No Escape

by Arlene Hunt

'Irish crime writing at its best' John Connolly

BREAKING FREE ONCE WAS LUCKY. THIS TIME, THERE MAY BE NO ESCAPE...

Leo Kennedy was always meant to enter the family business, where deals are made in dark corners and crossing the wrong people can get you killed. But, years ago, he surprised everyone by leaving it all behind and choosing a life on the straight and narrow - at a heavy cost.

Now, he's back in Dublin to receive a mysterious inheritance, and trying to ignore the increasingly loud hum of gang violence in the city.

Meanwhile, as tensions escalate between Leo's toxic family and rival gang the Wards, trafficked sisters Yulia and Celestine are desperately trying to free themselves from Duchy Ward's violent clutches.

Leo immerses himself in plans to open a restaurant and turn his life around once more, failing to notice the signs that his return is all part of a trap set by his father to bring him back into the fold. And this time, there may be no escape...

'Gripping from the start ... from one of Ireland's most compelling crime writers' Brian McGilloway

'An utterly gripping, gritty, addictive page-turner ... I couldn't put it down' Louise Phillips

416 pages, Paperback

First published February 6, 2020

Reviews

[Aoife · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from Hachette Ireland in exchange for an honest review.

On a tumultuous night in Dublin, kingpin Arthur Ward is shot dead the same night he ends up in a fist fight with Liam Kennedy. As Ward's family try to piece together who was behind Arthur's killing, Liam's pull together to make sure he had nothing to do with. Leo Kennedy, the black sheep of the family, returns home having previously cut ties with his criminal family yet ends up pulled in nevertheless. Meanwhile, on the Ward estates, two sisters who traveled to Ireland hoping for a better life fight to find each other again and escape the hell they ended up living in.

This book was...just okay? It definitely had a lot of the ingredients that should make a riveting crime family - two families and a crime that hinted at a gang war (that never ended up happening?), several different criminal enterprises including people trafficking and a sex ring, and a cannabis farm. I think there wasn't actually that much excitement happening considering everything going on and the people who we were believed to be silly, vapid and stupid were...exactly that. There was no hidden reveals about who people were and there was no wool pulled in front of the readers' eyes in any way which could have been fun.

I feel like the people trafficking story could have had so much attention and while I appreciate the author shining a light on this activity - while I'm not stupid and I'm aware it happens in Ireland, it's something I haven't though of enough and it's always shocking to think there are girls being treated in this way - I feel like it became an almost unnecessary part of the story. Yulia and Celestine only served to feck things up a bit for Murphy and Rally, and that was about it.

The ending was also really flat, and honestly I felt a bit disappointed in this. For a crime novel set in Dublin, I was expecting more.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Escape by Arlene Hunt is an absolute page turner, sharp, gritty, fast moving and utterly addictive. It will keep you hooked right to the end. I loved it.'

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I thought this book was enjoyable and a good read. There are quite a few characters in it and it took me a while to get used to them all and how they related to the other characters. When a man who is part of a crime family is shot dead the Police and family members try to find out who was behind the murder. There are quite a few twists and turns in the story, none that wowed me though. It was well written and held my attention from start to finish. 3 stars

[Claire Ferris · Rating 2 out of 5]

You’re at least half way through before this book really gets going. It’s also not quite the book the synopsis sets it out to be. It’s not about Leo Kennedy coming back into the family fold, you don’t really hear about what the ‘heavy cost’ was and this apparent trap set by his father to bring him back also comes to nothing. There’s not enough back story on Duchy or Corrine considering the psychotic part they end up playing…too many question marks, too many characters, trying to be too clever. Not a book I’d recommend in all honesty.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

No escape by Ariene Hunt. For sisters Yulia and Celestine, Ireland was supposed to be a sanctuary, a place where they could escape their violent past. They had no idea what the Ward family had in store for them when they were smuggled into the country. A great read. Violence and murder. Good characters. Good story. 4*.

[Colleen Maclennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was decent if you could get a handle on all the characters and who was related to who or who had a grudge with who or who worked for who. This was a bit distracting at times and took away from the plot of human trafficking, family feuds, strained and ugly relationships. The book ‘s setting is Ireland and we get a glimpse of Dublin and the Irish countryside.

[Debbie Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable twisty tale involving two Irish families, one the old guard mafia the other would like to be. Between the human trafficking and the drugs farm they are teetering on the brink. With thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Books for the early read.

[Elizabeth Mannion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Hunt’s wonderful Dublin-set QuicK Investigations series, crime is rampant here and the violence among families is equal parts grim and deserving. Hunt writes memorable baddies, and this novel’s Marisol and Corrine are keeping up that tradition. Recommend.

[Anne Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me gripped from the very start, although there are so many different characters it did take a bit of time to remember who was who but definitely worth a read. ..
Note..408 pages not 336

[Mary Lestrange · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many characters took away from the human trafficking aspect and the revenge story line

[Jade Kenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot of the story is interesting. However, there are so many characters that it makes it difficult to keep track of who is who.

[Siobhán Cullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this book but found myself getting confused between all the characters and who was related to who. Then again it could be because I was tired & not concentrating

[Mary Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rival gangs in Dublin are at the heart of the story with a very light touch on human trafficking. Enjoyable read. Some stark violence where unusually a woman is the muscle.

[Samantha Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was ok not a book I would choose to read again

[Conor Tannam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Things that are terrible- Tories, imperialism and this novel.

[BMG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good easy read. Kept me interested.
Rating 3.5

[Penny G · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have two positive things to say about this book:
- It was on sale
- It confirmed that I don’t like Irish crime novels

[Noreen]

Too complicated, did not finish.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read.

Enjoyed this book seems to be left open for a follow up. Be looking out for it. Would recommend reading it.