The Driver by Mandasue Heller

Val Penny ♦ April 29, 2015 ♦ Leave a comment

Manchester’s ‘Queen Of Gritty Crime’, Mandasue Heller is the bestselling author of 14 hard-hitting novels. Heller was born in Warrington, Cheshire, England and moved to Manchester in 1982. She spent ten years living in the notorious Hulme Crescents in Manchester which have since become the background to her novels. She is not only a talented writer, but she has also sung in cabaret and rock groups, seventies soul cover bands and blues jam bands. I really enjoy her books and have reviewed some others on this site: Forget Me Not https://bookreviewstoday.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/forget-me-not-…andasue-heller/, Two Faced https://bookreviewstoday.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/two-faced-by-manda-sue-heller/.

The Driver is one of Heller’s books that I found in my local library. As I had not read it, I decided to borrow it.  The Driver is a good book and an easy read. I really love the author’s writing style and the characters in this novel are great. It starts when the reader is introduced to Joe. He is a nice guy and new to Grange Estate. It does not take him long to fit right in and get to know the goings on of all the people who live on the estate. The women think he is cute and the men are happy that he does not try to make a play for their women. Still, all housing estates have their rough edges, and Grange Estate is no exception.

The local tough guy is Eddie Quinn. Eddie has the build and the attitude and the hard man look about him. Of course, drug dealing represents part of his money-making activity. Eddie is definitely not a man that you would want to cross but he is considered to be honest to deal with. When Eddie offers Joe a job as his driver, Joe is happy to accept. Working for Eddie may be demanding, but it has its benefits. Or so Joe thinks, until he meets Katya, She is one of the prostitutes who work for Eddie.

The last portion of the book saw a rise in tempo and I read it very quickly.  The Driver kept me interested throughout the read. I certainly kept turning the pages. This is not the best book by Heller, but I was engaged by the story and the characters. There are a few twists that may surprise the reader. So, I do recommend this The Driver. The story was well rounded and very satisfying.

Valerie Penny