A Mother's Revenge by Alex Kane

A Mother's Revenge by Alex Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 358

Publisher - Hera

Source - Review copy & bought

Blurb from Goodreads

A mother will stop at nothing to protect her family

Cheryl Davidson was happy with husband Leo, watching her beloved son, Dean, grow into a handsome young man, dreaming of the paths his life would take, the grandchildren he would bring home.

Until the day that Dean was murdered, his body dumped in an isolated scrapyard with a bullet in his head, and Cheryl’s world exploded.

Discovering that Dean had been mixed up in the underworld of the Glasgow crime world, and worst of all, that Leo had brought him in, means that Cheryl’s sanity is hanging by a thread.

Overwhelmed by grief and with no one left to trust, Cheryl plans to take deadly retribution on the family that caused her son to be killed, vowing that they should suffer her same pain.

Cheryl might be up against the formidable Janey Hallahan, the woman who runs Glasgow gangland with guns and fear, but Janey and the Hallahans might discover that a grieving mother with nothing to lose might be the most dangerous opponent of all…

A heart-stopping, gritty gangland thriller that fans of Kimberley Chambers and Jacqui Rose won't be able to put down.



My Review

This is marked as a standalone BUT it does feature characters from the previous book, you can read this as a standalone but I absolutely recommend reading "Two Sisters". Cheryl Davidson is a woman on a mission, her son has been murdered, she blames her husband and his boss, if it wasn't for him/them Dean would still be alive. She doesn't just blame them, she blames Janey and her grand daughter Molly Rose and they are the full focus for her revenge. How do you get close to a female gangster type? Cheryl has a plan in place and she will get her revenge and take all of Janey's family down.

Guys this one, like the previous has some really shady ugly awful characters, there is people trafficking and all the abuse that goes with it, drugs, violence, murder, it is a full bag! Janey is reeling and still trying to recover after being run off the road, the love of her life is in a coma, one daughter gone, another in rehab and Molly Rose it trying to get back to normal. A new threat is coming, they are looking over their shoulder constantly trying to figure out who is after them.

The book is quite fast paced, there is always something going on, some skulduggery, revenge plan. In amongst that and themes of recovery we have Cheryl who is slowly falling apart, torn up by her grief and driven by her rage and thirst for revenge we follow her as she pursues justice for her son.

The depths of depravity, people using and abusing others for profit and getting their kicks, despite it being fiction I think because you know stuff like this goes on in parts of the world, you are hoping for retribution, 4/5.

View all my reviews

Deception by Lesley Pearse

Deception by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages -

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

What happens when the person closest to you has led a life of deception?

After the funeral of her mother, Sally, Alice Kent is approached by a man named Angus Tweedy. He claims to be her father and tells her that he served time in prison for marrying Sally bigamously.

What does he hope to gain by telling her this now, thirty years on?
How can her adored dad Ralph not be her true father?
And why did her mother betray her so badly?

She had accepted Sally's many faults, and her reluctance to ever speak of the past. But faced with this staggering deception, Alice knows she must uncover the whole truth about her mother.

Whatever the cost.

As Alice journeys into the past she discovers her mother may never have been the woman she claimed to be . . .



My Review

When Sallys mum died getting to the funeral is the priority, being a little bit late she clocks a car tailing her and thinks nothing of it. Once the funeral is passed she meets a man who tells her something that will turn her whole world upside down. Did Sally ever really know her mother? Now she is determined to do some digging and get answers about her mother, who she really was and her past.

The book flips between present day and back to Sally's mums youth and the years leading up to meeting Sally's dad. Back and forth we learn the impact of secrets of Sally's mum, what made her the way she was and of course the ripple effects it has on Sally.

As we delve into the past we deal with some pretty horrific encounters, abuse, manipulation, pregnancy (and things surrounding it of that time period), adoption, death/loss. You know what Pearse's books bring especially those set in the time period, women being abused, unwanted pregnancy etc. Emotive at times as is the author's signature, 4/5 from us.

View all my reviews

Blood Mother by Dreda Say Mitchell

Blood Mother by Dreda Say Mitchell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Pages - 480

Blurb from Goodreads

Book 2 in a trilogy following one family over forty years on an East London estate, BLOOD MOTHER goes back to the 70s to tell the next story in the Flesh and Blood series, perfect for fans of Kimberley Chambers and Mandasue Heller.

Babs had all the world ahead of her, until she got pregnant and the father did a runner. Salvation comes in the form of a man who'll look after her. Or so she thinks. Stan Miller is really the devil in disguise... and over the next twenty years, Babs will have reason to regret she ever met him.

Starting in the 70s, BLOOD MOTHER is the second thrilling installment in the Flesh and Blood series, capturing a London that was very different from today but where some things still hold true: be careful what you wish for, and watch out for who you trust...




My Review

This is book two of a trilogy, book one looks at Bab's two kids growing up and their journey into adult hood. This book takes us back to the 1970s when Babs is just a slip of girl and spans over a few decades bringing us to the early 2000s. Babs is pregnant out of wedlock, if that isn't enough to rock the street, the father will shock and bring more grief for Babs. When she meets Stanley Miller he is the answer to all her prayers but nothing is ever free and Babs finds her actions and decisions have consequences that will haunt her and her children!

Ooooh you guys, this is a fabulous book. If you like skulduggery, lowlife characters, schemes, the grittier side of life you will absolutely love this one. You could get away with starting with this one however I would advise to read the first in the series so you get a better feel for the characters. With murder, prostitution, racism, secrets, lies, betrayal and loss the book covers a host of situations that will make some readers feel uncomfortable. It adds an air of authenticity to the depravity and level some folk find themselves when surrounded by poverty but also shows that even in the darkest of times and situations you have things that money cannot buy, friendship and loyalty.

If you enjoy Chambers and Heller then Mitchell is absolutely an author you need to sink your teeth into. Book three is out this week and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into it, highs and lows, sadness, love, laughter and darkness are just some of the themes that will take you on an emotional roller coaster with this one. 5/5 for me this time, I would have devoured it in a few hours if time had permitted, as it was I sunk it in under a day.

View all my reviews

Killer Plan by Leigh Russell

Killer Plan by Leigh Russell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 319

Publisher - No Exit Press

Blurb from Goodreads

Caroline’s husband is killed, but she can’t turn to the police without implicating herself in his murder. When one of her 10-year-old twins is kidnapped, the desperate mother is forced to resort to drastic measures to get him back. As time runs out, and a second body is discovered, Geraldine realises she has a secret that might just help solve the case. But the truth could destroy her career. Faced with the unenviable decision of protecting herself or the widow she barely knows, Geraldine must grapple with her conscience and do the right thing before the death count mounts any further.


My Review

Caroline Robinson is our opening character, a chance encounter with an old school friend finds her telling him of her woes at home. Mum to two twin ten year old boys and a philandering husband. When Brian reaches shows understanding, he has been there himself, and comes up with a plan to make her husband take notice of her she agrees. When he is murdered and Brian reveals exactly what he wants, Caroline finds her world turned upside down and thats just the beginning of it all. Her son is kidnapped and the police know there is more to this story than Caroline is telling. Then another body turns up, this time DI Steel knows something that could blow open the case however, revealing what she knows may ruin her career. Time is running out, a young boys life is at stake and Geraldine Steel must act before it is too late.

Firstly, at the beginning of the book before the tale starts, we have a wee glossary of acronyms which I loved. Sometimes there are so many titles and initials with the police it is hard to keep up with who is what, you can just flick to the beginning of the book and find what they are, just a wee thing I really appreciated.

This is a busy wee book, you have the murder, then a kidnap, then another body shows up and and affair with a married man. Geraldine Steel is still having issues from previous books with her birth mother and deciding if she should trace her although it is mentioned only briefly within this book. She has a lot going on in her personal life and some of the story focuses on this, there is a big investigation into Caroline's husbands murder however this tappers off and all attention is focused on the second body that is discovered. When her child is kidnapped she cannot get the police to take her seriously although she is erratic by this point.

The story goes along at a decent pace, you know from the beginning who the murder is and why he did it however the story takes a turn and keeps you interested. My biggest beef is the way the police behave, toward each other and their lack of ability to perform investigations and or listen to their colleagues when they make valid points about a case. In some aspects, not all but one or two points I had to suspend belief as I couldn't honestly see police allowing certain actions or lack of them. That said we do read about investigation blunders in the news so perhaps the author is taking the path of fiction reflecting reality. With a massive change to the police force I am hoping that in the next book, assuming there is more to come and I hope there is, that we will see the police having a massive shape up and functioning much better than they have done.

There is a lot of emotion throughout the story as well as action and drama. None of the scenes are gory so if you like crime without all the blood and guts then this is a good series for you although I would suggest going back to the beginning than starting with this one. 3/5 for me this time, thanks so much to RealReaders for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews