Jacqui Rose

Rival – All Out War in Soho

Jacqui Rose knows how to write an intense and exciting read, that will keep you on the edge of your reading chair until the last. Once again Jacqui Rose knows how to get under the reader’s skin, and always seems to write excellent thrillers.

Franny Doyle is alone and having to team with Wan to protect her from other faces in the London underworld. That said she still has a bounty on Vaughn’s head, well he started it! It is not until she is told that Vaughn is being given protection in a deal which Wan will not break, she really does realise how alone she it. She tries to contact Alfie, but all her calls go straight to voice mail.

Harry likes slapping his wife around, and this time he believes he has a reason as Tia is trying to gain custody of their children, which is just not going to happen. He has already thrown out Milly their 16-year-old daughter who is pregnant and moved Tammy, Tia’s sister in to provide him with sexual favours. It will not help that she is pregnant with Harry’s child.

Wan is running escorts out of the club, and the death of Sophie by a drug overdose raises Franny’s interest as she tries to talk to Ellie. Wan has groomed his “girls” well as they all seem to love him and will not say or do anything against him. Even though everybody else can see how cruel Wan is and that is only love is money, and the more of it he has the better.

When Franny finds out the real age of Ellie, she is deep in shock, and tries to talk to Wan, but that does not go well. She tries to talk to Sasha another of Wan’s girls and has to tread carefully, when she discovers a diary, she is shocked by what she reads.

When Wan asks Harry to kill, Franny as she has become a problem, all bets are off and now it survival of the fittest. Good job Detective Carter has a plan, and somehow manages to get Franny, Vaughn and Alfie in the same room, can he get them to work together for the greater good.… (mehr)

Poison – Revenge is Sweet

Jacqui Rose really knows how to write a thriller and Poison is a prime example of that. It would be easy to use all the clichés, but she really does know how to write a page-turner with subtle twists in the story, some are telegraphed but others creep up on you and really do surprise you.

Franny Doyle is banged up on remand, and she knows that a fellow villain has broken the golden rule of the underworld and grassed her up to the police. She knows this will be a fight she has to win if she wants to breath fresh air again rather than gaining a prison tan. Knowing the only reason, she is on remand is down to Vaughn Sadler being a grass, revenge will be sweet as and when it comes.

Alfie needs to do exactly as Franny tells him while attempting to set Sadler up, but he does seem to have a way of cocking things up. Or does he? But he does try his best, especially as Sadler currently has a former druggie teen taking care of his young child, Mia.

Detective Balantyne has Franny Doyle right where he wants her, banged up! He just has to deal with his wife Emma, and his Inspector and former lover. He is under pressure for a result on the Doyle case. Will his shortcuts catch up with him? Will the hatred of his wife and Doyle end up coming back to bite him where it hurts? One thing is he is too arrogant to care about others, other than what suits him.

With Doyle planning her way out of remand, even if there might be a few bumps in the road, to her revenge will be very sweet indeed. Whether things will go her way, well you will have to read to find out.

A gripping read, showing why Jacqui Rose is an excellent storyteller.… (mehr)

Toxic – Another Rose Classic

Jacqui Rose is one of the best thriller writers around today, she really knows how to grab the readers attention and keep them hooked throughout. I have read many of her books and have never been disappointed, she really knows how to write exciting thrillers. Taking us into the underworld where nothing is given, and plenty is taken, and where life is not as glamourous as it seems.

Bree Dwyer is stuck in an abusive marriage and an overbearing mother-in-law who has an iron grip on her, her husband and her children. She knows what will happen to her if she tries to escape, all her life is stuck in a traveller’s caravan where she can be observed and punished at will. Her husband is a well-known traveller, drug importer and all-round psycho, best avoided at all costs.

Alfie Jennings and Vaugn were once well-known faces round Soho and the underworld in the South East, but they retired to Spain. They are back in Essex, skint and looking to take over another former face’s patch, and all his legitimate and illegitimate businesses. They need to raise the cash, and quickly, and do somethings they thought they had left behind years ago.

They do a job, expecting cocaine and find diamonds, and the world and his wife want those diamonds and the do not care who gets hurt in the process. The ‘owner’ of the diamonds will want them back, and sides with the Dwyer crew to get them back. Whatever happens the big beasts are going to clash. Who ever walks away from this clash will be king of the underworld and those left behind quite simply will be dead.

While there is a large cast of characters, there are all the things that have made Jacqui Rose’s books so addictive. People who do not care who gets hurt, innocent family members getting hurt, wanton abuse and bodies dropping like flies in a trap.

Classic Rose material that will keep you hooked from beginning to end.… (mehr)

After reading Halloween type books for a month I needed to read something different. So I decided to take a trip to the East End of London with Trapped by Jacqui Rose.

The book is quite obviously a East End, gritty read in the vain of Martina Cole. This is the first book by Ms Rose that I have read. It revolves around two rivalry families, the Donaldson and the Taylors. Maggie Donaldson hasn't had it easy with her tyrant of a father . Shes got a secret that she doesn't want to share. Johnny Taylor shouldn't be having anything to do with the Donaldson family but he too has a secret.

This book I was really enjoying for the biggest part. The story was gritty and full of the rival East End tension. It had a reasonable story of two rival families and a love that is forbidden. Then as the book progressed especially towards the end I felt it went very flawed and dare I say quite silly. What went wrong for me there was just too much going on. The story for me would have worked better if it focused on Maggie and Johnny more.

Overall an ok read but it badly lost its way. I won't give up on Ms Rose and would read another book by her.… (mehr)