Linda Calvey has been married four times, and all four times she has ended up a widow.
Growing up after the war in the East End of London, Linda fell in with local gangsters including the Krays, Freddie Forman and Ronnie Cook.
And in 1990, the so-called 'Black Widow' was convicted of killing her lover Cook. She served a double sentence because she wouldn't confess.
Her 18 years behind bars made her Britain's longest serving female prisoner. She moved to 14 different prisons during her time inside, sharing a prison with Rose West and Myra Hindley.
Since her release she has led a quiet, low-key life marrying a local businessman called George. Sadly George too is now dead..
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Mirror books for an e-copy in exchange for my honest review. This was released July 2019.
I had not heard of Linda Calvey prior to this book. This is her true crime memoir where she comes clean about her life of crime and her "unjustified" murder conviction.
She is extremely self-aggrandizing telling the reader about how beautiful she is (ummm ok), how intelligent (she is both cunning and conning) and intuitive (not really). She likes to name drop and tell the reader how desirable she is to powerful and bad men. Ummmm well perhaps. She externalizes the blame of her criminal acts (primarily many many armed robberies) onto others/society and she feels entitled to a life of luxury as the poor dear was raised working class. She allegedly slapped Myra Hindley in prison for being such an evil bitch (really now Linda!!) She constantly preaches about how much she loved her parents, siblings and children yet constantly put them in harm's way. She not only paints excessive rouge on her cheeks but also paints herself as an every-woman anti-hero.
Was she wrongfully convicted of murder ? I have no fuckin clue. I am just glad that she is not my neighbor.
Shame on her for her life of many crimes. Shame on me for reading this and finding it interesting (in a small way)
She apparently now leads a quiet and peaceful life taking care of her grandchildren. Yikes !
What an exciting cast of characters this turned out to have! And what a wild ride of a life Linda Calvey lived. This is quite a true life crime story, and an amazing one at that from England. If I hadn’t had an important appointment, I probably would have tried to read it from start to finish. As it was, I was sniffling at the big, sad part during the few moments I got to peek at it again just before my appointment! Why do they have to interrupt my reading time? I love the Cockney language in it, the highs and lows, and highs again and Linda’s can-do attitude and ability to stand up for herself.
If you know anything about true crime, you’ll recognize plenty of names in this book as it goes along. I recommend it highly for memoir readers who are familiar with names like the Krays, East Enders, etc. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Linda Calvey, and the publisher.
This is a true crime story that's told from the heart of author Linda Calvey. She holds nothing back, she tells it all. She's been married four times and widowed four times. Linda rubbed shoulders with some famous gangsters including the Krays, Freddie Foreman and Ronnie Cook. In 1990, Linda was convicted of killing her lover, a crime she did not commit. She was given a double sentence because she would not admit to the crime. While inside, she met notorious child killers Rose West and Myra Hindley. Since her release she has lived a quiet life. She married a local businessman. I found this book interesting and only put it down to sleep. If your a fan of true life crime, I recommend this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Mirror Books and the author Linda Calvey for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't usually read this type of book but after hearing about how good it was i bought the book and well what a very interesting story it is.Linda Calvey a young girl in a relationship that does not feel right until her mom takes her to a flat and Linda learns that the man she has been seeing for years is married.After finding this out Linda is gutted but she is taken out to start to mix again and one night she meets Mickey Calvey and falls in love with him.Being together linda has a life she is happy with she knows what her husband does but instead of taking a back seat she actually listens and gives her take on things.Sadly one night her Mickey doesn't come home and then she finds out why and heartbroken with two young kids she is certain she will not rest untill the truth comes out.I have loved reading about Linda and her life and can recommend this book and hope that Linda Calvey is now happy with her family.5*
Did I like this book I'm really not sure 🤔 Linda Calvey wanted to live a life of luxury and she believed that was her right to. I don't know what men saw in her. She glammed up what she did Robbing banks , postoffices with no thought to the people that were there to witness what was happening. And how it would affect them. I would say she got what she deserved for committing the crimes she did. And her children and her family payed the price. I would of thought that after losing her first husband she would of wanted to look after her son and daughter but no she decided to go out and Rob instead. She named dropped through out. The way she wrote was that men were falling at feet. God she loved herself. Did she kill Ron Cook? I'm not sure, but with what she wrote about him it makes me wonder 🤔
Told with honesty, real honesty that I admired and with at times sadness, intrigue, humour and disbelief at what was happening to her we are invited in and read about everything that befell the ‘Black Widow’…..the author does not flinch from saying what was her doing and equally what wasn’t and it was admirable to read such an real account of what is pretty much going from the highest high to the lowest low then starting again and going back up
All chapters of her life are covered from the high living to being forced to dye Myra Hindleys hair red whilst in prison and everything inbetween, sometimes brutal, sometimes gentle but at all times fascinating
Good and bad, right and wrong not many people could write about their life having experienced so much on all levels
A powerful read and again will use the word honest, as it is, from first to last page
Found this book to be rather underwhelming and shorter than I had been expecting. It had the potential to be really good but ended up being a bit of name drop in the end, especially about Myra Hindley. Whilst I thought her life had been interesting, she focused too much on how men adored her and not the nitty gritty of the life of crime that she led.
A fun read with interesting people of the time. I do think this book puts a rose colored glasses shine on it all, with details left out and a bit of bullshit, but I still enjoyed reading it and finished it in a day
I LOVE a biography/memoir from someone who have an interesting story to tell or from someone who comes from a different walk of life from me. I love learning about people and boy, does Linda Calvey have a story to tell.
4 times married and also embedded in a life of crime as a bank-robber, Linda also served 18 years in prison for a murder she wouldn’t confess too. Invested!
Linda takes us through her entire lifespan beginning with her loving upbringing in the East-End of London and later onto affairs, crime, death, prison, The Krays, Myra Hindley, marriages and blackmail. It’s one hell of a ride.
I’ve seen so many interviews and podcasts with Linda but I felt like I learned so much more from this book too.
Linda was only 20 when she met Mickey Calvey and began her life in the dark underworld of crime; assisting with the planning of robberies, laundering the money and eventually taking part in robberies herself. She was in the real thick of it and the brains of the biggest gangs in London.
Whilst she’s honest about enjoying finer things in life as a result of the robberies, the harsh realities of life as a gangster are exposed with unflinching honesty. Importantly, there's no glamorisation of the lifestyle, which I felt was crucial in avoiding harmful impressions on impressionable readers. It shows the devastating consequences - children carelessly handling guns, families torn apart by long prison sentences, kids losing their father at such a young age and the damage caused by ruthless men. The crimes ultimately shattered their family life, laying bare the real cost of this dangerous world.
She rounds off her book by stating ‘I’ve been a bad woman, a sad widow and a mad gangster’ however she’s since focused her time dedicated to being nanny, mother and daughter as well as an established writer. A really worthwhile read and one I found so interesting.
I’ve got quite a curiosity with Prisons, so I was thrilled to learn Linda has released a new book ‘Life Inside’ which I can delve into soon.
For me Linda got more unlikeable as the book went on. As many have already said there was a lot of name dropping as if this was her claim to fame (or made her more infamous) I had never heard of her before reading the book and quite frankly I'm glad about that.
I don't know why Linda Calvey was a robber when it is quite clear that she should have been a writer.
WOW! Sit down, pour a glass of wine, and settle in. This is one book that you can't put down. I had to stop reading and double check to make sure that this book was a true crime and not fiction. It read like a fictional account, but its all real. I was hooked from the time of her first boyfriend. That no good for nothing two timing loser to the shocking death of her lover Ronnie. She has lived quite a life. I think she has her next life as a writer! Loved it!
Very interesting story Linda Calvey certainly rubbed shoulders with a lot of the east end gangsters, although I did think much of it was name dropping. The writing itself I found a little childish but that did help with setting the scene. Not the sort of book that I would normally read but it was recommended by a friend. I thought more detail should have been added about her life of crime and I felt that she was looking for sympathy in some of her recollections. But all in all a decent read, would I buy another of her books, probably not.
What a strange account of her life of crime! She thinks she’s the best thing since sliced bread! Full of all the crimes she was involved in, which she seems to glorify, bragging about the ‘infamous’ people she met or associated with! Didn’t even know she existed until I read this! Why would anyone think she was innocent of murder!
Thanks Linda for telling your story. You certainly hold no punches and freely admit to any wrong doing. Things were tougher back then, you did what you thought you needed to do to feed your family. So I don't sit in judgement of you. Good luck for the future.
Meet Linda Calvey, aka the Black Widow. Growing up after the war in the East End of London, Linda falls in with local gangsters including the Krays, Freddie Foreman and Ronnie Cook. When the love of her life, Mickey Calvey, is gunned down on a job gone wrong, Linda resolves to carry on his work. But in 1990, after years of living in fear of her lover Ronnie Cook, Linda finds herself accused of his murder alongside Danny Reece, in a trial that shocks the nation. Still, Linda sticks to her code of honour, refusing to confess. Until now... After 18 years behind bars alongside notorious names including Rose West and Myra Hindley, she is released. This is the final truth about her life and what happened the day Ronnie Cook was murdered. I don’t often get to read autobiographical books by mobsters so this one was and exciting get! Especially since it was a female mobster and it wasn’t the same old Italian mafia from New York. It gave me a good feel of the time periods she grew up in and how all of her associates affected her life from such a young age through the end. It was well written and a good read for any true crime fans. **I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
This book reads like a Hollywood blockbuster. Linda Calvey tells her story as she sees and has lived it. No messing, no frills no self-pity. Born in Ilford, one of several children of Charlie and Eileen Welford, money is tight, but love was in abundance. The Black Widow meets and marries a robber, who gets killed when a job goes wrong. Not long after, she embarks on what turns out to be an abusive relationship with a very possessive and domineering man. He ends up in prison, but is murdered by someone Linda knows not long after his release. Linda serves two prison sentences. The second one was for murder, even though she protested her innocense. Linda Calvey misses out on her children growing up, her daughter's marriage and the early years with her three grandchildren. She serves her time in various prisons and comes into contact with several big names of the underworld, like the Kray twins, Myra Hindley and Rose West. On her release, Calvey marries a lovely man and has some happiness. At the end of the book, she looks forward to a quieter, more normal life with her family. This book tells of a life that at times seems really surreal. You couldn't make it up.
This is a book that could go one way or the other. Some may say Linda Calvey is glamourising her life of crime that she’s name dropping and making herself more than what she is. Too a point I can see these opinions. I went into this book not knowing what to Expect I also went in with an open mind. In my opinion it seemed a very honest telling of her life but I only went by what I could read and and see between the lines. I saw a lot of regret especially when it came to her children. I also saw the lure of being offered a glamorous lifestyle. Do i like her or agree with her lifestyle? Not really she did the time for her crimes though! Do i believe her accounts about the murder of Roy? I’m not sure but I’m not a judge! I want to say I really enjoyed this book and sometimes I had to remember I wasn’t reading a Martina Cole novel 😂. Do I buy all the things she did? I do think maybe some embellishments occurred but overall it was definitely an interesting read.
I saw this book on the shelf at the library and was intrigued by it so picked it up. I have never heard of Linda Calvey and knew nothing about her at all.
The book covers Linda's life from a young girl right through to where she is now. She certainly has lead a very colourful life and mixed with some very dangerous people.
Linda is mixed up with the London underground and her life does take some interesting turns. From her first marriage to Mickey, then her life as an armed robber to her prison years.
I found that Linda liked to name drop alot. She mentions The Krays, Myra Hindley, Rose West and Charles Bronson to name just a few. Some of the events she mentions I did think should I be taking this with a pinch of salt, but the people she mixed with it could be all very possible.
I'm not normally a non fiction reader but this year I have read three which for me is quite good. This account is interesting without a doubt.
When one thinks of a gangster, they tend to think of Al Capone et al. When one thinks of a convicted murderer, they immediately think of the Kray twins, Myra Hindley, Rose West et al. One immediately does not think of Linda Calvey. Armed robber? Yes. Convicted Murderer? No. Wrongfully convicted in my opinion? Yes. Adored by the Krays, Linda tells the story of her life, from her upbringing in the East End, her life as the wife a convicted armed robber, her years as one herself, and her time spent in some of England's toughest prisons, where she was incredibly Myra Hindley's unofficial hairdresser.
This book deserves the five stars I have it. For a change no spelling of grammar mistakes. Linda draws you in right from the beginning. You feel the love for her husband and children jump out at you, the same with the excitement of going on the pavement and the frustration of an unjust conviction for a murder she was innocent off. This book is a real page turner as Linda Calvey lays her life out with real passion. I highly recommend this book to everyone. A really good read, sad when I reached the end.
Kept referring to how men adored her, how amazing she is, how smart….
The actual crime content was boring af.
So self absorbed. Truly thought she deserved a life of luxury, but wasn’t willing to work for it. Just relied on men. Constantly putting her parents and kids in danger.
The book was one big name drop. I’ve never heard of her until this book, but she seems to put herself up there with the Krays regardless.
This book was amazing and a true read .Well done for telling your side of the story and I'm sure other people would of done the same thing as you . You done your time and hope you will be happy spending time with your children and grandchildren.It was a amazing book to read .I have also read your other books and you are one hell of a auther .Looking forward to your next book .I would recommend this book and if I could give more than 5 stars I would.
This was such an interesting read. Some gory parts about prison life (which personally I liked reading but could be triggering to others). Also some stories about Bronson/Krays/Hindley which was also interesting to me. Would recommend this to anyone who is intrigued by true crime/prison life, as I didn't know about Calvey until now so would recommend to people who haven't heard of her until now too.
Although I rather enjoyed reading the book I thought Linda was an absolutely awful person! How she thought her parents were good people I have no idea! Any good parent would have dragged her away from Mickey well before she married him, never mind condoning the marriage. Whether she murdered Ron or not I’m glad she served a long time in prison at least she was off the streets where she couldn’t cause more harm. Her name dropping was ridiculous. I doubt she knew the Krays! The other thing I didn’t like was the way she thought all men loved her and were beguiled by her. She wasn’t even particularly pretty.
I choose five stars as I couldn't put it down, I couldn't believe the police would lie how gullible am I. I am sorry you lost so much of your life it made me cry I hope they make the book into a film Jodie Comer as a young you Emma Thompson a middle age you and Helen Mirren at the end Regards Christina
Narrated by Linda herself on audible, captivated hearing her story. Whether it was all truth or not I guess we’ll never know for sure but she reeled me in hook, line and sinker. 4 stars due to the audio sounding very rehearsed and monotone, I was expecting some more emotion given this was her story. But enjoyed it regardless.
I chose this rating as this book was not what I had expected at all. The true crime in the description I seem to have overlooked. One of the best books i have ever read. Couldn't put it down. Linda was very real to me, I felt all her emotions. Well done Linda.