The Front

by Mandasue Heller

When four old school friends decide to make some easy money, they pick the wrong target. Very wrong. Robbing a small supermarket on a Manchester estate looks easy - but with one of them wounded and a dead body on their hands, could things get worse? They could. The supermarket is merely the front for something bigger. The friends are small fish who have unwittingly plunged into a very big pond and now they are swimming with the great white sharks of the criminal underworld."

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Mandasue 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.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, take a look at my full review here: http://littlebookaddict.wordpress.com/

Well worth the read, it's well paced and well written. You get a real feeling of empathy with the female characters, and the way Heller uses local dialect is superb.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book with a great story. I haven't read a Mandasue Heller book for years and had forgotton how fantastic she is in her writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of this authors books.

[Antonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining small time Manchester gangster story, where a supermarket heist goes wrong, and the aftermath turns into a comedy of errors.
With the brainless drugged up villains, and their teenage groupie girlfriends making all the wrong decisions, they have no idea that they have robbed Mr Big of his hard earned drug money.

“Great story almost a comedy with some of the stupidest criminals in print beating up their girlfriends and abusing them with a whole dictionary of swear words while Mr Big and his not very clever gang try to find out who nicked his money”!

[Sally · Rating 1 out of 5]

An atrocious book - poor writing, hateful and unrelatable characters, pro-DV, etc. I gave up after reading about a quarter of the book.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this author writes gritty books great character's worth reading.

[Tony Mongan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read and loved Kimberley Chambers, I was recommended to read Mandasue Heller. I chose this book randomly and I’m very happy to have gone with the recommendation. The author guides you through the story of a group of chancers cross paths with an organisation of criminals. Their paths don’t just cross, they repeatedly criss cross. Only when the young copper has another chance meeting with two nurses do the three groups converge for the dramatic finale.
Well written and gripping from page one. I’ll certainly be buying more books from this author.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good illustration of the inners of a British junkies scene, including the innocent and immoral female perspective within it. The author interchanges nicely between the three separate sub-stories to the crime plot, leading to the taking down of tha bombaclots.

Fun, easy read, couldn’t find the book for a while.

[Michelle Lightbourne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

I've read her books before and enjoyed them and I did enjoy this one but the ending left me with so many questions. Is there a part 2?? Or is this deliberate?? There is no indication of either....... All in all the book is good and typical of her writing but the end spoilt it for me.

[Mireille · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book from this author that I've read. I thought it was brilliantly written, loved the storyline and flew through it. The characters were excellent. Will definitely read more of Mandasue Heller's books.

[Anne Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of her best books

I have loved the other Heller books that I have read, but really struggled with this one. It took ages for me to read, somehow I just could not get interested in the story. I feel relieved now I have finished it.

[Lyndsey Gollogly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so frustrating. I was really enjoying it and the build up towards the end was great but then it ended how it did and I was so disappointed with it. It so could have been a 4 star but that ending just wasn’t what I expected.

[Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Front

Great read......mandasue never let's you down with thick plots and great twists!! If u like Martina u will love mandasue also

[Beverley streets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Hooked from the beginning couldn't put it down if you love gangster you'll love this book,never fails to deliver brilliant.

[June Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved the other Heller books, but struggled with this one, I managed to finish it as it got better as I read on.

[Fionna Cairney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small scale Manchester drug gang story very well written story seemed to drag in places tho but picked up towards the end which is why I’ve given it 4 stars

[L A Messenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Another fantastic read by this author. I can't put her books down. A very special talent who creates realistic characters .

[luci wanstall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok

Good storyline but boring in some places story needed stretching with more information about the people in it. Worth reading

[Akhsassi Mouhamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice one

[Seni Haks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dislike crime thrillers but because I knew at the resolution there was going to be a learned lesson I waited and bang! The ending was how I expected it to be.

[Ashley Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a decent read. The plot wasn't the best and character building could have been better but I didnt dnf it so wasn't the worst

[Louise Crowther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. I love a crime and Manadsue Heller is so good at writing them. One minute you despise a character the next you start to have some sympathy for them.

[Lillian Vella · Rating 4 out of 5]

You never know where your next decision might take you. Robbing a small grocery store led these friends into big trouble

[Bronwyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. So much unnecessary waffle and irrelevant scene setting. Just get to the story!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book!! Different angle to most of the usual crime novels I read. It was refreshing.

[Jillian Firth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off good then felt story dragged out then felt it rushed to end it

[Liza Gillett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worst one I’ve read of hers 😢 couldn’t get into it !

[Cveta Trajcevska · Rating 5 out of 5]

A to die for read - set in same style Mandasue is known for

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an ok read. Interesting characters.

[Deborah Bartram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be careful who you rob from. hehe. A cast you love to hate

[Chloe Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, slow to start then half way through couldn’t put it down however comes to a very abrupt end after a lot of build up.