Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

The Sting – With a punch like Mohammed Ali

With ever book that Kimberley Chambers writes, is yet further evidence of why she is known as the Queen of Gangland Crime Fiction. The Sting her latest does not let the reader down in any way. The ending may come as a surprise, but does add to it, and even made this cynic smile.

Tommy Boyle has had a tough life and he has not reached puberty yet. His dad is violent, especially towards his mother calling her many names as well as hitting her. Things are even worse when he is drunk. Tommy loves his two sisters Hazel and Linda as well as his trusted dog Rex.

When one night his mother goes out, little do Tommy and his sisters know that is the last time they will ever see her. From then on, events over take him and his sisters, especially when Hazel is sent away and he finds out his dad is not actually his father. He is then sent to live with an Uncle, who at best can be described as weird, and in a different part of London.

When Danny Darling comes to Tommy little does, he realises a lifelong friendship has been born, even when removed to a children’s home. At Maylands there is a small group of them, and Tommy gets especially close to Scratch, a tomboy who hates her life, but knows and understands what Tommy has been through.

As they fight there way out of the gutter, they make a pack to stick together, but once Tommy leaves care, he becomes distant. He throws his lot in with the Darlings and leaves everyone else to the Wolves. Scratch is broken hearted, but eventually moves on and to the opposite side of the street when she becomes a police officer.

Tommy has created a reputation on the streets of East and South London and is a noted face that the police want. When Scratch’s boss hears she knows Tommy her life takes a turn, she is being sent undercover to take down Tommy and the Darlings. On opposite sides of the law little does she know what changes in her life to come, for her and Tommy.

Such a fantastic book, that grabs you from the beginning, this is gangland crime fiction at its best.

This is one which slipped through the net on my reading list but Oh Boy, what a great novel. Written in a style which reminded me of GF Newman's The Corrupted (BBC R4), it follows the life of little Tommy Boyle from preadolescence through to adulthood. It graphically describes how a lovely young lad can have so much grief dumped on him that he turns to a life of crime. In truth he is befriended by a family of criminals which gave him the love and support he needed, or at least; thought he did. Not everything was quite how it seemed though.
The novel had pace, pathos and purpose. It exposed the way some of life's paths aren't really all about personal choice but survival. I thought it was great and would thoroughly recommend it. A happy five star review from me.

I actually listened to this on audio. I love the narrator and love all of Kimberly's books.
Really enjoyed this standalone and it made a change to read a book by KC with fresh new characters.

Gangland crime stories... I just love them. No, please don't think I am a violent person. I almost faint when I see a drop of blood, but this genre just does it for me. 

Why? Well, I guess it has to do with the main characters. Although they are violent, they are often forced to be so in order to survive. They ard hard on the outside, but often are very vulnerable and an easy target. They are so damaged by their entourage that their only way forward seems to turn to crime. That's were the money is, where the power is. Two things they did not have in their young lives.

It's the same here. When someone reaches out to you and offers you a life where you can buy everything you want and where you are making the rules, it's too tempting and you succumb.

Do you turn away from your friends? Yes! Do you regret it? An even bigger YES!! 

But it's never too late to how it was, right? A few sorries, maybe some money and life is hunky-dory again, right?

A great story that had me glued to my chair from the very beginning. I love the writing style and the characters (well some a lot less, but you know what I mean ;) ). Love, friendship, lost chances and heartbreaking scenes are what make this book into an amazing one.. 5 stars

Thank you,  Kimberley Chambers and Harper Collins

Set in London’s East End, Tommy Boyle has been dealt a rotten hand in his young life. Losing his mum, he’s sent to live with his Uncle Ian whose reputation is unsavoury. He spends more and more time with school friend Danny Darling and his family, who take Tommy under their wing before he’s sent to Maylands children’s home.

There he makes firm friends and also meets Scratch, a tomboy skinhead that he becomes very close to. But their young love is brought to an end when Tommy moves in with the Darlings, promising to see Scratch on her sixteenth birthday. Tommy doesn’t show up and he doesn’t see her again until years later at a reunion, by which time he’s married with a child and earning lots of money working for Danny’s dad, Jack.

An amazing book, full of emotion and gangs and warmth and hatred.

I can’t wait to now read the other Kimberley Chambers’ books as I simply could not put this one down.

Excellent and 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to the author and publishers Harper Collins for this ARC in exchange for an independent review.

So tense so chilling a true page turner.Characters come alive story had me turning the pages.Highly recommend.#netgalley#harpercollinsuk

This was my 1st Kimberley Chambers book. I wasn't sure what to expect as after reading other reviews this book doesn't seem as popular as her previous ones. I wouldn't say I was totally captured by it but the storyline was good and I enjoyed getting to know the characters and what makes them tick.
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The story follows Tommy and Scratch and how their lives take different paths after both of them endure traumatic childhoods and teenage years.
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The book is very easy to read and it hasn't put me off trying her other books about the Mitchell and O'Hara families which definately seem more popular.

I adore this author!!
This has been an absolutely fantastic read which I haven’t been able to put down!! I highly recommend this book, there is nothing negative I can say about this one.

This is the first book I have read by Kimberley Chambers so I didn’t know what to expect, it was a great read, more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read more from this author.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable story.
The characters engage with each other and pull you into the plot.
Just to finish it off there are some brilliant twists in the story.

Tommy Boyle meets Scratch during their time in a children's care home called the Maylands. Making a pact, to fight their way out of the gutter and always be friends, for Tommy and Scrath, life outside of Maylands isn't quite as easy as they had hoped it would be. Going their separate ways, Tommy has joined the notorious Darling family for a life of crime but they also give him the family home he has never known. Scratch who is now called Kim, has reinvented herself and is now a policewoman. Kim is part of Operation Sting, a police operation that has been set up to pip the heart out of the Darlings. What will happen when she sees Tommy? Will this by chance meeting mess with her head and her heartstrings?

What I loved about this book was reading it from different viewpoints, the language is as you would expect from Kimberley Chambers, very East End and the descriptive nature of the surroundings puts you back in the 70's where you almost feel as though you are there.

I am a huge fan of Kimberley Chambers books and this one did not disappoint.

First book i have read by kimberley chambers. This book isnt my usual type of book i read but was a good story i liked the characters and the storyline flowed. They was some good twists i wasn't expecting.

I will be honest and say I was a little torn about this book. I think with her previous books being so great I guess I had really high expectations. No this book was far from bad but for me it felt too similar to stuff she has previously written. I wrestled over the rating but in all truth I still loved the writing and story, so couldn’t rate it less than 4/5 but in truth there were a few things I didn’t like about it.

In one respect this was a classic Chambers books with plenty of skullduggery and characters that fit perfectly into this storyline. However, I know this may sound silly, but there were a few repeats in terms of names in this book. I am pretty sure we have had some overlap with other books and it just annoyed me a little bit. That aside the book still pulled me in as I read about Tommy Boyle.

For me although the book covers many years of Tommys life, the opening chapters and the earlier years were the best for me. Sometimes when authors become really popular very quickly some of the readers just rate all their books 5 star when in reality it may not be the best they have written. Personally as much as I loved the Butlers I was glad when the books were wrapped up because I think it had run its course. I was so looking forward to this latest release but upon reading all the reviews for some reason it just didn’t get further up my to read list. I was hoping this may be a little different from her previous books but I could’t help feeling it could have been a bit further removed.

This niggles aside it’s still a great read wand one which I enjoyed. I think Chambers is a cracking author and have never felt let down by a book (this one included) I guess I would just like to see something a little different.

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I haven't read a bad book from Kimberley Chambers so I knew I was in for a great book.
Tommy was happy at home until his mother was killed in a car accident and then his life changed completely and not for the better. His father worked away most of the time and his gran was looking after his sister but he was sent away to live with his uncle. This was not a happy home and he was and the Darling family took him under their wing but that didn't stop him from ending up in a childrens home. When he met Scratch in the home they had plans for when they got older and could leave but it didn't happen how they had expected and Scratch ended up on her own. Tommy went totally down the opposite path to Scratch as she went into the police and when their paths crossed again it was disastrous.
This was a great read and I found myself changing alliances several times give this a read youwill not be disappointed.A healthy 5stars from me.

Loved it! First time reading one of Kimberley Chambers books and I absolutely love her writing, I will be reading more of her work.
The Sting is a gripping and outstanding read and one I highly recommend.

I only discovered this author a few months ago and she's already one of my favourites! this is another fantastic read, set well, with a gripping storyline, amazing characters and none of the terrible cliches found in some of the books in this genre, I could NOT put this down and the twists and turns just kept on coming. I couldn't have guessed the ending and I'm crossing my fingers for a follow up.

This book just gets better and better with every page. It starts in a very demanding way,testing the willingness of readers to understand broken childhoods. The balance between gentle staff if the home they go to and the harsh realities of abusers is very well handled- but it is testing for readers. Thereafter,there are constant surprises as the plot develops. The ending is superb and probably unpredictable. The story is very well written and the characters drawn with unusual empathy and knowledge of another lifestyle. The book is all about the story with no unnecessary description. It is a winner!

THE STING Kimberley Chambers

This is my first, but certainly not my last, Kimberley Chambers book.

The Sting is a glorious read for everybody, but especially for people who had their teenage years in the 1970’s.

The story follows the life of a young lad Tommy Boyle and picks him up as a 12 year old. To say he has a hard upbringing is an understatement. His father is a bullying wife beater who works on the oil rigs and makes family life a misery when he’s at home.

As the story progresses Tom ends up in a children’s home for reasons beyond his control.

The friendships he forms there should last for life, but again life takes a cruel twist.

The story follows him through his family life, through to his life in care, and sees him change from an innocent lad to the fearsome teenager, and ultimately into a violent man.

When his time in care comes to an end on his 16th birthday Tom has already been spotted by a criminal family and they soon take him into their inner circle.

Tom has had a hard time, but the new family mean everything to him, and so begins a life in organised crime.

Lurking in the shadows throughout the story are secrets. Secrets that will inevitably come to the surface and lead the book to a fantastic end.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. My usual read is crime fiction, which this falls well and truly into, but it’s from a completely different perspective to what I’m used to.

This is all about a boy gone bad, a boy whose transition to manhood is guided by the actions of the people who should have loved and protected him.

Having grown up on a council estate in Birmingham in the 70’s I can recognise so many of the characters in this book. The nostalgia for that era is reflected in the music that is mentioned throughout the book and which had me calling out to “Alexa” on numerous occasions.

A cracking read.

Pages: 448
Publishers: Harper Collins
Available now

This is a very sad story where children are let down by the people who should be protecting them. Sometimes the background is difficult to leave behind and continues to affect the rest of the childs' life. Very detailed story so that you are almost living it. I loved the Epilogue.