Gallowstree Lane

Low-level gang warfare leaves a teenager dead. But his friend is a witness.

So what's the problem?

The overlap between the murder and the investigation into organised crime, two years in the making. Each SIO defends their territory. The murder investigation cannot jeopardise the other operation.

Conflicting interests, priorities, loyalties.....and personalities

Another great addition to the series

would like to thank Netgalley and Atlantic Books for an advance copy of Gallowstree Lane, the third novel to feature DI Sarah Collins and DC Lizzie Griffiths of The Met.

The stabbing death of 15 year old Spencer Cardoso causes ripples far beyond the norm for the death of a low level drug dealer, much of it centred around Ryan Harris, his friend and witness to the killing. DI Sarah Collins is interested in Ryan as a witness to her murder investigation, DC Lizzie Griffiths is interested him for a previous assault case she is investigating and DI Kieran Shaw isn’t sure what his interest is but he has one in case the situation messes up Operation Perseus, his two year old investigation into gun running in the borough.

I thoroughly enjoyed Gallowstree Lane which examines the aftermath and ramifications of a straightforward crime, if murder can be regarded as straightforward. It is told from four points of view, Sarah, Lizzie, Kieran and Ryan and far from being distracting it is absorbing, giving the reader different takes on the same incident and a comprehensive overview. I loved the personality and priority clashes which give a good picture of modern policing in all its dysfunctional glory. I found the plot convincing and very relevant, given the current soaring level of knife crime in London. I don’t think there was a single moment that it didn’t ring true.

The novel is peopled by strong characters who are all very human and make mistakes (not always a given in fiction). It makes the novel very readable. My heart went out to the teenage Ryan who has been brought up in the gang culture and doesn’t know any different. His pain over the death of Spencer is raw and well expressed but it’s not the turning point this reader naively hoped it would be, instead it is the impetus for a series of poor decisions. I really enjoyed this portrayal of a troubled teen. Initially I didn’t take to Kieran, seeing him as selfish, task orientated and highly manipulative, the kind of person who seems plausible and you find yourself agreeing with until you analyse what has been said. It is not until much later in the book when he becomes reflective that I came close to liking him. Sarah is a fairly typical detective, dedicated with little life outside work and yet she has a strong sense of right and wrong which works against her this time. Lizzie is the smart detective trying to juggle single motherhood with a demanding career. Typically she’s feeling like a failure.

Gallowstree Lane is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

This novel has authenticity written all over it. That isn’t so surprising given the author was an officer with the Metropolitan Police but I have read other novels by retired officers that don’t have the same gritty realism. What was really intriguing was the depiction of how different police investigations and priorities can trip all over each other.

The action is set against the background of drug dealing, knife and gun crime. A teenager is knifed to death whilst a two year undercover operation into gun running is just about to reach its conclusion. DI Kieran Shaw is adamant that the undercover operation must not be disrupted whilst DI Sarah Collins is anxious to catch the killer of a fifteen year old boy. It is soon apparent that the two situations are going to collide. A witness to the murder appears to be a low level member of the gang attempting to buy guns.

The narrative speeds along, it’s well written, and I was really drawn into the world of the main characters. These are not only Shaw and Sullivan but also DC Lizzie Griffiths, Shaw’s ex-lover and mother of his son. Her daily struggle to keep up with the demands of the job and being a mother are a good side story.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

Super-gripping tale of modern (London) gang pressures, violence and obligations alongside the stories of those who try to keep the streets safe. There are so many twists and turns, building to such an exciting climax that I read this far into the night to finish it!

Especially descriptive, and empathetically so (but not bleeding-heart ‘social worker’ style) about young teens approaching adulthood and the choices/situations they have to deal with, with their lack of family role models/poverty/neglect, or simply peer pressure. The repercussions, never-ending cycle of revenge killings continue to wreak havoc, while the higher echelons of the gang culture are planning higher risk jobs –profits of which would enable them and their families to escape the gang areas and culture.

Loyalties and priorities are tested within the police force too – a youth murder needs to be solved, but is that at the cost of a 2 year undercover op to catch weapons dealers? What takes priority, what is the cost? (Tested moralities are always interesting!)

The characters are human, you sympathise, (or at least empathise) with some that you would not expect to. They are realistically portrayed and you care about them. Quite a depressing read overall (gang culture not being my first ‘go-to’ subject); but still enormously exciting, intelligently written and a book that has kept me reflecting on parts long after I’ve finished. I will now seek out this author’s other works - she has a new fan!

Gallowstree Lane Kate London

The Gallowstree Lane in the title refers to a Road in London where street kids on push bikes selling drugs, and of women selling their bodies because they are hooked on the same drugs.

The book is about a gangs and the Police, but it is so, so, much more than that.

It’s about two sets of politics.

When a young boy Spencer, a foot soldier in the Buds, a drug seller, is stabbed in front of his friend and dies before he can be got to hospital, it looks like the start off the usual tit-for-tat crimes.

For the Police this is a problem, politics and territory kick in.

DI Sarah Collins is the Senior Investigating Officer for the murder, and she is determined to catch the killer before the tit-for-tats start.

DI Kieran Shaw is the head of an undercover operation that is hours away from making its big arrest, which will take some heavy duty weapons off the street and take out the head of the Buds gang. He doesn’t want to jeopardise his operation by sharing information critical to Sarah’s case.

The bosses are on both their cases but have to consider whose crime trumps whose. Is the death of one more street seller worth compromising an investigation which is about to take death off the streets.

DC Lizzie Griffiths is caught between to camps. Stationed on Sarahs team at the start of the investigation, but seconded to Kierans’ almost immediately, her alligencies are torn.

Meanwhile gang politics kick in. Why was Spencer killed and who set him up. Gallowstree Lane is Buds territory and it looks like somebody new is trying to muscle in.

As much as the story focuses on the police investigations it also follows the gang members. Ryan, the in-too-deep teenager that was with Spencer when he was killed.

Lexi a £10 street whore who is full of good intentions, but whose life is controlled by the need for the next fix.

Shakiel, the head of the Buds, and somewhat of a father figure to Ryan.

The politics of the street kicks in. Shakiel doesn’t want to lose face, or territory, or trade. Ryan wants instant revenge but Shakiel sees the bigger plan.

This book is absolutely stunning in its authenticity and one look at Kate London’s bio will tell you why.
She did her time in the Met dealing with the crimes she writes about. That experience is what elevates this book to a whole other level above most of the people writing crime fiction.

Pages: 368

Modern, fresh, authentic.. Gallowstree Lane gives a modern take on gang crime in London. Instead of the old style gangs with old style criminals in Gallowstree Lane you have an up to date novel incorporating the teens who are drawn into a life of crime, where stabbing someone can be just a rite of passage into the gang and a look at the older crime lords who hook them in through a kind word here and a gift there. On the other side of the coin are the police officers who are trying to prevent it all through the use of intelligence and undercover operations.

A great read which certainly had me hooked from the very start.

Gallowstree Lane’ is an excellent read. The narrative is fast-paced, believable (sadly) and absolutely of its time. Beginning and ending her story with a death, Kate London gives us a vivid picture of what it must be like to live in a gang dominated area and how complicated its policing is. Very few of her characters are entirely good or bad: we learn that Ryan, a ruthless youth who steals a paramedic’s phone having just watched the latter trying to save his best friend’s life, is really just a frightened, vulnerable boy. We appreciate why the junkies risk their lives night after night to turn tricks and we learn just how dangerous and morally dubious the life of an undercover policeman is.
The author, a one-time serving member of The Met, certainly makes the procedural elements feel authentic. However, she has clearly thought carefully about what they add to a fast-paced story as we are never bogged down in turgid paperwork details – unlike some of her characters, it seems! The central detectives, super-efficient Sarah Collins and the younger single mother DC Lizzie Griffiths are far from perfect but immensely likeable. They both show a degree of ironic self-awareness that is attractive as they try to juggle their domestic and professional lives, rarely successfully. Less admirable is the way in which their colleague DI Kieran Shaw manipulates, bends the truth and rides roughshod over sensibilities. Nevertheless, he gets results and that has to be worth something in this febrile world of dog-eat-dog where, on the street, no insult is ever ignored.
Kate London’s novel shows us just how insidious a gang’s power is. Whilst it presents itself to the needy child as a secure, dependable unit, it destroys family relationships, eats away at self-belief and creates fear in the hearts of its members. In this novel, the ‘hoodlums’ on the street are really just young people looking for a purpose in life, let down by their families, their education and poor housing and exploited by vicious criminals like the appalling Shakiel Oliver. Nevertheless, what they are cajoled into doing is a terrifying reality.
This is an excellent exploration of gang crime and of the trials of policing in such a difficult arena. Having enjoyed this novel so much, I’m off to catch up on the Collins and Griffiths back catalogue!
My thanks to NetGalley and Corvus, Atlantic Books for an e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I hadn't read the previous two books in this series, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book at all.

This is a compelling read that gripped me from the start (I actually felt annoyed that I couldn't read it in one go!). As the mother of a teenage son, I found Spencer's murder very upsetting, and his friend Ryan's backstory was equally sad. It's easy to see how young people can be drawn into the gang culture without even making a positive decision to do so - and credit to Kate London for her handling of this subject.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints, which adds depth to the writing as we hear things from very different voices. The characters are well written - so clearly that I could imagine this being adapted for television - and the interplay between them is totally believable.

I'll be seeking out more by this author, and look forward to the next in this series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I haven't read any of Kate London's previous work but this book was very easy to follow. It starts with a stabbing and death of a boy named Spencer, his friend Ryan witnessing the whole event. Ryan also seems to be the key to the pandoras box that a undercover operation ran by a police officer called Kieron. The book shows the tight knitted community of the police and also how these young impressionable boys are used to win turf wars. Overall I enjoyed the book and the ending came as a shock to me. I'm not sure if my reading earlier books with have made my opinion of main characters change but the character build up and story itself, although fiction felt very real to me. I do think I will be picking up the earlier novels in the future.

The book starts with the murder of Spencer, and his best friend Ryan tries to piece together why they were betrayed and what to do next. The story shows all sides of the then outward spiriling events, from the police and criminals points of view. For me it took a while to get to grips with all the characters, but once they slotted into place and the story picked up I couldn't put it down.

I really felt sorry for Ryan, all the way through, especially when he really didn't know who to trust any more. Well written and very descriptive I could see the streets being written about. A definite recommendation to anyone who likes crime drama stories.

This is more than just a great book, it is a work of art. Like a Picasso painting of a face from multiple angles. This book looks at Modern day crime in an inner city through multiple characters eyes, petty juvenile criminals, street drug dealers and the different parts of the Police Force trying to help them and catch them at the same time. It also looks at drug addiction and the consequences for users and what they are willing to do for their next hit. The Police also want to catch the supplier on the next rung of the ladder who is quick to groom his helpers too. I liked that there is no one central character and really positive strong women represented too. The male Police Inspector is a classic Alpha male type, chauvinistic but not overly so and still has best intentions too and just doesn't see anything wrong with what he is doing. As the plot continues you become more and more invested into all their stories too, willing them to do the right thing both Police and juveniles and watching as the impetuousness of youth sends them spiralling into life changing decisions without thinking through the long term consequences. This story is bang up to date about the devastating cuts the Police have had to endure and the reality of what "more with less" means in real terms. Juveniles can walk around towns and cities all night with weapons on them and not expect to get stopped, which they could never have done before. It also shows inside knowledge of Policing with the way things are compartmentalised and each boss defending their area with blinkers on. It is Highly recommended and hard to put down.

Gallowstree Lane is the first book that I have read by Kate London and it is an excellent police procedural thriller.

The London based story is about drugs, guns, murder and lots more including how separate investigations overlap and impact on other crimes.

There are a number of main characters who get fairly equal billing without detracting from the overall complex and multi layered story which lives up to the blurb on the back of the book.

The author clearly knows her topic and this comes through in the story which keeps you engaged and hooked until the climatic ending or actually endings as all the strands are pulled together.

Overall this is an excellent book and another one that I fully recommend.

This is number 3 in the Collins and Griffiths series by Kate London, but can easily be read as a stand-alone.

It’s set in 2016 London and covers gang culture, crime and the knife crime prevalent at the moment amongst young men. Gallowstree Lane is a grim place, which just bristles with unseen tensions.....not a place to walk alone.

One evening 15 year old Spencer is fatally stabbed, his friend, Ryan is distraught and turns to The Bluds leader, Shakiel for help. Shaks is an old family friend as he knew Ryan’s dad before his untimely death and exacted revenge on the person responsible. Ryan wants him to do the same for Spence......he’s told it will happen but there’s other things to do first.....and here’s where the tension begins.

DI Kieran Shaw is part of Operation Perseus, undercover to finally get the evidence needed to arrest and charge Shakiel, to bring an end to his reign and stop guns getting on the streets. Not a particularly nice guy, but good at the job he does.

Lizzie is a likeable young cop, she has a son, Connor after an affair with Kieran and she is assigned to Perseus and is integral to the investigation due to her ability to link different pieces of intelligence together.

DI Sarah Collins, is investigating Ryan’s murder and while doing this her operation mixes with the undercover Perseus and there is further tension as neither want the others to jeopardise either investigation.

Kate London has written a police procedural but with a difference, it has a realistic feel, totally believable with a human touch. It shows the emotional pressures and stress the police officers are under all the time, the mention of dealing with a rail crash it so real.....I know from experience, the ringing of unanswered mobile phones amidst the devastation brought many officers nightmares. This also has the story of the young men involved in these gang and knife crimes, and while I appreciate they are violent and lawless, I felt such sympathy for the clearly troubled Ryan and this is a credit to Kate London’s brilliant, creative, and emotional writing. I loved every heart thumping moment.....

I would like to thanks to Netgalley, the author, Kate London and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this ebook for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. (I do also have a hardback copy of my own)

Wow! What a book! If you have ever wondered what it’s like to work behind the scenes on a covert operation run by the Metropolitan police then look no further. This book gives a fantastic glimpse into the workings of what it’s like to be a police officer as we follow various officers in their roles within Operation Perseus.

There are a few lead characters in this book which the story follows. One character that particularly stood out for me was DC Lizzie Griffiths as she struggles to juggle the demands of a career in the police with being a single mother and trying to raise and look after her young son. I really felt for Lizzie as a career in the police is not one that operates 9 to 5 and neither do the demands of raising a young son.

This book is really detailed towards the police side of things but not so over the top that it becomes hard to follow. If anything I found it so interesting I didn’t want to put it down. As you would expect from an author who worked in a Major Investigation team within the Metropolitan Police, the detail is very accurate and gives the whole story great authenticity. The writing shows that this was written by someone who has first hand knowledge of the workings and goings on of the topics at hand.

This is police procedural fiction at it’s finest and I was gripped the whole way through. Yet again it made me feel great respect towards those that choose to go into policing and all they give up to do the career that sometimes can be a thankless job. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Atlantic Books/Corvus for this eARC via NetGalley of ‘Gallowstree Lane’, due to be published on 7th February.

The novel opens with a teenage boy approaching a stranger in Gallowstree Lane, North London as his blood flows out onto the street. The stranger tries to help Spencer while his friend, Ryan, calls 999 with a borrowed phone and then flees. Both lads are low-level members of the Eardsley Bluds, a local street gang involved in a violent turf war with another gang.

D.I. Kieran Shaw is heading up a two-year covert investigation, code name Operation Perseus, into the Bluds that is nearing completion. However, the D.I. Sarah Collins’ investigation into Spencer’s murder is threatening to derail Perseus. Clearly there’s bad blood between them. D.C. Lizzie Griffiths, who has a complicated history with both of them, is caught in the middle. Plenty of inter-departmental politics complicate things as well..

Ryan, the 15-year old boy, who witnesses his friends stabbing emerges as a tragic figure. I won’t say more but he and others caught up in this life come across as very real and complex characters rather than one dimensional stereotypes..

I wasn’t aware until I started reading that this was the third in Kate London’s series of London-based police procedurals but expected as with other series that it would likely work as a stand-alone apart from some aspects of character development.

It became quickly clear that there was tension between several of the main characters that had been established in the earlier books. I just flowed with this and plan to read them so that I can understand their backgrounds as well as reading two more excellent police procedurals from Kate London.

It was no great surprise to read that Kate London had worked for the Metropolitan Police and this novel (and presumably the series) feels very authentic in its depiction of police work. A very gritty, down-to-earth, and gripping police procedural that while fiction does address very real contemporary issues.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

My Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I requested it based on the description. It sounded like my sort of book. Only a short way in I realised that I’d probably made a big mistake. I was tempted to give it up several times, but I’d requested it so I persevered. I found that I was being given too much information. I was being asked to follow different parts of the story happening simultaneously and was feeling no empathy with any of the characters, although experience told me that it would probably all come together at the end. It was an unpleasant story in an unpleasant setting. Rival London gangs and casual fatal knifings is very much a story of today, but it doesn’t mean that I want to read a fictional account of it as well as listen to it on news items. I was beginning to wonder how I could even justify two stars for this book. All the characters, gang members and police, seemed selfish and unlikable. One of the main characters, Ryan should evoke our sympathy. He’s a member of a gang, used by them, with a father also a gang member who was murdered years before and a mother who is an addict. But we know there’s no hope for him. In fact, he was doomed before he was born. There seems little point in wasting sympathy on him. The story, the descriptive passages, the conversations all seemed sordid and depressing. There was just nothing to lift the spirit. But I reckon for a writer to induce any mood in a reader requires skill. Which at least was a positive thought. We were being given gritty reality and the author’s experience was starting to show through, but for me, it was just a bit too grim.

Then, wow!! At somewhere, about sixty per cent in all the disparate strands began to come together and I found I just had to keep reading. The two different police investigation came to a head as the arms deal was about to be carried out and evidence is hardening on other crimes. How Kate London managed to weave together all these hitherto separate parts of the story and keep them running in real time, I don’t know. It required huge skill. I now felt that I was reading a five-star novel. I’m so glad that I persevered. Would I recommend it to anyone? I’m not sure. If you are looking for some uplifting escapism, this isn’t for you. But if you want a fictional account of the reality of gang life in an inner city today written in a gritty style by an author who knows her stuff, this could be your sort of book.