Another amazing book by this author.
This book is brutal, gripping and full of action
The dynamics of the characters is so good.
The ending was fantastic.

I would especially like to thank Avon Books Uk and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.

I love the cover of this book which is beautiful with the main character Franny who is in prison. One catchphrase made me want to read the book: "She has a score to settle and prison won't stop her".

You learn from reading this book that there are people you would never want to meet in life. We find Franny who is condemned, locked up in this prison, she will have more than one score to settle. The first person will be with the person who locked her up here: Vaughn and she will get revenge no matter what it costs her. Before that there was only bad blood flowing in her veins, from now on, it's poison.

I immediately hooked on the story, so addictive, captivating, full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters. I love the author's writing, so addictive, eager to read more of her books.

I absolutely love gangland thrillers. It brings me back to many years ago when I read Kimberly Chambers and Martina Cole. Poison is a brilliant read. There is so much going on in this story and it’s told so well. Told in a way you can see it playing in front of you. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This book I’m sorry to say was very disappointing. I was expecting a gritty novel featuring some dodgy, unsavoury characters and yes there was plenty of that but then discovered that it’s part of a long running series which isn’t mentioned in the description. If it had then I either wouldn’t have chosen it or would have started at the beginning with the first book. Got to the end only to find absolutely no resolution and that you’d need to read the next book and maybe the one or two or more after that which I definitely will not be doing! The writing is great and I have no problems with the characters and/or what they did but I feel I’ve wasted my time on this book when I could have read another with a proper start and ending.

‘Poison’ is the latest book by Jacqui Rose.

In a life of crime, loyalty means everything – even if you don’t always see eye to eye. But when Vaughn Sadler speaks up to get Franny Doyle sent down, he’s broken every rule in the book to win checkmate. Holed up in prison, Franny has more than one score to settle – but she’s starting with Vaughn. Because you don’t grass on your own, no matter what. And though she may be behind bars, she will get revenge – whatever the cost.

‘Poison’ is the first ever book that I’ve read by popular crime author, Jacqui Rose and it was a gripping story of divided loyalties and revenge. It’s the latest book in the Alfie Jennings saga and thankfully, Jacqui give ample background information and great detail about the characters and the situations that they are in.

The story is seen through multiple narratives, but is primarily seen through the perspective of Franny as she adjusts to life in jail, being harassed why the cruel and top prisoner Christine as well as deal with the unrelenting rage that she feels towards Vaughan for putting her in prison in the first place. On the outside, her boyfriend Alfie is dealing with being a first time father for a child that he feels no connection with whilst Vaughan is trying to look after his best friend.

This book is a really gritty and dark story about the dark side of gangs and repercussions when things don’t go right. It’s violent in parts, particularly in scenes in the prison when Franny is faced with Christine, a cruel and terrifying woman who rules the prison with her gang of followers. Franny is a strong character who refuse to stand down when Christine confronts her and these scenes make for intense and gripping reading as the pair come face to face. The prison scenes are unsettling and fascinating in equal measures as women fight for dominance and leadership within the prison walls. Outside Alfie has his own issues with new parenthood as well as dealing as rival gangs that he owes money to.

Cleverly written with blood, drama and revenge, ‘Poison’ is the perfect gangland thriller that I found compelling from the first page. There are many strands to the story with each character having their own issues, but Jacqui ties them together with a cliff-hanger that leaves the reader bursting for more. Jacqui Rose is a new author for me and the Alfie Jennings series is also new to me but the book could be read as a standalone with no confusion. Jacqui is an author, I look forward to reading more off, she writes vividly with wit and her character development is on point with troubled characters that you really feel a connection with.

You can buy ‘Poison’ by Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

I am quite new to reading Jacqui Rose but found this book a really good read. I didnt want to put it down until finished. The storyline was a bit different to the usual so keeps your attention until the end. Would definately reccommend.

Franny Doyle, a prominent member of the criminal underworld, has been sent to prison after being betrayed by Vaughn Sadler, another member of the powerful criminal underworld. This is almost unheard of in their world, and while Sadler is getting his revenge, Franny is determined to not only get revenge and punish Vaughn, but also to ruin him and his reputation. Poison by Jacqui Rose is the 10th in the bestselling series, and is a hardcore novel filled with characters that aren’t particularly likeable – characters who live up to their criminal tendencies and live the life of gangsters in the gangland. Even though Franny is in prison, she has been living the life so long, that she can most likely accomplish her goals by using people on the outside and calling in favors.

Rose’s writing style will not appeal to everyone – the storyline in this novel is sometimes difficult to follow, especially for those readers who haven’t read the previous novels. There is plenty of profanity and sexual innuendo; typical for characters who live crime-filled lives, and a typical way to show that the characters are low-lifes and fairly despicable. While Rose has developed the characters pretty well, they are not appealing, and some readers will have difficulty cheering on their favorite characters because they most likely won’t have any favorite characters.

While Rose’s gritty storytelling and writing style may appeal to some readers, the previous novels should probably be read before this one to fully appreciate the criminal element on the streets of London, and to fully understand the characters.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Yes yes yes .Jacqui Rose has done it again and written an absolute cracker of a gangland thriller. This book is fantastic and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It is a gripping read that you will not want to put down until the final sentence.

Although this could easily be read as a stand alone thriller this book forms part of a series with realistic and fantastically loveable, or dislikable characters. Thrilling and hard to put down, you just want to keep reading to see what happens. Need more of this series. A must buy. Excellent as expected from Ms Rose.

It’s a bright sunny day, the spring is almost here. I hope you are having a great time. Today is my stop of one terrific blog tour and I am reviewing one very gripping gangland crime thriller, written by Jacqui Rose. It is second book in the series and my first book from this author. I had no problem reading it as a stand-alone book. It is one very creepy, gangland story that left me sleepless till the last page. I really liked it! Many thanks to lovely Sanjana and the amazing team at Avon Books UK for the chance to be part of this blog tour. Don’t forget to visit all the other stops of this amazing blog tour! Enjoy!

Franny Doyle is in prison for the crime she didn’t commit. Her love Alfie is an alcoholic who owns a lot of money to the wrong people. Vaughn is trying to get Alfie back on the right road, doing same for young Shannon who is abused by her uncle Charlie. He also gives false testimony to put Franny in prison and convinces Shannon to do the same. The police officer Balantyne hates his life and his marriage and tries to get away from it. Alfie needs money, Franny needs to get out of prison, Shannon needs protection from her uncle. Every person will do anything to get what they want. One way or another.

The person I hated the most: Charlie! I could literally kill that guy. Abusing your own niece, abusing a child! I hated him so much!

The person I felt sorry for: Shannon! There were moments when I despised her for her weakness. ” Call help, girl! You do have someone to protect you! You are not alone! Fight! ”

It was hard for me to get into the characters at the beginning, but page after page, I got into the story. It is not a kind of thriller that I am usually used to, but overall, I liked it! I liked how the gangland net was made, I liked the way characters were created. It is a great crime story and I’ll be in search for book number one very soon. And I hope that there will be book number three.

I had never heard of this series. Though this is part of a series of can be read as a stand alone. Warning though - once you read this book you will want to read the series.

Jacqui Rose rivals Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers with her electrifying gangland thrillers and she is back with Poison, a nerve-twisting and heart-racing read that is so gripping and captivating, putting it down is simply not an option.

In the criminal underworld, loyalty means everything. It is the one guiding principle that underpins this dark and dangerous world where it is every man for himself and where the number one rule is that you never grass anyone up – even if it’s someone you loathe and despise more than anything and anyone in the world. This is the commandment which everyone obeys and respects, but when this golden rule is broken, trust is shattered and the gloves come off. When Vaughn Sadler had decided to speak up, his testimony had sent Franny Doyle down. But if Vaughn thought that Franny being behind bars would be the end of the matter, then he was sadly mistaken because he has just kickstarted a cruel and vicious game of revenge, vengeance and murder!

Franny may be down, but she is certainly not out. A woman who never backs down from a fight, she is determined to use all the time she has on her hands to ensure that the people who have done her wrong pay for this most heinous of transgressions. With plenty of scores to settle, Franny will start with Vaughn, but she will not stop there. Every single person who has betrayed her is going to pay and although she is behind bars, she will not stop until they have not just paid, but suffered for what they’ve done to her.

The bad blood that was pumping through her veins before has just been replaced by the most lethal of poisons and Franny is about to use every weapon in her arsenal to emerge victorious in this most insidious of battles.

Jacqui Rose is at her phenomenal best with this terrifying thriller you just have to read in a single sitting. Poison is a fast-paced, brilliantly plotted and densely written chiller that will make you jump out of your skin and keep you hooked from the first page until the very last sentence. Tense, sinister and chilling, Poison is another first class thriller from the fabulous Jacqui Rose

Another brilliant book by one of my favourite authors. Amazing, tense, a gangland thriller at its best.

5☆ Unputdownable Ganglit Crime Thriller!

Wow oh wow is this book Utterly Gripping! I devoured it in 2 nights and that was only because i had to sleep!

I'm a huge fan of Jacqui Rose and Poison is my favourite book so far in the series!
If you haven't yet read the other books then this can be a standalone as things do get explained. But in my opinion you at least need to read the previous two books as alot has happened.
Plus the characters are so good once you read one you will want to read the rest! Can't wait to read more!

Poison is full of Secrets, revenge, trust issues, underhanded tactics, prison bullying, a ruthless loan shark, a corrupt copper, a perverted and sicko uncle out for revenge ,seriously Poison has it all and i loved it!

I don't want to go into detail incase your yet to read the previous books, but as you can see by my summary it's brutal, gripping, gritty, not necessarily for the feint hearted and revenge is the main plot and boy is it juicy!

All the characters are back, once again I love the dynamics of these Characters.
Alfie just can't keep away from Franny she's like an enigma to him.
Shannon is the one who yet again suffered the most in this story and my heart breaks for her. Everyone thinks that they are looking out for her, yet they just keep using her for their own gains.

I loved the ending!! Yes Jacqui thank you for making that ending. 🙊 eek! I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

There is nothing more to say except I can't recommend reading this intoxicating, highly Compelling, Gritty, Gang-lit Series Enough.
Jacqui Rose is a superb and extremely talented Author and her books are not to be missed, especially if you enjoy Crime Fiction, Gang lit books.

Poison is the fourth book in a series written by Jacqui Rose. Although, I hadn't appreciated this when I started to read, it did not make a difference to reading it as a stand alone book. But I won't hesitate to research and read the rest in the series.
Why you may wonder. Because Jacqui Rose has a style of writing that is absolutely captivating, and truly addictive. I lost some sleep sitting up reading this but my "book sleep deprivation" was worth it. 
The story is set around the life of criminals "gangland" London. Not my usual type of book I read but one I enjoyed.
There are Several characters, all of whom you get to know quickly. The three main characters are Franny, Vaughn and Alfie.
First there is Franny, who is in prison awaiting a court date, for a crime that she is not guilty of committing. Because of this her only agenda is revenge and she is determine to achieve it. 
Vaughn who wants to support Alfie. The latter is out of control with drugs and alcohol. He owes money and is attacked, whilst his daughter (Shannon) is in the house. With Alfie's laissez fairs attitude Vaughn takes Shannnon into his care. Queue Shannon falling for him, but Vaughn gives her nothing other than turning her life upside down and which becomes nothing but a living hell for her. 
He has managed to talk Shannon into supporting Franny with him. With Shannon welcoming the attention, she is more than happy to help him and show him what she can do. After all he is her love interest and I got the feeling she would do anything to impress him. 
There is so much that goes on within the +400 pages of the cover pages. So many different characters, different lives but all intertwined. 
I found myself holding my breath in places, I really didn't have time to second guess the plot. My mind was well and truly absorbed. 
Thank you to Avon, their publishing team and Jacqui for our advanced copy and invite to join the blog tour. The first book I've read by author Jacqui Rose and it won't be my last...

I rarely read gangland fiction but I’ve read a couple of the author’s books before and really enjoyed them. Poison was no exception. This is a cracking read. Franny is a great character, a bad ass but she has a softer side as well. I plan to read the earlier book because I find her fascinating and want to find out more about her. Poison isn’t just Franny’s story of being stitched up. The book covers several arcs’ including Shannon, a young mother junkie mother, struggling to find happiness when her sexually abusive uncle turns up and threatens the fragile life she’s built. There’s also Vaughn’s story, Shannon’s lover and the reason he’s set Franny up and not forgetting Franny’s lover Alfie caught in the middle of the whole mess. The book fairly rattled along and once I got started I found it hard to put down. Highly recommended.

I have read a few of this series by Jacqui Rose, think I may have missed one? but despite this i found it easy to pick up the thread.

It was nice to check in and update myself with some familiar characters having said this it didn't grip me as much as the previous books have, it felt milder in comparison and found some of the book repetitive which made it harder for me to engage,

Another chapter in the Essex ganglit saga, featuring Franny, Alfie and Vaughn. I've read another book in this gritty gangland crime series, so I am familiar with the recurring characters and some of their history. Although, this can be read as a standalone, its best to read the previous books in the series to appreciate the dynamics and relationships between the three characters.

As problems with the organised crime business mount up, everyone is on the defensive, and soon the previous allies become enemies when Vaughn turns Franny into the police, for a crime she didn't commit. Franny is consumed with vitriol and vows revenge, from her prison cell.

Complex characters, heinous crimes and serious trust issues, make Poison an addictive book. The story is absorbing, character-driven and fast-paced. One not to be missed if you are a devotee of ganglit.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Great story telling with great characters. Jacqui has a way of drawing you in to the action. Always looking forward to her next book.

Great story telling with great characters. Jacqui has a way of drawing you in to the action. Always looking forward to her next book.