The book builds up so well that you know all hell is going to break loose at the end. The apocalypse in the Essex countryside is guaranteed but boy does it still hit hard when it does happen. I enjoyed this immensely. It is a good ol’ Chambers family saga with a bit of organized crime and ultra-violence thrown into the mix. Caught between these two families at war, are two innocent children, who will grow up to love the wrong people and spark the last terrible act in the long-running feud. 1988 was a happy year in many people's lives. Some called it The Rave Year, others The Second Summer of Love. For Eddie Mitchell and his family it is neither. 1988 is the year in which his whole dangerous, violent world explodes around him.

That said, it is a very gripping saga and I could not put it down. I'm beginning to realise that most books by this author are not necessarily about gangsters, but the effect their behaviour has on their victims, so you constantly find yourself gunning for them. But what I like most is that all her characters have depth and feel like real people, who you start to love or hate.On one side are the Mitchells, a notorious underworld mob from East London's Canning Town. They have an iron in every fire and will resort to intimidation and violence to get what they want. When Stanley Smith's lovely young daughter, Jessica, announces that she is to marry Eddie, the son of mob boss Harry Mitchell, Stanley is horrified, but too afraid to stand in their way. The best book I will read this year. I first discovered Kimberley Chambers last year when I read The Feud, the first in a trilogy. I then read the following two books over the course of a week finishing the last book at 6 in the morning as I couldn't go to sleep until I had reached the end. I have read her other books and I really enjoyed them however the trilogy was just fantastic. The Schemer was the next book Kimberley wrote after completing the trilogy and after the move to a new publisher and whilst that book was fantastic I thought the trilogy was still her best work. Then last week I was introduced to the Butlers, and that all changed. I could easily have read this book in one sitting however I have dragged it out over the last week and I have to say I think that made me enjoy it more because it's like when you watch a TV show which ends on a cliffhanger, if you watch all the episodes at once there's none of the excitement of waiting for the next one.

What a horrible bastard, cold mean callous bastard.....but what a great character Ms Chambers created.....hated HIM....really, really HATED him. One bloody night sets Vinny on the path of desperate vengeance, but will the Butlers emerge stronger than ever, or is the East End code of honour as good as dead? Both families are a part of the seedy underbelly of the East End and Stratford. Jessica Smith and Eddie Mitchell become engaged, against the wishes of Jessica’s father. The two are swept away into a world of crime, murder, and deception. The Feud Vinny and Roy Butler are the apple of their mum’s eye. Queenie knows they can play dirty, but when it comes to family they look after business and make her proud. Nothing and no one can bring them down.

Television and Movie Adaptations

There are two families, the Mitchells and the O'Hara's, and both are the criminal sort, running protections and loan sharking. A feud develops due to The O'Hara's trying to move in on the Mitchell's territory. After a violent, bloody start this feud simmers for more than 15 years, until a series of events causes it to blow up again, with undreamed of tragic consequences. The Butlers....set in the heart of London's East End.......it tells the trials and tribulations of the Butler Family. Do not expect any florid writing on the landscape of Essex and the east London suburbs. There is no time for that. This is strictly business. Bang, bosh, boom! As I was muddling through the first chapter of The Trap, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it but seeing as I was having a lot of “firsts” with this one I kept an open mind and it surely paid off. If you a fan of British gangster crime you will love this, or if you want to read something different from this talented British writer you will not be disappointed..

It was then I knew that I’d finally found my vocation in life. I mad very little notes, other than some character names. After I finished each chapter, the next came easy.” With the encouragement of friends, Chambers bought a copy of the Writers and Artists Year Book and scrolled through the list of agents. With her mother dead and father in prison, Frankie Mitchell goes to live with her fiancé Jed O’Hara. When her daughter is born, her fiancé’s mother becomes domineering and overbearing. Meanwhile, Frankie ignores the rumors that her beloved fiancé is cheating on her. Kimberley really captured the setting as well and the whole thing felt incredibly realistic. The pubs, the locations, Whitechapel, the mentions of music etc you really felt as if you were inside the story with the characters. Kimberley's books also have lots of humour in them and there were plenty of funny moments in this book. She definitely has a way with words and that really helped bring the characters to life. But Vinny seems to have crossed the wrong person and his cards are marked. And with the brothers joined at the hip, Roy may just be in the firing line too… Anyway, the story starts with the introduction of several characters, plots, subplots and sub-subplots, which takes some concentration to wrap your head around. The main characters include the Walker family who recently opened a café in 1960's Whitechapel and the matriarchal Butlers sisters, Queenie and Vivvy with their offspring. Queenie's gangster wannabe sons Vinny and Roy feature prominently in the start of the book and over the space of a few weeks, Vinny's crimes seem to escalate which forms the basis on the main plot.This fourth novel from Kimberly Chambers introduces readers to the criminal world of two mob families; the Mitchells and the O’Haras. These two families compete against each other for turf and businesses. Caught between the greed and pride of two dangerous families are two children whose lives will never be the same. The Traitor Chambers Then you have Roy, Brenda and Michael. I wish I could say there was one good apple in the group but they were all a bit crazy. Though cousin Lenny was kind of sweet. And I can’t forget Albie. He was the dad. He wasn’t much of a man though. The poor bastard. Not much went right for this guy. And the family grows. Yes, there are marriages and little Butler’s running around.

This is a British thriller/drama/tragedy with several love stories. Had I known beforehand how it ended, I would have never start reading it. I’m glad I did though. It’s not for the faint hearted, that’s for sure. Damn, I need a drink. This book pulled me every which way and then really chewed me up at the last. I'm really quite surprised at how sad I feel over the ending. They adored Queenie and what she said went.......the eldest Vinny would do anything for he's mother, anything!!

Chambers was an extremely smart and gifted student in primary and secondary school. Her best subject was English. For reasons unknown, Chambers grades began to plummet. When she was eleven, she states that “things began to deteriorate.” After a few years, her academic life became so stark that she decided to leave her secondary school. Unfortunately I can only think of one description for this book...tedious. The characters, plot, writing style and dialogue...all tedious. It felt like I was reading the screenplay to a very boring soap written for daytime telly. There was a whole cast of characters in the story, and a lot of them weren't the good kind. Considering all that was going on, it was kind of funny that the one who made me cringe the most was a mom & housewife, sort of. *I'm looking at you, Joyce*