future.

Despite the cruel hand they’ve been dealt, it was interesting to follow their journey of highs and lows and see Annie and Maria grow into strong independent woman. There is a strong supporting cast of characters, some you will love and others you will come to hate. As you would imagine there are some violent, brutal scenes but they are detrimental to the plot. Although I really enjoyed Faith for me this book lacked the unflinching insight into the criminal underworld world that I’m use to in this genre, but never the less it was a read I enjoyed and flew through

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[What_jaime_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🌟

[Evelyn Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good drama
And story that you don’t want to end
And luckily this is not the end
To be continued
I love this author
And as she is a friend of Kimberley chambers you know it’s going to be good.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 of a new series featuring the Wills family mostly set in East London in the period from 1964 to early 1990’s. Annie Wills grew up in the deprived area of Wakefield. She married Gary who turned out to be a lazy, vicious thug but had a daughter Maria whom she absolutely adored. Annie was forced to work at the Waltons brothel to repay the debts Gary had built up with them. A

Briefly, to Annie’s chagrin Maria starts a relationship with Fred Walton. Managing to escape Wakefield, with a badly scarred and pregnant Maria after a vicious attack by Fred, they made their way to the east end of London where friend Joyce takes them in. Not in great shape financially and with three children to look after Faith, Hope and Charity, both Annie and Maria take to working the streets. Alongside their neighbours they make a good life for the five of them.

However, criminality and violence is never far away and as Faith looks for a career in law, she finds herself caught up in the dreadful consequences of Annie’s and Maria’s early life. I suspect the author is using her own experiences of life to draw a very realistic picture of East London in the mid to late 20th century. A fast paced, gritty gangland crime thriller and as expected with this genre there is some graphic violence. A compelling read and how Faith and her siblings get on we wait to see in book 2.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally loved this read, the first book I have read from this author.
Wakefield 1948 post WW2.
Annie Hooper loves school and at fifteen years old her father insists she must leave to work in the biscuit factory she is heartbroken even her teachers cannot convince the man that she has more to offer.
Then she meets and courts Gary Wills pregnant and married so young and in an abusive relationship she is forced to work for Ted Walton cleaning to clear Gary's debts and looking after her daughter Maria.
With her daughter needed to be kept safe she flees to Stepney London joining her friend Joyce.
And so their new life begins starting with nothing.
I could not put this book down, with so many good gripping chapters, the story is so carefully laid out by the author, I will certainly be reading more of her work. Loved it.

[Lovetoread2023 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my first read by this author, and I was very pleased with what I read. At times, emotional filled with women who against all odds make their own way in life without the help of the men who have done nothing but let them down.Loved that the areas and places where the story is set in London I know very well it added to the story for me.
My favourite characters were Annie and her daughter Maria, along with Annie's longtime friend Joyce.
As this is the 1st book in a new series, I'm looking forward to seeing how the next generation of characters grow and that we get more of the criminal element that is bubbling away nicely on the surface.
Great read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline Books for the ARC.

[Tracy ann Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was such an amazing gripping read. Annie always wanted to better herself get an education. But the bully her dad won't let her. then she meets Gary, and she ends up pregnant. Gary is. made to marry her. And she sees the man he finally is lazy and a bully she lives for her daughter. Maria then Annie is made to pay back Garys debt. to Ted Walton where she makes a friend for life with Joyce .Maria has fallen for Teds son and one night after something happens to Maria they have to flee and go to Joyce where they start their life. the story and characters in this book will make you laugh and cry so looking forward to book two.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like a gritty gangland thriller but this one just failed to deliver for me. I liked the characterisation and the plotting but it merely skimmed the surface of the criminal aspect of gangs, although there was a degree of violence portrayed. There were plenty strong female characters, it is an easy read with a steady pace but not enough grit for the genre. The ending left it open for a follow up though, which I would probably read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gangster thriller book that kept me highly entertained. Annie is one tough lady with a brute of a father and then she marries Gary who is just as savage. Annie has a daughter who she will go to any length to protect. The plot gripped me tight and didn't let go. It did leave me hanging as it ended on a cliffhanger but that makes me all the more eager to read the next book!

[Gemma Deary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good, gritty read. The story follows a mother and daughter who live a sad life, with the man of the house a bully it seems that they will never escape their poverty stricken home life but after a shocking event takes place Annie and Maria flee and start to rebuild their lives.
And to make it even better the story is to be continued so I look forward to seeing what happens next.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m a fan of Linda Calvey having read her prison autobiography and life story but a fiction writer she ain’t. I found this book painful, the plot is preposterous, the writing prosaic, the language tedious. It lacked any originality or thought in my view and was utterly predictable. Sorry Linda but I won’t be reading any more.

[Patsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a gritty gangland crime but this was not that. It was very surface level and left out all the details and violence that I like in a crime thriller. This felt more like a domestic drama.
The dialogue felt clunky and repetitive. It felt that whole pages were taken up with repeating the same conversation 🙄
Unfortunately this was a miss from me.

[Kirsty Fowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was probably my least favourite book that I’ve read by Linda Calvey. Her previous books have been really hard hitting, detailed and have flowed really well, but this one just seemed to lack some of that until maybe the last 20%. This feels like a book which is setting up characters for a longer series…

[Donna Louise Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous

I am fast becoming a LC fan. She obviously has a lot to say as this book seemed a little rushed in parts. It's like there's too much story and not enough time. Slow down, tell us your story. We aren't going anywhere and we are interested in what you have to say

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda is such a good author. Her time spent behind bars has helped her to be very authentic about living a criminal life. Her books and characters are always interesting and leave you wanting to more about them. Eagerly awaiting the follow up to this one to see what happens to them all next

[mrs maggie spencer-mortley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but!!!!

I really quite enjoyed the adventures of Annie and her family but was really irritated by the constant use of the expression "yar" by the author. So this affected my star rating.

[Christine Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story. I sometimes have trouble starting a book and getting into the story , not with this one. I was involved straight away.. Great story and without giving anything away great ending making way for a sequel. Would definitely recommend and read her books again.

[Kelly Lou McFall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ATE this one up!!! I was hooked from the start and laughed then cried my way through its pages! See at the end of the book that it’s set to be first in a series!! 😍 looking forward to the next one coming out will be keeping my eyes peeled!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Bookstagramshaz Sharon Logue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love books by this author!!

I only discovered her books last year. Couldn’t put this one down….

[Kim Stewardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith

Well it was a gripping gangland thriller, excellent book really didn't see the end but happening as it did . Really hope there will be a second book

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is right up there with Kimberley Chambers and Martina Cole.
It is an outstanding story gripping until the last page
. It is a great page speeding story that I couldn't put down.
Highly recommend.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time I've read book by this author..Enjoyed storyline but for me something missing

[Kelly Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hooked with this story, great characters and cannot wait for the next installment of Maria, Faith, Hope and Charity ♥️

Definitely worth 5 stars 🤩

[judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Faith

This is not as good as the Locksmith. I felt it was fairly repetitive and not very gripping seemed to lose interest in the storyline, skimmed through to the end.

[Linda Barden · Rating 5 out of 5]

LBarden

A great read, couldn't put the book down, what a page turner. I'm now looking forward to the next book I'm sure it won't dissspoint.

[e king]

Brilliant

Enjoyed can't wait for the next book better than martina Cole can't wait to find out about the sisters lifs

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book could t put this book down . Lots going on , Look forward to the next book x