This book is a gritty crime thriller. It is the second book in a series but can be read as a standalone.
There are some clever twists in this book. The characters are written so well.
A must read for crime thriller fans

This was a good enough book, I didn't think it was great for me it was just ok.
Some parts I thought were unrealistic

I loved this novel by a very talented author. It had so many twists and turns, I couldn't wait to see how it all come together. Recommended.

Oooh this book was good!

I thought that this was a well written thriller that I really enjoyed, it had me gripped and it is a fabulously gritty read!

The characters were well developed and I loved the suspense that the author build up as the story progressed, I love this author’s writing style and this was another brilliant story from her! I was hooked when I read the blurb and the story was just as good as I had hoped it would be. The pace was great and I flew through the pages.

It is 5 stars from me for this – I really enjoyed it and thought it was a fantastic read from cover to cover - it was a well written and well planned out story with some excellent twists along the way – thoroughly enjoyable and very highly recommended!!

When PI Bev Saunders is hired to gather any incriminating evidence she can find against local wealthy landscaper Anthony Anthony by his neighbours, Jim and penny higson, she cannot envisage the can of worms she will open.

This is the second instalment of this series of books. Bev is a likeable character who is juggling her PI business along with dealing with an acrimonious divorce and custody battle for her daughter whilst also batting off the romantic advances of her business partner, Doc. Her tenancy to forget to stick to rules places her in some sticky situations.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more in the series. Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wowsers, what a ride that was. Backlash is fast-paced and exciting, powered on by Bev Saunders – Private Investigator with her sidekick Doc providing the backup material and knowledge to help Bev right the wrongs.

Beverly is gritty and determined and won’t take no for an answer, her past and the fact she needs the money mean shes had to accept a job, she would normally have turned down. A neighbourly dispute between the Higson’s and Anthony Anthony AKA ‘2Tone’ – a burly landscaper and local community hero – who holds ‘fundraisers’ till all hours at his home in the quiet cul-de-sac in Little Marshwicke.

First Bev is driven off the road by a van that 2Tone is in and then the becomes ‘Gail’ and goes to clean for him, thinking that she can find out more being on the inside. This though, means she finds out too much and ends up in too deep. Shes got to get this right, not just for her sake, but for Hope, her daughter too, she wants to provide a real home for her and needs this case to go well to get the funds to do this.

Whilst all this is going on Mihal is trying to find the man responsible for selling him and his two brothers as human traffic to use as cheap labour in the UK. Hooked on Spice he and his brother get caught breaking and entering, his brother Brogan dies and Michal gets a prison sentence, which after 3 years, sees him back out in the open, set on seeking revenge. and looking for Constantin.

Bev is the type of person who says her thoughts out loud, she doesn’t hold back and this adds humor despite what is a serious and current subject, the world of ‘Spice’ is a dangerous one and for Bev its a dangerous path to be heading down. Her and Doc are great characters and make an intense duo. I like the role reversal of Bev being the one out in the field and Doc in the office as back up, coming to her assistance, as and when required, sometimes even before she realises she needs him.

A gritty and compelling read that you will find yourself struggling to put down as you race through the pages, to find what Bev is going to do next.

Backlash is the second book in this series with Tightrope being the first. It tells of Bev a private investigator and her partner Doc. If you’ve not read Tightrope you can still enjoy this book as a stand-alone. Bev is hired by a man who is having problems with a neighbour’s noisy parties. Bev takes on the job little knowing that she will soon be dragged into the world of Spice and also people trafficking. Bev and Doc are soon getting drawn into the dark and dangerous underworld of Manchester and some particularly nasty men. Will they come out of this case in one piece. I recommend reading this book to find out all the twists and turns of the case.

Backlash by Marnie Riches is the second book in this series and so glad it could be read as a standalone as I didn't read the first one. Backlash is a gritty and gripping Crime Thriller which I love! Its full of suspense, face pact and will will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next! It covers lots of current topics of todays life - noisy neighbours, trafficking drugs and a pain in the xrse x!

This book is set in Manchester and covers the new topic of the latest addictive drug called Spice. Beverley Saunders and her right hand man Doc well settled in their new roles as Private Investigators. They have been asked to investigate a case from the neighbour from hell but as they start to investigate more, they find not everything is at it seems!

I loved the way Marnie Riches writes and I have enjoyed all her books she has written in the past. This book is different from the other books I have read it has nice touches of humour throughout which made me lol in some parts. (Hubby thought I was going mad!)

I loved the characters throughout especially Beverley Saunders and Doc.

Big Thank you Ms Riches, Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group Trapeze for the opportunity to read and review this book.

4☆ A Gripping and Gritty Crime Thriller, thats Suspensful, Pacy and keeps you turning the pages.


Backlash is the second book in a new gritty crime thriller series, but can easily be read as a standalone.

Beverley is a kick ass private investigator who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty.
Which is definitely the case when she takes on an undercover position as a maid ( aka Gail) to help her latest clients prove their Troublesome Noisy neighbour 2Tone is up to dodgy dealings.

But Beverley might of got more than she bargained for taking on this case.
Just before she takes on the case she decides to do some background investigsting which led to her being run off the road by 2Tone!
2Tone is dangerous and Beverley is about to find out just how dangerous he is!
Despite his generous nature, he has the rest of the neighbourhood believe him to be!

Oh and I forgot to mention Doc, who is Beverley's I guess you could say partner in crime lol
He is brilliant, a bit rough round the edges but thinks the world of Beverley and is on hand to help her out.
There dynamic is brilliant, together they are witty, sarcastic banter, but there for each other!

Backlash is a Gripping and Gritty Crime Thriller, thats Suspensful, Pacy and keeps you turning the pages.
Riches covers varied current topics with ease which makes it relatable and fresh. (Noisy/ Troublesome Neighbours, Drugs, Trafficking, Annoying Ex, Custody Problems to name a few)
There are cleverly plotted twists, a great dose of light hearted humour and banter which I loved as you don't normally get that with crime fiction, it just made the characters believable and highlight how are superbly written they are.
Overall a must read for all Crime Fiction/Thriller Fans! I can't wait to read more from Marnie Riches!

Thank you to Compulsive Readers Tours and Trapeze books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This was very reminiscent of Robert Galbraith and the Strike series and just like that I really enjoyed it.

The story follows private investigator Bev and her right hand man who has been asked to investigate a case of a neighbour from hell but as the investigation starts it appears not everything is as it seems.

The story follows both the personal and professional challenges that the characters face.

Had me hooked from the beginning to end.

Lots of twists and turns, some great characters and well written crime novel look forward to to the next one!

Loved this book love the relation ship with the investigator and her right hand man I also loved two tone but would liked to have found out more about him and how he came to be who he is

PI Bev Saunders is back. Fresh from her exploits in Tightrope Bev now enjoys a degree of minor celebrity. The case she broke in her original outing was newsworthy and as a consequence Bev’s name and reputation is familiar to many of the residents of the North West.

Unfortunately for Bev, fame alone doesn’t pay the bills and she needs work but cannot afford to be fussy. So when a couple turn up at her door asking for evidence to help them calm the excessive disruptions of their noisy neighbour Bev cannot turn down the case.

The neighbour in question is a local businessman who is well known for the excellent work he does for charity. But his building/landscaping business brings him into daily contact with a number of more “earthy” workers and these guys are not the fine upstanding members of the community that their boss aspires to be. It becomes clear to Bev that her target (the amusingly named ‘2Tone’) is not the most pleasant of fellows – but is his behaviour over the top or are her clients prudish NIMBYs?

Early investigations don’t go well and Bev has an alarming brush with death which sees her resort to taking drastic action – undercover work in 2Tone’s house. It ain’t a glamorous job but Bev is determined to know more about 2Tone’s unusual activities.

Away from the domestic dispute is a darker tale. A Romanian man is looking for someone. His life has been horrific. Trafficked into the UK and hooked upon the increasingly popular and dangerously damaging drug spice, he is looking to find and save a family member. He also wants to identify the man at the root of his suffering and bring that life to an unpleasant end.

His path will cross with Bev’s and she will find herself drawn into a second investigation. Can the impulsive investigator keep herself safe from harm and prevent a desperate man from killing someone?

All these challenges and Bev still has to deal with her ex who continues to make her life as awkward as he can. At least her daughter is safe from all the madness…isn’t she?

Backlash is another great read from Marnie Riches. Bev is a strong, energetic and engaging lead character. She makes terrible life choices and I just want to read more about her. The story is well paced, darker scenes and action sequences nicely interspersed with lighter/funny interactions.

Backlash is the second instalment in the Private Investigator Beverley Saunders thriller series set in Manchester. This easily reads a standalone as the stories are pretty much self-contained and Ms Riches provides some background to Bev at the beginning of the book. Bev and crime-fighting partner Doc are hired to investigate what initially appears to be merely a noisy neighbour complaint with the client being at the end of his tether because of the nuisance it has been causing. Bev commits to the case and decides to go undercover as a cleaner to allow her to snoop on 2-tone as the locals call him. She quickly establishes that his stated profession of landscape Gardner would in no way have allowed him enough cash to live in the sprawling house he currently inhabits. The case turns out to be anything but straightforward and she discovers all manner of nefarious goings-on related to drugs. Then bodies begin to drop and Bev realises her own life is in danger and that of her families.

This is another gritty and compulsive gangland thriller from an author who writes a variety of different aspects into her books that contribute to them being winners - emotion, wit/humour, thrilling action and twists and turns galore. It's a surprisingly timely and topical read with a distinct ripped from the headlines feel to it, mainly due to it exploring the topic of the legal high and gateway drug known as Spice and the devastating effects it has had on those who consume it. The dynamic between Bev and Doc is one of the most compelling and believable of any of the duo's I've come across in crime fiction and I love the banter and Mickey-taking that goes on between them; it's really quite perfect to lighten up a book with a dark subject matter such as this. If you enjoy gangland grit lit then this is well worth your time. A fun and entertaining read with a strong moral message about the destruction drugs can do. Many thanks to Trapeze for an ARC.

Backlash by Marnie Riches is the second book to feature Private Investigator Beverley Saunders, who was introduced in the author’s previous book Tightrope. This second installment in the series could easily be read as a standalone, however, with the story flowing well and the background of the fascinating Bev incorporated into this new tale with ease.

This time Bev and her sidekick, Doc, have taken on a case involving a nuisance neighbour dispute, which taken at face value should be a straightforward issue to solve. But there is so much more to this case than Bev first realised and things begin to get complicated as people begin to die and the topic of drugs raises its ugly head, with the fearless Bev soon finding her own life in danger...

I love Bev. She’s a strong, capable woman, but with a quirkiness that I find particularly endearing. This is a gripping thriller, with all the twists and turns you would expect from this kind of gritty read, but it’s also laugh out loud funny at times, with a clever plot and larger than life characters that capture your interest from the outset.

A thrilling and entertaining read that will keep you gripped from beginning to end, Backlash has all the ingredients for the perfect crime novel and I loved every word of it. Recommended.

I have been a fan of Marnie Riches' work for quite a while now. I have loved each and every book that she has written. As soon as she releases a book, I grab a copy and squirrel myself until I have finished reading. I read the synopsis for 'Backlash' and I couldn't wait to be reacquainted with Private Investigator Beverley Saunders and her sidekick, Doc. Having made myself a cup of tea, I grabbed my Kindle and settled down to read an early review copy of 'Backlash'. Having just finished reading 'Backlash', I can say that Marnie Riches has done it again and she has written one hell of an addictive and fast paced story. I thoroughly enjoyed 'Backlash' but more about that in a bit.
What can I say about Private Investigator Bev Saunders? She sounds like somebody I would get along well with. She is friendly, sassy, slightly eccentric, determined, resolute, she is fairly compassionate and at the same time she has a cracking sense of humour. She isn't exactly swamped with work when we meet up with her again. A couple meet with her to ask her to take on a case. Initially she isn't sure but then she realises that bills need to be paid and that takes money so she takes on the case. When Bev takes on a case, she gives 110% to her work, even if her dedication to her work does get her into the odd scrape. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I imagined the sorts of scrapes that Bev got herself into. That said, Bev's work has also got her into some scary trouble, which made me fear for her safety. Does Bev solve the case? Will Bev survive? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
To say that 'Backlash' is addictive reading seems like the understatement of the decade. I was under this book's spell from the moment I first picked it up until the moment I got to the end of the book. I would pick the book up only intending to read for a few minutes and to read a couple of chapters but because I was enjoying the book so much I actually ended up reading a lot more than that. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't bear to miss a single second of the story. I seemed to race through the book and I was most disappointed when I got to the end of the book. I don't mean that how it sounds or in a negative way, but I was enjoying the book and the characters so much that I just wanted the book to continue.
'Backlash' is brilliantly written but then I wouldn't expect anything else from Marnie Riches. She certainly knows how to create characters that stand out from the crowd and stay fresh in your mind for a long time after you have finished the book. She draws you into her web from the first word on the first page and then tightens her hold on you as the book continues. For me, 'Backlash' was perfectly paced. The story hit the ground running and maintained the reasonably fast pace throughout. The author uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself and that Bev was a friend of mine.
In short, 'Backlash' is a brilliant read from the brilliant Marnie Riches. I would definitely recommend this author and her books to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Marnie's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Marnie Riches writes in such a way that you’ll feel a smorgasbord of emotions as you turn page after page. It is a book that you don’t want to put down, but when you inevitably do, you’ll smile at Bev’s antics or wince at what just happened, and look forward to the moment you can pick it back up again.
This is the second installment of Bev, Hope and Doc. The characters develop and mature and I desperately wanted them to do the sensible thing. Not a chance! If there’s a risk to be taken Bev will jump in with both feet. Highly recommended and looking forward to more about Bev soon.

Private Investigator Bev and her partner, Doc take on a new case. A client has a noisy neighbour , so this should be a simple neighbourhood dispute…..but oh no…things start to get complicated.

There are drugs involved and they are put in danger as a result. A very topical and real issue these days, which really lends this tale a feeling of reality.

There is humour too amongst the drama in this well written thriller with a clever plot and brilliant characters, Bev is a bit eccentric and likeable and so funny at times. It’s a dark, realistic and thoroughly entertaining thriller.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

Have a read of this
It was funny and full of characters on the other side
It was full of characters That played against the law
I had an ARC

I always get excited when I see an email from Netgalley approving me for a Marnie Riches novel and it was no different with Backlash the follow up to Tightrope. Catching up with Bev Saunders Private Investigator extraordinaire and her partner Doc is a pleasure, Bev is a complicated woman with a complicated life, running her business, looking after her daughter and trying to get her life in order, despite her plank of an ex's best efforts.
When Bev takes on a new case, she assumes that it's just a noisy neighbour dispute but we all know it's not going to be that straightforward it can't be can it? We are taken into the murky world of drugs, more specifically Spice, a drug which is the bane of society at the moment.
This case has allowed the author to inject some comedy elements by introducing us to Gail, the cleaner and some of the best parts of this book are when Bev becomes her alter ego, For all that we see a lot of the big brash Bev there really is a lot more to her, she worries endlessly, my mum would have said 'she worries about not having anything to worry about’.
Bev Saunders PI, what a woman, she has had some serious issues in her past and definitely raised my eyebrows in amusement. I tell you something if I needed a PI and she was in the yellow pages it would be her number I'd dial. She absolutely has a heart of gold, during this case she had need to allow a homeless man sleep in her office.

Read for an honest review. Thank you Ms Riches, Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group Trapeze

When I read the first book in this series, Tight Rope, I knew the author was onto something special with the mad combination of Bev Saunders and her partner in crime fighting, Doc. Well, Backlash has proven just how right I was, giving readers a book which is equal parts, humorous, dark, compelling and emotive.

This time around we see Bev and Doc well settled in their new roles as Private Investigators, albeit in less than necessarily legal circumstances. A meeting with a prospective client sets Bev up with her next case, one which will put her life and potentially that of the very person she loves most, in danger. Who would have thought keeping tabs on a rowdy neighbour would be so dangerous huh? I'm kind of glad I left my previous neighbour to just get on with it now to be fair ...

This is a story in which there are many layers. Although you have the often fun and sassy side of Bev front and centre - she is not your usual PI by any stretch of the imagination - there are some very dark and very topical sub-plots behind her case. With links back to trafficking and the supply of Spice, this book touches upon real issues of today, handling them in a way which is scarily authentic and a stark reminder of how society, even the affluent neighbourhood in which Bev finds herself working, can have a very dark side too.

The book of deftly plotted, the action and pacing just right to keep it entertaining but also believable. Do not think that all you read is gospel truth as Marnie Riches has a real talent for hiding the truth behind a very fine veil of a lie. Just enough to keep you guessing, but leaving enough detail that the observant may put two and two together to come up with an answer very close to, but not necessarily exactly, four.

Creating characters is another of the author's true talents. She has given readers a diverse cast, from the lovable Doc with his burning but ignored torch for Bev. I really like him. He's laid back, reluctant, a little too reticent at times, but a brilliant character nonetheless. Then there is Bev's objectionable and quite frankly dickish ex husband, always on hand to twist the knife. Add in some tough and deadly bad guys, a mystery figure who weaves in and out of the story and a man seeking both his freedom and his brother he believes lost to traffickers and you have a group of people who kept me completely glued to the page.

This is a fun series and I am looking forward to seeing how it grows. Being a PI with no restrictions on the cases she can take, the door is wide open for some cracking tales and I know that Marnie Riches is capable of bringing it all - action, adventure, mystery and a bloody good laugh. If you like a PI novel that lives life on an angle, this is the read for you.