The Feud (The Mitchells and O'Haras Trilogy, #1)

by Kimberley Chambers

For more than a decade two East End families have been locked in a bitter war. 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. On the other side are the O'Haras. The Mitchells' biggest rivals are a travelling family who live in nearby Stratford. They compete with the Mitchells for pub protection and the two families hate each other. 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.

• ISBN10: 1848091397
• ISBN13: 9781848091399
• Publish Date: 1 January 2099 (first published 18 March 2010)
• Publish Status: Cancelled
• Out of Print: 29 June 2009
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Cornerstone
• Imprint: Preface Publishing
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[zooloo1983]

OM-Frigging-G WHAT A BLINKING BOOK! I have been struggling with audiobooks lately. I didn’t know what to listen and I couldn’t get on with anything. I have then been toying with reading some “Gangland” books and so I was on my library app and listened to a sample of The Feud. Once I heard Annie’s voice I knew I had to carry on with this book and for the next week, I have been immersed in the Mitchell’s and O’Hara’s lives.

I loved this story! OMG, what is not to love. The gritty setting of East End London, the feud spanning years, the attitudes and the background, this to me was like listening to Lock Stock and Snatch with ALL the swearing. I can’t tell you how much I loved it, well I can, I think I just have. I also had a chuckle when there was a scene where the boys were going to a rave in Watford, yes my hometown made it again! LOL

I loved Jessica, she is as pure as the driven snow. She, unfortunately, fell for what is deemed as the wrong guy. It is easy to see how she fell for him, doesn’t help she has a mother, Joyce, who practically forces her out the door and to trap him!! I really liked Jessica, she just tries to do what is right for her family and I did feel for her at times she was treated as a doormat, but when she got her backbone I was cheering for her.

Eddie, the golden boy in his dad’s eyes, the charmer of the family. He puts his family first but he expects loyalty above all. When that is gone well, you may as well try and run and hide somewhere far away! He can’t stand losing face in front of people especially in front of Jimmy O’Hara, man he hates that family. So when events happen that “embarrass” him and the family name, I began to lose respect for him because he became a crazed dog and nothing will calm him down. My concern is who will be caught in the crosswire.

Did love the twins, Frankie and Joey, they were entitled spoilt little brats, but they did make me chuckle with their bunking off school and heading down the pubs. You forget how young they are sometimes, with their lifestyle you grow up quick and I think they grew up way tooooo quickly. Don’t get me wrong they are brats and I really shouldn’t like them but there was something about them I found endearing.

I have to mention Joyce and Stanley, Jessica’s mum and dad. My god did Joyce, wind me up, poor blinking Stanley! I did love him and his innocence with his pigeons, his cocks that he named Willy! Stanley, bless him, has to suffer from Joyce. She never listens to him, she belittles him in public, she never wanted to marry him and she makes him suffer. However, by the end, she finally sees the error of her ways and I hope Stanley milks it for a bit. I mean I could mention all the characters but there are so many and each held my attention in their way.

Near the end of the book, my heart was in my throat, (side note I had seen a spoiler for this!!) the tension was so ramped up and things were spiralling out of control. My heart broke, my jaw dropped and now I have to wait weeks for the next book in the series from my Library! God, there is so much I want to scream about this book but I can’t. I just can’t ruin it for anyone. The writing is raw and gritty, I felt like I was a bystander with the family and I was living all of this drama with everyone!

I can not finish the review without saying how amazing Annie’s narration is. Where Ms Chambers has written this awesome story, listening to Annie narrate it just brings it all alive. You know straight away which character is talking because she has given them all distinctive voices, how she has done this for so many characters I will never guess. She blew The Feud out of the park and I can’t wait to listen to the next book! Thank you to both of you to help find my audiobook mojo! I just could not stop listening to this book! It is a perfect escape and it is so un-down-puttable. I was put through the wringer with my emotions and I am not sure I will get over this book anytime soon!

Jesus Ms Chambers, you have ruined me! I think I need a drink now! After that, I need the next book!