The Manchester Trilogy

Brother and sister Peter and Adele Robinson never stood a chance. Dragged up by an alcoholic, violent father, and a weak, beaten mother, their childhood in Manchester only prepared them for a life of crime and struggle. Getting more and more immersed in the murky world of crime and gangs, his close bonds with Adele gradually loosen until they look set to break altogether. But old habits die hard, and one devastating night, Adele is forced to confront her violent past.

Adele Robinson is locked up – convicted for the murder of her abusive father. Meanwhile, her brother Peter is building his criminal empire on the outside – running protection rackets, seedy nightclubs and all manner of schemes to make a fast buck. And when things start to get bloody, only Adele can step in to protect the family business.

When Adele's brother, Peter, gets banged up for GBH, she reluctantly agrees to run his nightclub, The Golden Bell. Strong opposition from Peter's thuggish number two, Glynn, who isn't best pleased about answering to a woman, isn't the only challenge she faces. The Manchester club scene of the 1990s is a dangerous place, at the mercy of illicit protection rackets and rampaging gangs, and, despite Adele's efforts to keep everything legal, the club is beginning to feel like a poisoned chalice.