Armed Candy: A True-Life Story of Organised Crime

by Reg McKay

Armed Candy is the true story of one woman's struggle for survival on Britain's meanest streets. Kay has spent her whole life trying to escape. Sexually abused by her grandmother, she pleaded to return to her mother's care. But instead of finding a safe haven, Kay entered a world of drug abuse, swinging and dabbling in the occult. Although still a small child, she was soon buying drugs for her mother and being moved out of her bed as orgies ensued in her home. When she tried to escape, she ended up in a violent marriage, from which she fled in fear of her life. Turning to her mother for help, she was tricked into prostitution, her own mother acting much like a pimp. Kay became a high-class call girl, but then, through a chance meeting, she got involved with the most dangerous criminal gang in Glasgow. Women associated with such gangs are often seen as decorative arm candy, but Kay was admitted to the inner core, where she became involved in making decisions of life and death. She fell in love with the gang's equaliser, a young man feared throughout the country, and together they formed a formidable partnership. But they were too successful, and when they appeared to threaten some powerful interests they had to be taken out. The day that Kay's lover was gunned down in broad daylight saw the beginning of a reign of death in the city, as the organised crime world became paranoid and turned in on itself. For Kay, it was the beginning of her way out.

Genres: Biography, True Crime

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2002

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, a harrowing account of a disadvantage life. However, I grew to dislike Kay because of the choices she continually made. It was frustrating when she is clearly a clever women!

[Ross Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

My neighbourhood

[Lyndsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me fall in love with reading . It was truly heartbreaking and inspiring. One book I will most definitely read again and again 👌

[Marion Brands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, I was recommended this book by a friend and I am so glad that I have read it. This book tells a brilliant account of a young woman living and trying to survive in the streets of Glasgow. The first few chapters of the book were quite shocking due to the childhood abuse that Kay endured from her own grandmother- which you would not normally expect. Kay seemed to have been forced to grow up very quickly when she returned to her mother's care, who put her through prostitution. She seems to adapt very quickly and uses this to her advantage later on by becoming a high class call girl earning herself good money. However, this led to Kay becoming involved in one of the most renowned gangs in Glasgow, and forming a relationship with Paul Ferris who was gunned down by his own gang. This book seems to highlight survival and the ability to adapt to situations quickly. It was also very beneficial to read this from a woman's perspective of organised crime as, I'm not being sexist here, a lot of reading material on organised crime is often written using the male perspective and their experiences. Furthermore, it was good to have that insight from Kay's experience of being involved in organised crime and also her experience from being a call girl.
In addition, for someone like Kay to go through all that trauma and still survive and manage to make it for herself is incredible. I know a lot of readers maybe quite judgemental of Kay's involvement in prostitution and drugs and the people she was involved with however this book needs to be interpreted with a very open mind being able to look underneath that. Kay is most definitley a strong, courageous character who had been through a lot. In addition, another courageous move from Kay was telling her story to Reg McKay which would've taken a lot of valor in my opinion if I had been in her situation.

Overall, definitley a brilliant read, may be controversial to some readers but as I say keep an open mind and stick with it!

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living in glasgow I felt compelled to read this book after having scanned the back cover. So much is made of the male element of organised crime in Glasgow that it is interesting to see the female point of view.
It is undoubtedly gritty and very definitely not for the faint hearted. But it was easy to warm to the character Kay because of the difficult life she has led. And it makes me appreciate that even as much as I love this fair city, it is crawling with a dark underbelly. lest we forget!
RIP Reg McKay - a great author who must have had balls of steel!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book it was the first book i read from start to finish i have now started another book wish i done this when i was younger i love true stories and true crime