Like many people I have always enjoyed reading gangster stories and watching them on television. Their rules of conduct and their behaviour fascinated me, but I was always puzzled why anyone would involve themselves in such a dangerous world where the normal restraints of a civilized existence didn't apply. And it was this puzzlement that prompted me to write '666 and a 9 millimetre', a tale about a pub landlord called Jack Blade and his insane ambition to take on the most powerful crime boss in 60's London. At first it would seem that Jack is driven only by a great need to find extra money to help someone he loves. But as the story unfolds and the dead bodies mount, it becomes clear that other forces are at work within Jack Blade's heart. You may or may not be any wiser about the motives of the main character as the story comes to a close, but there is little doubt in my mind that you will be left with a great deal to think about regarding the human condition.

About the book

© 2007 Cornelius Rainsford