Jacqui Rose knows how to write an intense and exciting read, that will keep you on the edge of your reading chair until the last. Once again Jacqui Rose knows how to get under the reader’s skin, and always seems to write excellent thrillers. Franny Doyle is alone and having to team with Wan to protect her from other faces in the London underworld. That said she still has a bounty on Vaughn’s head, well he started it! It is not until she is told that Vaughn is being given protection in a deal which Wan will not break, she really does realise how alone she it. She tries to contact Alfie, but all her calls go straight to voice mail. Harry likes slapping his wife around, and this time he believes he has a reason as Tia is trying to gain custody of their children, which is just not going to happen. He has already thrown out Milly their 16-year-old daughter who is pregnant and moved Tammy, Tia’s sister in to provide him with sexual favours. It will not help that she is pregnant with Harry’s child. Wan is running escorts out of the club, and the death of Sophie by a drug overdose raises Franny’s interest as she tries to talk to Ellie. Wan has groomed his “girls” well as they all seem to love him and will not say or do anything against him. Even though everybody else can see how cruel Wan is and that is only love is money, and the more of it he has the better. When Franny finds out the real age of Ellie, she is deep in shock, and tries to talk to Wan, but that does not go well. She tries to talk to Sasha another of Wan’s girls and has to tread carefully, when she discovers a diary, she is shocked by what she reads. When Wan asks Harry to kill, Franny as she has become a problem, all bets are off and now it survival of the fittest. Good job Detective Carter has a plan, and somehow manages to get Franny, Vaughn and Alfie in the same room, can he get them to work together for the greater good.

Another gripping gangland thriller from the very talented Jacqui Rose. Like all the other books by this author I loved this one and races through it . Superb writing.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Rival’ written by Jacqui Rose in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. Wan Huang is head of the Triads gang in London and Vaughn Sadler and Harry Jacobs, who Franny Doyle wants to destroy, are working for him. When Franny is given proof that Wan and Harry are using and disposing of young girls, she and Vaughn put aside their differences and work together to put Wan Huang behind bars. Jacqui Rose has done it again, she’s written a gritty action-packed gangland thriller that’s addictive reading. It’s great to once again meet up with the characters who’ve made the previous novels so popular, Franny, and Alfie who makes a welcome return from Spain. ‘Rival’ has a strong and fast-paced plot, sometimes bloodthirsty but always compelling, lots of drama and suspense, repulsive characters, and shocking twists and turns. The final page leaves us with a cliffhanger – will she or won’t she? I eagerly await the next in the series to find out what happens next.

Great to be back with Alfie, Vaughn and Franny. This is a great gangland book that keeps you on your toes. Franny has given over all her assets to Wan the head of the Triad gang, she wants protection, she doesn't like it and hates Wan, even more, he dabbles in drugs prostitution, grooming young girls and that's just the start. She loves and misses Alfie who she had an on/off relationship with, in Jacqui's previous books but she won't admit it to him. Vaughn also wants protection but from the Triads, as he killed Wan's brother and now Wan wants his revenge, so Vaughn is taken on by Harry who is another nasty creature but by being with Harry Vaughn feels safe. Harry is married to Tia but her twin sister Tammy is trying to muscle in on her man. Alfie is in the background for a lot of the book, but they all come together again to try to wipe out the evil of both Wan and Harry. Such a brilliant page-turner and an unexpected ending that keeps the reader guessing. The only negative was the continual mention of designer clothes etc. It was as though she had been paid extra by companies to mention them or she was filling out the number of words in her book. I don't know but it was frustrating. The book itself is worth five stars but because of this, I am only going to give it four.