Mr Nice & Mrs Marks: Adventures with Howard

by Judy Marks

Howard Marks’s story has passed into hippie folklore. At one time, the world’s then most wanted man had 43 aliases, 89 phone lines, and 25 registered companies. Thanks to the technical brilliance of his networking skills, it was estimated that he was trafficking as much as a tenth of all the marijuana smoked in the world. But this is only half the story, for intimately involved throughout was Marks’s wife Judy. From living the high life hobnobbing with movie stars and nightclub scenesters to mixing with the IRA and CIA, and finally the long, increasingly desperate years on the run, this memoir is about the exhilaration of the criminal life and the hell of not knowing what's happening when your husband stops telling you the truth. Now, for the first time, Judy tells her own side of the tale.

Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Drugs, Crime

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 11, 2006

Reviews

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is only worth a read if you have read mr nice by howard marks. As it does fill in some of the gaps that are missing in his autobiography. Judy I find is a bit of an annoying character and really hasn't got the charm an charisma that Howard has.

[Erssie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure about this. Interesting history but is a list of countries, riches, privileges etc. So knowing she was complicit in a lot of DHM's activities, it is hard to feel sympathy when it all goes tits up.

[Neil Seymour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure this added anything to the Mr Nice story.

[Susan Grossey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read "Mr Nice" (by Judy's ex-husband Howard), I thought it would be interesting to read about the same events from another point of view. And it was, but it all became rather same-y: Howard does something illegal, Judy is surprised when the police get involved, Howard promises to go straight and doesn't, Judy is upset. It was all a bit self-indulgent, and entirely lacking in remorse for the lives ruined by the drugs sold by Howard.

[Samir Dhond · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this is a well regarded book, I found it very ordinary. Nothing extraordinary and it is not even a nice read to kill time. Very disappointed with the book.