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The Schemer
The heir to Martina Cole’s crown with a story of murder, the underworld, violence and treachery.
It’s 1983 and Stephanie Crouch’s life is dull. She is desperate to escape the run-down, pokey council house she shares with her overbearing family, but at fourteen years old she has nowhere to go.
When Stephanie meets East End wide-boy Barry, his cockney charm and quick tongue soon have her head over heels in love. Finally Stephanie feels like her dreary life is on the up. But too young to control their fate, Stephanie and Barry are torn apart when he is whisked away to Spain by his family.
Lonely and heartbroken Stephanie turns to Barry’s childhood friend Wayne for comfort, and their friendship soon blossoms into romance, leaving Barry fuming and promising revenge…
Ten years later Barry returns to England. Within one month Stephanie's happy world with Wayne is turned upside down. People immediately start to point the finger of accusation at Barry, but is he the one to blame?
Or, should Stephanie look elsewhere to find the schemer who has ruined her life?
It’s 1983 and Stephanie Crouch’s life is dull. She is desperate to escape the run-down, pokey council house she shares with her overbearing family, but at fourteen years old she has nowhere to go.
When Stephanie meets East End wide-boy Barry, his cockney charm and quick tongue soon have her head over heels in love. Finally Stephanie feels like her dreary life is on the up. But too young to control their fate, Stephanie and Barry are torn apart when he is whisked away to Spain by his family.
Lonely and heartbroken Stephanie turns to Barry’s childhood friend Wayne for comfort, and their friendship soon blossoms into romance, leaving Barry fuming and promising revenge…
Ten years later Barry returns to England. Within one month Stephanie's happy world with Wayne is turned upside down. People immediately start to point the finger of accusation at Barry, but is he the one to blame?
Or, should Stephanie look elsewhere to find the schemer who has ruined her life?
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First published June 21, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
March 1, 2016
It’s 1983 and Stephanie Crouch’s life is dull. She is desperate to escape the run-down, pokey council house she shares with her overbearing family, but at fourteen years old she has nowhere to go.
When Stephanie meets East End wide-boy Barry, his cockney charm and quick tongue soon have her head over heels in love. Finally Stephanie feels like her dreary life is on the up. But too young to control their fate, Stephanie and Barry are torn apart when he is whisked away to Spain by his family.
Lonely and heartbroken Stephanie turns to Barry’s childhood friend Wayne for comfort, and their friendship soon blossoms into romance, leaving Barry fuming and promising revenge…
Ten years later Barry returns to England. Within one month Stephanie's happy world with Wayne is turned upside down. People immediately start to point the finger of accusation at Barry, but is he the one to blame?
Or, should Stephanie look elsewhere to find the schemer who has ruined her life?
This book was bleedin' brilliant. Totally engrossing. I could not stop reading. Fucking brilliant writing. This is the eighth book I have read by Ms Chambers and, honestly, they have all been top-class reads.
We are whisked back to the eighties. Oh, yeah, I remember them well.
Barry, Wayne, Tammy, Stephanie ...
Marlene and Marge. OMG, those two ...
"Dirty bastard he was. A right fucking pervert. Shagged me up the jacksie all night and then shoved a bottle up me fanny in the morning."
The story spans about 20 years or so ... She had me second guessing stuff and putting two and two together and coming up with five!! I did have sort of an idea where it was going ... but that did not detract from the storyline or my enjoyment of the book.
Loved all the cockney slang.
"I'm going to shoot off and leave you to it now, lads. I was up early this morning and I'm cream crackered."
BARRY
WAYNE
STEPHANIE
TAMMY
I picked this book up to take my out of my book slump ... I have a feeling I will be right back in it again!
June 19, 2012
Well, well, well. When I realised that I was getting my hands on an early edition of Kimberley Chambers new book, to say I was excited is a bit of an understatement. For the benefit of those that haven't maybe read her books before you may want to know a bit more. Kim wrote and published her first book Billie Jo back in 2008. She then went on to write another two books before releasing the first in a series of books (The Feud being the first) featuring the O'Hara and Mitchell family. The release of The Victim (the third in that series) in 2011 was an absolutely brilliant book and I couldn't have imagined she could ever top the characters she had created, but somehow she has. Kimberley Chambers has made a niche for herself and is now in my opinion as good as (if not better) that the more infamous British crime writers such as Martina Cole.
Sadly, many people have never heard of her and this is where people like me come in. My one true love is reading, and when you find a writer like Kim that writes books as good as hers you feel the need to share it with people. No, I am not paid by Kim or her publicists; I am just a true crime book lover. If you want a typically English bit of grit with a few gangsters thrown in then these are the books you should be reading.
The Schemer starts off by introducing us to Stephanie Crouch in the eighties. The first few pages had me laughing and reminiscing at the same time as Kim's descriptions of being a teenager at that time was absolutely spot on. It had the kind of feel that the new release of the film The Firm had. We get to see her older sister Angela and her mum living in their grotty council house with the rather colourful characters that live in their road! Pretty soon we meet East-End boy Barry who as a teenager falls head over heels in love with Steph. Sadly, their love is to be tested as Barry is taken to live in Spain with his Mum and new boyfriend. Steph then turns to Barry's friend Wayne and they soon move from friends to lovers and all thoughts of Barry leave Steph's head.
The book then moves to ten years later and we see the downside to Steph's decisions that she made as a teenager. This book had me absolutely gripped from the very first page to the very last page. All of the characters in this are absolute crackers and they each have their redeeming qualities. One thing I really need to point out is that if you are not a lover of a lot of swearing, then maybe this book won't be fore you. As a South London girl that swears like a sailor, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. One thing that really struck me was that although the characters are brilliant and the plot and storyline fantastic, the book certainly isn't without its humour.
There is one particular character by the name of Marlene that had me cringing and laughing in equal measures. The other thing that I really noticed about this book is that Kimberley Chambers has created characters that you can start off loving and end up hating. In the case of this book I am still not sure how I feel about either of the men featured and I really want to keep reading about both of them to see how it pans out. Thankfully, the ending of this book is so open-ended it's unreal. This is the best opener for the next book and to be honest I'm a little bit irritated I have to wait so long to find out!
Either way, I truly think that Kimberley Chambers is a good reason to highlight female British crime writers. Kim Chambers has not only earned her place as one of the Queens of British Crime, she is keeping it with this latest book as proof that she deserves to stay up there. All I can say is that if you haven't read her books before, I suggest you start now. If you have and you are keenly awaiting the next one, you will NOT be disappointed. Roll on the next one!
Sadly, many people have never heard of her and this is where people like me come in. My one true love is reading, and when you find a writer like Kim that writes books as good as hers you feel the need to share it with people. No, I am not paid by Kim or her publicists; I am just a true crime book lover. If you want a typically English bit of grit with a few gangsters thrown in then these are the books you should be reading.
The Schemer starts off by introducing us to Stephanie Crouch in the eighties. The first few pages had me laughing and reminiscing at the same time as Kim's descriptions of being a teenager at that time was absolutely spot on. It had the kind of feel that the new release of the film The Firm had. We get to see her older sister Angela and her mum living in their grotty council house with the rather colourful characters that live in their road! Pretty soon we meet East-End boy Barry who as a teenager falls head over heels in love with Steph. Sadly, their love is to be tested as Barry is taken to live in Spain with his Mum and new boyfriend. Steph then turns to Barry's friend Wayne and they soon move from friends to lovers and all thoughts of Barry leave Steph's head.
The book then moves to ten years later and we see the downside to Steph's decisions that she made as a teenager. This book had me absolutely gripped from the very first page to the very last page. All of the characters in this are absolute crackers and they each have their redeeming qualities. One thing I really need to point out is that if you are not a lover of a lot of swearing, then maybe this book won't be fore you. As a South London girl that swears like a sailor, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. One thing that really struck me was that although the characters are brilliant and the plot and storyline fantastic, the book certainly isn't without its humour.
There is one particular character by the name of Marlene that had me cringing and laughing in equal measures. The other thing that I really noticed about this book is that Kimberley Chambers has created characters that you can start off loving and end up hating. In the case of this book I am still not sure how I feel about either of the men featured and I really want to keep reading about both of them to see how it pans out. Thankfully, the ending of this book is so open-ended it's unreal. This is the best opener for the next book and to be honest I'm a little bit irritated I have to wait so long to find out!
Either way, I truly think that Kimberley Chambers is a good reason to highlight female British crime writers. Kim Chambers has not only earned her place as one of the Queens of British Crime, she is keeping it with this latest book as proof that she deserves to stay up there. All I can say is that if you haven't read her books before, I suggest you start now. If you have and you are keenly awaiting the next one, you will NOT be disappointed. Roll on the next one!
November 13, 2014
The heir to Martina Cole’s crown with a story of murder, the underworld, violence and treachery.
It’s 1983 and Stephanie Crouch’s life is dull. She is desperate to escape the run-down, pokey council house she shares with her overbearing family, but at fourteen years old she has nowhere to go.
When Stephanie meets East End wide-boy Barry, his cockney charm and quick tongue soon have her head over heels in love. Finally Stephanie feels like her dreary life is on the up. But too young to control their fate, Stephanie and Barry are torn apart when he is whisked away to Spain by his family.
Lonely and heartbroken Stephanie turns to Barry’s childhood friend Wayne for comfort, and their friendship soon blossoms into romance, leaving Barry fuming and promising revenge…
Ten years later Barry returns to England. Within one month Stephanie's happy world with Wayne is turned upside down. People immediately start to point the finger of accusation at Barry, but is he the one to blame?
Or, should Stephanie look elsewhere to find the schemer who has ruined her life?
My Thoughts
OMG unable to put this down, this was an easy 5 star read for me.
Ok a bit about the story....
We are whisked back to the eighties, it tells the story of Barry and Stephanie and their friends. When Barry is sent to Spain to live with his mother and her boyfriend, Steph is left broken hearted.
But with Wayne, Barrys friend on hand to be a shoulder to cry on, this story took a different direction.
Now Barry has just returned 10 Years later and is out for revenge.
Once again Kimberley Chambers is up there with the best of the best. I have now read all her books after making them last as long as I could. All her characters are just brilliant and the twists and turns had me hooked from the first page. Now the wait for The Wronged begins....
It’s 1983 and Stephanie Crouch’s life is dull. She is desperate to escape the run-down, pokey council house she shares with her overbearing family, but at fourteen years old she has nowhere to go.
When Stephanie meets East End wide-boy Barry, his cockney charm and quick tongue soon have her head over heels in love. Finally Stephanie feels like her dreary life is on the up. But too young to control their fate, Stephanie and Barry are torn apart when he is whisked away to Spain by his family.
Lonely and heartbroken Stephanie turns to Barry’s childhood friend Wayne for comfort, and their friendship soon blossoms into romance, leaving Barry fuming and promising revenge…
Ten years later Barry returns to England. Within one month Stephanie's happy world with Wayne is turned upside down. People immediately start to point the finger of accusation at Barry, but is he the one to blame?
Or, should Stephanie look elsewhere to find the schemer who has ruined her life?
My Thoughts
OMG unable to put this down, this was an easy 5 star read for me.
Ok a bit about the story....
We are whisked back to the eighties, it tells the story of Barry and Stephanie and their friends. When Barry is sent to Spain to live with his mother and her boyfriend, Steph is left broken hearted.
But with Wayne, Barrys friend on hand to be a shoulder to cry on, this story took a different direction.
Now Barry has just returned 10 Years later and is out for revenge.
Once again Kimberley Chambers is up there with the best of the best. I have now read all her books after making them last as long as I could. All her characters are just brilliant and the twists and turns had me hooked from the first page. Now the wait for The Wronged begins....
March 5, 2016
Really enjoyed reading the schemer you can tell how much Kimberley's writing has developed as I read this book after reading the butlers and the O'Haras stories and decided to go back to the beginning and read her earlier books
July 21, 2013
i have mixed feeling about this book. i couldnt put it down yet some things i found really creepy and off putting. a 12 yr old having sex and drinking. i am far from being a prude but the "c" word makes my skin crawl. the amount of drinking all these people did and thought it was ok. 16 year old girls being allowed to drink go to pubs and stay out till midnight. WTF. and the finally a 35 year old man "falling in love " with a 16 year old. creepy. but again i couldnt put it down.
i disliked all the characters at one time or another and couldnt relate to any of them. i live in a smallish town , didnt start pubbing and drinking till nearly 18. my mum would have killed me if i stayed out all night.....so i found their lifestyle a little unbelievable although i am sure it happens.(spoiler)
the ending was left wide open for a sequel....what happened to Danni and creepy Bazza. did Tammy die. Does Wayne come back. Do Ange and Steph make up. OMG so many unanswered questions........
well done. good book.
i disliked all the characters at one time or another and couldnt relate to any of them. i live in a smallish town , didnt start pubbing and drinking till nearly 18. my mum would have killed me if i stayed out all night.....so i found their lifestyle a little unbelievable although i am sure it happens.(spoiler)
the ending was left wide open for a sequel....what happened to Danni and creepy Bazza. did Tammy die. Does Wayne come back. Do Ange and Steph make up. OMG so many unanswered questions........
well done. good book.
September 5, 2015
Kimberley certainly knows how to keep you on your toes with her writing.
I was transported back to the 80's again and loved it.
Barry out for revenge for having his first love leave him for another man. I thought I could see what was coming but no totally wrong. That revenge was something else!
A spellbinding read and can't wait for more from Kimberley Chambers.
I was transported back to the 80's again and loved it.
Barry out for revenge for having his first love leave him for another man. I thought I could see what was coming but no totally wrong. That revenge was something else!
A spellbinding read and can't wait for more from Kimberley Chambers.
April 15, 2019
4.5 stars
This was a good story with a twist at the end that was unexpected. My only criticism if the book was that I would have liked the ending to be finished in a way that there was a conclusion to the story.
This was a good story with a twist at the end that was unexpected. My only criticism if the book was that I would have liked the ending to be finished in a way that there was a conclusion to the story.
December 26, 2014
Awesome but what happens next when he returns to England??? Gotta find part 2..
March 6, 2025
Others seem to love this genre, but I don’t think it’s for me.
Overly repetitive, foul language and lots of characters seems to not grab my attention. Sorry!
Overly repetitive, foul language and lots of characters seems to not grab my attention. Sorry!
November 12, 2023
Great read alot of twists with a surprising ending.
July 15, 2014
I think this is the best book so far that I have read out of all Kimberly's books.
The Trap is the next and final book I have to read completing her whole collection. The others have been great, but unless The Trap beats it, The Schemer is just the best one by far!
I absolutely loved it.
Kimberley describes the eighties as if we are living through them again, her plot is just
tremendous. The characters are so believable, I went to school with people like these and can visualise them clubbing and the then fashion and music.
The story was gripping, with twists and turns and had me gobbling up those pages to find out what happens next, boy is revenge sweet!
The Trap is the next and final book I have to read completing her whole collection. The others have been great, but unless The Trap beats it, The Schemer is just the best one by far!
I absolutely loved it.
Kimberley describes the eighties as if we are living through them again, her plot is just
tremendous. The characters are so believable, I went to school with people like these and can visualise them clubbing and the then fashion and music.
The story was gripping, with twists and turns and had me gobbling up those pages to find out what happens next, boy is revenge sweet!
September 7, 2016
I love all of KC's books and The Schemer is a favourite of mine. Kimberley is a fantastic writer and I loved the 80's theme of this book. It's a fabulous page-turner full of twists & turns that kept me guessing until the end. I have recommended this to a few friends who also loved it and are now hooked on reading all of KC's books.
Highly recommended to anyone who likes a gripping read and I really hope there will be a sequel to this story.
Highly recommended to anyone who likes a gripping read and I really hope there will be a sequel to this story.
September 2, 2016
Iam not sure why this book is rated so high, it was good but not amazing. The first half was a typical teenagers' story with love triangles and other teens foolishness. The second half was much better and the twist at the end was good and unpredictable. But all in all it was too long and with a lot of talking and whining that fits more in a soap opera than a suspense novel.
July 13, 2013
Fabulous read...started in the 80's took me straight back to those days remembering the music & the fashions-loved it...had me gripped all the way through...first book by Kim Chambers & def won't be the last.
Brilliant thanks Beth for the recommendation! X
Brilliant thanks Beth for the recommendation! X
September 4, 2016
Completely awesome
There wasn't a word of that, that I didn't thoroughly enjoy.
OMG I love this author and narrator's work so much.
Move over Martina Cole... K.C. has surely taken your crown??!!!
There wasn't a word of that, that I didn't thoroughly enjoy.
OMG I love this author and narrator's work so much.
Move over Martina Cole... K.C. has surely taken your crown??!!!
April 1, 2016
Nail Biter!!! There was still one loose end I would have likes tied up a bit more but I still give it 5stars!!!!
August 20, 2018
Okay so... I get it. I get why everything was the way it was. I thought the book was lagging but after having read the whole thing, I get why the writer chose to carry the story the way she did. It's a story where... I initially hated it. But the more I think about it, the (slightly) higher I want to rate it. Still, the one thing I just could not get past was the way the characters expressed their thoughts. Under-developed, premature and far too transparent, therefore making it extremely difficult for me to get on with any of them. However, because the story was so long, I did grow invested in them and was almost caught out by the surprise at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2024
Wow! This book is written by an English author so there is alot of English terms which took a little getting used too. This book was was written spanning 3 decades of the characters. Was a little hard to get into the storyline at first then it picked up. You think you figured out the plot than there is a twist. Funny parts in the book with the nosy neighbors.
Stephanie and her sister Angela were raised by a single mom. The sisters were complete opposite of each other. There is young love by these sisters to boys who did not have the greatest family backgrounds and how their relationships changed their lives over the years.
Stephanie and her sister Angela were raised by a single mom. The sisters were complete opposite of each other. There is young love by these sisters to boys who did not have the greatest family backgrounds and how their relationships changed their lives over the years.
April 22, 2019
Another great read from the Queen of Crime. Had me hooked from beginning to end. I was left asking questions when I got to the end. I want to know what happens with the love story between Barry & Danielle. Also I'd like to know what effect Wayne Jackman's return to England has on his ex-fiancee Stephanie, Danielle & Tyler. I did guess who Tammy emigrated to Spain with, but I won't say any more because I don't want to ruin it for other readers, if they should happen to read my review.
I'd highly recommend all Kimberley's books, you won't be disappointed.
I'd highly recommend all Kimberley's books, you won't be disappointed.
August 29, 2020
This is one of her worst books that I have read. The amount the characters drank was unbelievable and mentioned in nearly every chapter. The story is about two teenagers who go out with each other for a few weeks and then he has to move to Spain and she goes out with his old friend and he never forgives her. When he returns to England he wants to make her suffer. I have read loads of her books which I enjoyed but this one I would give it a miss.
January 1, 2022
Hmmm. This was ok, I’m not sure why it’s so highly rated. At one point I was actually questioning if I’d inadvertently picked up a teenage or young adult book. The relationships are all a bit over the top as teenage relationships are and I found it hard to get particularly engaged with any of it. The female characters are all awful, weak and nasty. I haven’t read any of the other books but can’t say I’d be recommending this one.
January 12, 2025
Well what can I say about this book.... it was amazing!! I loved the story. The characters were well thought out and interesting. I really thought Angela was going to be the schemer in this book so I was completely down the wrong path. I felt so sorry for Steph as the book went on. What a life 🙈. I would have loved to have known what was going to happen next but I guess I will have to leave that up to my imagination. An excellent book!!
February 23, 2021
From the first page to the last I was mesmerised, never once could I imagine the outcome. I did doubt that Barry had Killed Wayne but never envisaged the truth when it came out. Kimberlwmey Chambers has managed yet again managed to pack so much thrill and excitement into a book and as always has left an opening for a continuation....I look forward to the possibility of reading that.
August 12, 2022
All in all, a good read! Comical cockney characters and ‘villains’ as usual. Funny, dark and shocking in places but still predictable for me (maybe I’m just good at guessing the plot twists!)
The only let down was the character flaws… the change in their motives/character was unrealistic and was done to fit the storyline.
Would still recommend!
The only let down was the character flaws… the change in their motives/character was unrealistic and was done to fit the storyline.
Would still recommend!
July 3, 2017
Lots of twists and turns.
I do like Kimberley's books, however, some of the language is repetitive and doesn't fit with what's happening. Is there a second book to this as none of the loose ends were tied up.
I do like Kimberley's books, however, some of the language is repetitive and doesn't fit with what's happening. Is there a second book to this as none of the loose ends were tied up.
November 10, 2017
Again, could not put it down, Kimberley has slightly changed her format, not gangsters, or gangsters family's, but such an exciting read, the ending could have been better, wanted to see Barry, and Wayne get there just deserts, and for Danielle, to come to her senses, would recommend.
March 25, 2018
Loved it! As usual , it's gritty, violent and gripping. Couldn't put it down, couldn't wait to pick it up. That's what I call a good book. After a few chapters, wasn't sure WHO was the schemer, but as I read on, cor blimey................................. you definitely knew who it was by the end.
October 11, 2022
Absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Wonderful characters from hilarious to full in evil. Plenty of fantastic twists and as I tried to second guess what was coming, I found myself not only wrong but even more surprising than I expected.
December 3, 2022
Slow but speeded up.
Slow to begin with, nearly put it down. I have read a lot of Kimberleys books. This time I knew the English ding and I was right. Worth a reas, but have read her better books
Slow to begin with, nearly put it down. I have read a lot of Kimberleys books. This time I knew the English ding and I was right. Worth a reas, but have read her better books
January 27, 2017
Schemer
Wow yet again an amazing book by Kimberly. Such a good story with loads of twists and turns. I hope there is another book to continue this story.
Wow yet again an amazing book by Kimberly. Such a good story with loads of twists and turns. I hope there is another book to continue this story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews