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Power Play
The victim of a brutal attack by four men eleven years before, Pepper Minesse vows revenge on the group and plans to destroy them with the files she holds, leading the men to an even more violent counterattack. Reissue.
507 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1988
37 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,124 books662 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 12, 2016
This is the other book she made me sob while reading it.
This is NOT a romance. It is a suspense book and is very dark and heavy. It is very well written. It has pedophilia, cult believes, devil worship, murder, rape, incest, mental disease, power struggle... It also deals with spirituality, ultimate love, kindness and protection.
It is the story of a young successful woman who wanted revenge from four man. The men went to Oxford together.
This is NOT a romance. It is a suspense book and is very dark and heavy. It is very well written. It has pedophilia, cult believes, devil worship, murder, rape, incest, mental disease, power struggle... It also deals with spirituality, ultimate love, kindness and protection.
It is the story of a young successful woman who wanted revenge from four man. The men went to Oxford together.
January 27, 2018
One of the best book I have read by Penny Jordan. I loved the protagonist Pepper Menesse; she is an extraordinary woman! The trials she faced in the book was heartbreaking and to see how she dealt with it was inspiring.
Pepper is a young woman who plots revenge on men who were behind her rape when she was 17. This is a very very dark novel and amidst the darkness an unlikely love blossoms. The sheer amount of issue that is delved into this book is mind blowing you get everything from murder, abduction, rape, blackmail, cults etc.
I adored Miles, a true gentlemen one of my all time favourite characters. It was endearing to see him try win the trust of Pepper after ordeal she faced by his peers at Oxford uni.
The villain in this novel is pure evil and tops the list for most hateful characters. I read Silver by Penny Jordan, another revenge themed novel and Power Play is so much better!
Overall this was very gripping and will keep you turning the pages, shedding tears and keep you on the edge of your seat.
It was bittersweet to finish reading this novel. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. Definitely one I will reread soon!
May 18, 2020
Un bouquin qui mérite cinq étoiles sans discute ! c'est une histoire de vengeance bien planifiée pendant des années par Peper victime de viol et d'agression par un groupe de quatre amis .
Après tout ce temps passé elle a collecté toutes les informations sur leurs vies, leurs couples, et leurs travaux surtout qui se teint de l'illégalité ou de corruption !
Ces quatre hommes heureux et avec des succès interminables dans ses vies professionnelles et écrire leurs noms en or sur le sommet de leur domaines différents, ils ont un Rendez-vous avec une femme d'affaire anonyme : c'est Peper bien sur , ce fameux RV avec cette inconnue va bouleverser leurs vies au vrai sens du mot, car le passé leurs faits face et l'erreur mortelle du passé ... aura un prix trop chère à payer sans soute ... Sauf L'un d'eux qui va bouleverser la vie de Peper à son tour !!
Trop belle histoire avec une fin chaleureuse et émotionnelle !
Après tout ce temps passé elle a collecté toutes les informations sur leurs vies, leurs couples, et leurs travaux surtout qui se teint de l'illégalité ou de corruption !
Ces quatre hommes heureux et avec des succès interminables dans ses vies professionnelles et écrire leurs noms en or sur le sommet de leur domaines différents, ils ont un Rendez-vous avec une femme d'affaire anonyme : c'est Peper bien sur , ce fameux RV avec cette inconnue va bouleverser leurs vies au vrai sens du mot, car le passé leurs faits face et l'erreur mortelle du passé ... aura un prix trop chère à payer sans soute ... Sauf L'un d'eux qui va bouleverser la vie de Peper à son tour !!
Trop belle histoire avec une fin chaleureuse et émotionnelle !
July 24, 2011
This is not a typical PJ story. It had an interesting plot that could have made a great story but it seemed to evolve into a gothic nightmare.
January 15, 2022
A fun bonkbuster that was absolutely ruined by the love interest and the last ten percent.
There were other niggling things, too, such as the overreliance on the word g*p*y and Romany cultural appropriation, and the whole stuff with Simon's past, and Tim, the psychotic bisexual.
But honestly, apart from the g-word, I could have rolled with all that if it wasn't for Miles the Absolute Worst, Get In the Fucking Sea. He's an apparently genius lawyer except he decides the best way to save Pepper from Simon is to recreate the conditions of her rape, i.e. DRUG AND KIDNAP HER AND FLYING HER TO A DESERT ISLAND.
WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK, MILES.
And he only thinks, once (!) that MAYBE THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, but ONLY WHEN THEY'RE IN GOA does he consider that MAYBE THIS MIGHT BRING UP TRAUMATIC MEMORIES and that perhaps there might have been a better way to handle this!
YA THINK, MILES?
And his reasons for doing this and not, I don't know, JUST TALKING TO HER, are that "she'll be safer not knowing". WHY? It's not even that he thinks she won't believe him - though that might make sense! Pepper thinks he was a part of her rape! - but just this NONSENSE about keeping her safe.
I HATE HIM SO MUCH.
BUT! If the last ten percent hadn't RUINED EVERYTHING I could have even dealt with him
PEPPER REALISES THAT REVENGE IS NOT THE ANSWER AND THAT EVERYTHING BAD THAT HAPPENED IN THE BOOK IS BECAUSE SHE SOUGHT REVENGE.
ARE. YOU. FUCKING. KIDDING. ME?!
You spend all this time showing how she built up her business empire and gathered power to take down these powerful men! And then you just say, nah, it was morally wrong! AND THEN SHE SELLS HER BUSINESS SO SHE CAN RAISE HER KIDS.
That is an absolutely awful way to end the book, and I have NO idea who it's for. Who is picking up THIS book for THAT ending?
I honestly don't know if I can recommend it. I enjoyed it a lot, but the ending was too much.
There were other niggling things, too, such as the overreliance on the word g*p*y and Romany cultural appropriation, and the whole stuff with Simon's past, and Tim, the psychotic bisexual.
But honestly, apart from the g-word, I could have rolled with all that if it wasn't for Miles the Absolute Worst, Get In the Fucking Sea. He's an apparently genius lawyer except he decides the best way to save Pepper from Simon is to recreate the conditions of her rape, i.e. DRUG AND KIDNAP HER AND FLYING HER TO A DESERT ISLAND.
WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK, MILES.
And he only thinks, once (!) that MAYBE THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, but ONLY WHEN THEY'RE IN GOA does he consider that MAYBE THIS MIGHT BRING UP TRAUMATIC MEMORIES and that perhaps there might have been a better way to handle this!
YA THINK, MILES?
And his reasons for doing this and not, I don't know, JUST TALKING TO HER, are that "she'll be safer not knowing". WHY? It's not even that he thinks she won't believe him - though that might make sense! Pepper thinks he was a part of her rape! - but just this NONSENSE about keeping her safe.
I HATE HIM SO MUCH.
BUT! If the last ten percent hadn't RUINED EVERYTHING I could have even dealt with him
PEPPER REALISES THAT REVENGE IS NOT THE ANSWER AND THAT EVERYTHING BAD THAT HAPPENED IN THE BOOK IS BECAUSE SHE SOUGHT REVENGE.
ARE. YOU. FUCKING. KIDDING. ME?!
You spend all this time showing how she built up her business empire and gathered power to take down these powerful men! And then you just say, nah, it was morally wrong! AND THEN SHE SELLS HER BUSINESS SO SHE CAN RAISE HER KIDS.
That is an absolutely awful way to end the book, and I have NO idea who it's for. Who is picking up THIS book for THAT ending?
I honestly don't know if I can recommend it. I enjoyed it a lot, but the ending was too much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2015
I accidentally read this when I meant to read something else, and by the time I finished the first chapter, I was intrigued. Unrealistic portrayal of a rape survivor overcoming her anxiety about sex, so I'll take a star off for that. Otherwise, great character choices.
April 25, 2022
When I found this book at my local thrift books store- I was in love with it’s 80’s cover- and for the price, how could I not!?
This book was- I don’t even know how to explain it. I want to say it’s a tad problematic. But, what wasn’t in the 80’s?? The beginning was very strong and I was really engaged. Even the whole build up to the confrontation was so well done! I kept thinking- “damn, this is crazy” in a good way… then, I went- “damn, this is crazy” in a bad way.
For a book this long and so well crafted on backstory- she really rushed the ending and the whole weird romance plot.
I will admit though, Penny Jordan had a wonderful thing for characters. Every character in this novel, no matter how big or small was fully fleshed out and I give her a lot of credit for that! It is no easy feat to keep track of that many players in a novel- especially with such thought out backstories!
Overall, I finished it and the cover looks cool on my shelf!
This book was- I don’t even know how to explain it. I want to say it’s a tad problematic. But, what wasn’t in the 80’s?? The beginning was very strong and I was really engaged. Even the whole build up to the confrontation was so well done! I kept thinking- “damn, this is crazy” in a good way… then, I went- “damn, this is crazy” in a bad way.
For a book this long and so well crafted on backstory- she really rushed the ending and the whole weird romance plot.
I will admit though, Penny Jordan had a wonderful thing for characters. Every character in this novel, no matter how big or small was fully fleshed out and I give her a lot of credit for that! It is no easy feat to keep track of that many players in a novel- especially with such thought out backstories!
Overall, I finished it and the cover looks cool on my shelf!
January 22, 2012
This was an enjoyable read. The book is really in-depth, so it took me a little longer to read, but it was certainly enjoyable, and kept me wanting to know what happens next. The characters are obviously thoroughly thought out, and such complicated characters in a novel (especially one labeled as "Romance") is very refreshing. Penny Jordan excels in writing the details into her story with grace and intrigue. The book was in-depth without being boring, dark without being depressing, and heartfelt without being sappy. The story and plot was satisfying beginning to end. This was a poignant story strewn with meaning and lessons for everyone to learn.
May 12, 2015
3*
If I was a to rate this book on the plot alone it would have been a 4.5* book. But unfortunately for me the book had too much detail that wasnt always needed. It felt lile the book went on foreverrrrrrrrr
If I was a to rate this book on the plot alone it would have been a 4.5* book. But unfortunately for me the book had too much detail that wasnt always needed. It felt lile the book went on foreverrrrrrrrr
September 4, 2012
Great book, very in depth for all the characters. It was emotional and I could relate properly and emotionally.
October 12, 2014
total rubbish
January 9, 2022
It was really good, i likec it very much. I did not like the name 'Pepper' though, it felt too funny and cute to me. Minesse was great, her new first name should have been something else.
April 15, 2024
I picked up this book purely for the mad 80s cover and expected to read something more like boy meets girl rather than girl has been raped and goes on a redemption mission to bring her attackers to justice but I was hooked!
The actual read was surreal, as many have said in the reviews, parts were amazing and parts were problematic and just not nice at all.
I did love the 3D nature of each of the characters, their backstories were super interesting and Pepper Minesse did have a lot of success. Was it a bit unrealistic? Totally, but an interesting read nonetheless. Taking a few stars off for the portrayal of her relationship with the lawyer but other than that a solidly intriguing read.
The actual read was surreal, as many have said in the reviews, parts were amazing and parts were problematic and just not nice at all.
I did love the 3D nature of each of the characters, their backstories were super interesting and Pepper Minesse did have a lot of success. Was it a bit unrealistic? Totally, but an interesting read nonetheless. Taking a few stars off for the portrayal of her relationship with the lawyer but other than that a solidly intriguing read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2018
Un po'raffazzonato...la trama non è così avvincente
March 18, 2020
This is a very delicious not very well known novel. I highly recommend it - I found it in a lending library and have bought it and re read it multiple times.
May 23, 2022
Gypsy orphan raped by satanists plots her revenge.
March 22, 2023
Caught my attention from the start making it hard to put down. Well written with just enough suspense and romance.
April 27, 2024
DNF. Lame and slow. Gave up on page 80
September 8, 2024
Historia de una venganza. Trama poco plausible y bastante retorcida. En la primera parte se mantiene el interés con la evolución de los diferentes personajes a lo largo de varios años.
No esperaba mucho de este libro más allá de un mero entretenimiento, pero empieza a cansarme la violencia gratuita y los antagonistas psicópatas que pueblan las series y novelas.
No esperaba mucho de este libro más allá de un mero entretenimiento, pero empieza a cansarme la violencia gratuita y los antagonistas psicópatas que pueblan las series y novelas.
January 21, 2025
Cudo! Rozbudowana historia z wieloma wątkami a wszystko się spinało
April 21, 2025
an old read but still a very good read 📚
July 12, 2024
I enjoyed this book, it was fast moving and an easy read. Interesting characters.
I received this book for free from Goodreads giveaways.
I received this book for free from Goodreads giveaways.
December 8, 2015
Power Play (Penny Jordan) Rachel Lee or Pepper Minesse plotted to do a revenge on the man who raped her, Simon Herries, and the friends who helped him execute his plans, Alex Barnett and Simon Howell. It was in the room of Miles French where she woke up after that fateful night.
For years she plotted revenge until she came face to face with the men she plans to destroy.
Ok, it was a bit of a stretch to have Miles French fall in love with her, take her away for a fortnight away from her business.
For years she plotted revenge until she came face to face with the men she plans to destroy.
Ok, it was a bit of a stretch to have Miles French fall in love with her, take her away for a fortnight away from her business.
October 20, 2015
Super Simplistic writing.
Caricatures of all the main characters, especially the 'bad guys.'
Unbelievable 'resurrection' of female protagonist. It appears that all she needed was a man to fix all her traumas (#malefantasy#).
Supernatural elements that seem to affect all the characters in some way.
Started out with a really interesting premise, but then all the horrible events, one after another, just bogged the story down.
I'll just stick to reading Penny's Harlequins.
Caricatures of all the main characters, especially the 'bad guys.'
Unbelievable 'resurrection' of female protagonist. It appears that all she needed was a man to fix all her traumas (#malefantasy#).
Supernatural elements that seem to affect all the characters in some way.
Started out with a really interesting premise, but then all the horrible events, one after another, just bogged the story down.
I'll just stick to reading Penny's Harlequins.
June 6, 2012
Después de contar la historia de cada personaje siento que todo entre los protagonistas pasó muy rápido =(
Le faltó más trama a la relación principal de la historia ^.^
Le faltó más trama a la relación principal de la historia ^.^
Read
August 22, 2013Read 4/95
November 11, 2015
Good book
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews