Thursday 17 October 2013

Review - Scarlet Women by Jessie Keane

Scarlet Women (Annie Carter #3)Scarlet Women by Jessie Keane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Blurb from Goodreads

She was a madam in a brothel, then a gangster’s moll. Now Annie Carter owns the East End of London, and God help anybody that crosses her.…

It’s 1970 and there’s a killer on the loose in London.

When gang boss Annie Carter gets a call, suddenly it’s personal. A close friend of hers is the latest victim, and another is in the frame for the murder.

With the hated Delaney gang still causing trouble, and NY mob boss Don Constantine Barolli’s family making no secret of the fact that they hate her, she senses a feud blowing up in all their faces very soon.

To save her old friend, Annie has to try to find out who’s been targeting the girls. Before long she’s diving head-first into the seedy underbelly of the streets.

How long before the killer strikes again? And who will the next victim be?


My Review

Annie is back home in London and ready to establish her businesses and as head of the Carter cartel. Before she can cut her teeth into all that needs done she gets a call that her friend has been killed and her associate is the prime suspect. Annie is torn between fixing her business, finding out who killed her friend, keeping the Delaney's at bay and keeping her mind off Constantine Barolli. Before too long Annie is in the deep of it and could lose everything she has worked so hard for and her life is in danger. You can't tread on so many toes without making enemies and Annie has many, could this be the end for Annie Carter?

The book starts on a cliff hanger, Annie is in a life threatening situation, death is imminent and she goes over the recent past to how she got here. She has a blast from the past she needs to try and protect which brings her to the wrong side of the Delaney twins. The police aren't looking for anyone else for her friends murder but Annie knows they have the wrong guy and that is just scratching the surface. There is lots going on in this book and a lot of action to keep your interest however this book feel a bit short for me compared to others in the series. For example in the last book Annie went through hell with her little girl yet in this book she is passed off to others whilst she deals with business. I just felt that whilst she wouldn't want her in the path of what was going on, you wouldn't just put her to the side to deal with all the dangerous stuff she does throughout this book.

The issues with the silver fox Don from America also annoyed me a little, it was very, I felt, almost teen angst. Not how an established woman like Annie would react really and especially, how it transpires much later in the book. I just felt Annie's character flipped around a bit which annoyed me a bit, otherwise though the story was quite good and does draw you in. I sincerely hope in the next installment we see some faces that have seemingly left the story reappear, one can only hope. Still a good read and it does cover a bit of history of the previous books so you could pick this up and read as a stand alone but I would suggest going back and reading the others in order, 3/5 for me this time though.

View all my reviews

9 comments:

  1. The series does sound fun. However as you point out with this book, sometimes really good ideas begin to run a bit thin after several entries into a series.

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  2. My sister is a big fan of this author but I've never felt the desire to read any of her books and given your review I'm still not convinced they are for me. However, never say never I may one day get around to borrowing my sisters books.

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  3. I enjoyed your review but I don't think this one is for me. Just as well really because so many of the books you review end up on my must read list!

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  4. This does sounds like a fun series. Teen angst surely turns me off, I dislike it when characters start to act that way. Glad you're enjoying these! Annie Carter sounds like an interesting character.

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  6. I have read a couple of Jessie Keane's books in the past. Must look out for this one.

    Jaffa and I have awarded you a Shine On Award ! Go to our blog to find out more....http://jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.uk/

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  7. Haven't read anything by this author but it sounds good :)
    I've nominated you for a Shine On Award, I apologise if you're an award free blog.
    My post is here: http://bakeysbookblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/shine-on-award.html

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  8. Looks good. I plan to check this series out after I finish reading "A Thousand Years of Johnny Von" by Edith M. Cortese- a fun book with 9 different ‘voices’ (8 historical/future vignettes + plus present day).
    http://www.trumpetboypress.com/

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    Replies
    1. Great title, Ashley. Thanks for sharing this one. I will check it out!

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