Foyles

(Paperback)

by Joan Clapham

Julia lived in London until she was fourteen when her mother took her to live in Suffolk but now she’s back with a new job. She didn’t intend meeting up with her old friends Angel, Lindsay, Pauline, Tom and Frankie but when she inadvertently meets Tom he tells her that Angel has died and her funeral is the following week. The police believe it was suicide but Angel’s mother Renee thinks her friends killed her and asks Julia to help prove it. ‘Payback’ is a thriller set in London and tells of teenage friendships and what happens when someone has secrets they don’t want revealed. Julia promises Angel’s mother that she’ll do her best to find who’s responsible for her death and promises to talk to the remaining friends Lindsay, Pauline, Tom and Frankie, but Julia doesn’t realise that the more questions she asks the more she’s putting her life at risk. The characters have been perfectly described and I especially liked Julia’s new boss Apostle who tries to appear hard but comes across as the friend she needs. I like Ms Kray’s style of writing that makes this thriller a pleasure to read and the further I’ve got into the story the greater the twists until I finally reach the conclusion and the truth is revealed.

(Paperback)

by Kim Mooney

Julie returns to the Mansfield Estate in London after many years away and discovers that her once-best friend, Angel Glover, is dead. Struggling to come to terms with the fact that it was an accident, she begins to investigate her old friends. However, they seem to have closed ranks and are making it difficult for her to uncover the truth about what happened. While this book is classified as a crime novel, I found it lacking in actual criminal activity. Instead, it focuses heavily on lies, secrets, and deceit. The characters are well-developed, allowing readers to engage with them. However, despite Roberta's usual talent for storytelling, this book is not my favorite.

(Hardback)

by Beate251

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for this ARC. We are back on the Mansfield Estate in the fictitious East London borough of Kellston where all of Roberta Kray's novels take place. The year is 1989, the Berlin Wall has just fallen and 25 year old Julia has moved back to a cold London after having left for years. She accidentally learns that her former best friend Angel is dead - drowned by accident or suicide, no one can agree on that. Julia feels there has to be more to it but old friends Lindsay, Pauline, Tom and Frankie are evasive and DI Vyse who is strangely talkative about the case, warns her to be careful when investigating. Then someone else gets murdered and Julia starts fearing for her life but gets an ally from a surprising side. Her boss is a great character! We get three third person POVs in Julia, Pauline and Tom which feels unnecessary. I usually love Roberta Kray's books but this was slow, long-winded and not particularly gripping as I didn't really like many of the characters. Of course it's well-written but I missed the usual flair and suspense, and the ending felt abrupt. It's interesting though to know that in 1989 you could get five drinks for £5 and even get change back! Many people will lap this up but for me it isn't the author's best, especially as it's mislabelled as gangland novel when it's absolutely not. I hope the next one will be again. 3.5 stars

This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.

(Hardback)

by Lovetoread2023

I’m a big lover of a good gangland read, and that’s exactly what I usually get from Roberta Kray. However, Payback felt a little different. Although it’s listed as a gangland novel, it didn’t really have that gritty, underworld edge I was expecting. The characters, for the most part, felt like they all needed a bit of a shake—except for Julia, who at least had some spark and depth about her. That said, the story is well written, as you’d expect from this author, and I did want to keep reading to find out what really happened to Angel. The ending was satisfying and tied things together nicely. .Overall, Payback is a decent read, but it’s not my favourite from Roberta Kray. I’ll still happily pick up her next book, though, because when she’s in full gangland mode that’s when she really shines.

This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.