I really hate to say this because I adore every other book by Kim Chambers but... The Sting felt really rushed and didn't meet my usual expectations :(

I'm sure this is just a blip and it won't deter me from being in front of the queue for her next book.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A highly enjoyable novel with wonderful storytelling. Enjoyed it very much. Excellent narrative and wonderful depiction of the characters. Highly recommended!

Kimberley Chambers' novels always deliver. She is a great storyteller who does an excellent job of illuminating England's underbelly. Chambers consistently creates characters who are often likeable and relatable, even when their actions are unpalatable. "The Sting" is yet another grippingly good tale. Impossible to put down, I was up all night reading it.

I just love this authors books. I read it way too quick. Must admit I did cry at one or two points. Tommy Boyle went through so much as did his family or what he thought were his family. What a life he led, pushed from pillar to post,to do what he did in the end took me by surprise. I really didn't think he would have gone through with it. Keep the books coming please.

Another great read from Kimberley. You follow the life of Tommy Boyle. His life is turned upside down when his Mum dies. Tommy’s life is an emotional rollercoaster after leaving Maylands children’s home he thinks he’s finally made it and got a new life and family when he’s taken into the Darling family. When bad things happen in life it’s very hard to get over it and start again as Tommy finds out. A must read.

An enjoyable read that draws you in with the tales of Slash and Tommy. A large proportion of it is back story which then feeds into the current day. While it was absorbing I didn’t feel the tension that I generally get from thrillers. A great cast of characters but some were described better than others - some with very little in the way of details...

All in all a gripping read

This is the second book I have read by Kimberley Chambers, and it was better than the first one, which I also loved. Great plotting through ten years or so of life for the key characters, going through gang, crime and police struggles. Characters well drawn, pace good, plot great. Recommended.

I was engrossed in this book. Well plotted and realistic, with gritty characters and all the symptoms of the development of displaced individuals in our society and the laps into criminality for many young people. As the book meandered around London it was easy to visualise the context of the narrative.
I liked the way that Snatch flowered and blossomed against the odds.

I can heartily recommend this book

Brilliant as expected from this very talented author. A well written story with twist that are heartbreaking as well as exciting. This book brought me to tears.

The Sting is typical of Kimberley Chambers' work, a East End gangland tale slightly less chilling than those written by the likes of Martina Cole.

Considering the storyline I felt the colourful language used to be necessary but not overdone. Everything about Tommy's past shows you how he will end up but having witnessed what he has been through you can't help but like him and believe him to be a loveable rogue, but of course he isn't, not really.

The ending was unexpected but maybe Tommy wasn't all bad and he did have a conscience after all.

Tommy has an awful childhood, brought up in a chaotic and impoverished household he looses his mother in a car accident and is abandoned by the man who thought was his father. He initially goes to stay with his uncle but this does not work out and he is sent to a children’s home where he manages to make friends and develop a close relationship with a young skinhead. At sixteen Tommy leaves the home and forges close links with a family who have long term criminal links. Tommy abandons his childhood friends for his new life, he has been deeply flawed by his past and this is to be his downfall.
I didn’t particularly enjoy this book, I felt too much time was spent on Tommy,s early years and whilst I sympathised with events that affected him deeply he was not a particularly nice character. He was weak and made some poor decisions. I didn’t enjoy the prose or bad langauage used - but that maybe just me.

Another excellent read from Kimberley Chambers; a gritty storyline with believable characters that you can't help but root for. Didn't want this to end but desperately needed to get to the ending. You think you know what's coming - but you don't!

I really enjoyed reading this book and loved the twists and turns in the storyline. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this author’s books.

What can I say I love Kimberley Chambers books. She is a great crime writer. Although, I didn't think that the Sting was her best work. Nevertheless, a good thrilling entertaining read.

What a roller-coaster of a ride that was! I'm sure I experienced all the emotions known to man whilst reading this book - joy, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, anticipation and fear to name but a few.

The characters are believable and brilliant although not all of them are particularly likeable. The story is gripping and had me hooked from start to finish and although I anticipated the end, it didn't disappoint or spoil it for me. The only complaint I have is the epilogue ... what the heck?!?! I found it cheesy and, in my humble opinion, totally unnecessary apart from tying up a couple of loose ends which could have been put elsewhere in the book however, this didn't ruin it for me it just made me "tut" and roll my eyes.

Kimberley Chambers isn't known as the "Queen of Gangland Crime Fiction" for nothing and I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a gritty story that's not all about violence and hate.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

A heavy dose of gritty realism, neatly wrapped up in great fiction. This is the kind of book I expect from Kimberley Chambers, well written and easy to read, it grips you from the beginning.
The characters are strong and believable, with difficult pasts and lives which intertwine in a complicated yet realistic manner. The plot deals with many dark and disturbing issues with surprising sensitivity, making it easy to feel for and engage with the characters.
There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing (and reading) right to the end.
An absolutely compelling book, which I couldn't put down. I would definitely recommend it.

I read this book whilst holding my breath wondering what was going to happen next. Very exciting and fast paced. Kept you hooked from the behinning

Brilliant read. I was sad to get to the end. I just wanted to keep reading. This is a really good gritty thriller that is full of surprises. I was gripped the whole way through.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Tommy Doyle and Scratch are friends
But Tommy gets along with the Darling family
Scratch gets her job as police woman
Things get out of hand
I got an ARC from Harper Collins

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This is a good read. Tommy Boyle’s life falls apart when his mother is killed in an road accident, one of his sisters then kills a boy accidentally, his nan then tells him his father is not his father and she is not his nan! What a lot for a young lad to take in. He is then sent to live with his uncle and aunt, and events there lead to him stabbing his uncle and then being placed in care, Maryland’s, it’s here he makes friends with Scratch, they share their traumas and understandvone another,
Tommy leaves Maylands at sixteen and is adopted by the notorious Darling family and is soon involved in a life of crime and married to Donna Darling at just sixteen. Scratch is forgotten, but their path cross again some years later,
Scratch is now Kim, she is old bill and involved in an undercover operation where the aim is to bring the Darling family down.
The story is mostly told from Tommy’s point of view, the ups and downs of his life where everyone he has ever trusted has let him down.