The Angels by Alex Kane

The Angels by Alex Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 345

Publisher - Hera Books

Source - Arc & bought copy

Blurb from Goodreads

It takes a good woman to take a bad man down

Amber. As the top performer at Angel Silk gentleman’s club, she’s seen it all, been forced to do things she never wanted to do. She’s tired of this life… but can she escape it?

Lizzy. To the women at Angel Silk, she’s the strong queen bee, mother to the girls. But she’s hiding her own dark secrets - and if they come to light, her life could be destroyed.

Jade. The newest dancer at Angel Silk, she’s innocent, beautiful… and trapped. She’s in over her head – but does she have the strength to break free?

Three women, all under the control of feared gangster, Marcus. To take back their lives, they need to come together. But will he let them go – or will finding freedom mean paying the ultimate price?

A completely addictive, gripping and gritty gangland thriller that will have you hooked. If you like Martina Cole, Kimberly Chambers or Jacqui Rose, you will love this nail-biting read.


My Review

A gentleman's club, dancers and a bit extra if the money is right. Amber is one of the top in the club but Amber isn't there by choice, she is just trying to survive. Lizzy is the head of the club, owner and always there for her girls but sometimes we don't see what is right in front of us especially if we are distracted by our secrets from the past. Jade, innocent Jade just loves her boyfriend Marcus, security and investor in the club. She doesn't like the way some of the girls are with him and sees Amber as a potential threat. Jade has no idea just what Marcus is really like, what he is hiding and most importantly - what he has in store for her.

Three women, all involved with the club, each in different ways but all connected to the same fate. A path that brings them all together could be the very thing that threatens their lives or saves them.

This book has some pretty dark themes, abuse, drugs, enforced prostitution, addiction, slavery, violence, secrets, love, murder, lies, it is pretty packed. The chapters are names and we hear and see Amber, Lizzy, Jade and Marcus through their own voices as they each interact and fall deeper into the seedy world that some of them had no idea existed.

Pulled in quickly you are desperate to see where the story goes and just how evil and shady some of the characters are. 4/5 for me, I have read this author before, just bought another of hers and got another one or two to get. Absolutely recommend!

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The Executioner by Chris Carter

The Executioner by Chris Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 472

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Imagine your worst fear - and then meet your worst nightmare...

Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked, decapitated body of a priest. Carefully positioned, legs stretched out, arms crossed over the chest, the most horrifying thing of all is that the priest's head has been replaced by that of a dog. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim's chest, the figure '3' has been scrawled in blood.

At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims?

Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims' minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.



My Review

We open with a priest being murdered, when the police find him, the scene is so horrific many officers struggle to keep their breakfast. Is it a message to the chapel? Hunter & Garcia are called in due to the brutality of the crime. When the next body turns up they know they have a serial killer on their hands, one that kills the victims with their worst fears.

If you have read Carter before you know he is pretty gruesome, this one is no different. We are with the killer at parts and the majority we are with Hunter and the team, investigating, digging. How can a killer know someone's worst fears & then manage to carry them out. Are the victims randomly picked, how does the killer choose the victim and manage to set it all up?

As well as all of that Hunter has a new captain, a woman who is ready to make her mark and take no crap from anyone, including Hunter who we know has a tendency to do his own thing. Page turner as always, utterly horrific and brief mentions of animal torture, I always struggle with that but thankfully it doesn't feature loads throughout. 4/5 for me this time I have a fair few in the series on my tbrm so hopefully catch up sooner rather than later.

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Disboey by Jacqui Rose

Disobey by Jacqui Rose
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Publisher - Avon

Pages - 368

Blurb from Goodreads

Bad things are going down in Soho. Someone’s going to have to pay the price…

Alfie Jenkins breaks a lot of rules. When he sets up an illegal casino in Soho there’s bad will all round and soon Alfie and those closest to him become embroiled in an all-out war with a dangerous gang.

Unfortunately this gang is a deadly enemy to have. When Alfie’s teenage niece Chloe is kidnapped and there are rumours she’s been enslaved in a sex gang it becomes a terrifying race against time to save her. Will Alfie be able to right wrongs, build bridges and protect his family, whatever the cost?


My Review

There are a few main characters within this tale to be honest, Alfie Jenkins is just one of them and the catalyst to all the terror that follows. Alfie has been known to break the rules, behave selfishly and care about number one only, this time his actions will touch everyone he cares about. When he disobeys the rules he brings down the rein of terror of the Chinese Triads and soon the people of Soho and those closest to Alfie will pay.

This is a dark and gritty story of how one person can break a respected pact between "The Faces" of Soho and the Triads. A girl looking for acceptance and love after being rejected for years by her family, comes to her last hope, her uncle Alfie looking for acceptance. However Chloe-Jane tends to have trouble follow her and soon gets herself caught up in her own problems as well as uncle Alfies. The bond between family and friendships will be pushed to the limit, can Alfie redeem himself or will he prove to the selfish, lying and dangerous individual he has proven to be thus far.

A story filled with bad language, treachery, friendship, prostitution, violence, anger, murder and mayhem to name but a few of the issues covered in this book. There is a lot of testosterone, name calling and questionable actions of some of the key players in this story. Despite that it is an engaging and gritty story that draws you in and leaves each chapter hard to put down as you want to know what happens next to each of the characters. Whilst there are many dark elements to it, there is also some light and happiness, that even in the midst of hardship and horror, bravery and good can still be found. 3/5 for me this time, thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. I have read this author before and met some of the characters, I would advise reading those before picking this one up. You can read this as a stand alone however I think knowing the background of some of the characters will add to your enjoyment.

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The Wronged by Kimberley Chambers

The Wronged by Kimberley Chambers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 468

Publisher - HarperCollins

Blurb from Goodreads

Vinny Butler has used his time in prison well: to plan the downfall of all who’ve wronged him.

As always with the Butlers, family comes first: Vinny’s brother Michael may think he’s the top dog running the family business, but it won’t last when Vinny finds out how good his brother’s got it.

Meanwhile, Vinny is incensed when he finds out that Joanna had a baby in secret while he was in prison – but that’s nothing compared to his anger when he finds out who the father is.

In the background, Little Vinny thinks he’s one step ahead of his dad as always, and playing a dangerous game: he’s still keeping a secret he’ll take to his grave – even if that means that he sends more people to theirs first…

The Butlers are at war, and they’re taking everyone down with them – it’s all going to end in flames…


My Review

Can we just start with one word please, SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! I have eagerly awaited this since I got an ARC of the second installment and stayed up til 4am reading it! I had this one for a few days before picking it up, why? Because when you have two awesome books in a series you do worry, just how good can the third one be? Well, I shouldn't have bothered holding off, ooft Chambers brings it forward and blows it out of the water!

We left off book two with some shocking revelations, I won't say what however if you haven't read the first two, do so now as your doing yourself and the story a disservice! We open up on Christmas Eve, 1985 with Queenie, the head of the family, & Vivian her sister getting a blessing from a priest after all the deaths. Then we promptly flick back to 1980, at the funeral from the last death in book two (am I teasing you? Good you need to go read the previous ones!), and pick up almost immediately where we left off in the last book. The family are trying to come to terms with all that has transpired and more mayhem, murder, secrets and lies follow.

Little Vinnie is growing up, Ahmed is still hell bent on his plan, Michael has room to be his own man and put his plans into place and Vinnie senior is still as dangerous as he was and hangs in the shadows for no man or woman. As the story progresses, even more secrets are exposed, scandals are revealed and shocks, twists and turns are at the ready to send the reader into a tizzy! Honestly I can't recommend this series enough, a new member of the family appears by the name of Fred which if you follow Chambers Facebook you will be delighted by this "familiar" face. The book will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you frustrated and wanting more, which is what a good author is meant to do, 5/5 for me this time. Will I be reading this author again? Hell yeah, she is fast becoming one of my favourites and I cannot wait for the next installment!

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Review - Dirty Game by Jessie Keane

Dirty Game by Jessie Keane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Publisher - Harper Collins

Blurb from Goodreads

Adultery, murder and dangerous love collide in Jessie Keane’s gritty debut thriller set in the London’s East End. Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Lynda La Plante.

For longer than she cares to remember Annie Bailey has lived in the shadow of her older sister Ruthie. Now Ruthie has her hands on Max Carter, the much feared head of the Carter family and a top class villain.

Seducing Max wasn't a problem, but the guilt, shame and anger of rejection afterwards was.

Thrown onto the streets Annie finds herself living with Celia, a wayward aunt with a shocking secret. As the months pass Annie's resourceful nature sees her mature and carve out a life for herself, albeit not legal. But if you play with fire, you can expect to get burned and her lavish new lifestyle and connections may be about to come crashing down around her.

Annie has unwittingly placed herself between two rival gangs and upset too many people, and these kind of people don't forget. But as everyone knows, Annie Bailey is no ordinary woman.


My Review

This book starts straight from the first few pages, hell even from the first sentence "Annie Bailey knew she was dying." The book opens with Annie Bailey, our main character who has been shot and is recapping her life as it flashes before her eyes. We go back to before her sisters wedding and Annie seduces the bridegroom, spurned she can't help but keep her mouth shut. She finds herself thrown out of the family home and caught up in a new life style, surrounded by her sisters husbands rivals. Soon she becomes trapped between the Carters & the Delaney's and when rivals both want something people always get hurt!

Oooh this is a great read, crime, gritty, murder, sex, betrayal & lies. If you like Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller, Kimberley Chambers etc you will like this. The only thing that I would say is there are a few terms that may offend some people. For example the characters are rough around the edges and derogatory towards one of the gay characters, terms like shirt lifter etc.

There are a few elements to this story, of course the big one is Annie going through the transformation of girl into woman. Learning to stand on her own two feet and learn the ropes of a "knocking shop" and initiating her own ideas for it. The issue of Max Carter, the man she loves who is now married to her sister and furious with her for her indiscretion. As she is shunned from her family and Max she moves further into Delaney territory and soon finding herself in deep water!

I really liked the pace of this book, like I said it pulls you in from the start. I felt a mix of emotions towards Annie but by the end I actually started to like her. 4/5 for me and I will be reading this author again.

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