Close - A Novel

by: Martina Cole

Published by: Grand Central Publishing

Reviewed by Kim Reis

This is the thirteenth novel by Martina Cole set in London’s gangland. It is the first to be released in the United States.

Close is the story of Lily Brodie, the matriarch of the Brodie family, as she remembers her life while she lay dying of cancer. It follows two generations of one powerful underworld family from the 1960s to the 1990s. It is also the hidden story of a family shielded by secrecy and doing whatever is necessary to protect themselves from any enemy, whether from without or within.

This is a raw, gritty look at the lives of gangsters and the women they leave behind. Cole does a good job of bringing these people to life, however that is all there really is here. The plot simply follows the family through years of hardship.

I was curious to learn the circumstances that led to a murder mentioned in the prologue but I found the writing very repetitive getting there and the rapidly changing point of view was confusing at times, especially when it changed mid-paragraph. Limited dialogue also keeps me at a distance, wading through pages of description.

I have not read anything else by this author so I don’t know if this novel is representative of her other works. She is very popular in the United Kingdom so I might have to try another.

Armchair Interviews says: Heed this reviewer’s comments.