Review: Roller coaster ride of emotions
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 17, 2013
"Beginnings" by Helen J. Christmas is a moving love story as much as it is a fast paced thriller, set against the backdrop of the organised crime in London in the 1970s. Rival gangs are terrorising the Eastern parts of London and Eleanor Chapman falls victim to these hostilities. The author describes in detail the dealings of those criminals, giving the players a lot of character and colour and painting a very convincing and memorable scene.Temporarily housed with a childless couple while her father is in hiding from other criminals Eleanor gets betrayed and is sold to a brothel, from where she fortunately manages to escape, hooking up with Jake Jansen who is also hunted by the same people.Not surprisingly the two escapists fall in love and hide in various places and are helped by several people, although Eleanor's previous connections have got her where she is now, and so the couple have to tread carefully and decide whom they can trust.The story continues to be action packed and full of suspense and takes some unexpected turns. Thrown into the love story and the thriller parts are a terror attack on a potential future prime minister, political conspiracies and police cover ups, showing a corrupt world all around in contrast to the innocent love.The book was a roller coaster ride for me, a very compelling and entertaining read but certainly not a mindless one or purely light hearted. There is sadness and reflection and it will be interesting to see which direction the author takes in her next book.Being the first of several instalments this story does not come to a positive conclusion at the end of "Beginnings" but leaves that job for an eagerly awaited sequel.