Now, here is an author that just gets better and better every book she writes. So when Poison by Jacqui Rose came out I had to find a quiet spot in my garden and open my kindle and start to read Jacqui's latest instalment of Franny, Alfie and Vaughan series, and it did not disappoint! It was Brilliant!

This latest book was gritty, fast pace and full of actions with lots of twists and turns throughout. Its all you want for a great book. Plus, with a OMG ending!

I am looking forward to the next instalment to Franny, Alfie and Vaughan series to see what happens.

I highly recommend this latest book and 5 big fat stars for Poison! Brilliant read!

Big Thank you to Avon on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Reading this book, I found that I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I enjoyed reading a different sort of crime drama novel, relishing in the gangster environment of London. However, at times I found the plot rather drab and slow; there were elements that I really enjoyed but they did not appear often enough.

The two brothers, Alfie and Vaughn, were not my favourite. They are quite “rough and ready” which I did not have an issue with. However, they seem slaves to Franny, and Vaughn in particular was portrayed as rather naive when dealing with the Shannon storyline. I expected a bit more from them, in all honesty.

On the other hand, Franny, Emma and Claire are all such strong women. They are the antithesis of the men and it was their stories that I enjoyed the most. Indeed, when the Detective is pulled into this plot thread, there were times when I was literally gasping with disbelief from the pages. In this case, this is what made the novel most enjoyable, but instead I felt weighted down by the brothers and also Shannon’s behaviour.

I understand that Shannon is a victim of circumstances however, I was frustrated by her weaknesses. She is a slave to her uncle and I found it uncomfortable when she appeared in the story. I was desperate for her to confide in Vaughn and disheartened when she felt she could not reveal the truth about what was happening in her bedroom. I guess I found it difficult to connect with her as a character and that made me react quite negatively towards her.

Indeed, there are some rather crude scenes in this story. With strong sexual references, I found my toes curling at some of the detail! It’s not necessarily overtly explicit, but the ideas suggested are a bit gross. Indeed, the images of Charlie wandering around Vaughan’s flat are ones that I definitely want to forget in a hurry.

I appreciated the novel’s title. ‘Poison’ can refer to so many things within this story, reflecting the layers of plot. For one thing, Detective Balantyne’s corruption spreads as circumstances do not go in his favour. For his wife, however, the poison is the alcoholism that leads her trapped by Balantyne’s wicked behaviour. Franny’s ‘poison’ reflects her desperation for revenge. It eats her from within and this is the same for many of the characters: several people in the novel are keen to settle business, with them staying as “clean” and blameless as possible.

Despite being mid-way through a series, this was one that I easily caught up on the background story. Although I did not wholly enjoy the story, there were enough elements that kept me interested enough to persevere. The ending was intriguing but I don’t think I would go out of my way to read the previous books, or discover what happens to the characters next. The pace certainly intensifies as the novel progresses. It was the final quarter that really piqued my interest, especially as the net was closing on Balantyne. Franny’s mastermind plans were admirable and I was keen to see how the story would conclude.

If you like gritty, gangster crime novels, then this should certainly appeal. However, I found some of the characters disappointing and lack-lustre, which did lessen my overall enjoyment.

With thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third time I read this author and I am never disappointed!

Well written like always.
I was into it from the start and didn't want to put it down.
The first chapter was one of my favorite in a long time and drew me in right away. I love the dialogues, the way it is written, the raw language at times, the way you get into the story from page one and you don't have to wait for half the book for things to get moving!

I loved the storyline, the characters, the darkness, the prostitutes, the drugs, the crazyness, the arguing, the dialogues... ... ... the way it can be dark yet funny and weird... I love Alfie.

I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, it was full of suspense and was a thrilling read, and I didn’t want it to end. Some characters were likeable, others weren’t. I’ve not read the previous books and will look to read them now. And the ending ... wow, I’ll definitely be wanting to read the next book. 4 stars

I’m afraid I just couldn’t get into this book. Having read other peoples reviews on this book, it appears that it’s a series and this is the 4th book. Therefore, I think I would need to go back and read the other books first for it all to make sense. As it does feel like I’ve turned up halfway through the plot and I have no idea what’s happening! This is my first book by this author and therefore the only reason for my rating.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Brilliant. Compelling read with dark, gritty characters. There is so much happening in this book and it is all very well written.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Jacqui’s done it again, another gritty page turner. I highly recommend this series telling of the lives of gangsters Alfie, Vaughn and Franny. Who can you trust in their world? No one it seems, they all need eyes in the back of their heads as so called loved ones turn on each other. There is plenty of backstabbing double dealing going on in this book. I can’t wait for more hopefully Jacqui won’t leave us readers hanging for too long. A definite 5 star read.

If you enjoy reading great books, don't read this one. The book is about crime, but there is no suspense and there is no real structure in the book, and so there is no entertainment. Waste of my time.

Poison is a great gangland thriller with some great characters especially young Shannon. Its going to be a long wait until the next follow-up which I can't wait to get my hands on.
Thrilling and exciting.

The fast-paced action will have you flipping pages as fast as you can. It's a well told story that makes it hard to put down. It's my first book by this author but it won't be my last. Happy reading!

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Poison’ by Jacqui Rose in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Vaughn Sadler hates Franny Doyle and thinks if he grasses her up to Detective Balantyne for killing Bree Dwyer she’ll be locked up for ever and out of his life. But he’s under-estimated Franny for while she’s being held on remand in prison she makes plans for getting revenge on those who’ve given fake evidence to the police.

Jacqui Rose has surpassed herself with ‘Poison’ as it has to be her best gangland thriller yet. We meet up with Franny Doyle who’s in prison on a trumped-up charge concocted by Vaughn, Shannon who confirms Vaughn’s statement as she loves him and will do anything for him, and Alfie Jennings who’s coming to terms with having a baby daughter. The story is well-written, gritty and dramatic with a plot that’s bloodthirty and gruesome, there’s intrigue, twists and turns and loathsome characters, especially Uncle Charlie, and the conclusion is so shocking that I’ve had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next, finishing it in twenty-four hours. We’re left with such a spine-chilling cliffhanger that everybody who’s had the pleasure to read this thriller will be waiting eagerly for the next instalment.

unfortunately this was a book which i struggled to engage with- despite being a fan of the author.

as a result i do not want to share a negative review so i have not shared publicly.

This is a fantastic gangland crime thriller that had me hooked throughout the book.
Franny has been arrested and put inside while waiting for a court date and she is seething. Someone has not played by the rules and she’s out for revenge.
Alfie is spiralling deeper and deeper out of control and whilst Vaughn wants to help him, he doesn’t know what to do.
Alfie is attacked as he owes money and with his daughter in the house, Vaughn takes her back off him with Shannon.
Shannon is falling for Vaughn but her uncle has other ideas and makes her life a living hell.
There’s lots of strands to this book and I loved how it all came together.
This is my favourite so far in this series.
Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Between the back stabbing between friends, the lies in support of to a very bent copper whose only goal us to put either Franny or her father behind bars. An interesting characterful read, I did think Charlie was a little surplus to requirements. With thanks to #NetGalley and #Avon books.

Poison with the main character Franny Dole who is set up by people she thought she knew and of course the cooper that has been after her for years. Now in prison, she is fighting Luca and the female guards, while working on a way to gain her release. This book will have you going from the moment you start it to the very end. Each turn of the page is something different just when you think you have it all figured out you don’t. actually, that was the way until the last page and even then, I still wanted to see what was going to happen next to the characters. Each character is different and unique yet in some strange way you can relate to some of them, I could anyway. I found this to be a fantastic book looking forward to reading this author again.

Another great read provided by Jacqui Rose! At times this book made me feel squeamish, mad, sad and joyful. It had it all; bent coppers, low life characters and women with balls of steel. It ends with the tease of a follow up too - looking forward to it already!!

Omg what a brilliant books true to life and think it would make a good film or tv series. Definetely buy if you like gangland crime

As ever with a Jacqueline Rose book I was hooked from the first page, wanting to find out what is happening between Franny, Alfie and Vaughan.

Loyalty is everything to those who move in crime circles and when someone breaks that loyalty, they have to pay. When Vaughan Sadler speaks out, Franny Doyle is sent to prison and she is not happy about it, swearing to get her revenge - will she fall on Mr Huang, the man who loves to inflict as much pain as he can for cash?

Alfie still hasn’t come to terms with what Franny did to Bree, the mother of his child. He also isn’t aware what Vaughan and Shannon’s involvement is with it either. On the edge and being used a pawn, Alfie gets drawn into Franny’s game of payback, what are what consequence?

Loved the book, surprised by the ending and cannot wait for the next instalment!

Good lord!! First if all, it’s great to have Alfie and Vaughn back, but what a rollercoaster of a journey!! I was racing to finish this book, although I didn’t want it to end!! Absolutely brilliant! JR has smashed it out if the park, yet again!!

Jacqui Rose has joined the list of my favourite authors.
I couldn't put this book down. Can be read as a standalone book but I would thoroughly recommend previous books as they are fabulous.