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Lost Angel
Mandasue Heller's brilliant new novel is set in the murky world where crime is almost respectable - until passion ignites a disaster.
Things start going wrong the day Johnny Conroy meets Ruth Hynes . He just wants to show his mates that he can pull hard-man Frankie Hynes ' daughter, but before he knows it he is part of the Hynes family. And the Hynes family business, which is stealing cars . And there is no way he is ever going to get out of the marriage or the business alive . . .
The only good thing in their hellhole of a marriage is his daughter Angel , as nice as her name is and as innocent. And the only thing keeping Johnny sane is his secret life.
But then Angel grows up and meets Johnny's new employee Ryan . He loves Angel - but the family secrets involve him, too. And they are about to explode.
Things start going wrong the day Johnny Conroy meets Ruth Hynes . He just wants to show his mates that he can pull hard-man Frankie Hynes ' daughter, but before he knows it he is part of the Hynes family. And the Hynes family business, which is stealing cars . And there is no way he is ever going to get out of the marriage or the business alive . . .
The only good thing in their hellhole of a marriage is his daughter Angel , as nice as her name is and as innocent. And the only thing keeping Johnny sane is his secret life.
But then Angel grows up and meets Johnny's new employee Ryan . He loves Angel - but the family secrets involve him, too. And they are about to explode.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2012
87 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Mandasue Heller
36 books448 followersMandasue was born in Cheshire and moved to Manchester in 1982. She spent ten years living in the notorious Hulme Crescents which have since become the background to her novels. Not only is she a talented writer, but she has also sung in cabaret and rock groups, seventies soul cover bands and blues jam bands.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 2, 2013
omg! i absolutlty loved this book, could not put it down storyline
was brilliant and an amazing twist at the end!
deffinatly worth 5*s.
was brilliant and an amazing twist at the end!
deffinatly worth 5*s.
February 23, 2012
Blurb From Goodreads
Combining grit and glamour, this thriller set in Manchester's criminal underworld is a spellbinding story of young love and old scores Many years ago, Johnny Conroy was forced into a shotgun wedding with a Manchester gangster's daughter. He's never even begun to love her, but can't leave without being killed by her vicious father. He turns out to be a success in the car-theft business, with a used car lot that provides both cover and a way to fence the cars. But now his daughter Angel--the best thing in his life--is 16, and history seems to be repeating itself when she falls for one of his employees. Ryan is a nice boy, and he really loves Angel, but there are secrets that could destroy the happiness of Johnny and his daughter, and they are about to come out.
My Review
Johnny Conroy is a jack the lad who finds he has bitten off more than he can chew when he pursues the local gangsters daughter, he is forced to marry her or be maimed or killed by her dad. Fast forward to present day and his daughter Angel is 15 and in the same situation as her mum was and history seems to be repeating itself but this time there are skeletons in the closet that could ruin the whole family.
What a brilliant read, I could have devoured it in one sitting but other things have happened. The book follows Johnny's life from a careless teenager to an adult with a teenage daughter himself. His struggles within his family, his wife who by the end of the book I absolutely hated, his family and his career from being a lackey to a well respected business man in their community.
It is a total page turner, good paced, action, lies, secrets, betrayal. It has the usual sex, bad language and drugs. If you like Manadasue Heller's previous books you will love this one, I don't claim to have read them all but of the ones I have this is my favorite. It was going to be a 4 star rating until just under the last quarter of the book which became explosive with secrets revealed and all loose ends tied up and I love my books like that. 5/5 for me and a massive thank you to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to review this. Lost Angel is out on the 12th of April 2012.
Combining grit and glamour, this thriller set in Manchester's criminal underworld is a spellbinding story of young love and old scores Many years ago, Johnny Conroy was forced into a shotgun wedding with a Manchester gangster's daughter. He's never even begun to love her, but can't leave without being killed by her vicious father. He turns out to be a success in the car-theft business, with a used car lot that provides both cover and a way to fence the cars. But now his daughter Angel--the best thing in his life--is 16, and history seems to be repeating itself when she falls for one of his employees. Ryan is a nice boy, and he really loves Angel, but there are secrets that could destroy the happiness of Johnny and his daughter, and they are about to come out.
My Review
Johnny Conroy is a jack the lad who finds he has bitten off more than he can chew when he pursues the local gangsters daughter, he is forced to marry her or be maimed or killed by her dad. Fast forward to present day and his daughter Angel is 15 and in the same situation as her mum was and history seems to be repeating itself but this time there are skeletons in the closet that could ruin the whole family.
What a brilliant read, I could have devoured it in one sitting but other things have happened. The book follows Johnny's life from a careless teenager to an adult with a teenage daughter himself. His struggles within his family, his wife who by the end of the book I absolutely hated, his family and his career from being a lackey to a well respected business man in their community.
It is a total page turner, good paced, action, lies, secrets, betrayal. It has the usual sex, bad language and drugs. If you like Manadasue Heller's previous books you will love this one, I don't claim to have read them all but of the ones I have this is my favorite. It was going to be a 4 star rating until just under the last quarter of the book which became explosive with secrets revealed and all loose ends tied up and I love my books like that. 5/5 for me and a massive thank you to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to review this. Lost Angel is out on the 12th of April 2012.
July 25, 2016
I may or may not be going on a Mandasue Heller book buying binge at the moment...Why does this author have a knack at all of the books that I've read be so hard to put down, I kid you not luckily I have another two books by this author coming soon because I sure will read anything she writes now.
Lost Angel deals with the topic of abortion (which a lot people agree or disagree on) but yeah once again Mandasue Heller uses the nitty-gritty realism of life and crime to her advantage and we get this book, I would go into the storyline but that would spoil a few things, but anyway I enjoyed this despite attempting to reading it at a slower pace and failing.
Also kudos to this author for being able to write unputdownable books because she succeeded again!
A summery for Lost Angel:
It's a world where crime is almost respectable - until passion ignites a disaster.
Things start going wrong the day Johnny Conroy meets Ruth Hynes. He just wants to show his mates that he can pull hard-man Frankie Hynes' daughter, but before he knows it he is part of the Hynes family. And the Hynes family business, which is stealing cars. And there is no way he is ever going to get out of the marriage or the business alive . . .
The only good thing in their hellhole of a marriage is his daughter Angel, as nice as her name and as innocent. And the only thing keeping Johnny sane is his secret life.
But then Angel grows up and meets Johnny's new employee Ryan. He loves Angel - but the family secrets involve him, too. And they are about to explode.
Lost Angel deals with the topic of abortion (which a lot people agree or disagree on) but yeah once again Mandasue Heller uses the nitty-gritty realism of life and crime to her advantage and we get this book, I would go into the storyline but that would spoil a few things, but anyway I enjoyed this despite attempting to reading it at a slower pace and failing.
Also kudos to this author for being able to write unputdownable books because she succeeded again!
A summery for Lost Angel:
It's a world where crime is almost respectable - until passion ignites a disaster.
Things start going wrong the day Johnny Conroy meets Ruth Hynes. He just wants to show his mates that he can pull hard-man Frankie Hynes' daughter, but before he knows it he is part of the Hynes family. And the Hynes family business, which is stealing cars. And there is no way he is ever going to get out of the marriage or the business alive . . .
The only good thing in their hellhole of a marriage is his daughter Angel, as nice as her name and as innocent. And the only thing keeping Johnny sane is his secret life.
But then Angel grows up and meets Johnny's new employee Ryan. He loves Angel - but the family secrets involve him, too. And they are about to explode.
April 23, 2012
Thouroughly brilliant read ! Lost Angel had me awake into the small hours to finish it - fast paced plot that grips the reader, I couldn't put it down! It feels different to read as it is a 'straight through' story without referring back to other incidents or concurrent stories, refreshing for the reader.
I haven't read all Mandasue's work but having read The Driver, I was eager to read her new book and pleasantly suprised by how different it was. I will be catching up with her other work now.
Will be waiting for her new book - get scribing Mandasue!
I haven't read all Mandasue's work but having read The Driver, I was eager to read her new book and pleasantly suprised by how different it was. I will be catching up with her other work now.
Will be waiting for her new book - get scribing Mandasue!
May 5, 2014
Really liked this book
November 1, 2017
Nice easy read, really enjoyed
June 19, 2012
I have read all of Mandasue Heller's books and would definitely consider myself a fan. Having said that I haven't loved every book, it almost seems like I either love it or just don't like it at all. Her last book The Driver I seemed to struggle with but the previous book Two-Faced I loved. With all that in mind I was excited to read her new book but apprehensive to see whether I would like it. Many people over the last few years have compared her to the likes of Martina Cole and this book just proves that she is in my opinion better than Martina Cole.
Johnny Conroy is a young lad who is typically enjoying life and when he meets Ruth Hynes he takes his chances. What he doesn't account for is that the infamous hard man Frankie Hynes daughter will fall pregnant. Before he knows it he is part of the Hynes lives and is married with a baby on the way. The first portion of the book is like Mandasue's early books and was absolutely brilliant. We meet Ruth and her parents Frankie and Rita. Johnny, for all his faults, is a great character and before long you can't help feeling sorry for his sudden immersion into Frankie Hyne's business and his gloomy marriage to Ruth.
The book moves on over the years and in total we see Johnny's life over twenty years. There was something easy to read about the way it was written and we see enough of what goes on in blocks of time, to make you feel like you are moving in time along with the family. Johnny's daughter Angel comes along and becomes the light of Johnny's life and all the time he is constantly progressing and improving the family business. Along the way we see Johnny's friend Dave and Ruth's cousin Lisa integrate themselves into the story making for some extra added story threads. Before long the book moves us into Angel's younger years before finally arriving at her teenage years where she becomes involved with one of Johnny's workers Ryan.
That in itself causes major problems and before long it seems like they have all come full circle. The book had me reading well into the night and when I finally got to the climax of the story well into the early hours I was blown away. The book itself was what I would describe as old school Mandasue and was so easy and enjoyable to read. What I didn't account for was the shocking twist at the end that had me reading on in disbelief. I can honestly say that this is one of her best and is an absolute corker of a read. All those Mandasue Heller fans will certainly not be disappointed as we see her make a return to her brilliant skills as an absolutely exceptional writer. This one is certainly a book you will want to get your hands on as soon as it's released and I for one recommend it highly.
Johnny Conroy is a young lad who is typically enjoying life and when he meets Ruth Hynes he takes his chances. What he doesn't account for is that the infamous hard man Frankie Hynes daughter will fall pregnant. Before he knows it he is part of the Hynes lives and is married with a baby on the way. The first portion of the book is like Mandasue's early books and was absolutely brilliant. We meet Ruth and her parents Frankie and Rita. Johnny, for all his faults, is a great character and before long you can't help feeling sorry for his sudden immersion into Frankie Hyne's business and his gloomy marriage to Ruth.
The book moves on over the years and in total we see Johnny's life over twenty years. There was something easy to read about the way it was written and we see enough of what goes on in blocks of time, to make you feel like you are moving in time along with the family. Johnny's daughter Angel comes along and becomes the light of Johnny's life and all the time he is constantly progressing and improving the family business. Along the way we see Johnny's friend Dave and Ruth's cousin Lisa integrate themselves into the story making for some extra added story threads. Before long the book moves us into Angel's younger years before finally arriving at her teenage years where she becomes involved with one of Johnny's workers Ryan.
That in itself causes major problems and before long it seems like they have all come full circle. The book had me reading well into the night and when I finally got to the climax of the story well into the early hours I was blown away. The book itself was what I would describe as old school Mandasue and was so easy and enjoyable to read. What I didn't account for was the shocking twist at the end that had me reading on in disbelief. I can honestly say that this is one of her best and is an absolute corker of a read. All those Mandasue Heller fans will certainly not be disappointed as we see her make a return to her brilliant skills as an absolutely exceptional writer. This one is certainly a book you will want to get your hands on as soon as it's released and I for one recommend it highly.
May 1, 2018
An good story spoiled by the characters and how outdated it is.
The characters- None are likable, expect Frankie and he died early on so...
Ruth and Rita for the obvious reasons, Rita is a vicious bitch who does nothing but drink and Ruth is nasty and too traditional like seriously there are girls like this? Urgh.
Johnny is a hypocrite beating up Ryan, Frankie never did that to you yet you felt it injust and then you go do worst and everything is just fine? And what evidence showed that he is a good dad? Her mom abuses her and he guesses nothing, he spends not a lick of time with her and hardly did anything when she was younger other then play with her. So no not likeable.
Dave? Okay until the end and then you're like, you selfish prick.
Angel? God she was so annoying.
Lisa? Desperate.
Ryan's mom? Nah it's cool, you let your kids be beat up by their father, you let your husband sell you, you let your kids go around dirty. Woman with no back bone and no respect for herself.
Johnny's mom? Another woman with no back bone by letting your kid be beat up by the man who lives with you.
All the mothers and fathers in this are horrible expect Frankie and he died.
Now the outdated part. This novel for it's content should have been set in like the 1950's not 1995 up to 2010. You're having a baby so you have to get married, um outdated. You have to get rid of your last name when marrying, um oudated. Men work and women have to stay at home, um outdated. Girls work, you can have a kid without getting married, you can keep your last name or hypen it or whatever when married. Okay guys this is not the 1950's.
Other then that, it was an interesting story. I would have liked more business violence but all we got was domestic violence which was not what I signed up for. This is a gangland novel so I expect the violence to come from thier, not in the homes so much. Oh well, sigh.
The characters- None are likable, expect Frankie and he died early on so...
Ruth and Rita for the obvious reasons, Rita is a vicious bitch who does nothing but drink and Ruth is nasty and too traditional like seriously there are girls like this? Urgh.
Johnny is a hypocrite beating up Ryan, Frankie never did that to you yet you felt it injust and then you go do worst and everything is just fine? And what evidence showed that he is a good dad? Her mom abuses her and he guesses nothing, he spends not a lick of time with her and hardly did anything when she was younger other then play with her. So no not likeable.
Dave? Okay until the end and then you're like, you selfish prick.
Angel? God she was so annoying.
Lisa? Desperate.
Ryan's mom? Nah it's cool, you let your kids be beat up by their father, you let your husband sell you, you let your kids go around dirty. Woman with no back bone and no respect for herself.
Johnny's mom? Another woman with no back bone by letting your kid be beat up by the man who lives with you.
All the mothers and fathers in this are horrible expect Frankie and he died.
Now the outdated part. This novel for it's content should have been set in like the 1950's not 1995 up to 2010. You're having a baby so you have to get married, um outdated. You have to get rid of your last name when marrying, um oudated. Men work and women have to stay at home, um outdated. Girls work, you can have a kid without getting married, you can keep your last name or hypen it or whatever when married. Okay guys this is not the 1950's.
Other then that, it was an interesting story. I would have liked more business violence but all we got was domestic violence which was not what I signed up for. This is a gangland novel so I expect the violence to come from thier, not in the homes so much. Oh well, sigh.
April 16, 2012
Really good book, would recommended this to a few friends, Great storyline and great characters to, although i wanted it to go on a little longer and know what the outcome of a few things were, could there be another one........
May 29, 2015
A brilliant engrossing read with a fantastic plot and great twist to the story. I could not put down & stayed up into the early hours to finish. Lost Angel is a favourite of mine and highly recommended to everyone, definitely a must read book.
July 13, 2017
As usual, Mandasue Heller produced a really good story from start to finish. Some of the characters were horrible but I found myself liking quite a few of them. This author always delivers.
January 2, 2022
Enjoyed this relatively light read. I say relatively because it was all fine and dandy until the two who married and were having a baby we’re almost brother and sister. I properly hate that trope, it’s just so gross to think about.
Anyway; it all worked out for the best thank goodness! No incest here guys!
And Ruth…You ok hun? Wow.
Anyway; it all worked out for the best thank goodness! No incest here guys!
And Ruth…You ok hun? Wow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2024
Would give a four, but found it a very slow starter however once it got towards the end insane. Just wish it was more like this right the way through. Would have liked more about the fall out after the celebrations. Easy read, when it was good it was really good
August 15, 2017
Hoping to find one of these books matches up to 'Tainted Lives'. This isn't it.
February 20, 2018
Brilliant with a great twist...!!!!
Brilliant just good old fashioned everyday stuff,, what an amazing read and I already know what I'm going to read next....
Brilliant just good old fashioned everyday stuff,, what an amazing read and I already know what I'm going to read next....
July 2, 2019
Loved it
Omg what a book. I loved it and i suggest people read this book. I laughed i cried but it was so good.
Omg what a book. I loved it and i suggest people read this book. I laughed i cried but it was so good.
August 29, 2020
Best one I've read from Heller yet. Some unexpected twists and turns and entertaining throughout.
August 29, 2020
Best one I've read of Heller's yet! Some unexpected twists and turns and entertaining throughout
December 19, 2020
Brilliant
Love love this book
The story had me not wanting to put the book down.
Love all the twists and the characters.
Now Off to read my next Mandasue Heller book.
Love love this book
The story had me not wanting to put the book down.
Love all the twists and the characters.
Now Off to read my next Mandasue Heller book.
March 25, 2024
I enjoyed this book...
There were a-lot of twists and turns but, I did find parts of it far fetched....
All in all a good read :)
Rutherford library
There were a-lot of twists and turns but, I did find parts of it far fetched....
All in all a good read :)
Rutherford library
March 27, 2024
Worth binge reading
June 2, 2025
crazy
October 15, 2023
no because i had a dream and remembered reading this book as an early teen and absolutely eating it up
October 29, 2024
Great read, love this author.
April 21, 2012
When Johnny Conroy meets Ruth Hynes, his life is turned upside down. He wanted to show his mates that he could pull the daughter of hard-man Frankie Hynes, but things don’t go as planned and he ends up a lot closer to the family than he ever could have imagined. There is no way out.
Stuck in the living hell that is his marriage, Johnny has one thing that he can be thankful for… his sweet and innocent daughter, Angel. The only thing keeping him sane? His secret life…….
This is one of those books where very few of the characters seem to be nice people. I thoroughly disliked Ruth and her drunken excuse for a mother. Johnny starts off as a likeable guy (with flaws), but during the course of the story he seems to turn into his not-so-nice father-in-law… though I still didn’t find myself disliking him.
Lost Angel plods along at a decent rate and had me captivated. I found that most of the book is actually the back story which forms the background and leads up to the main events in the last few chapters. With most of the book setting the scene (tension, emotions, etc), it’s these last few chapters that really make the story. All hell lets loose when Angel meets Johnny’s employee Ryan and we’re treated to quite a fireworks show!
Lost Angel is a gritty thriller set in Hulme, Manchester. While it is classed as crime fiction, the story is really more about family, relationships, loyalty and, perhaps, love & hate, while the crime takes more of a back seat.
Stuck in the living hell that is his marriage, Johnny has one thing that he can be thankful for… his sweet and innocent daughter, Angel. The only thing keeping him sane? His secret life…….
This is one of those books where very few of the characters seem to be nice people. I thoroughly disliked Ruth and her drunken excuse for a mother. Johnny starts off as a likeable guy (with flaws), but during the course of the story he seems to turn into his not-so-nice father-in-law… though I still didn’t find myself disliking him.
Lost Angel plods along at a decent rate and had me captivated. I found that most of the book is actually the back story which forms the background and leads up to the main events in the last few chapters. With most of the book setting the scene (tension, emotions, etc), it’s these last few chapters that really make the story. All hell lets loose when Angel meets Johnny’s employee Ryan and we’re treated to quite a fireworks show!
Lost Angel is a gritty thriller set in Hulme, Manchester. While it is classed as crime fiction, the story is really more about family, relationships, loyalty and, perhaps, love & hate, while the crime takes more of a back seat.
July 31, 2018
When the first time I read the synopsis on the back of this book, I feel it's an unusual and interesting story. The plot really grips the reader and I was reluctant to stop reading it. I was really curious to know what will happen next every time I read the book. However, I personally feel most of the characters in the story have a messy life and there are a lot of lies or hidden secrets among them but it's undeniable that the writer is very skilful and the readers are distracted from all these negativities just because of the interesting plot which really captures their curiosity to continuously reading the book.
https://chyneyee.com/2014/04/30/lost-...
https://chyneyee.com/2014/04/30/lost-...
August 9, 2012
This book has had me gripped from 1st page to last... and read within 24hours.. just when you think history is repeating its self nd you think you know how its gonna end up.. the twists and turns shock you leaving a happy ending..
this is the first book of this author i have read and will definitely look in to some of her other ones
this is the first book of this author i have read and will definitely look in to some of her other ones
July 25, 2013
Wow, i can't get enough of these types of stories and have read all the similar authors and struggling to find same type...but back to the book, a with all her standalone books this was well written with the story twisting that many times you feel like your on a roller coaster, a msut read for any Gangster fans
January 4, 2014
Didn't particularly enjoy reading this book. None of the characters were likeable in any way and the story just went through a rite of passage before being repeated by the next generation. I appreciate that maybe this is what possibly happens in real life, but I want a bit more of a story behind the drifting from one misguided loyalty to the next.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews