Blackmail: A completely unputdownable gripping and gritty crime thriller (The Manchester Thrillers)

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As their relationship progressed, they decided to pool their resources and upgrade to a three-bedroom detached home in the more affluent area of Marple. It’s Mediterranean style – sharing platters and little dishes of olives and almonds, that sort of thing. Heather now works full-time on her novels from her home in Manchester, which she shares with her two grown-up children.

Then Beth looked down, shocked to discover that he was clutching a blood-drenched knife, which was rubbing against her clothing and staining her coat. You may miss the characters being introduced, but the stories are not intertwined and you’d miss very little by reading this as a stand-alone book. His stale breath was hot on her cheeks as he tried to overpower her, and his eager hands clawed at her jeans. Set in 1996, a time when Manchester was dealing with a serious drug and gang problem, Gangster’s Grip is the story of a normal family, who through a mixture of love and intimidation, become too mixed up in that world.Burnside is also good at this, and is so skilled in creating relatable characters and believable dialogue. When Beth meets wealthy crime boss Martin , he sets her up in business, dotes on her and gives her everything she wants. I love well-rounded characters and clever interactions in books, which is why I’m such a fan of Agatha Christie. You’ll be having your feet washed when we get back,’ said Beth, frowning as Rex splashed his way through puddles and the white fur of his legs became filthy.

The third part of the Riverhill Trilogy is rumoured to be out in June this year, so do yourself a favour and catch up with this series before then.For me reading the books out of sequence, meant that finally reading Born Bad was like the glue that merged the stories. Another exciting read from this author … brilliant can't wait to see if there's another one in the series . His hair was going grey, and he was muscle-bound and rugged looking, whereas she preferred her men more sophisticated and slimmer like her husband. Although this is number two in the series, I do believe Gangster’s Grip would easily work as a separate story.

Blackmail is the new standalone gangland thriller from Heather Burnside, author of the Working Girls series, that's perfect for fans of Kimberley Chambers, Martina Cole and Emma Tallon. That same colour scheme was picked up in the expensive rug, which adorned the polished wooden flooring, and in the heavy navy-blue textured curtains. I am a sufferer of depression and found this was covered well in the novel, it can be hard to portray in a book but I think the author has given the character more depth and made Julie more believable in her situation. I thought that the way that the book switched from present events to the memories of Julie was greatly effective and gave me the information I needed to piece the story together without being overwhelming or boring.Then he lowered his voice, ‘Rumour has it that he’s a bit dodgy and he’s running other businesses on the side.

Slur was gritty and engaging, leaving me wanting to know whether Julie was ever going to clear her name. I love the detail and atmosphere the author creates, the 80′s has a certain feel and I am sure Manchester in the 80′s had an atmosphere all of it’s own! But she was curious about the person whose eyes had never left her since she walked across the room. The lady and her dog passed by, and Beth was finally able to get Rex to come out of his hiding place behind her legs and continue walking. When Beth meets wealthy crime boss Martin, he sets her up in business, dotes on her and gives her everything she wants.

The first book in Heather's new Manchester Thriller series, Blackmail, was published in paperback in February 2023. The moral right of Heather Burnside to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. He smiled disarmingly, and Beth noticed it made him look even more handsome with his perfect white teeth. Heather Burnside grew up in Gorton, a working-class area of Manchester famed as the original location for the TV series, Shameless.