This book hits you between the eyes from the first page and when you reach the end of the chapter you breathe out. Set in Manchester a group of young boys hang around doing the odd shoplifting spree for devilment. The main character in the book is "Macca". A new lad Todd Brown joins the school with a reputation for being hard. He has been expelled from many former schools for his temper. He immediately joins up with the gang and befriends Macca. Todd has some ideas to escalate from small crimes to more intense ones. The story is so easy to read. The characters are easy to follow and you come to love them, especially Macca. It's quite an up-and-down story with sadness as well as smiles. I loved this book and happily give it 5 stars.

Coming from a disadvantaged background in a rough area of Manchester, Macca’s only friends are Todd, Spinxy, Shay and Leroy. When they leave school at fifteen they don’t have jobs and the only way to make some money is by criminal means so they form a gang with Todd as their leader. Macca starts dating Joanne who has to keep their relationship a secret from her parents as she’s been brought up to be an honest girl but as Todd’s ideas become more audacious he expects his gang to take more risks and it isn’t long before Macca finds himself in trouble. ‘Redemption’ is an addictive standalone novel that begins in 1986 and tells of five boys whose lives take a downward spiral when they turn to crime. The story is well written with down-to-earth characters and a storyline that’s had me gripped from page one. The gritty plot is so exciting that with the drama, danger and suspense the tension has kept increasing and I had to keep reading until I’d reached the end. This is thoroughly enjoyable story that ends in 2011 as all the loose ends are tied up and we learn of the outcome of the gang of five but I must admit to having a tear or two in my eye when I read the final pages.

Redemption follows the story of Macca and the gang that he joins in Manchester. When their criminal activities escalate, he has a difficult decision to make. I was instantly drawn into this gripping story. Heather has perfectly captured a side to Manchester that a lot people might not know about. I really enjoyed the attention to detail on how life in Manchester in the 1980s would have been. There were so many memorable parts in this book - from tense scenes that had me on the edge of my seat to jaw-dropping moments that I didn't see coming. It really got me thinking about how the choices we make in life can have lasting effects. I found myself reading this addictive book late into the night, if I hadn't needed to go to sleep I would have got through it in one sitting! Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Another good read from the author in the gangland genre. Set in Manchester, it's a steady read featuring a group of five friends and their life of criminal activities. I liked the characters, especially Macca, although Todd left me feeling irritated! The pace was steady throughout and I liked the ending, overall a good stand alone read in the genre. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.