The title of this book, Sins of Fathers, could not be more appropriate. Michael Emmett was born into a family full of crime and violence. This paid for him and his family to live the high life - owning and living in luxurious properties, paying for his daughters’ private educations, driving prestigious cars, experiencing holidays all over the world and mixing with A list celebrities and royalty. Then while serving a prison sentence, he ‘found God’. If he had given away all his wealth at that point and tried to renounce his past sins, I might have believed his ‘re-birth’ into Christianity but that didn’t happen until he had managed to lose his fortune himself and was at rock bottom.
This book is written in a stilted manner. It felt like it might just be the transcription of a recorded memoir with very little alteration or improvement. It read very much like a long witness statement. There were long passages of dialogue about events which weren’t very interesting but then only passing hints about other matters.
I note the blurb says that this is Michael Emmett’s first book. Surely he won’t have enough misplaced self importance to write any more?
I didn’t like the epilogue where Michael lists his children and grandchildren and says how wonderful they are and how much they all love each other. He says he’s not ashamed of his life. After reading this book, I found no mention of regret for all the lives his violence and greed affected or ended.
Lastly, I really hated the way he frequently described his associates as ‘naughty’. Perhaps this has a different meaning to London gangsters but to me a wilful toddler who crayons on the wallpaper is described as naughty - not grown men who commit crimes, take part in acts of violence, supply drugs etc. They are evil not naughty and do not deserve to live a better life than their victims.
This book is written in a stilted manner. It felt like it might just be the transcription of a recorded memoir with very little alteration or improvement. It read very much like a long witness statement. There were long passages of dialogue about events which weren’t very interesting but then only passing hints about other matters.
I note the blurb says that this is Michael Emmett’s first book. Surely he won’t have enough misplaced self importance to write any more?
I didn’t like the epilogue where Michael lists his children and grandchildren and says how wonderful they are and how much they all love each other. He says he’s not ashamed of his life. After reading this book, I found no mention of regret for all the lives his violence and greed affected or ended.
Lastly, I really hated the way he frequently described his associates as ‘naughty’. Perhaps this has a different meaning to London gangsters but to me a wilful toddler who crayons on the wallpaper is described as naughty - not grown men who commit crimes, take part in acts of violence, supply drugs etc. They are evil not naughty and do not deserve to live a better life than their victims.