8ish When It’s Time to Get Out, It’s Time: Luing Andrews & Jack East - REVIEW
If you see an image of Luing Andrews and have a glimmer of recognition, it may be due to his numerous appearances in film and TV as an actor and stuntman. His catalogue is extensive and he has starred in TV shows such as Casualty and Eastenders, and in movies such as Dark Signal, Bronson, and The Football Factory. He is also set to play the hard-hitting Lenny in The Hit, as well as lead character, Mich Donovan, in Narc, both of which begin filming in June 2024.
More recently, however, Luing Andrews has joined forces with writer and motorcycle enthusiast, Jack East, to create a work of written fiction which packs a punch in every sense. It is Luing’s ambition for this new book to be adapted to a feature-length UK film in the not too distant future.
8ish When It’s Time to Get Out, It’s Time, is a hard-hitting drama where the seedy underworld of organised crime in the UK’s capital is on full show. Its characters weave together a narrative of violence, deceit and family loyalty which keeps readers hooked until the final page. It also features no end of twists along the way. The world these characters occupy is portrayed in a brutal and candid manner, meaning those brave enough to dive into this book will find no detail of gang life spared, such is the bold and adventurous writing of Luing Andrews and Jack East.
Sean O’Shea is a family man haunted by a dubious past and an unsavoury reputation. After leaving his unfaithful wife and landing custody of his two young sons, Sean is drawn back into the O’Shea family business, all of which is operated in the 8ish nightclub in Soho. It is there that his career as a formidable gangster with an exceptional talent for bear-knuckle beatdowns is reignited. However, not everything in this world is as straightforward as it once was, as his reintroduction into a life of crime becomes entangled with shocking secrets from his past. Alongside this, a turf war rages with the suitably unpleasant Dolan family, and Sean’s troublesome cousin Dan and his frustration at Sean’s return to the family circle means that struggles internal as well as external come thick and fast.
So begins Sean’s biggest challenge yet, to dispatch the forces seeking to put his bloodline out of business, whilst also striving to leave the criminal underworld once and for all, and live a peaceful life with his family. The path to resolution is fraught with danger and romance, and whilst meeting the passionate love of his life in the form of Ami, Sean must also crack more than a few skulls in order to survive. A huge resume of larger-than-life characters fused with a vivid depiction of underground London and a turbulent IRA-related past means this is a story that thrills, entertains and delivers hearty bouts of drama all in equal measure.
Luing and East write in a quick-witted fashion that doesn’t stagnate at any point in the book, giving audiences no let up in the action and suspense. As the perspectives often switch between each of the novel’s many characters, readers gather insight into a fully fleshed-out world occupied by subjects who each see their surroundings differently. It is a marvellously effective way of keeping audiences on their toes and telling a story much grander than the sum of its parts. The plot often jumps into unexpected places but always remains tightly woven and neatly crafted.
A prevailing running theme across 8ish is that of honour and loyalty, as Sean’s story goes deep into the subject of family and what it means to cherish and protect your loved ones. In places, this novel is a hard-hitting account of innocent people becoming ensnared through no fault of their own in cycles of abuse, be it self-destructive, or abuse suffered at the hands of a partner or family member. As one might expect, these depictions are unflinching and a sobering reminder that those affected are rarely the ones to blame.
Fortunately, Luing Andrews and Jack East keep the concept of retribution central to the personality of this book. Sean O’Shea can be considered the ultimate arm of justice, not dissimilar in a sense to fictional characters such as John Wick or Frank Castle. Perhaps O’Shea’s brand of justice is not the most law-abiding, but it is the kind where those guilty of abusive and sickening behaviour feel the sting of punishment with an often permanent resolve, a somewhat cathartic experience for those seeking a thriller with a strong moral compass.
8ish When It’s Time to Get Out, It’s Time, has a great deal of heart despite its violent and unruly setting. Whilst its central protagonists operate on the rougher fringes of society, they remain as lovable and heartfelt characters who strive to do whatever it takes to look after each other, an endearing concept spiced up with the blood-spattered bone-breaking tone of the book. All of this combined makes for a fun and hard-hitting ride that strikes a strong definition between good and evil. Luing Andrews and Jack East have borrowed from finest traits of UK crime stories both real and fictional to create a no-holds-barred caper with a real sense of soul, and one which readers are unlikely to forget in a hurry.
Those seeking a book with a bite need look no further, and the recently announced sequel in the form of 9ish is an ever more exciting prospect after reading this. 9ish will be written solely by Luing, though Jack East may return for the 10ish, thus binding this exciting work into a trilogy.
You can order your copy of 8ish When It’s Time to Get Out, It’s Time, and learn more about the authors at the Pegasus Publishers website here.
