Book: The Locksmith by Linda Calvey

Not my usual read by a long shot. The Locksmith is another of the books from a bundle I bought from a charity auction to raise money for vaccines for countries in need. Placed at the bottom of the pile, it rose due to the lack of the library books I’d reserved.

About halfway through - when the crime started, I regretted picking it up but I have to see a book through then. I have been known to drop one after a chapter though.

Based on a family who live in an east end seemingly full of criminals, my first thought is who do they rob from if they are all criminals? The family have a strict no crime rule and both loving parents work. Money is tight but they make it work, especially when both the teenage children start working too. Until an unexpected pregnancy leads to a third sibling and eventually to the loss of both parents.

The book is written like a Channel 5 documentary, where they feel to recap all the time or a film where they have to explain things for the kids in the audience. The Locksmith is pure glamorisation of violence and I do not understand the appeal.

It’s even more harrowing when I know it was written by someone who has lived underworld experience. I deliberately didn’t research the author until afterwards as I was pretty sure I woudnt’ have picked this up it if I had.

Still, to take a positive, it broadens the horizons although I’ll go back to my no-crime rule now.