Daisy's Chain

Book excerpt: Daisy's ChainLove, Intrigue and the Underworld on The Costa del Sol Daisy, the proud daughter of a wealthy ex-London gangster, John, and his Spanish wife, Teresa, grew up in Marbella on the Costa del Sol, aka, the Costa del Crime. She idolised her parents and sought to impress her ageing father by helping him run the family businesses after uni. However, a disastrous error of judgement ends in family tragedy, and her mother puts Daisy on a safer path of helping the local community as a penance. Daisy's Chain is a tragic tale with a pleasantly happy ending.Daisy's Chain – SynopsisJohn is a wealthy, single, ex-London East End gangster living on the Costa de Sol in southern Spain. The press have long called it the 'Costa del Crime', but he doesn't care as long as his quiet life is preserved. He has had enough of gang warfare. One day, his housekeeper and lover, Terri, announces she is pregnant – something they thought impossible because of their ages,John likes the idea of becoming a first-time father , so he marries Terri, and Daisy is born. He loves her, but has little time because of his business commitments. Never sure whether her father really loves her, she grows up trying to impress him, especially after hearing of his former hard-man reputation. After university, she begins to take over her father's businesses, However, she becomes ever more outrageous, until one day, she goes too far, landing her parents in hospital after a revenge attack on them from rivals, which she had caused by imprisoning and torturing one of their men.John dies from his injuries; Terri is badly hurt and their faithful bodyguard is shot. The reason for the ambush eventually comes to light, and the evidence points to Daisy.She struggles to avert the blame, and the bodyguard manages to keep her out of it, but Terri wants to teach her a lesson. The problem is, how do you punish a girl who has everything?Terri threatens to sell all the businesses and stop her allowance, unless she takes part in her mother's first solo venture, aided by the bodyguard. Daisy agrees and they set about renovating a disused church to house refugee mothers and their children. To her surprise, Daisy likes the job, and meets a young man who loves her, and shares her ideals.