Over last Christmas break, I picked up a bunch of new books while wandering around a shopping mall. One of those books was The Graft by Martina Cole.

The first book I have read by Martina Cole was The Take. This book got me hooked, The Graft is the third book by her that I have read and I intend to pick up the other books she has written as well.

Martina Cole is a famous UK writer which became popular because she seems to have a lot of first hand experience with the things that happen in the criminal circuit in the UK.

The Graft takes some time to get started, letting you get a feel for the characters and give you time to form a good solid opinion on them, only to learn that things are not as they seem. It also points out pieces of everyday society most people never get - or want - to see.

The story evolves around Nick Leary, a man who seems rock-solid on paper and seems to have everything his heart desires. When one evening a burglar shows up in his house with a semi-automatic gun, he takes a chance to take him out with a baseball bat and protect his family. After the police drops the case because he acted in self defense protecting his family and the burglar is a known troublemaker with a rap sheet, the son of a infamous junkie and the fact that there isn't a person in the neighborhood whom he hasn't crossed, Nick is starting to loose his mind.

I'll stop my description here, because I don't want to spoil anything for you, just go read the book.