Killing Goldfinger: The Secret, Bullet-Riddled Life and Death of Britain's Gangster Number One Hardcover – 1 Jun. 2017

I have slid into reading this genre of writing incidentally via the ‘banged up abroad story’ genre, which frankly just got too depressing -in my kindle ‘recommended’ this came up – some refreshing fraud and theft to lighten the mood. Of the book itself, hearing how many of the players in subsequent (and also recent) big crime stories were also involved with John Palmer and Brinks Mat it was intriguing to see how many of the tendrils have joined up over the years. And indeed there does seem to be a sort inevitable outcome for those involved with it. Almost immediately after reading this one his wife’s (Marnie’s) book was in my recommended list, and perhaps as this one was fresh in my mind I read that one too. As a reviewer of that book said (as I then also did in my own review of it) it really needed to be read in context with the wider John Palmer story such as this one. However unlike an earlier reviewer of this, Wesley's 'Killing Goldfinger' book I felt that his wife’s account actually put some colour and context into Palmer’s life story that I felt lacking here. Maybe I’m in a minority on this, perhaps readers of such books of this type like it hard and uncompromising. It’s still a good informative read, and joining up the dots with the assorted unpleasantness that the main protagonists have inflicted on each other has been an eye opener for sure. So I would recommend this book, as I would also Marnie’s.

Excellent and well written book from Wensley Clarkson about John Palmer and his involvement in the Brinks-Mat Robbery at Heathrow. A career criminal like his associate in the job of smelting down the gold bullion, one Kenneth Noye. At his peak Palmer was estimated to be worth between 3 - 400 million pounds or more. He started off life as a Midlands toe rag from a very poor family who had gypsy stock running through their veins like a stick of Brighton rock. He 'worked' his way up the criminal ladder and people were wary of him because of the lack of violence he seemed NOT to use in retribution against those who dared to take the piss. Many ridiculed him for being unable to either read or write but he always recognised a 'good deal' and whether it was because the early years of poverty left an indellible footprint on his character or not he was ALWAYS looking to make money, it became his 'God'. Unfortunaly for Palmer, he couldn't keep it in his trousers and this led to his marital and personal problems. He always wore a bullet proof vest except ...........................................' Many in the criminal World believed he was a 'grass' to receive little or no porridge but HE insisted he wasn't - but he would say that wouldn't he!

All through this book the author refers to Palmers partner as Christine Ketley, rather than her real name, Christina with an A on the end. If he can't even get a basic piece of information that is widely known right, this makes me rather suspicious as to the accuracy of the rest of the book. Much of the information about Palmer is in the public domain, what isn't cannot be verified so I wonder how much comes from a fertile imagination, either the authors or those he allegedly used as sources. I doubt a lot of it would stand up to scrutiny. I have also read the book by Palmer's wife who gives a rather contrary account of his activities, but then she would, wouldn't she. That said, it was an entertaining read.

A great read about the rise and fall of master criminal John Palmer,whose life reads like fiction. There are reviewers here actually claiming that much of this book is but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt despite knowing that many "top faces" have had their reputations embroidered in bigged up ghost-written fairy tales.Palmer was no Robin Hood and a good friend of mine fell prey to one of his Timeshare schemes to the tune of £10,000, peanuts to the likes of Palmer but caused a decent person a lot of grief and heartache. Not a callous man by nature he actually celebrated Palmer's demise,"not liked" in JP's case is a massive understatement.As always with Wensley Clarkson's books "Killing Goldfinger" is well-written and informative, though I was more intrigued in the story of "Bill and Ben",whose identities anyone with an interest in crime will recognise immediately. I'd read elsewhere of their part in the Hatton Garden robbery but with the relevant strongbox containing very incriminating,and totally appalling, pictures of one of the "Brother's Grimm", a Tory M.P. and others rather than a collection of tapes involving murders.A good,book about a thoroughly nasty individual.

I knew John, and many of his colleagues, and this book opened my eyes as to the extent of his empire. I even had a ride in his helicopter back in the day. A great book with many interesting facts and stories about a man that went from ‘council boots’ to £600million. The Kray twins would wish they had his empire!

Mr Palmer was a member of my health club in Playa de las Americas -personally I liked the guy and was amazed that the dreaded love of 'gold' took over his personality. I was asked to put a gymnasium in one of his time-share complexes but it was too much of a challenge to my own industry in the Bouganville so I refused.

This is a wonderfully researched book by a writer respected for getting it right, fabulously entertaining and leads you on a trail of other friends and enemies of JP.What a mind for making money the subject of the book had and a very sad ending, for many in the story.

This is a great read, packed with detail and previously unavailable information, rather than the domestic grief and tittle tattle of Marnie Palmers book, this gets down to the nuts and bolts of a serial criminal. The mystery of his recent death is a little clearer after reading this but the queue of people who wanted JP dead was almost endless.