Tainted Love is a fantastic book and I made me smile when I saw where the title came from, but that would spoil the plot. Anyone who has had a run in with Her Majesty’s finest and been near the type of circles the Butlers move in will recognise the characterisation of many they have come across in the Butlers. This might be set in the East End, but could easily be Salford, Moss Side in Greater Manchester or Northfield in Birmingham, St Paul’s Bristol, amongst many. Vinnie senior hasn't changed much despite his years, Vinnie junior is seemingly a changed man but somethings you just can't leave behind & Michael is about to be tested to the limit. The family is full of drama and very much live by the sword, die by the sword, the time has come for debts to be settled but who will pay? So we join the Butler family in the 1980s and when I say there is a lot going on, I really mean it. All of the loved and loathed characters make their reappearances and they all seem to be at different stages of their life. Out of all the characters that surprised me in this series the major one has been Little Vinny. It seems Little Vinny has done his utmost to turn his life around following the arrival of his little boy. He is determined not to follow in his father’s footsteps, and even knowing what had gone on in the past I couldn't help rooting for him. Vinny is his usual bolshie and arrogant self and frankly I’m surprised he is still breathing after everything that has happened. The Butler boys ruled the East End or wherever they landed. They were all despicable in their own rite but it was Vinny who was the most evil and vindictive. He was vile. This beautifully crafted, sharp, well-paced novel will keep you hooked until the very end. An outstanding tale of betrayal, violence and love. Buy it. Read it. You'll love it. I did” - Amanda Prowse

The great thing about Tainted Love that it is hard to write a review and not reveal the plot, hence why I am unwilling to even give a guide to what happens between 1986 and 2001. One thing I will say that it is completely gripping, realistic and believable, especially when dealing with Whitechapel and the changes that came to the East End in the 80s and 90s. Those changes are also part of the problem for the Butler’s. Is my daddy famous, Nan?’ Ava enquired innocently. Queenie couldn’t help but smile. ‘Yes, darlin’. Your daddy is a legend.’" I loved every bit of this book, and I don't think my words will get across just how freaking good this series of books has been. As the years pass we are able to see the very complicated relationship of brothers and cousins develop in interesting and competing ways. Dan the growing presence of the family while Little Vinny is the businessman of the next generation, and how the women of the family can see through all the men and get to the heart of the matter. If one was looking for marriage or relationship advice the last people you would be the Butler family. From 1986 to 2001 we are taken on a high speed tour of the family and how it could grow apart and then once again come together. We see both Vinny and Michael’s children also take their rightful place in the East End society. Dan and Lee were Michael’s boys, with Little Vinny and Ava, Vinny’s children. We see them get older and develop their own character; Ava cared for by Queenie with Fred her dog, who has a thing for Viv’s leg.

Kenny Bond. A murderer. A gangster. A good family man.

Kimberley Chambers: My friends were married to villains". Metro. 24 November 2009 . Retrieved 18 June 2018. Dark secrets are spiralling out of control and have the power to destroy them all for good. Is this the final nail in the Butler family coffin? Chambers' first novel, Billie Jo, was published by Random House’s Preface imprint in 2008. Chambers published another five books with Preface before moving to HarperCollins with her novel in 2012. [12] Chambers still writes all her books by hand. [13]

McMullen, Marion (17 June 2015). "Crime pays for bestselling writer Kimberley Chambers". Mirror . Retrieved 18 June 2018. As Tainted Love is the fourth book in this series, I had reservations KC would not be able to match the high caliber of her previous books, but bloody hell I was wrong, not only has she wrote another blinding book, but she has surpassed herself. This is a book stuffed with tension, violence,and treachery, which moves along like an express train, leaving you no time to catch your breath! Believe me when I say “you are in for a hell of a ride”. As the book reaches its climax I was left breathless, so much happens in Tainted Love I really felt I was on the worlds biggest roller coaster, my emotions were all over the place, as secrets are revealed that will change the Butlers life’s for ever. It's going to be hard going for Kimberley to better this book, But I'm sure she'll manage it, (No Pressure Kim)Kimberley has a natural gift for creating very colourful characters, that are larger than life, by the time you get to Tainted Love you feel like you know them all personally, foibles and all (and believe me they all have plenty of them!) they will make you laugh, cry, love and hate them, all in the space of a few minutes! The dialogue between the characters had me choking on my coffee at times, some of Kimberley’s one liners are original in their content to say the least, but if you don’t like swearing then you should give Tainted Love a wide berth, as there is plenty of it! For me I feel the swearing was in context with the plot and the characters, at times it’s very colourful, but also very funny. I'm worried about going into the storyline to much as I fear I will end up giving to much away, but I want to scream and shout about this book, I want you to read it and enjoy it as much as I have, so I'm not saying any more about it other than, Go and treat yourself. Buy the bloody book. Tainted Love was perfect. Well in my humble opinion anyways. My thoughts could be clouded from the haze my mind has been in since submerging myself in these books just about a month ago but quite frankly Kimberley Chambers incredible imagination has provided for many surprising and rather unnerving twists and turns that I found myself completely fixated with lives of the Butlers. Little Vinny is battling not to follow in his father’s footsteps. Sweet Sammi-Lou has just vowed ‘til death do us part, but it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out about the murder he committed. This review is going to be difficult to write as I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so here it goes.

This series covers a span of just about 30 years. Throughout each book the lives of the Butlers were tainted with dark secrets and hatred coming from those who have felt the wrath of this family. Revenge and betrayal is known by all. Be it the wives, the children, the boys or the men in the business. There was no escaping it. I searched for that silver lining but just couldn’t find it. It was the nature of the beast I guess. Wedding's, Death, funerals, Births, Sex, Drugs.......... this book has it all, and mixed together makes a whole bit pot of Butler madness.Vinny and Michael have always protected each other and provided for the family. Together they were formidable but business always stopped at the front door. Now someone has changed the rules – women and children are fair game and one of the Butlers is going to end up six feet under. Chambers was born and brought up in Dagenham, Essex. [6] Her mother, Valerie, worked as a typist, and her father, Tom, was a steel erector. An only child, she attended John Perry Infants and Junior School and Dagenham Priory Comprehensive, but left without any O-Levels. [7] She worked as a market trader on a ladies’ fashion stall in the legendary Roman Road market in the East End. [8] She also worked as a pub DJ and as a mini-cab driver in Romford before writing her first novel, Billie Jo, at the age of 38. [9] [10] As of 2022 she now lives in Hornchurch. [11] Career [ edit ]

Vinny Butler only ever enjoyed shagging birds up the rear. Not only was the hole tighter, it saved him from having to look at their stupid faces.

Michael and Vinny were not just ‘faces’ around the East End they were the East End as far as the locals were concerned, it was their manor. Nothing happened there without them knowing, nobody crossed them without being brought up before them, they ruled with a rod of steel and pure fear. Queenie and her sister Viv were the matriarchs of the family, loved by the family and also equally feared. If you are looking for a bit of evil in your reading world then this series is a must. I guarantee that Vinny Butler is one character you won’t soon forget. And as I said with the last bookThe Wronged, I didn't believe Kimberley could match it, By god how this woman likes to prove you wrong. she's freakin smashed it with this book. And this book just show's why Kimberley Chambers is the favourite author of many, many people. She is certainly one of my all time favourite authors. Kimberley Chambers is] the queen of the gritty, low-life tale . . .a fast-paced, thrill-a-minute ride that takes you on all sorts of twists and turns” - Bella