A good story,very believable with strong characters. Twist at the end was too obvious to me well before we had got to it. Key character is Jason who wants a better life for his family...daughter,sister,brothers and a larger than life Gran. He dabbles in crime always wanting the big job that will solve all his problems and then it arrives. Does it make life any better? Quite the opposite.

Gripping, alternative take on crime.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from the first page to the last, it kept me guessing right until the end. Chambers has successfully written a fast-paced crime thriller which constantly kept me on the edge of my seat.
By using a third-person omniscient narrative it allows the reader to gain insight into all of the characters, particularly into Mel’s emotions throughout. I couldn’t put the book down and my only criticism is that it left me desperate to find out what happens in the aftermath following the twist at the end.
The reason I give this book 5 stars is that it is a complete page-turner and has left me wanting a follow-up book. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a crime novel, and the lack of violence makes it stand out from other books.
It creates a completely honest and realistic story which highlights many social issues that aren’t usually addressed when considering an accurate portrayal of life as a criminal, as well as the effect on those closely surrounding them.
I think this is an amazing book, and I would recommend taking an evening out to read it because you won’t be able to put it down!
Lucy
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

A gritty story set in the East End . Jason is part of a dysfunctional family and wants to make good but ends living with crime to reach his goal. He is at heart a wheeler dealer and a womaniser and these lead him on his path to destruction. A tale of nature over nurture and looking beyond the external facade of respectability to what lurks underneath. A mixture of environments, plots and characters. Who can you trust and who will get the ultimate revenge. Characters you will both love and hate pepper the storyline. An easily read book that builds to an unexpected crescendo leaving you feeling Who can you trust. My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the Arc copy of this book

The characterisation in the Life of Crime was excellent, but there wasn't one of them that I felt didn't deserve the life they chose for themselves, until the ending! There was Jason who wanted a better life for himself and his young daughter, but who couldn't make his way in life without been tempted by the next big job. He struggled to improve the lives of his brothers and sister, but they were ingrained in their poor background. I felt that the foul mouthed Gran was modelled on Catherine Tate's character. I began to get bored with the aggression, misery and wheeling and dealing, but the pace picked up to a surprise at the end.

Kimberley Chambers has done it again and written another absolutely fantastic book . I loved everything about this book , brilliant storyline and excellent characters. It keep me gripped from the very beginning to the very last page.

Meet Jason Rampling, a charming villain in the making, whose main ambition is to find a girlfriend who will help him make a nice family life for his baby daughter away from his current council estate gaff with his mother and brothers.
When he meets Melissa, he thinks his search might be over, but he continues to talk himself in and out of all sorts of trouble.
This is not the sort of novel I would normally gravitate towards, but Kimberley Chambers has a big following, and curiosity got the better of me. There is no doubt that Life of Crime is an action-packed read. While the story line does not falter, it does ramble about a bit, and I have no idea about the authenticity of the characters, most of whom seem to end up with what they deserve. There are no Tony Sopranos here for me, and the sex scenes, maybe designed to keep the reader interested, had the opposite effect on this one.
Many, many people will enjoy this book enormously, another best seller in the making.
With thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction

A new Kimberley Chambers book is always something to look forward to. the characters and story got me hooked from the start, but a bit into it I was thinking, it's just more of the same. Pathetic female characters just doing the men's bidding, the men are all villains. How can Mel from a decent background get drawn into this life? But I persevered and I'm glad I did. I thought I'd worked out the ending, and it was a Eureka! moment. And then I thought something else. Neither was right. The twist at the end made the read worthwhile. And I was glad of the epilogue - I hate loose ends. Easy to read, and not as horrific as the Butler books, but still a book about East End villains. Why change what you do best?

It was alittle too obvious for me, a little too martina Cole - 80s style

DNF at 25%. Thanks for inviting me to read this, my first Kimberley Chambers, but sadly, not for me I'm afraid.

I have read a number of Kimberly Chambers books and I liked getting to know the new characters in this book.

Another great read from Kimberley Chambers. I loved the character of Jason, full of life and eager to escape the estate where he was brought up. The plot is filled with twists and turns and some really great characterisation. The book is not so much about crime but more about the lives of the characters, although Melissa irritated me. Some very amusing one liners from the author too. This book is a stand alone and fans of the author will enjoy this book. It is more of a family drama than crime thriller though. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. i reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.

I did enjoy this book, although it is not for the faint hearted. I did not really enjoy the convoluted lives of them all, they certainly are a breed apart from the normal characters in books.
The language is a bit ripe but it is what you would expect from the characters described.
I did find myself reading on and on as you wondered just what exactly would turn up next. Your sympathy lay with the main female character who had a life that was not to be envied.
It would not really be my read of choice, but it certainly was page turner.

Great crime book with unexpected twist at the end. The story unfolded and as it did how you felt about the characters changed with every turn of the page.

Would read another by her.

There was a lot happened in this book. Kept you interested into what would happen next. For me it felt it had been written for a younger audience although the subject matter would not be suitable.

A standalone book from Kimberley Chambers. A good well-thought out plot with some good twists and turns. The characters were believable and just enough violence so as not to be stomach turning. A page-turner. recommended.

A stand alone book from Kimberley Chambers doesn't disappoint. Great work !

Kimberley Chambers never disappoints. A first class story and a punch-in-the-mouth ending. The characters are expertly drawn. This is a story of jealousy, revenge, betrayal and greed. Jason is living in squalid conditions and decides he wants to settle down with a nice wife, home and a mother for his daughter Shay. It's a case of be careful what you wish for. Melissa is his choice and Johnny Brooks, her father sets them up to suit his own agenda. It's a very down-to-earth novel of adults behaving badly but I underestimated some of them. It's very unpredictable. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for letting me review it. I shall post my review to Amazon and my blog.

FINALLY! It always seems like such a long time between books from Kimberley Chambers but in reality it's not. Last year saw the end of an era with the last book featuring the Mitchell's and the Butlers. As much as I loved the books, I was glad they finished when they did and was really looking forward to a standalone book by KC. This latest book is all about Jason Rampling and Melissa Brooks and starts back in the beginning in 1994. Jason wants a better life for him and his daughter Shay. That means finding the perfect woman to be a mother to his daughter and would hopefully be the key to him getting off the Estate he lives on. Melissa thinks Jason is her very own Prince Charming and in her eyes her fairytale man has just walked into her life. In all honesty the first part of the book was the slowest for me. However, having got to the end I realised that without that build up of the characters the following elements of the book wouldn't have had as much appeal.

The book is separated into parts and with each part we jump forward a few years and this element of the book was bang on the money. With each part of the book it seems to jump up a notch as more and more is revealed. I liked Jason as a character, but struggled with Melissa for a large part of the book. Even though I didn't like her that much I understood why she was the was she was and towards the end I wanted her to make the best of things that she could. What I didn't expect was the ending. Sadly for me, I was only halfway through the book and saw a few reviews which hinted at the ending (HATE that) but it was still done very cleverly and with typical Chambers style.

I feel like I am always being extra critical with KC, but only because I secretly hope she never loses her touch. Some authors seem to hit a huge peak and then start to produce the same old stuff. Luckily KCs stuff always seems fresh and new and you never feel like characters are being re-created, they always have a different edge. Sadly this still hasn't made it to my favourite of the KC books (The Schemer to date has that title) but was, as ever, an outstanding read which pulls you in and doesn't let go right until the last page. KC fans will LOVE this book, and for those that maybe haven't tried her out you really do need to start!

Ok, I will immediately put my hands up and say that I should have paid more attention to the book details as from the title I was expecting a crime book. That’s not to say that there isn’t crime here but the focus is definitely on the lives of the characters. This repeatedly made me think of Eastenders (which I don’t actually watch) and felt a bit like a tv mini series. I’m sure fans of this genre will love this and I thoroughly enjoyed the ending.

This was a really easy enjoyable book following Melissa and her family. Melissa sticks with Jason through thick and thin. It’s the story of family and friends as they negotiate their lives living outside or certainly on the edge of the law.