This is the second in a crime gangland series. This book is gritty.
I loved the tension and the anxiety feeling that it gave me. I loved the characters. The bad boys felt very bad.

Really engrossing, thrilling read which I recommend to anyone who loves this genre. Really great new author for me to add to my must reads.

Gritty, gutsy and not for the faint of heart, Bad Blood is a chilling, creepy and captivating gangland thriller by Heather Atkinson that will leave readers with their jaws on the floor.

The Gallowburn Estate in Glasgow is the sole domain of the Blood Brothers. Run by Jamie Gray, nothing happens on the estate without the Blood Brothers knowing about it – and that’s exactly how it will stay. The Estate is ruled with an iron fist and nobody wants to get on the wrong side of Jamie Gray and his gang. The Blood Brothers do not scare easily. Nothing and nobody intimidates Glasgow’s toughest gang – until Jamie’s erstwhile father comes back after years away and plunges them headlong into danger and straight into the path of the toughest gangster of them all: Toni McVay, the queen of Glasgow. Have the Blood Brothers finally met their match?

Toni is absolutely ruthless. As somebody who has no morals or scruples, blood-thirsty Toni doesn’t let anyone get in her way. Staying on the right side of her is absolutely imperative and Jamie must do her bidding because if he displeases her in any way, shape or form, the consequences simply do not bear thinking about. Jamie has a lot to lose. With the love of his life Allegra missing, Jamie has his enemies snapping at his heels waiting for his downfall His family’s well-being is in jeopardy and the only one who can keep them safe is Jamie.

Can Jamie rise to the challenge and protect the ones he loves? Or is he about to lose everything?

Heather Atkinson is at her dark and disturbing best with her addictive new gangland thriller, Bad Blood. Full of twists and turns and plenty of dramatic revelations that will have readers jumping out of their skin and hiding behind the sofa, Bad Blood is a high stakes and high octane page-turner in the tradition of Martina Cole.

A book that is next to impossible to put down, Heather Atkinson’s Bad Blood is an immensely enjoyable thriller that keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Brilliant from start to finish . I love this series. This is the 2nd book and it was as fast paced , addictive and gripping as the first one . I love all the main characters and some made me laugh out loud . I can’t wait to read the next one

This is the second book in the series and I actually think it is better than the first. However, I would recommend reading the first one just to get a background on the characters and the plots referred to in this book.

Rating:3.75

Heather Atkinson is a new author to me and I have been impressed with what I have read. Bad Blood is the second book in the Gallowburn series. I have not read book one, and in this instance, I feel I would have benefitted from reading these books in order.

Bad Blood is a well written gang world thriller with plenty of tension and drama that kept me engaged throughout.

The pace is a good one and the plot is well developed.

This is a gritty, intense read that lovers of dark gangland thrillers would enjoy

Glaswegian Jamie Gray is head of the Blood Brothers, offering a protection racket on the Gallowburn estate. His gang are respected for removing drugs and keeping the peace. But the peace is shattered when Jamie's dad is released from prison and tries to start drug trafficking from another Glasgow gangster Toni McVey. Meanwhile Jamie is embroiled in the court case against his girlfriend's father and alleged murderer but Allegra is secretly waiting abroad for him...
Bad Blood throws you into the action straight away and doesn't let up! This is the second book in the series but the first that I have read. There is a continuance of plotlines from the first book and the author catches us up quickly.
Jamie is an intriguing lead character. His actions are questionable but he has a sense of honour that makes him likeable. He is devoted to his Blood Brothers as well as his family and girlfriend Allegra. The arrival of his dad makes him consider his role in the community but he attempts to stay true to his mum's values. He seems quite mature but is in fact only in his early 20s.
Being a gritty crime thriller, there is violence, and danger is never very far away. I admit that I did get a little weary of the frying pan wielding and eyeball gouging references. However they did show that strength of reputation is important to maintaining position!
I enjoyed the dialogue which had an authentic feel and fully evoked the Scottish accent. This helped to reinforce the setting and brought the characters to life. The book is written in the third person so that we can see multiple perspectives, both the characters we like and those that are trying to destroy them.
Bad Blood is a compelling gang crime thriller and I hope to read the first in the series as well as find out what happens next! Absolutely loved it!

💙 Set in Glasgow, Scotland this novel explores the life of Jamie Gray and his fellow Bloodbrothers, and their rivalry with an opposing gang. The gangland setting was extremely exciting in my opinion, and as I don’t read the crime/thriller genre very often, it was also very unique to me! Now to be fair, for someone that reads a lot of crime novels, this type of setting might not be as unique, but the plot is definitely still worth the read!
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💙 This is actually the second book in the Gallowburn series, which I didn’t know until I was part way through the book. 😂 I will definitely be going back and reading the first book, and I hope there will be a third book in this story!
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💙 The crime and gang aspects of this story are interspersed with some fun comedy and a torn-apart-lovers secondary plot, which combined makes this novel a great read! I’m ready to check out some other Heather Atkinson novels.

Bad Blood is the second book in the Gallowburn series and picks up where we left off. I recommend you read Blood Brothers first to get a feel for the characters and the exciting plot. You wont be disappointed, I started this book Literally the second I finished the first one.

I am totally blown away by how good this author is. Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any better…..it just did! Heather has totally nailed it. This is without a doubt a pulse racing page turner. I couldn’t put it down.

In this story we also meet some new characters . good guys and bad guys.

Like I said in my last review I absolutely love Jackie and I loved that she had her own little thing going on in this story. Which is woven into the plot. Wowsers what a story line. I really dont want to give anything away.

Heather does an incredible job of making the story feel so real making me feel right there in the story. It is full of twists and turns and OMG moments, which will take your breath away. It is fast paced and gritty with a capital G.

This is the perfect follow up to Blood Brothers and I have everything crossed that this isn’t the end of the series.

A massive thank you to Rachel Gilby for the blog tour invite, if it wasn’t for Rachel I would never of found this author .

Bad Blood is the second book in the Gallowburn series, following on from Blood Brothers. This is definitely a series you need to follow from the beginning to get a full understanding of who the characters are and what has happened in their story so far.

In this latest instalment, we find ourselves back on the Gallowburn Estate in Glasgow. Jamie Gray alongside his friends who make up the notorious ‘Blood Brothers’ are back doing what they do best, keeping the estate in which they call home under control from any shady business that may take place. Their rein as the enforcers in this estate is threatened soon enough by a new, far more brutal gang who are determined to make Gallowburn their territory.

Following several assaults and muggings, as well as attempted rape, the residents turn to Jamie to try and sort out these ever growing problems and bring them some sense of normality once again. Jamie gives them a firm reminder of who is in charge around here, and how he is willing to deal with them if they refuse to listen.

Meanwhile, Cameron’s trial is well and truly under way for the murder of his daughter Allegra, alongside the attempted murder of Jamie. Now, as us readers and Jamie are fully aware, Allegra is in fact safe and well, following a well concocted plan by herself and Jamie to set up her heartless father. After having to exile Allegra for her own safety and to convince everyone that she is in fact dead is something that Jamie knows is necessary, but he is still struggling with being separated from the woman he loves. As all of this drama plays out, we are taken in to the high speed drama that I have come to expect from Heather Atkinson

This is a fabulous addition to this gripping series so far. Heather Atkinson has once again brought the Gallowburn Estate to life for the reader, whilst reacquainting us with a cast of familiar characters we first encounter in Blood Brothers. I loved the ever growing tension that amounted between the two rival gangs as they battled to gain control over the estate.

The characters are well fleshed out and have their own individual flaws and complex personalities too. Each person you encounter throughout the book has their own tales to tell, and adds a new depth to this captivating read. With a fast paced storyline full of suspense and extreme levels of tension throughout, this is one of those books that has you chomping at the bit to find out how it is all going to play out.

Absolutely fantastic read. I have loved this and been completely unable and unwilling to put this one down.
This is a great read which I will be highly recommending.

I definitely found this book easier to get into than the first, and I guess that is the benefit of following a series. There are quite a lot of characters, but they all have an important role to play on Gallowburn, or in Jamie’s life.

I loved that Jamie’s mum, Jackie, still had such a huge role in the story as she was definitely my favourite character from the first book, though my sympathy for Jamie was built more in this book. Once again, Jackie appears loyal and sensible, but also showcases her ability to be fierce and ruthless.

In this book, Jamie’s dad returns and the way his dad treated him, and the way he falls into his trap at times, really made me feel sympathy. I’m not saying my dad ever put me in some of the horrible situations Jamie’s dad does, but I do know how hard it is to have a selfish parent who puts their needs about their children’s, so this storyline definitely struck a chord with me.

That’s the thing about these books. There is so much in there that is so detached from most people’s every day lives, such as murder investigations, carrying bike chains around for protection, and other gang activities, that this book really should feel like an escapist, dramatic read that though exciting and eventful, has little to no effect on me. Yet the way Heather writes the characters and the scenes, in such a developed, realistic and raw way, it makes the characters unforgettable and you become completely invested in the storyline.

I’m quite interested in the way writers use language to interest the reader, and it sometimes really annoys me that authors don’t think carefully about their word choices. However, I completely believe Heather’s poured over this book in order to choose the words, especially dialogue that will have the greatest impact – whether that impact be humour, drama or sympathy for the characters. This is such a well-crafted and finely written book down to the last detail.

This is a must read series for fans of gangland crime fiction. However, I also think this is a great place to start if, like me, you’re relatively new to the genre. However, you’d definitely benefit from reading Blood Brothers first. It has great characters, lots of well timed humour, romance threads and family drama. Basically, this book packs a huge punch and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Bad Blood by Heather Atkinson is the second book in the Gallowburn Series. Set in and around the Gallowburn Estate in Glasgow. An estate that's rough and ready with most of its' residents cash strapped but essentially decent people. They all live as a community and when things go wrong the Blood Brothers deal with it. The police aren't called; it is dealt with in the community.
So good to be back on the Gallowburn with the characters from the previous book.. Deidre the pub landlady who is nothing but fierce with her weapon still and her husband Derek. There is of course Jackie Blood, mother to Jamie and still as protective as always.
The Blood Brothers are Jamie,Logan, Gary and Digger. They keep the estate as quiet as they can. They are determined to rid the estate of dealers and any scum as they see it. In this instament we see Jamie's dad turn up bringing is usual trouble with him. Jamie has nothing to do with him so when he turns up Jamie's mum is not impressed (to say the least) and warns Jamie to have nothing to do with him. On top of this Jamie is stressed about the upcoming court case of his girlfriend Allegra's dad. He is charged with her murder. Allegra was Jamie's true love and he is attempting to get on with his life but now his dads turned up it isn't getting any easier.
A gritty, thrilling and edge of your seat gangland thriller that I devoured in one sitting. This is a series that has fabulous, real down to earth characters. I can easily see these on the council estate I was brought up on. Known as the roughest estate in my area and I can picture the Blood Brothers there. Jackie Blood is such a formidable woman and I think she is a star. Her life is Jamie and you can see that.
The characters are being developed really first class I am really impatiently wanting another instalment so I can discover just where Heather Atkinson is taking these fabulous characters. If you like the sound of 'Blood Brothers' my advice would be to start with book one. You will understand a lot more of the story and the characters if you do.
Thanks to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the copy of the book.

I absolutely loved the first book in this new series, I also loved this one, the second book.
Heather Atkinson is a very talented author, each of the series she does is fantastic, you get lost in her story telling, addicted to the books because you really do not know what is coming next. Her books are not repetitive, each and every book feels new and fresh.
In this the newest series we are slowly getting to know the characters, and as always Heather has created fantastic likeable characters.
We have four friends, who are known on the estate as The Blood Brothers-Jamie, Logan, Gary, and Digger. Brilliant characters, I can see these characters could have a huge future and this could be a series that goes a long way.
The boys Keep the estate clean, clean as in, no trouble, no dealers. If there is a problem then the boys are called up on.
Jamie has nothing to do with his father, however he's turned up like a bad penny and bringing trouble with him. Jamie's mother Jackie is not impressed, she has no time at all for Jamie's father and wants Jamie to stay away from him.
Jackie is a formidable character, she's first class, I love how her character has been created and her love of a frying pal is brilliant.
Jamie is also stressed with the upcoming court case of his girlfriend, Allegra's father. Her father is being tired for her murder. Jamie had never loved like he did with Allegra, she was Jamie's all, all he ever wanted and all he ever needed. The two of them being brought up in totally different worlds is how the trouble from her father started for them in the first book.
Jamie has to try and get on with life, but with his father on the scene it appears things can only get worse. Totally loved this book, each and every page was enjoyed.
I really can not wait for more from this series and I'm eager to see what happens with some of these characters. Well done to the author you have created another addictive series.
Can't recommend this book highly enough, but must stress it will be much better if you have read book 1.

Happy reading.

It was great to be back on the fictional Gallowburn estate in Glasgow. The scheme as it is referred to is rough, poverty-stricken and has spread to cover a huge area, but essentially it contains good people who still know what it is like to live in a community and look out for their neighbours. However, no one goes to the police – they rely on the Blood Brothers instead to sort out their problems. Most of the brilliant characters from book one are still there, including psychotic ice-cream man Ephraim, ferocious weapon wielding pub landlady Deirdre and husband Eric, and of course Jamie’s fiercely protective and loyal mother Jackie. Blood Brothers Jamie Gray, Logan, Gary and Digger are still together and right at the start of the book are seen doing what they do best, protecting their turf from three interlopers who are promptly sent packing, much to the approval of the Reverend Valerie Brown who Gary has a massive crush on. The story begins with the trial of Cameron Abernethy for the murder of his daughter Allegra and the attempted murder of Jamie. Of course Jamie and the reader know that Allegra is still alive, having neatly set up her father. Although from a completely different background, she was perfect in terms of strength and mentality for Jamie and he never gives up hope that one day they can be reunited. Giving evidence is gruelling for Jamie and then to cap it all a suited and booted man appears on their doorstep. It doesn’t take Jackie more than two seconds to tell Jason Gray to sling his hook! The waste of space who beat her and Jamie and drunk his way though all their money is most certainly not welcome after eight years apart. Causing trouble to get Jamie’s attention, it transpires he’s been in prison for robbery, and now sober apparently wants to make amends. In an illegal way, of course, offering the Blood Brothers the chance to work for the notorious Toni McVay, aka the Queen of Glasgow and head one of the most feared families in Scotland. It’s a big no from Jamie, who hasn’t rid the Gallowburn of all the dealers just to invite another one in. However, to keep his eyeballs in place, he has a suggestion that both sides are happy with and goes away to await further instructions via his father.
On bail at his home awaiting the verdict of his trial, Cameron Abernethy is not a happy man. He strongly suspects Allegra set him up, and is still alive and somehow in touch with Jamie. He employs a man called Mullen, a hard man private detective to find his daughter and then not only will he gain his freedom, but he has plans to really make her suffer for what she has done.
As Jamie gets closer to Jason and further into the employ of the McVays, he realises how much danger he is being dragged into. His hands are full enough taking care of their business, without being under the watchful eye of Mullen and of course there is always the prospect of retribution from sworn enemies the Lawsons as well. But the Blood Brothers are a formidable team and with a born leader like Jamie, surely they can handle any threat to themselves and the peace of the Gallowburn? This will be their biggest test yet.
There is a lot of humour in the story and light-hearted moments, like the thought of Digger’s mother using her best wool to knit them balaclavas, and Jamie’s mum, Jackie, still posing a scary threat with her frying pan! There is lots of action and gritty language as might be expected, and once again it was a highly enjoyable read, not horrific or purely out to shock like a lot of gang stories, but as much about love, life and loyalty. It’s not a necessity to have read book one but I would very much recommend doing so, if only for the fact it’s a fantastic story and gives the introduction to these great characters that this book then builds upon. I am very much looking forward to another instalment in this series. 5*

Last year I reviewed Blood Brothers, the first book in Heather Atkinson's fascinating gangland thriller series set in a fictional area of Glasgow called Gallowburn scheme. If you a fan of the genre and would like to read the series, it is better to start from the first book, where we first got introduced to the four friends, who call themselves Blood Brothers-Jamie, Logan, Gary, and Digger.

Jamie Gray's life has never been easy. His Dad Jason used to hit his wife Jackie and his son, until Jackie got pregnant with their second child, took a good stock of her life and decided to kick her good for nothing, abusive husband. Jason disappeared from their lives for a good chunk of time, but now he is back and would like to make it up to Jamie (his youngest one Charlie has never met him) by...getting Jamie into a new illegal business. Jamie and his friends cleared Gallowburn from drug dealers to make it safer for the inhabitants, but too many powerful criminal families are looking at this area as theirs to take and this includes Toni McVay. Jamie is also about to give evidence in the trial of Cameron Abernathy, Allegra's rich, creepy, and violent father. Allegra, Jamie's feisty, outspoken girlfriend disappeared in Book 1, and it is feared that the fact that Allegra's body has never been found will make it difficult to put Cameron in prison and so the justice will never be done.

The title of the book says it all-Jamie is afraid that since he is his father's son, he might have inherited at least some of his father's treacherous personality. The video of Jamie going berserk in the epic battle that ended the first book has gone viral and has even served a good purpose of warning Jamie's enemies off Galowburn and its inhabitants. But what if at some point he himself turns against the people he loves? This is Jamie's dilemma in this book. Luckily, his frinds point out that not only he is loyal and caring, he is also his mother's son, and Jackie Gray has made sure that her sons know what is important in life and have their hearts in the right place.

If you like gangland thrillers, you know you can expect an action-packed plot (with a fair bit of grit and violence) and colourful characters. The book is as gripping as the first one and Heather Atkinson's fans will be happy to read this new addition to the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

I read, loved and reviewed the first book in the ‘Gallowburn Series’ called ‘Blood Brothers’. When I heard that the second book in the series was to be released, I knew that I just had to read the book as soon as I could. When I managed to get my hands on a copy, I squirreled myself away and I didn’t re-emerge until I had read the very last word on the very last page. I really enjoyed reading ‘Bad Blood’ but more about that in a bit.
As soon as I started to read I felt as though I was back there on the Gallowburn Estate and before long I was left feeling that I had never been away. I have to be honest and say that most of the characters in ‘Bad Blood’ scared the crap out of me but then I am a bit of a wimp. The ease with which they switched from being calm one minute to beating the crap out of somebody the next minute sent a shiver down my spine. To say that reading ‘Bad Blood’ became addictive is a massive understatement. In fact I couldn’t have put this book down if I had tried. The book seemed to have developed a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break. I simply had to keep reading to see if things got worse for certain characters and to see if others managed to crawl their way out of trouble. I found ‘Bad Blood’ to be a gripping and gritty read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Bad Blood’ is brilliantly written but then I have found that to be true of all of Heather’s books that I have had the pleasure of reading. She certainly knows how to start the story with a bang, which grabs your attention and draws you in. She then takes you on one hell of a journey. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘Bad Blood’ felt like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I must admit that I almost had to read through my fingers at times because I feared what was going to happen next. ‘Bad Blood’ is certainly one hell of a gritty, dramatic, scary, tense, fast paced read.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Bad Blood’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Heather’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5.

Bad Blood by Heather Atkinson is book two in the Gallowburn Series. I think it would be helpful to read book one, Blood Brothers, before reading this one. It makes the background story really make sense.

As with the first book, I was obsessed with the characters. I feel this author really knows how to develop believable characters that keep the story moving forward.

Bad Blood is an action packed, gangland thriller. I was sucked in pretty quickly, and the action never stopped. I can’t wait to read more from Heather Atkinson!

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

This is book two in the Gallowburn Series. I do recommend you read book one Blood Brothers before you read this one as you get to read the backstory.

This was a great read. I was sucked into the story. This is action packed and a real page Turner.

If you enjoy gangland thrillers then I highly recommend this series. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Bad Blood is the second thrilling instalment in the Gallowburn series set on and around the notorious Gallowburn Estate in Glasgow, Scotland. Jamie Gray and his friends, known as the Blood Brothers, are back to keep those around the estate they call home under control including the crime rate, drug dealing and any other shady business. Unfortunately, this was not to last and although the Blood's had cleaned up their act there was an even more brutal and disturbing gang ready to take their place and claim Gallowburn as their territory. There had already been an attempted rape as well as multiple assaults and muggings and the residents turn to Jamie and co to put a stop to the increasingly terrifying behaviour. Jamie reminds them that Gallowburn is theirs unless they’d like a holiday to intensive care. Jamie’s also struggling as he misses Allegra, the woman he loves, but she's safer in exile hiding far away from Scotland's shores as her own father, Cameron Abernethy, had tried to kill her. Jamie is lost without her by his side and it's clear to see that not even the bonds of blood preclude you from being targeted by violence. Meanwhile, Cameron’s trial gets underway at Glasgow High Court and he's charged with murdering his daughter, Allegra, Jamie is the only one who knows that she's still alive, and attempting to murder Jamie too. They are hoping Allegra staying away will help the court to conclude that she's dead.

With such a dangerous they feel it's their best chance to get him put away for the good of the entire family. In another plot thread, Jamie's long-estranged father, Jason, shows up at his mother Jackie’s house. He had just gotten out of prison three months ago for robbery and claimed he was ready now to be a father. Rightly, the family are suspicious that he has an ulterior motive and soon they discover they were correct; he was back because he had shared a cell with one of Toni McVay’s thugs - known as the Queen of Glasgow and the kingpin of the most feared gangster family in Scotland - and she had taken him under her wing because he knew Gallowburn well. Toni believed that the Blood’s having driven out all the dealers in the area left it free and clear for her product to be distributed there. This is one of the few areas that has remained out of her reach, but she’s seen its potential and wants to bring the scheme under her control. Can Jamie hold it together and keep Toni’s ’psychos’ off his turf? This is a brilliant, riveting sequel to Blood Brothers and has enough drama, twists and gritty gangland action to keep you entertained and glued to the pages throughout. It's powerful, with lots of badass characters who are embedded in the local Glaswegian underworld but in their heart is a fierce love and unbridled passion for protecting their family. It's fast-paced with some snarky humour woven in and if you enjoy gangland drama you'll love this. Highly recommended.