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Taken
’I was hoping you’d be able to help me. I’m looking for my baby.’ Casey Edwards has demons to put to rest. Since she had to give away her baby at 15, she’s been lost in booze and bad company. But now she wants to find her child and put things right… Heading to Soho, Casey meets former gangster Vaughn Sadler, an old-school hard man who can still handle himself – and anyone else. There’s a spark between Vaughn and Casey but she can’t let herself get hurt, not again. To find the truth, Casey must enter the dark world of London’s hard drugs, vice, even people trafficking. Soon she discovers that mob boss Alfie Jennings and sadistic psycho Oscar Hardings are plotting something dangerous, something brutal. Something that puts Casey – and her child – in serious trouble . . . Full of strong women, devious gangsters and compelling twists, Taken is compulsive read perfect for fans of Jessie Keane and Martina Cole.
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2012
110 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
About the author
Jacqui Rose
36 books177 followersJacqui Rose is a novelist who hails from Manchester and South Yorkshire, though she now lives in the South East in the countryside, surrounded by her horses and lots of animals. Jacqui first came to appreciate the power of the written word when as a child she charged her classmates a packet of sherbet dips to write their essays for them. Adopted at a young age and always a daydreamer, she felt isolated growing up in a small mining village in South Yorkshire and it was her writing which kept her company.
Jacqui has written a variety of things including
stand-up comedy, radio drams and screenplays.
She is published by HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan and has written over 16 bestselling novels. She is also collaborating with Martina Cole on Martina's new novel, Loyalty.
Jacqui Rose also writes under the name of
J P Rose (not to be confused with the American author!) and has written, The Haunting of Tyrese Walker her first teen/YA novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
June 19, 2012
After seeing various recommendations from people about Jacqui Rose debut novel Taken I bit the bullet and downloaded it onto my Kindle. I promptly forgot about it and it got swallowed up into my stupidly extensive list of books I have yet to read. However, her name kept popping up and with her exceptional rating on Amazon (4 out of 5 over 100 reviews) I picked it up. I must say that I am very glad I did now. What was I thinking leaving it that long?
One thing that must be hard as a new author is standing out from the crowd. The crime genre is generally littered with the longer standing authors and it must be hard work for the debut novelists out there. Thankfully with the word spreading amongst readers I am glad to see Jacqui Rose come up frequently. She has chosen to write her debut novel based in London and featuring some heavy ‘hard-men’. With a London Gangster feel to it I wondered if she would be well remembered with authors that are practically legends such as Martina Cole, Mandasue Heller and Kimberley Chambers out there.
I started reading and met the main character of the book Casey Edwards. Casey had turned up in Soho following a hard life which involved giving away her child at 15 and then turning to alcohol, men and drugs to get through her life. She is hoping for a fresh start and the ability to find her child and put things right. After arriving in London she meets Mob boss Alfie Jennings, the cruel and vindictive partner of his Oscar and before long is caught up in their world. She also meets Vaughn who is an ex-gangster and an absolutely brilliant character.
The first half of the book takes us into the murky world of Alfie and Oscar and I would be lying if I said that some parts of the book are not pleasant reading. However, it makes it all the more authentic (and a hell of a lot more exciting to read). The topics covered involve money, drugs, trafficking and sex and that’s just to name a few. If this sort of thing doesn’t rock your boat in terms of fiction then this may not be the book for you. One thing I want to point out is that there IS swearing and violence in this book. It grates on me occasionally when I read reviews with people complaining about this. Would you expect a London Gangster to point to the door and politely ask his arch rival to vacate the building because he can’t bear to speak to him? Err I think not…point made!
The second half of the book was a lot more exciting as Casey finds herself in the middle of a very dangerous situation. Oscar Harding was a vile character and I was crossing my fingers and hoping for the worst for him from start to finish. Towards the end things became even faster paced and the ending was wrapped up with the right amount of excitement and drama. It would be nice to see a couple of the characters again in future books but we will have to wait and see what Jacqui Rose has in store for us next time. As I said before, with the British crime writers out there already it must be hard work to join the dizzy heights of the ‘Crime Queens’ we have out there, however with this debut novel Jacqui Rose is well on her way! I look forward top her new release in March 2013.
One thing that must be hard as a new author is standing out from the crowd. The crime genre is generally littered with the longer standing authors and it must be hard work for the debut novelists out there. Thankfully with the word spreading amongst readers I am glad to see Jacqui Rose come up frequently. She has chosen to write her debut novel based in London and featuring some heavy ‘hard-men’. With a London Gangster feel to it I wondered if she would be well remembered with authors that are practically legends such as Martina Cole, Mandasue Heller and Kimberley Chambers out there.
I started reading and met the main character of the book Casey Edwards. Casey had turned up in Soho following a hard life which involved giving away her child at 15 and then turning to alcohol, men and drugs to get through her life. She is hoping for a fresh start and the ability to find her child and put things right. After arriving in London she meets Mob boss Alfie Jennings, the cruel and vindictive partner of his Oscar and before long is caught up in their world. She also meets Vaughn who is an ex-gangster and an absolutely brilliant character.
The first half of the book takes us into the murky world of Alfie and Oscar and I would be lying if I said that some parts of the book are not pleasant reading. However, it makes it all the more authentic (and a hell of a lot more exciting to read). The topics covered involve money, drugs, trafficking and sex and that’s just to name a few. If this sort of thing doesn’t rock your boat in terms of fiction then this may not be the book for you. One thing I want to point out is that there IS swearing and violence in this book. It grates on me occasionally when I read reviews with people complaining about this. Would you expect a London Gangster to point to the door and politely ask his arch rival to vacate the building because he can’t bear to speak to him? Err I think not…point made!
The second half of the book was a lot more exciting as Casey finds herself in the middle of a very dangerous situation. Oscar Harding was a vile character and I was crossing my fingers and hoping for the worst for him from start to finish. Towards the end things became even faster paced and the ending was wrapped up with the right amount of excitement and drama. It would be nice to see a couple of the characters again in future books but we will have to wait and see what Jacqui Rose has in store for us next time. As I said before, with the British crime writers out there already it must be hard work to join the dizzy heights of the ‘Crime Queens’ we have out there, however with this debut novel Jacqui Rose is well on her way! I look forward top her new release in March 2013.
February 20, 2015
5 Brit Grit Thriller Stars
This is the second book I've read by Jacqui Rose and like before I couldn't put it down.
My thoughts to follow..................
This is the second book I've read by Jacqui Rose and like before I couldn't put it down.
My thoughts to follow..................
March 30, 2012
I don’t often read books of this genre so I was pleasantly surprised by how gripped I was by it, once I had started reading I just didn’t want to stop (unfortunately I had to now and then as real life was calling, but every chance I got I sneaked back to read some more).
The story captured my interest on the first few pages, it is a simple idea of a mum looking for a child she was forced to give up, but it has been written so well that this simple idea is turned into an unputdownable drama. It is based around the sordid world of gangsters and criminal activity, this obviously means that there is swearing, violence and drugs included in it so if that is something that might offend you then this book isn’t for you.
I did find some moments unpleasant and uncomfortable to read but I feel that they were necessary to create the right atmosphere for the story and to enable the reader to understand the world that Casey has found herself in.
The characters were explained well from their past to the present and this made it easier for me to understand some of their actions. Casey’s strength was inspiring especially after having her child taken away at such a young age and the life she led after that event. Vaughn was a great character, I really liked how protective he was over Casey even when he didn’t know her very well. You could tell he was a tough man but he definitely had a softer side and that made him one of my favourites in this book.
There were a few funny moments in the story which was unexpected and I particularly liked the use of the cockney rhyming slang that was dotted throughout the book (some I’d heard of before and some took me a minute to work out).
This is a gritty and addictive book that really had me on the edge of my seat.
The story captured my interest on the first few pages, it is a simple idea of a mum looking for a child she was forced to give up, but it has been written so well that this simple idea is turned into an unputdownable drama. It is based around the sordid world of gangsters and criminal activity, this obviously means that there is swearing, violence and drugs included in it so if that is something that might offend you then this book isn’t for you.
I did find some moments unpleasant and uncomfortable to read but I feel that they were necessary to create the right atmosphere for the story and to enable the reader to understand the world that Casey has found herself in.
The characters were explained well from their past to the present and this made it easier for me to understand some of their actions. Casey’s strength was inspiring especially after having her child taken away at such a young age and the life she led after that event. Vaughn was a great character, I really liked how protective he was over Casey even when he didn’t know her very well. You could tell he was a tough man but he definitely had a softer side and that made him one of my favourites in this book.
There were a few funny moments in the story which was unexpected and I particularly liked the use of the cockney rhyming slang that was dotted throughout the book (some I’d heard of before and some took me a minute to work out).
This is a gritty and addictive book that really had me on the edge of my seat.
September 16, 2013
Oh Gosh - this was awful - sorry that is just my opinion and I can see many reviewers felt differently (which I am bemused at!) To add insult to injury I read it after a recommendation by a seemingly lovely stranger on a train - who I now want to get an april (April fool - tool) and shoot – in a chirpy cockney gangland sort of way!
I was amazed it was written by a woman, its love of violence against women was disturbing. It was badly written by someone brought up on a diet of Eastenders and Lock Stock..
From an East end background myself, with family still working stalls in Soho - I felt insulted and patronised - way way too much attempt at the colloquialisms!
Felt cross that I paid money for it!
I was amazed it was written by a woman, its love of violence against women was disturbing. It was badly written by someone brought up on a diet of Eastenders and Lock Stock..
From an East end background myself, with family still working stalls in Soho - I felt insulted and patronised - way way too much attempt at the colloquialisms!
Felt cross that I paid money for it!
June 19, 2016
I read this as part of a book swap with my mum. Although this genre is not really my cup of tea I did actually quite enjoy it. I wouldn't read another book from this genre in a hurry as the whole gang aspect of the book and how the characters act and treat women doesn't sit well with me. Having said that I did start to really like Vaughn's character and could probably have read a whole other book about him. Was also very pleased when certain characters got what they very much deserved. All in all, quite enjoyed this book as a whole.
April 22, 2012
I really should have hated this book but I LOVED it. The characters were plausible and interesting, everyone has shades of grey, and that is what comes across brilliantly in this novel. Worth it considering I picked it up for 99p!
May 12, 2018
One of my favourites by this author
June 13, 2015
If you are a fan of Martina Cole, you'll be a fan of Jacqui Rose. Her writing is gritty and delves into the lives of the criminal underworld in the east end of London.
I'm sorry to say however - I wasn't a fan of this particularly. Very disorganised writing with too many pointless/wooden characters introduced. This particular book involved a lot of human trafficking and some disturbing sexually violent scenes so please be aware of that before going forward. Unfortunately, for me, the human trafficking was the only gripping aspect and I found the rest of it mind-numbingly average and even dull at times. Not Jacqui's best but I can assure you - she has written some gems.
I'm sorry to say however - I wasn't a fan of this particularly. Very disorganised writing with too many pointless/wooden characters introduced. This particular book involved a lot of human trafficking and some disturbing sexually violent scenes so please be aware of that before going forward. Unfortunately, for me, the human trafficking was the only gripping aspect and I found the rest of it mind-numbingly average and even dull at times. Not Jacqui's best but I can assure you - she has written some gems.
November 24, 2012
Brilliant read, a book where you end up with crushes on the good guys and wanting to jump in and rescue the main characters from the bad guys who are very very bad. A cross between chick lit and crime thriller, in just the right measure, perfect holiday book.
March 18, 2015
Gripping Read. My Dad recommended this one to me. Full review to follow.
March 13, 2018
What an ending!!!
It kept my fears at bay with the thought of it lacking.It crammed so much intensity and depth that it didn't rush or wither the plot or the characters for that matter.Who were so dear to me.
Take Lola for instance..a fresh loveable character with veins full of heroin but her love,her loyalty and her huge heart makes you forget her struggles.I truly wanted to jump in the book and give her all the support she deserves and to just take a little moment in the east end where her cafe lies and the lingering of money crazed psychotic Oscar who I utterly despiced but...oh my...what a wired character that connects the book so vividly,as far fetched as he was,he was also a well provoked character that lived in that world,that screams with a devils smile.
I love the life of old London,the East and west end history,the struggles and the fire within people to keep on going.I love the classic gangsters and what they stood for...their buisness,family and loyalty which makes it a fascination of mine,wrongly or rightly.This is how I have grown to be so fond of Vaughn,a classic london gangster that is retired and finds contentment and solidarity within growing his roses,he is a tough,strong gentleman that holds his own,he knows who he is and that is what make his character so precious within a novel,he is so real and he has done so wrong.
Casey who I annoyingly kept calling cassey...Oh how I willed her todo right and to be strong and sober,I wanted her to be so honest throughout every page I turned.She is the main character and I loafed her but I admired her resilience..Jacqui couldn't of wrote her any better.
Now with Alfie I thought he could of been more other than what Jacqui gave his character,he wasn't predictable, he had spark and fire but I needed more than just what he became and I guess it became the same for Oscar.Despite this,everything was wrote fearlessly and that's what made it such a gripping read,nothing was kept out,it was disturbing but real.
The prologue was a fairytale in soho,it was real and a unity of loss,love but an unconventional family that could be mended.It was such a treat to have been part of that special ending.
It kept my fears at bay with the thought of it lacking.It crammed so much intensity and depth that it didn't rush or wither the plot or the characters for that matter.Who were so dear to me.
Take Lola for instance..a fresh loveable character with veins full of heroin but her love,her loyalty and her huge heart makes you forget her struggles.I truly wanted to jump in the book and give her all the support she deserves and to just take a little moment in the east end where her cafe lies and the lingering of money crazed psychotic Oscar who I utterly despiced but...oh my...what a wired character that connects the book so vividly,as far fetched as he was,he was also a well provoked character that lived in that world,that screams with a devils smile.
I love the life of old London,the East and west end history,the struggles and the fire within people to keep on going.I love the classic gangsters and what they stood for...their buisness,family and loyalty which makes it a fascination of mine,wrongly or rightly.This is how I have grown to be so fond of Vaughn,a classic london gangster that is retired and finds contentment and solidarity within growing his roses,he is a tough,strong gentleman that holds his own,he knows who he is and that is what make his character so precious within a novel,he is so real and he has done so wrong.
Casey who I annoyingly kept calling cassey...Oh how I willed her todo right and to be strong and sober,I wanted her to be so honest throughout every page I turned.She is the main character and I loafed her but I admired her resilience..Jacqui couldn't of wrote her any better.
Now with Alfie I thought he could of been more other than what Jacqui gave his character,he wasn't predictable, he had spark and fire but I needed more than just what he became and I guess it became the same for Oscar.Despite this,everything was wrote fearlessly and that's what made it such a gripping read,nothing was kept out,it was disturbing but real.
The prologue was a fairytale in soho,it was real and a unity of loss,love but an unconventional family that could be mended.It was such a treat to have been part of that special ending.
October 6, 2022
Not bad for a first book. Though, saying that I never know how true to the point I want to make. Often with first books I think of them as something like a first album by an artist. A time where I would imagine more time was spent on creating this first achievement. When the follow up album or in this case a novel appears, i assume less time was spent on it. So if that was my thinking, then I could think it wasn’t as good. As far as the story went it was interesting and easy to follow, it started to get very exciting along the way, but sadly the ending felt a little too perfect. As much as I don’t think of this as a brilliant book, it’s certainly not a bad one and I’m curious to follow more of Jacqui’s work.
December 31, 2018
Excellent - without a shadow of a doubt.
Slow to begin with, but we have to "meet the characters" don't we !
As we meet them things start falling into place, and it's then that the pace of the book picks up - for me, it was hard to put down again, once I was hooked !
Thoroughly enjoyed my second great book, by Jacqui Rose !
Excellent book, loved Lola too - hated Oscar !
Everyone gets addressed accordingly, what are you waiting for - go and get your copy of TAKEN and enjoy ! !
Slow to begin with, but we have to "meet the characters" don't we !
As we meet them things start falling into place, and it's then that the pace of the book picks up - for me, it was hard to put down again, once I was hooked !
Thoroughly enjoyed my second great book, by Jacqui Rose !
Excellent book, loved Lola too - hated Oscar !
Everyone gets addressed accordingly, what are you waiting for - go and get your copy of TAKEN and enjoy ! !
December 23, 2016
On the back it states 'Perfect for fans of Martina Cole', this book wishes it was as good as one of her books! This whole book felt very amateur hour. And most of the plot seemed fairly unrealistic. And I struggled to warm to any of the characters.
It wasn't awful as I read the whole thing quite quickly but it just wasn't up to standard.
It wasn't awful as I read the whole thing quite quickly but it just wasn't up to standard.
September 6, 2017
Such a good read
Had this book downloaded for a while, read the first chapter but couldn't get into it. Picked it up a few months later & so glad I did. Such a terrific story, couldn't put it down in the end. Definitely recommend this book
Had this book downloaded for a while, read the first chapter but couldn't get into it. Picked it up a few months later & so glad I did. Such a terrific story, couldn't put it down in the end. Definitely recommend this book
November 25, 2018
Brilliant
Really enjoyed this book, a real page turner, if you love Kimberly Chambers/ Martina Cole then this is the book for you, a definite 5 out of 5 stars. Read all this author's book but so far this is my favourite
Really enjoyed this book, a real page turner, if you love Kimberly Chambers/ Martina Cole then this is the book for you, a definite 5 out of 5 stars. Read all this author's book but so far this is my favourite
May 17, 2020
A typical London gangland thriller . Casey comes to London seeking her daughter whom she gave up at birth, and finds herself caught up in a human trafficking ring. The characters are your stereotypical East end gangsters. Entertainment but felt the ending happened to quickly.
Read
November 12, 2025Intense, fast-paced, and impossible to put down! Taken is a gripping thriller that keeps you on edge from the first page to the last. The characters feel real, the stakes are high, and the twists are perfectly timed. Fans of dark suspense and psychological tension will devour this one.
April 4, 2018
Wowwwwwwwwww loved it, gripping gutsy, could not put it down, would recommend.
April 5, 2018
I read this book so quick because it was so good!
May 23, 2020
Good read once started couldn’t put it down
June 6, 2020
This was brilliant loved it from the first page will definitely read more from this author
May 19, 2021
A lot of cursing and grammatical errors.
But plot wise, it’s good
But plot wise, it’s good
July 15, 2023
Loved this book and the ending, definitely a good read!
August 29, 2023
It was ok. West end gangster stuff. Similar to Martina Cole.
November 29, 2025
The Birth of Alfie Jennings and Vaughn Sadler 💜💜💜
I love them both so much!!!
Jacqui Rose never disappoints!! Hard hitting, thrilling REAL charicters on every page!
Top class from start to finish!
I love them both so much!!!
Jacqui Rose never disappoints!! Hard hitting, thrilling REAL charicters on every page!
Top class from start to finish!
January 18, 2026
Brilliant
March 8, 2023
Brutal subject matter. A decent read.
Read
March 9, 2017Decided to read another time.
January 15, 2013
4.5 stars
I was going to give this book five stars but unfortunately I worked out the plot the minute one character was introduced. I don't actually think it's *that* obvious but when you've read so many books like this it's difficult to be shocked. That said though this book is absolutely fantastic and one that I really struggled to put down. To find out it is based on true events just makes it even more of a fantastic book. Jacqui Rose is a great author and I cannot wait for her second book to be released.
The story follows Casey as she returns to London to look for her son. One of the things I loved most about this book was that you really felt like it was set in London, what I mean by that is some authors set there book in London but apart from a few street names they could be set anywhere. This book felt really authentic and it was full of rhyming slang as well which I loved. It also had some fantastic one liners too which were great.
The cast of characters were really good too. Oscar Harding was an absolutely vile character, you sort of become desentisised sometimes to stories like this having read them so many times before but not with this one. He really was a truly despicable man and one you spend the book hoping he gets his comeuppance. Casey was a fantastic character and I warmed to her completely, you felt like she was a good woman who was forced into giving her child away by her parents and you really rooted for her throughout the book.
The book flowed extremely well and there was no filler/useless information or anything like that. And as to be expected with books like this it was absolutely jam packed with insults and the worst swearing you could read in a book. And I LOVED it. I hate the way people crticise books like this for having swearing in it. People are going round killing and raping people but it's the swear words that people take most offence with. Get real, this is a book about gangland London and there is obviously going to be swearing, if you get offended by a swear word these seriously aren't the sort of books you should be reading.
That said fans of Martina, Mandasue, Jessie Keane and the fabulous Kimberley Chambers should check this out. Not to be missed and I just hope the second book released next month is half as good as this one!
I was going to give this book five stars but unfortunately I worked out the plot the minute one character was introduced. I don't actually think it's *that* obvious but when you've read so many books like this it's difficult to be shocked. That said though this book is absolutely fantastic and one that I really struggled to put down. To find out it is based on true events just makes it even more of a fantastic book. Jacqui Rose is a great author and I cannot wait for her second book to be released.
The story follows Casey as she returns to London to look for her son. One of the things I loved most about this book was that you really felt like it was set in London, what I mean by that is some authors set there book in London but apart from a few street names they could be set anywhere. This book felt really authentic and it was full of rhyming slang as well which I loved. It also had some fantastic one liners too which were great.
The cast of characters were really good too. Oscar Harding was an absolutely vile character, you sort of become desentisised sometimes to stories like this having read them so many times before but not with this one. He really was a truly despicable man and one you spend the book hoping he gets his comeuppance. Casey was a fantastic character and I warmed to her completely, you felt like she was a good woman who was forced into giving her child away by her parents and you really rooted for her throughout the book.
The book flowed extremely well and there was no filler/useless information or anything like that. And as to be expected with books like this it was absolutely jam packed with insults and the worst swearing you could read in a book. And I LOVED it. I hate the way people crticise books like this for having swearing in it. People are going round killing and raping people but it's the swear words that people take most offence with. Get real, this is a book about gangland London and there is obviously going to be swearing, if you get offended by a swear word these seriously aren't the sort of books you should be reading.
That said fans of Martina, Mandasue, Jessie Keane and the fabulous Kimberley Chambers should check this out. Not to be missed and I just hope the second book released next month is half as good as this one!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews