Sex, Guns, and Pissed-off Spouses

Last year, I told you about a joke that has been played on yours truly by a renowned British crime writer who’s traveling under the pseudonym “Lee Martin.” It seems this particular writer decided to cast a British-Asian cop called Ali S. Karim in his or her new novel, Gangsters Wives. The joke is that, while the book offers a light and funny, though quite violent look at revenge in London’s gangland community, it also features some … well, rather hardcore sex and sexual antics.

This cop, Ali S. Karim, gets caught between the gangsters and their wives. But at least he comes to the assignment well prepared. It seems that his middle initial, “S.,” stands for “Sex-God,” and through the course of this book he shows that he deserves that name.

I almost spit out my teeth in laughter when I read an uncorrected page proof of the book last November.

Then, just a few days ago, I received an e-mail note, telling me that No Exit Press will release Gangsters Wives in Britain this coming week. The write-up about that book on the No Exit site reads:

Sadie, Nicky, Poppy and Kate.

Four women who are on the surface sexy, confident and wealthy--but each of them is trapped in a loveless and sometimes violent marriage to four of the most feared London gangsters.

For years they have lived a life of idle luxury--shopping, lunching, and occasionally playing away--but all the time loyally staying behind the scenes while their men rule the East End criminal underworld with violence and terror.

But times change and events conspire and they decide to fight back and take their men on at their own game.

Because when it comes to getting the money, the female is definitely more deadly than the male ...

Apparently, I’m not the only one having a good chuckle at this novel. Martina Cole (Close) recently reviewed Martin’s work in her no-holds-barred style, describing it as “a must read! Wonderful characters ... F*** off plot. And you can quote me on that.”

Setting aside the hard-core sex (which isn’t always easy here), Gangsters Wives is a very fast and humorous read. I have my suspicions as to the true identity of this writer, Lee Martin. I’ll let you know when my investigation concludes.