Janet Louise McCartney
As I have exhausted our Martina Cole library here at dangerousLady.co.uk thoughts turn to what to read next. I’m sure we will have a new Martina Cole novel arriving before long but in the meantime I need a good book!
I toyed with the idea of getting the recent Mandasue Heller novel Snatched but decided against it and went for De Marco Empire by a new British author Janet Louise McCartney, who publishes under the name J Lou McCartney.
I know little about her other than what I have heard over the web and what I have read over at amazon.co.uk:
Janet Louise McCartney was born and brought up in the beautiful Georgian town of Whitehaven, Cumbria which is located close to the Lake District. She is married to Gary and has a teenage daughter called Tamzin. After thirteen years of trying she has finally written her first novel. Her life time ambition is to one day be able to give up her day job and write full time giving pleasure and entertainment to all her readers. With her debut novel now under her belt she hopes to go from strength to strength and produce the next international best seller.
I have noticed other readers mentioning her work in the same breath as Martina Cole which can only be a good thing in my opinion. I will give the book a try and report back, have you read it? If so leave a comment below.
UPDATE 1 – August 9th.
My book has arrived! I will be off on hols soon so this will be coming with me. I will read and report back people!
UPDATE 2 – September 19th.
I have returned from my Summer holidays and read the book over 3 days while sipping cool Pina Coladas aboard a ship cruising the Med! As promised expect a full review in the next few days.
UPDATE 3 – September 30th.
Finally! Review added in the comments below.
I’ve read the De marco Empire and really enjoyed it. Great characters – definitely deserves a sequel. If you’re heading for a beach – it’s a good holiday read!!!
Thanks for the heads-up. I will be on a cruise so looking forward to some relaxing on deck with De Marco Empire.
Looking forward to the holiday and the book!
I’ve read this book and it was brilliant, a real page turner! You may be interested to know that J Lou has her own website where you can read loads of reviews and interviews and find out more about her. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Happy cruising.
http://www.jloumccartney.co.uk
Thanks for the link Shelle, heading over there now …
Great book! Keeps you thinking who will be the next victim.
Would make a great movie. Well done Lou, keep more coming.
what a great book the Demarco Empire was, I could not put it down
agreat story by J Lou Mccartney Hurry with the next one!
Well it sure looks like J Lou McCartney has a following! I’m resisting the temptation to start the book, don’t we all love that fresh book feel?, and keep it for my holiday.
It should read all the better with a Pina Colada in hand!
de marco by j lou
Its a cracking read, whatever type of fiction you follow
this one fits the bill, strong character builds and a really topical
plot, look forward to a foolow up
Cheers
Graham
J. Louise McCartney’s the De Marco Empire far surpasses any thriller or mystery book that this reviewer has read in a long time.
J Lou McCartney is the master of intrigue, fear and suspense in this groundbreaking novel that gives the reader an inside look at a mafia family and what it means to become one of them. Skeletons in the closet come out to haunt Antonio and his brother Gianni. Murders are covered up so cleverly that they are never solved and bodies are buried so deep you can’t find them.
From the start to the finish the reader is spell bound and transfixed to the plot and the characters. The intricate plot line keeps the reader’s attention from the first word on the first page and makes sure to keep your interest until the very last word. The ending will astound you and leave you wanting for me. J.Lou McCartney is definitely the number one thriller writer in my book. Fran Lewis Reviewer
I loved De Marco Empire. It was a mystery, thriller, and romance all wrapped up together. The characters were really well-developed, and there were great friendships, great romances, and very corrupt bad guys!
I found the deMarco Empire to be a full of sub plots and great characters that just sucked you in. Hope you enjoy the read as I did and hope to see what you thought of it.
I haven’t read Martina Cole but I just finished de Marco Empire and I loved it. There’s a review on my blog
http://write-juncture.blogspot.com/
De Marco Empire – Reviewed by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat
‘It was mid July 1985, Katie and her best friend Lucy were getting ready for a night out to celebrate Lucy’s twentieth birthday. They had been saving up for weeks and were going to the opening night of a prestigious new club in the city called “La Pregheira”.’
Katie and Lucy had been friends for years. Lucy’s brother Matt had been Katie’s boyfriend since high school. Everyone, including Katie herself, expected them to marry one day and start a family. But Matt was still finishing his education to become a lawyer and due to his needing to study, wasn’t able to attend the opening of La Pregheira with the girls.
Upon reaching the club, Katie and Lucy discovered they should have bought tickets in advance. The line was tremendous and they would never make it in for the opening. Lucy came up with an idea to pose as temp employees just long enough to get inside. It didn’t take the manager long to see through this little scam but she was so impressed with the two girls that she hired them, giving them the night off to enjoy the club.
The club owners Antonio and Gianni De Marco were in attendance for the opening and when Antonio spotted Katie, he felt drawn to her. He was there with Sasha but that didn’t stop him from pursuing Katie. When he broke off his engagement with Sasha to be with Katie, her temper flared. And when Antonio proposed to Katie, Sasha swore she would have her revenge.
Matt is heartbroken after loosing Katie. He doesn’t trust Antonio and his brother Gianni. People have a tendency of either dying or disappearing after crossing the brothers. But Katie is blinded by her love for Antonio and refuses to heed his warnings.
Antonio insists that Katie will no longer work at the club but does agree to allow her to go into the import furniture with Nina after her husband is arrested for drug smuggling. Between the two of them, their business flourishes with Katie becoming a very self proven business woman. So after four long years, Antonio finally pins Katie down to setting a wedding date.
The wedding day starts as a beautiful, wondrous occasion until someone kills Antonio. Katie, upon finding Antonio, picks up the gun that killed him making her the the prime suspect.
The De Marco Empire is a book of page turning, non-stop action. I really didn’t want it to end and I’m hoping McCartney will write a sequel.
Yeah, just heard the second novel by J Lou is called Dante’s Way and is about sex trafficking! Hope we don’t have to wait too long to see it on the bookshelves!
Sounds good. I will be starting De Marco Empire next week and if it is as good as you all say I will be getting Dante’s Way as well!
This book is a fantastic read. Once I started it I just couldn’t put it down. A love twist with a ‘mafia’ style influence. Keeps you guessing until the end. Can’t wait for Lou’s next book to be published and looking even more forward to the 3rd!
Get yourself a copy and treat yourself on the dark winter nights ahead.
I have returned from my Summer holidays and read the book over 3 days while sipping cool Pina Coladas aboard a ship cruising the Med! As promised expect a full review in the next few days.
Apologies for the delay. Getting back to the real world after two weeks away takes longer than expected!
So based on the many good things I had heard about J Lou McCartney both on dangerousLady.co.uk and from colleagues De Marco Empire was the safe bet novel to take on holiday. It took me 3 days to get through it, mostly while sipping Pina Coladas on the deck of a cruise liner in the Med! A tough job but someone has to do it. Looking around the ship at others reading material there were lots of Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller novels in hand so I think those two ladies will be riding the recession out quite happily by the looks of things.
So what did I think of De Marco Empire? Overall, and out of 10, I would give the book 7. J Lou McCartney has been described as similar to Martina Cole, probably as the book is set in the world of the gangster. There were Martina Cole undertones however the characters, for me, did not come over as cold as they can in the Martina Cole novels, they were not as nasty or at least not conveyed as nasty as some of the Martina Cole characters can be.
I would have liked a little more background and character development on some of the peripheral cast, i.e. Eddie and Stevo.
The plot, on the whole, worked and kept me reading and I felt satisfied at the end of the novel that it had been an enjoyable read.
I will certainly be adding J Lou McCartney to my list of authors to stay upto date with.
Thanks for all your recommendations!
I think that is a very fair review and on the basis of her first book I expect she can only improve and develop her characters. I for one am definitely looking forward to reading more from her.