The Bells of Bow — Gilda O'Neill

To the outside world seventeen year-old identical twins Babs and Evie Bell are as close as two sisters can be. In fact they are as different as chalk and cheese. Babs is the sensible one, taking on responsibility for the house, and for their dad, Georgie `Ringer' Bell, who has sunk into drunken, self-pitying despair ever since his wife Violet did a runner with another man. By contrast Evie's prime object in life is having a good time - and at the moment that involves Albie Denham, a well-known local crook. Apart from organising illegal dog racing, Albie, a natural spiv, has no visible means of support, but when war breaks out he is in his element. Babs senses Albie is drawing her carefree sister closer to the edge of real trouble. And it is not long before she is proved all too right. . .