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

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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. Suddenly it dawned on Beth that he must be the manager, and she became embarrassed by her abrasiveness.

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. Immediately, the threatening bulk of the man was on top of her, his evil eyes staring back at her and his ragged face full of menace. It was cold, and the rain that had fallen throughout the previous week had turned the ground to a sludgy mess. Out of the corner of her eye, Beth noticed the manager watching her, but before he had a chance to comment, she rushed away from the bar, feeling flustered.

I love well-rounded characters and clever interactions in books, which is why I’m such a fan of Agatha Christie.

His stale breath was hot on her cheeks as he tried to overpower her, and his eager hands clawed at her jeans. The sofa was also grey but darker and covered with scatter cushions in various shades of greys, blues and a mustard colour. They chatted for a while about their plans for the house, their jobs and other mutual topics till their drinks ran out and Beth decided to go to the bar.

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. Good news, Gangster’s Grip is no exception; the tense and heavy plot doesn’t stop you wanting to plough on to the shocking yet inevitable ending. 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.

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.

Heather now works full-time as an author from her home in Manchester which she shares with her two grown-up children. The relationship between the characters is also great to follow, sometimes characters do not work together but the main characters blend well, I liked watching Julie and Vinny grow.