‘Bad Blood’ by Heather Atkinson is the second book in the Gallowburn Series. Set in and around the Gallowburn Estate in Glasgow. An estate t Oihat’s rough and ready with most of its’ residents cash strapped but essentially decent people. They all live as a community and when things go wrong the Blood Brothers deal with it. The police aren’t called; it is dealt with in the community.
So good to be back on the Gallowburn with the characters from the previous book. Deidre the pub landlady who is nothing but fierce with her weapon still and her husband Derek. There is of course Jackie Blood, mother to Jamie and still as protective as always.
The Blood Brothers are Jamie, Logan, Gary and Digger. They keep the estate as quiet as they can. They are determined to rid the estate of dealers and any scum as they see it. In this instalment, we see Jamie’s dad turn upbringing is usual trouble with him. Jamie has nothing to do with him so when he turns up Jamie’s mum is not impressed (to say the least) and warns Jamie to have nothing to do with him. On top of this Jamie is stressed about the upcoming court case of his girlfriend Allegra’s dad. He is charged with her murder. Allegra was Jamie’s true love and he is attempting to get on with his life but now his dads turned up it isn’t getting any easier.
A gritty, thrilling and edge of your seat gangland thriller that I devoured in one sitting. This is a series that has fabulous, real down to earth characters. I can easily see these on the council estate I was brought uupon Known as the roughest estate in my area and I can picture the Blood Brothers there. Jackie Blood is such a formidable woman and I think she is a star. Her life is Jamie and you can see that.
The characters are being developed really first class I am really impatiently wanting another instalment so I can discover just where Heather Atkinson is taking these fabulous characters. If you like the sound of ‘Blood Brothers’ my advice would be to start with book one. You will understand a lot more of the story and the characters if you do.
Thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the copy of the book.
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