Breaking Bones

by Robert White

Frankie Verdi, Eddie Williams and Tony Thompson, are The Three Dogs. A ruthless criminal gang. A law unto themselves. Detective Jim Hacker has watched The Dogs grow from thuggish youths to psychotic criminals and seems to be the only cop in town with the determination to see justice done. Meanwhile Jamie Strange, a young Royal Marine, finds himself embroiled in the lives of the gang when his girlfriend, Laurie Holland, cuts off their engagement... to be with the most dangerous of The Dogs: Frankie Verdi.
Strange knows right from wrong, but when Verdi begins to target Jamie's family, he makes an enemy of a man, more dangerous than even he could imagine. Crisp, slick and often terrifyingly violent, this 1980's crime thriller will appeal to the readers of Ian Rankin, Martina Cole and Stephen Leather.

Genres: Mystery, Crime

252 pages, ebook

Published March 4, 2018

About the author

Robert White is an Amazon best selling crime fiction author.
His first two published novels DIRTY and THE FIX have sold over ten thousand copies and have appeared in the top ten downloaded novels in genre.
Robert is an ex cop, who captures the brutality of northern British streets in his work. He combines believable characters, slick plots and vivid dialogue to immerse the reader in his fast paced story-lines.
He was born in Leeds, England, the illegitimate son of a jazz musician and a factory girl.
He hated school, leaving at age sixteen.
He joined Lancashire Constabulary in 1980 and served for fifteen years, his specialism being Tactical Firearms.
Robert then spent four years in the Middle East before returning to the UK in 2000.
He now lives in Lancashire with his wife Nicola, and his Patterdale terrier dog Flash.
His controversial new novel UNREST is available now.

Reviews

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5
Set in the 1980’s in Preston, the reader is faced with abuse, violence as a way of life, friendship, fear, drugs, murder, consequences, dilemma’s, manipulation, greed and a desire for control. We also have one determined copper piecing eveything together in the hopes that justice will be served.

The story is told mainly from two points of view – the third person but also in first person when Detective Jim Hacker has his say. The prologue gives the reader the context/backstory and sets the reader up nicely for what they can expect. I didn’t find the plot to be particularly fast-paced, but this worked to deliver the well developed threads and complexity of the storyline. Character-wise, I struggled a wee bit to connect with a majority of the characters, but also found some of them to be fascinating and this made me want to follow their character arc to the end.

For me, characters are what drive a story. I LOVE them! You can have the best plot ever but without the right characters, it can fall flat. There were interesting characters in this novel, but I’ll only focus on a few that really stood out for me, beginning with The Three Dogs themselves: Tony, Eddie and Frankie. These guys had a strong bond formed in their youth through violence and an understanding of each other. The leader, Frankie is completely psychotic and great at manipulating Tony and Eddie into doing things to further their “power” within Preston. Out of the three, Tony was the one I felt the most hope for – he had some redeeming qualities – but were they strong enough? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Detective Jim Hacker is hard-working and determined to breaking The Three Dogs buuuut, I just did not connect with him at all! 🙊🙈 I admired his stamina in wanting to deliver justice, but he came across as a little dry for me.

Jamie Strange did however strike a chord and I really felt for him. His loyalty and genuinely nice character leads to trouble at various times in his life and he is forced to make decisions to protect others.

I also really liked Laurie, Jamie’s ex fiance who ends her relationship with Jamie to be with the notorious Frankie. I really did not want to like her at all, but the author created her in such a way that you really end up rooting for her. She has a depth and a sadness that strikes the emotive chords like a harp!

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! It is a really good, gritty story following the lives of people who are ruled by violence and manipulation. I enjoyed the gangland feel mixed with police procedural and will definitely be checking out more books by this author!

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just be very careful when you open this book because you won’t come out of it until there is no more pages to turn. I hate bullying and it is made a hundred times worse if the kid that is getting bullied is not really a bright lad. Tony had suffered at the hands of the school bully earlier in the day but by the end of the day the bully had been stabbed by three different compasses causing over 100 punctures in his body and face. The three 15-year-old lads that were responsible would serve time at an approved school for boys for what they had done. After their release the three find their first kill which sort of cements the bond they have had since they were little even more.
Frankie, Eddie and Tony were named The Three Dogs, by a reporter that covered the case, because they were so vicious, it was 1976 and over the next few years they would grow in power, wealth and violence. They promised that they would always have each others back. Any money they earned was pooled and shared so that their empire could expand. What they loved most of all was the violence. Think Krays but the Northern version, just mentioning the name ‘The Three Dogs’ put fear into the community.
The story is about how The Three Dogs built their empire in Preston as they quickly become notorious for getting what ever they wanted through violent actions that they were happy to put their names to. They became untouchable, through drug dealing and soon ruled the roost from a classy night club. Women flocked round the handsome trio no matter how brutal these men were to them. Drugs fuelled their wealth and violence kept them on top.
Detective Jim Hacker was around to see it all, well the aftermath they left behind. There was real frustration that these three just mocked the entire justice system. Hacker was a patient man. Jamie Strange was the son of one of Hackers drinking buddies after he had worked on the case of Harry’s wife’s death, and liked to listening to tales about Harry’s lad growing up. He especially took an interest in the times his life crossed The Three Dogs.
The core of this story is set round one particular women, Lauren, who was the fiancée of Jamie until she left him for what she thought would be a better life to be with Frankie, who was by this time the head of the trio.
This is a cracking story not one of revenge but one of justice when the normal channels have let society down. Wow this is powerful, a real build up to a brilliant punch in the air moment. Just loved Jamie’s dad Harry. What a cool guy he was. I would love to read more of this author’s books. He certainly got my attention with this one.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* --> 4*

Frankie Verdi’s name may sound like some 1960’s crooner but he’s anything but. From a young age, he and his friends Eddie and Tony seem destined to find themselves on the wrong side of the law. All three of them have quite the temper and an unhealthy tendency towards violence. Frankie may have watched too many The Godfather movies, Eddie has a secret he’s desperately trying to hang on to and Tony, who in this day and age may be diagnosed with having learning difficulties, is taken advantage of and will do anything for his friends.

Set in the 1980’s, we watch their rise towards criminal kingpin status through the eyes of Detective Jim Hacker. Jim is an excellent narrator and becomes a bit obsessed with The Three Dogs, as dubbed by the media. Convinced they are behind a multitude of crimes, he wants nothing more than to see their empire fall but without proof, he’s having to sit back and wait until The Three Dogs slip up.

Meanwhile, Jamie Strange finds himself unwillingly caught up with The Three Dogs when his fiancé, Lauren, leaves him to be with Frankie. Lauren had a horrible childhood and desperately wants a better life but while she proves herself to be quite the savvy business woman, her relationship with Frankie isn’t what she thought it would be. But once you’re part of that circle, can you ever really leave?

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. It’s dark and gritty, quite brutal and harsh, yet well-paced and hugely entertaining. The music and the fashion immediately transported me right back to the 80’s and along with the realistic, believable characters and an interesting plot, this would make an excellent movie. All in all, an authentic, action-packed, well-written and enjoyable crime thriller!

[Zoe Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent this book as a complimentary review copy (an emailed manuscript to be exact) from Endeavour Press in exchange for a review, so here goes...

I didn't really know much about this book before reading it, but now I see it as a fast paced, violent story that quite literally grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. Set against the back drop of the 1980s: politics, crime, violence, power, drugs, love and murder create a story that I seriously couldn't put down.

A fantastic, heart racing read for anyone who like fast paced crime novels with lots of violence. There are also military undertones here too which I wasn't expecting, so that was an extra layer I especially found interesting.

I would highly recommend this book. I need to check out Robert White's other work too.

[Aviar Savijon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Wow Wow, all I can say is this story, Breaking Bones by Robert White was so finely written I wish it didn't end. A compelling story of three childhood friends that become infamous drug dealing masterminds, Frankie was seemed like the leader of the three Dogs as they called them self, his full name needs to be added to the definition of mean, Tony the not so smart but cute and powerful strength wise middle man and Eddie the deep closet case that is equally evil, and the many numbered women and men that they interact with. A Crime story like no other. I loved it! To the author all I can say is bravo, this book deserves many awards it is truly that good. I was given a free review copy to express my honest opinions of it.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed for Rosie Amber's Book Review Team, for which I received a free ARC.

2.5 stars

Robert White is a talented writer, and what I liked most about this book is its authenticity. It is always clear when a writer truly knows the world and characters he has created; this is no chronicle of inner city crime attempted by a middle class scribe from the suburbs relying on research to produce a lucrative piece of gangster-lit. The plot is interesting and the novel well structured; White understands the building of suspense and how to keep the reader turning the pages; the pace is perfect, the dialogue realistic, and the characters are all three-dimensional. I was impressed that he can write convincing women, too.

So why not a higher star rating? Sadly, Mr White has been let down by his publisher. The book does not appear to have been either edited or proofread with any kind of professionalism, experience, knowledge or care. There are numerous punctuation errors on every single page (missing vocative commas is the most common error) as well as typos, spelling mistakes ('hand-full' instead of 'handful', for instance), and missed words. Sometimes, the lack of punctuation actually changes the meaning of a sentence:

"He was just asking Eddie," chipped in Tony.

...which reads as though a third person was just asking Eddie something; in fact, Tony is telling Eddie that the person was 'just asking'. Thus, the correct version:

"He was just asking, Eddie," chipped in Tony.

As far as the editing is concerned, there are many instances of exposition, 'telling not showing', and unnecessary or perhaps slightly amateur sentences. For instance: 'Frankie was the epitome of the Italian gangster caricature. He hunched his narrow shoulders, tucked in his elbows, palms up. "Like, y'know...Blondie...Boomtown.".

Any editor worth their salt would have removed the first sentence; it is 'telling not showing' and superfluous, as Robert White has depicted Frankie's gesture perfectly, without it. Never mind the lack of spaces before and after the ellipses; they probably should have been commas or full stops, anyway.

In short, the lack of work on this novel turned the reading of it into something of a chore, rather than the enjoyable experience it should (and would) have been, otherwise. A shame, indeed.

[Azar Farehi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great thriller! Even better on audible with Jonathan Keeble's superb narration

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lancashire Noir.

Drugs, violence, hubris and revenge set against the background the grim reality of life in the Thatcherite north of England.
An extremely well written story of the rise and fall of a provincial drugs gang and its impact on the local population.
A slightly disappointing ending ( purely my opinion) does not take away from what is an excellent read.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining thriller that becomes more and more mesmerizing as you progress towards the end. The writer evokes the leaden atmosphere of the eighties in the north of England and Northern Ireland really well. A thorough proofread wouldn't hurt, though.

[Karen Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breaking Bones opens with a preface told from the perspective of Detective Jim Hacker and tells of the origins of a criminal empire. Frankie Verdi, Eddie Williams and Tony Thompson meet as small children and soon become inseparable. At just fifteen they are sentenced to six months in an Approved School (a Borstal in all but name) following a sustained and brutal attack on fellow pupil. A headline gives them the name they will become notorious for; the 'Three Dogs' came out of Kirklevington Approved School stronger, fitter - and with a grudge.
The narrative from here mostly switches to the third person and follows the exploits of the 'Three Dogs' but occasionally there are chapters from Jim's point of view detailing his rise through the ranks and his growing obsession with the gang. Set in the late Seventies and early Eighties, the era is vividly brought to life through the music, fashions and cars that feature prominently throughout.
The three gangsters plot a meteoric rise to power and nothing will stop them. They manipulate a small-time local villain to help announce their arrival at on the criminal scene as they handle that aforementioned grudge; at just seventeen they are already murderers and have a burgeoning drug empire. Frankie is the leader of the gang, he is the brains of the group, and has the 'power to strike genuine fear into another human being without saying a single word.' Eddie is the drug dealer of the gang and develops the contacts that take them deeper and deeper into the criminal underbelly. He has a short fuse and a violent temper but still accepts Frankie as their leader. Tony struggles intellectually but becomes a skilled builder. Frankie and Eddie are very protective of Tony, sometimes with devastating results. However, although the only member to arguably have some redeeming qualities, Tony is still a vicious criminal who commits some truly heinous acts.
The visceral brutality of the gang is never glamorised, there is nothing lovable about the Three Dogs, they are shown throughout to be merciless killers. Frankie's relationship with Laurie perhaps demonstrates his - and by turns their - terrifying nature most sharply. When she leaves her young Royal Marine fiancé Jamie Strange for Frankie she knows he's a gangster and at first the lifestyle dazzles her. However, Frankie's jealous rages and monstrous ego eventually sees her trapped in an abusive relationship and regretting having ever left Jamie. Jamie's own life has taken a few unexpected turns since they last met, his career in the army really give a sense of the times as he serves first in the Falklands War on the Sir Galahad and then in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles.
Breaking Bones is a gripping account of the criminal careers of the members of the Three Dogs. It's not especially tense, often the most violent acts are recalled through Jim Hacker's reports. This more detached telling of the story actually gives the gang a more sinister air - there's no sympathy felt for actions committed in the heat of the moment, instead the plain facts detail the grim and savage reality of exactly what they're capable of. Cleverly plotted and with superb characterisation I really enjoyed Breaking Bones and thoroughly recommend it.

[LJ (ljwritesandreviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows the story of The Three Dogs, Tony Thompson, Eddie Williams and Frankie Verdi, the most feared gang on the street of early eighties Preston.

Now this is a book slightly out of my comfort zone (only slightly though). I’m not really a huge fan of gangster type books and I have to be honest from the blurb I thought it was going to be of a police thriller but it ended up being focused on the gang itself. I was quite surprised that I ended up enjoying it.

Although the book had a lot of violence, with almost graphic detail at times, but it had me close to tears on several occasions which was a bit of a shock.

I thought the author paid good attention to detail, using really historical events and adding them into the story to give it authenticity.

I enjoyed the fact that every character was unique and complicated too. Like for instance, Tony, Eddie and Frankie were violent psychopaths but they had their own individual traits. Frankie was power hungry, Tony was a little ‘slow’ (author’s words not mine) with a surprising soft side and Eddie was secretly gay.

The only thing that I didn’t really enjoy was the policeman, Jim Hacker’s, perspective. Written in the first person, it felt more like it was telling me things in the way of a narrator than being part of the story. The best way I can describe it was a bit like someone pausing the TV in the middle of a programme just to explain things to you when you don’t really want them to. I would have preferred the detective to have been more part of the story than a casual bystander.

Overall this is a story that will suck you into a different place and time and not let you go even after you’ve finished the book.

[Trey Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, was, great!

I hadn’t heard about Robert White or any of his books before I came across this on Audible. I don’t know if it was a sale or if it was just my credits piling up, but for some reason this book intrigued me and I jumped at the chance. Who doesn’t love a good gnarly crime thriller now and then?

And oh boy is it gnarly. It’s dark, gritty, violent, graphic and evil, and it’s exactly what you expect from a proper British crime thriller. I’m sure if you went to Merriam-Webster for the definition on gnarly, British crime this book would show up.

It follows a trio of friends, Tony, Eddie and Frankie – the inseparable school yard bullies who grow up to become the local gangsters – The Three Dogs. They’re clever, violent and ruthless, and they’ll do anything to get out on top.

The story is told from the perspective of a police officer who deals with the Three Dogs, but who also knew them from when they were little. This gives a unique insight into their early days and the way they grew up. It’s told from a sort of general, wide-arching overview, and to begin with you don’t really see where the story is going. It’s just a group of kids, you know, and we don’t really get where it’s going from the start. It’s different.

But when a girl gets between Frankie and Jamie, a young royal marine and his crazy, Australian partner, things really kick off – and it’s fantastic!

This book really surprised me. It’s a fast-paced gut punch that won’t leave you hanging for even a second. It’s dark and violent, but at times lovely and heartfelt. I can see myself reading more of Robert White.

But! – it is very graphic. So let that be a warning to you if you don’t like violence. These lads are proper gangster and they know it.

[Richard Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where to start? The hokey dialogue: 'Shut up you slag!'; the huge plot holes; the bizarre interpretations of police procedure 'Despite tons of evidence we're going to have to let you go because the plot demands it'. The book lurches from cliché to cliché with the bizarre insertion of a Dixon of Dock Green narration as a link, although this voice is more Harry 'Snapper' Organs of Q division. Every character is a stereotype, from the 'Whore with a heart' to the 'Plucky Brit soldier boy' to the 'Scarface wanna-be gangster'. All of this hokum about the highly unlikely rise from teenage hoodlums to gang-bosses in Preston might be forgiven if the author had made any attempt to use the local vernacular in his dialogue. Instead all the characters talk like cocknies in a Guy Ritchie movie. The book is also very sexist: women only exist as manipulative 'slags' who parasite off their men. The final denouement is also a cliché mirroring every laughable physical showdown from a crappy action movie. This truly is a terrible book.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This is the first book I’ve read by the author & so didn't really know much about this book before reading it. It is set in the 1980’s & is a fast paced story that quite literally grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go.It has everything violence, drugs, politics, crime, , love and murder create a story that I found very hard to put down. If you like a well written thriller then this is the book for you. I’ll certainly be searching out more of the author’s books

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in and around Preston in the early 1980s the book explores the seedy world of drug dealing and gang warfare, with a bit of the Northern Ireland Troubles thrown in for good measure.

It's fast-paced and well plotted with some strong characters. Unfortunately it's let down by the lack of a good proofreader. There are far too many homophones and other errors that take the edge off what might otherwise have been a 5 star book.

[i.s. wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read.....but

This book was an exciting story but was let down by some poor editing. Was the main gangster Frankie Verdi or Verdie as it was written both ways and then later someone was hit with a cleaver or was it an axe? This together with some missing words let the story down. Also Durham doesn't have city walls.
Robert White is a great writer but to me he needs a new editor.

[Mrs A. J. Turbfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written tale. Best ending yet. Makes reading a truly enjoyable experience.

Best I have read in. In years. can't wait to see where he goes next. Very good story teller. One to read to your kids with a bit of editing. Very moralistic tale just what is needed in these days of greed.

[Ralph Maughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal

This is a well written revenge novel. Its purpose is to deliver scenes of violence, cruelty, and depravity. The plot and characters are the bowl to hold the stew of human blood and meat. Much as I dislike this kind of formula writing, the narrator's steady counterpoint to the mayhem kept my attention. He is the only reason I finished the book.

[fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute Cracker

A fast paced, intricately woven story with plenty of emotional points to raise one's anger levels. The characters and different social networks are depicted very well in my opinion and all combined make it a great read and one I can recommend.
Thanks for another cracker!

[Mr Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hugely exciting enjoyable read

After reading 3 of the Rick Fuller series books, I was hooked on this author. This book hits every emotion and is filled with the best and worst of humanity. The northern setting is very familiar and easy to relate to. Highly recommended.

[Janet Crabbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based in Preston

I chose this book mainly because it's based on Preston where I used to work. I was soon drawn into the savagery of the characters and intrigued by the dark underworld. Really good read it you don't mind violence. Loved the outcome.

[Mr Kenneth L Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well built Story

A book with lots of twists and turns and plenty of action. It was a very easy and enjoyable book to read .Well built and following a chronological order. More of the same please.

[David Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

BRILLIANT

Great book with plenty of action throughout the book, but with it having a excellent start I was waiting for it to get better and better but sadly it didn't happen and I felt it was a disappointing end..

[Edward Newfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

cure for insomnia

Nothing in the dreary books is technically correct

Direct instructions to Counsel didn’t exist in the 1980’s and a wilful ignorance of criminal law and police procedures or the justice system

[karl wass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard as hell.....

Excellent story , similar to Martina Cole . A brilliant fill in until the next Rick Fuller book . Robert White is my new favorite author .

[Sudhakar Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started good but end is too much predictable

[david stillwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy no nonsense writing for some down time

[Lisa Thewlis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantatic

Wow what a fantastic book I was gripped from the start!!! Well done to the author for a great story lots of violence so not for the weak hearted..

[Terence Boissel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Read

Thoroughly enjoyed this book from the first page to the last, plenty of action right up to the last page . Well worth the read.

[Mark Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great from the start

Superb book and I couldn’t put it down , well worth the read and nice job , what’s next by this author