I have read all of this series, and once again, it was a brilliant read
The story is told from a dual timeline
The author tackles some difficult subjects, and does this really well
This is a gritty, gangland thriller

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

An absolute joy catching up with The Working Girls. This truly was an addictive read. I found myself unable to put this instalment down. This series has been brilliant and one i must say will be best read in order. Mainly because of the overlap of characters, it's always much better if you follow them on the journey. I find knowing the background of characters etc really helps with the enjoyment of any series.

Learning from a very young age that life isn't as rosey as we like to think. Amber has it tough, she has struggles, yet she made such an interesting character. Her storyline was hard to digest in parts, but the author gave a difficult subject a purpose in the story.

Another brilliant read. Well worth reading.

Loved this instalment of this series. Throughly enjoy the way Burnside conducts characters and the plot. An addictive read that you can't put down

Amber by Heather Burnside is the fourth book in the Working girl’s series, Oh boy this series is Brilliant and gritty especially as you can read this latest book by Heather as a stand alone but, I highly recommend you go back and read all this books in the working girls series. They did not disappoint, Like all the other three books I was hooked within the first few pages

Within this book, we meet Amber who has had it tough, sadly she has ended up on the street working at a very early age thanks to her mother. Amber has to fight for survival on the dark corners of the streets where she lives. She must bring money home to her mother., and then becoming entangled with notorious pimp Kev Pike. Amber needs her witts behind her to keep alive

Will, Amber survive the streets of Manchester?

Will Amber get lucky and turn her life around?

WoW what a book I highly recommend both the book and this series.

Big Thank you to Netgalley, the author Heather Burnside for the digital ARC in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.

Heather Burnside is back with a high stakes gangland thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats: Amber.

Working girl Amber learned at a very young age that in this lonely and unforgiving world, the only person she could rely on was herself. With a mother who was not fit for purpose and a brother who despises her, Amber has had no choice but to look after herself, but when Manchester’s meanest pimp Kev Pike offers her his protection, has the working girl finally found somebody who will fight her corner and who will be there for her? Or will being under Kev’s protection plunge Amber into even more danger, terror and jeopardy? Not everyone is happy about Amber’s arrangement with Kev. Fellow prostitute Cora is absolutely furious about this turn of events and she is not somebody anyone in their right mind would want to get on the wrong side of – until she is found strangled to death. Cora certainly had her fair share of enemies, but which one of them is responsible for her brutal murder?

A dangerous killer is on the loose in the foggy city streets and everybody is on edge. Will the murderer end up picking another victim to slake his ruthless thirst for death? Amber is absolutely terrified as she knows that one wrong move could end up costing her everything. When Kev offers to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, Amber thinks that she has found the answer to all of her prayers – until she realises that Kev’s security might just come at a price that is simply too high to her…

When Amber uncovers a horrifying secret that ends up putting her in the line of fire, will she run away to safety? Or will she make the decision to stay put and live to regret it?

Heather Burnside simply never fails to take her readers deep into the Manchester criminal underbelly and pen exciting, action-packed and spine-chilling thrillers that never fail to disappoint and her latest novel Amber is certainly no different. Dark, gritty and terrifying, Amber is a tale of dangerous decisions, desperate secrets and ruthless ambition full of shocking twists and turns that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages.

Gangland thriller fans need look no further than Heather Burnside’s latest top-notch thriller, Amber, for a hair-raising and heart-twisting read that is hard to put down.

5☆ A Gritty, Engrossing, Poignant Page Turner!

I have read all the books in this gritty series but Amber's story is by far my favourite, not only did it break my heart to see what she went through, but her story well and truly got under my skin!

Amber is a working girl of the night and she finds herself in a bit of bother with Cora, one of the other girls on her patch.
Cora quickly makes sure Amber knows who's boss when she gives her a nasty beating.
But is everything as it seems with Cora?
What is Kev local pimp/ protector sniffing around Amber for?
Does Kev's Reputation of being a violent bully precede him?

Amber's home life is utterly shocking and to be honest I'm surprised social services hadn't got involved at all. Which just goes to show how times have changed! Amber doesn't just have an abusive alcoholic Mum, she is abused by others too!

What I loved was that this story is told between two time periods, the present and Amber's life now, and then the past, and her childhood and how she became a lady of the night!

All of the previous characters show up in this book but you don't need to of read them as every story is different. However I loved catching up with the older characters and seeing how Crystal and Sapphire were.

There are some very difficult subjects within this story, in which Heather addresses in a letter at the beginning of the book which was a lovely touch and showed how much she cares. Subjects such as Child Grooming, Child Abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, Prostitution.  At times it's not an easy read, but it's one that is relevant to Amber's story and maybe relatable to other people's stories.

Heather Burnside is one of my absolute favourite Authors for this genre, and her books just keep getting better and better!
I was excited to read Amber's story, and I loved all the juicy twists I didn't see coming!

If you are a lover of gritty Gang-Lit, Crime Fiction, Thrillers, that get under your skin, keep you turning the pages, have complex characters, and an air of danger the whole way through then you have to pick up a copy of AMBER!

I really do hope there is more to come from this Fantastic Gang-Lit Series!

Amber is book four in the Working Girls series written by Heather Burnside. The story centres around Amber a prostitute and begins in 2015 as she meets up with a regular client, he likes her to dress up for him. She tries to detach herself, and remove herself virtually from the room but finds herself slowly weeping as she is transported back to her childhood, a time of hardship and trauma that no child should endure. She had friends and was - living a life far removed from the life she’s living now, living a life as Amy, happy with her friends, loved by her grandparents until her mothers debts and lifestyle forced their move to a life that would forever haunt her.

I began reading this book and found I couldn’t concentrate, the story and content was edgy, blunt and in your face and to say I found it difficult reading would be an understatement. It didn’t matter how quickly I read I couldn’t escape the horrific details spilling from the pages at the heart of the story. Don’t get me wrong the skill of the author is testament to how reading the book made me feel uncomfortable and pushed me way outside of my comfort zone, this wasn’t a wishy washy water colour it was a full blown oil painting in all it’s colourful glory. The story switches back and forth between Amy’s childhood and Ambers life, setting the scene as to how and why Amy became Amber. The more I read the more I desperately wanted to escape the imagery conjured by the words until I couldn’t cope anymore.

This is my first read of Heather Burnside and it’s clear that this book is more than words on paper, she depicts the characters and scenarios with a clarity that is raw and unfiltered. I found it difficult to compartmentalise fact from fiction, such is Heathers skill and style of writing. Every word is like a true account totally mesmerising and compelling. Every word is like a true account totally mesmerising and compelling and the research it must have took to craft such a book is evident.

It’s going to take a lot to push this novel from my memory and think I need to read something uplifting and light as an antidote, I recommend this book to all readers who love crime thrillers that are a bit too real for comfort.

Amber is a working girl on the tough streets on Manchester.  Young and used to a life of hardship and prostitution, Amber does what she has to do to survive.  The streets are a tough place and after an attack, she accepts the protection of a renowned pimp, Kev.  And with one of the other girls getting murdered, everyone needs to be careful.  But is she as safe as she thinks.....?

This is a raw, gritty and dark book but I really enjoyed it.  The author starts with a letter at the beginning of the book explaining her feelings on writing it and the elements of abuse that are covered.  The abuse that happens make for an uncomfortable read at times, but the author has managed them well.  Sadly, these things happen in real life, and in this book we see the effect it has on Amber throughout her life.

There are some horrible characters in this.  Her mother for one! Although she has experienced her own tragedy and hardships, the decisions she makes in this are despicable.  At first, she does what she has to do to survive and for her children, but this changes as time moves on and what happens will shock and disgust you.  Her brother is another one - he could make things so different but chooses not to.  There are also plenty of other characters that will make your skin crawl and make you angry.  On the other hand, I couldn't help but love Amber.  She has been through so much and underneath is just a vulnerable young woman.  She deserves so much more than she got from life - but will things eventually change for her? (You'll have to read to find out!).  There are some other characters in this too that are all heart, and only do what they do because they have no choice, and you will love them too.

The story is told from two different times.  One from the past and one from the present (or around it).  Despite the fact that some of the story will make your hairs stand on end, I was gripped and wanted to keep turning the pages.  The author does a fantastic job of setting the scene exactly how it should be, and in bringing out all sorts of emotions. I felt anger, sadness, disgust, pity and joy - a real rollercoaster of emotions!

Although this is book 4 in The Working Girls series, this can easily be read as a standalone.  I haven't read the first three books but definitely want to go back and read them now!  I thoroughly enjoyed everything about it - the writing style, the plot, the setting and the characters.  The only thing I found at times was that I had reorientate myself where the chapters flit from time to time, but that didn't take much to do!

Overall, a brilliant crime thriller that will bring out so many different emotions in you and have you hooked.  I will definitely be reading more from this author! So if you're a crime thriller fan, or want something dark and gritty to read, then go and check this out.  Highly recommended by me.

This was a hard hitting pageturner tackling the sensitive issues of child abuse and prostitution and the lives of those involved. Despite the bleak topics this was a compelling read and the story really made me care about the characters that were developed. Although Amber is the 4th book in this current series, it was the first one that I have read and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of them and more of Burnshide's work.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Hugely enjoyable, completely engrossing and a terrific read.
Be warned however. This is the fourth book in an ongoing series. As I haven’t yet read the previous three books, I did find that certain events and revelations should have been known before reading this book.
But all that aside, I recommend this book to all fans of Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers and other female writers. It is guaranteed to keep you on your toes and leave you wanting more.

Book four in The Working Girls series is a haunting and tragic story.

All the books in this series are a unique mix of gritty and poignant, but as Amber is a victim of child abuse and child sexual abuse, this is difficult to read and hard to forget. Sensitively written with a focus on the emotional damage abuse causes, this book focuses on the victims.

The dual timeline story moves from the early 1990s when Amy is a little girl through to her teenage years and closer to the present day when Amber is a working girl. The plot is fast-paced as Amy's life gradually becomes Amber's. The characters, some new, and a few familiar faces are relatable, and after a climactic conclusion, there is a positive ending.

This is an edgy and poignant series that explores urban crime in Manchester.

I received a copy of this book from 'Head of Zeus-Aria' via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

“Can she survive the city streets alone?”

I almost found myself reading this book, not as a work of fiction, but rather more like the script of a television documentary, which I thought might be almost as it was intended and would definitely be suited, especially given the current and very publicly focussed and sensitive nature of certain aspects of its storyline. Author, Heather Burnside makes no apology for the harsh reality of this storyline and reading her heartfelt letter published at the beginning of the book, offered an honest insight into her reasons for pursuing her chosen premise for the series, as she genuinely does not want her intentions to have been misinterpreted.

Amber joins The Mark, Ruby and Crystal, as the fourth in the series of ‘Working Girl’ books and I have to come clean and admit, that whilst I have taken part in Blog Tours for all three of the earlier books, I have yet to read any of them. I have a feeling that I have joined the series with arguably the most dramatic and traumatising of the four stories and definitely the one which will probably spark the most controversial debate and comment. Whilst part of a series which is linked by some common characters and places, Amber works just fine as a stand alone story, as the backstory and commonality is well enough explained as events unfold, making it easy to connect and engage with at all levels.

Multi-layered, well constructed and textured, but definitely not a story to escape into, or relax with, I could almost ‘feel’ the desperate passion and intensity of the gritty and honest writing. The need to encapsulate the distressing physical pain and suffering, together with the emotional angst and horrors, but with the minimum of wasted words and verbal embellishments, so that almost every syllable was made to count, had meaning, and needed to be read!

Although this is intrinsically a story about a way of life, it has at its core the tale of Amber and her journey, which eventually leads her down that dark and winding road to the depths of despair. Written with confidence and authenticity, rich in atmosphere and skilled in the imagery of words, the powerful and visually descriptive narrative and dialogue first drew me into Amber’s life when she was a young child of five. At this very impressionable time in her life, when she and her younger brother have already lost so much, the veneer of respectability and any other emotional stability they and their mother once had is cruelly taken away from them. As life becomes ever more intolerable, a vulnerable Amber never enjoys the protection, nurture, respect and love she and every other child has the right to expect from their parent, or indeed, any other adult. Wanting to stop reading, needing to get my hands on Amber’s mother, Loretta and beat her to a pulp, yet moved to continue with this profoundly touching and emotionally draining time in Amber’s life, I was a far from neutral observer and witness, to the total scheming and depravity which would bring about the eventual total destruction of her childhood, in the cruellest possible way, followed by the crude beginnings of a lifetime of emotional blackmail she is to endure, as she strives steadfastly and loyally until the very end, to win the mother’s love and affection she has always craved!

Circumstances and her mother’s malignant influence, continued to bear down on Amber’s teenage years, as she was unerringly forced down the dark road, deep into the unconventional, dysfunctional and altogether dangerous world of the ‘working girl’. Documented with compassion by the author, yet with an almost compelling need to shine a light on the daily traumas she faces, the tension is ratcheted up another notch, gripping and keeping me glued to the screen, as I watched an Amber filled with constant dread and fear, as her emotional vulnerability and the brooding shame of her exploitation is soon overshadowed by the menacing daily fight for her physical survival and the grabbing needs of her family for the monetary rewards she earns. In as much as their profession and competitive lifestyle allows, Amber makes a small core of ‘friends’ among the other girls, who whilst they will quite uncommittedly not interfere to save Amber from the odd beating, will warn her on the quiet of any impending trouble she needs to know about, which undoubtedly kept her out of harms way on more than one occasion.

The multi-faceted cast of well drawn and developed characters, were all so badly damaged, extremely vulnerable and emotionally complex, it made them very difficult to connect and engage with on any level. Although perhaps none of them should have been castigated by me for their way of life or their actions, as they were all so visibly under such hugely intolerable emotional pressures, it was so difficult not to pre-judge them and get hung up on their many transgressions.

Towards the end, there were a couple of really cleverly crafted, gasp out loud twists in the story, which I have to say I never saw coming. However that may have been that I was just so affected by the bigger picture, that I took my eye off the detail for a while. To say any more would give away ‘spoilers’, however ‘Like mother, like daughter’ might give you a clue to be going on with!

After a life spent searching for a sense of belonging and acceptance, there were one or two moments of unexpected respite for Amber over the years, when a few crumbs of kindness were thrown her way, compassion and comfort offered, often by the most unexpected of people. However, when she was at her lowest ebb, it was the value and kindness of a kindred spirit, who seeing through the facade of bravado and stoicism Amber has built into an invisible wall around herself, offers her a lifeline for a better future, should she choose to accept it – the rest is up to her!

This particular story ended on a relatively high note of optimism and hope, however for me, it was tempered and tinged with regret for those ‘working girls’, who still risk their lives on the streets of our towns and cities, often for reasons not of their own choosing and in circumstances not of their own making.

Heather has written this series of four ‘working girls’ books, specifically to highlight events which have brought each of the four girls to where they are today. I guess the real message of the books is:-

‘Don’t judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes!’

I have been a fan of Heather’s work for a little while now. I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written but I am getting there. I particularly love ‘The Working Girls’ series. The most recent book in the series is called ‘Amber’ and it was released on 1st April 2021. It is an absolutely fantastic book and I enjoyed every single minute of it but more about that in a bit.
I liked the character of Amber. When the story starts, we learn that Amber was known by another name, Amy, back in the day. The reasons for the name change aren’t given straight away but the details are drip fed to the reader. It soon becomes clear that something happened in Amber/Amy’s past that she wants to distance herself from. Amber certainly has her problems but I can kind of see why she has the drug and alcohol issues that she has. She wants to forget and sometimes drugs and alcohol make her do just that. Amber is wary of other people and I think she also has trust issues, which isn’t surprising. Amber comes across as a canny lass and I kept everything crossed for her that things would work out for her in the end. What happens? Well for the answer to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my flipping word, ‘Amber’ was certainly one hell of a read and then some. As soon as I saw that Heather was due to release another book in ‘The Working Girls’ series, I just knew that I had to read it as soon as possible. I decided to dive straight in and I didn’t surface again until the moment I read the last word on the last page. I just couldn’t put ‘Amber’ down for fear of missing something. When I looked to check the time, I was staggered to realise that I had read solidly for two hours. I had been so wrapped up in the story that I had lost all track of time. I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough as I galloped my way to the end.
‘Amber’ is brilliantly written but in my opinion, that’s certainly true of all of Heather’s books. She certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draw you into what proves to be a compelling story. The characters are always gritty and raw and they seem just as realistic as you and I. The story is written using two different timelines. One timeline describes events in the past when Amber was Amy and the other timeline describes events as they happen in the present after Amy became Amber. The chapters interlink well and the story flows seamlessly. The story hits the ground running and maintains a fairly fast pace throughout. Reading ‘Amber’ felt like being on one hell of an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I found ‘Amber’ to be a gritty and gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat.
In short I absolutely loved reading ‘Amber’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Heather’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I’d like to thank Aria & Aries and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Amber’ , the fourth in The Working Girls series written by Heather Burnside, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Amber is a working girl put on the streets of Manchester by her mother at the age of twelve and left to fend for herself. Regularly being accosted by rowdy and obnoxious men, Amber takes up the offer made by Kev Pike the local minder and they form a relationship of sorts. When she discovers that Kev has a vicious side to him she knows she has to get away, but things are tough as she can’t go back on the streets where he might find her and she’s forced to beg.

I’ve followed The Working Girls from book one and after reading ‘Amber’ all I can say is that this has been an eye-opening story of women not as fortunate as myself and many others, who do what they do to pay for drugs to dull the edges of their lives and to make money just to exist. There’s a rapport between the characters, Amber, Crystal, Sapphire, Ruby and Old Angie, who each has a tale to tell and it’s good to read that some of them do make a life for themselves away from the streets. This has been a compelling ending to a gritty but thoroughly enjoyable series and my thanks go to Ms Burnside for letting us in on her story.

This is book four in the Working Girl series and tells the story of Amy/Amber. It is told in two times, when Amy was growing up and when she became working girl Amber. Amy had a good life but after the sudden unexpected death of her Dad life went downhill fast for her and her family. You can’t help but feel for Amy as she is dragged in into the dark world of prostitution from an early age.

A gritty, fast paced plot that carries you along with ease. The difficult topic, essential to the storyline was sensitively written, with obvious care and a lack of sensationalism. Well thought out and well written, with plenty packed in. Various twists, turns and unexpected events, hurtling towards a satisfying conclusion.
The characters were well drawn and all too human. They were complicated, yet easily understood, with just the right amount of background to make sense, without distracting from the plot. The interaction between the characters were natural and as expected, however the relationships explored within were the opposite.
A good book, which was very easy to read and very hard to put down.

Although this is Book 4 in the series it can be read as a stand aloneI love a new Heather Burnside book, they never disappoint and are always a fast paced, gritty and a superbly written read
This time we meet Amber, dragged up ( and that’s being polite ) and ending up on the streets at a very early age, (thanks to her Mum) and her fight for survival on those dark, crime ridden and dangerous streets with all the characters she meets
The author starts the book with a letter to readers explaining the nature of some of the book and why it is included and I think explains it well and the parts she is referring to are handled well and not in a gratuitous or ‘shock value’ way but in the way it is intended and to show why Amber is now as she is
The book goes between present, past and past past and a few seconds are needed sometimes just to remember where you are and when, but that’s no hassle
There is a big ‘WOW’ moment towards the end of the book which I had no inkling of and was really well done to surprise the reader
It’s real, dark, true to life ( sadly ) and written with feeling as all this authors books are and every page was filled with drama, no repetition
A genuinely hard hitting story that will stay with you

10/10
5 Stars

OMG Heather Burnside and her books are a force to be reckoned with!! I've just finished reading her latest book, Amber, and I read it in a day because it was impossible to put down!!! Just an amazing, gritty read. I absolutely love this author, as I'm sure you can tell!! Thanks to Netgalley and Heather Burnside for allowing me to read this Arc. Definitely worth way more than five stars.

Amber is the fourth book in the Working girl’s series, and you can read it as a standalone as, I have not read the previous books in this series.
When Loretta’s husband Greg dies suddenly, Loretta and her two children Amy and Nathan must leave their family home in Cheadle to move to a more affordable home on a housing estate in Withington. Their new home is riddled with damp, she can hear dogs barking and people shouting, and the new neighbours think that they are too posh to be there. But with little work and her debts rising she had not choice to be there. She has a string of boyfriends and always drinking so when her latest boyfriend leaves, she doesn’t know how she is going to pay the bills and feed the children until she meets Cliff who decides to pimp her daughter out to him, and so Amy is raped.
The story is set in two timelines which shows the hardships that Amy (Amber) must endure.
Although some of this story is of a touchy subject, I couldn’t put this down. This is a gripping, heart-breaking thriller from the very first page and read it in a day. I am also surprised with myself why I haven’t read a book from this author before. I am sure now I will be looking at the other books Heather Burnside. Brilliant 5 stars