Payback

by Roberta Kray

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 10, 2026

Reviews

[Julie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read but is more a mystery thriller than a gangland thriller, which is what I was expecting.
Julia bumps into an old friend in London and is shocked when he tells her one of their friends has died.
Julia moved away a few years ago and lost touch with her small group of friends and hadn’t contacted them since moving back to London, so feels bad.
The Police aren’t sure if Angel was murdered or if it was suicide but her Mum asks Julia to help her find out.
Her old friends all seem to be hiding something from her and Julia tries to get close to them to find out what’s been going on, but soon she is being warned off.
This is a good thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group for the opportunity to read this book.

[Lovetoread2023 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a big lover of a good gangland read, and that’s exactly what I usually get from Roberta Kray. However, Payback felt a little different. Although it’s listed as a gangland novel, it didn’t really have that gritty, underworld edge I was expecting. The characters, for the most part, felt like they all needed a bit of a shake—except for Julia, who at least had some spark and depth about her. That said, the story is well written, as you’d expect from this author, and I did want to keep reading to find out what really happened to Angel. The ending was satisfying and tied things together nicely. Overall, Payback is a decent read, but it’s not my favourite from Roberta Kray. I’ll still happily pick up her next book, though, because when she’s in full gangland mode that’s when she really shines.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow but steady paced mystery with some interesting characters and plotting. I quite liked Julia, the main character but I felt she was quite naïve at times in her pursuit of the truth on the Mansfield estate. The other characters were a bit dull and undeveloped but perhaps there will be a follow up and we can find out a bit more about them, especially Pauline. There was a bit of suspense and a few twists which kept me interested until the end but not my favourite read by the author. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Khurshid Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was highly anticipating the release of this book and had a nice surprise. I felt that this was more of who had done it rather than a gangland crime novel.


In the beginning there were 6 friends.
At the end only 4 remain.

Meet Julia, an accidental meet-up with her childhood friend turns into a waking nightmare

It begins with an attempted home invasion
Then the jiffy bag
Then the fire

Told through multiple points of view the friends all have something to hide. Things that they do not want coming out

But

Someone wants to silence Julia permanently.

[Tracy ann Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a real page-turner that will keep you hooked. Julie returns to London and, while out for a walk, she runs into an old friend. Tom informs her that Angel has died by suicide, prompting Julie to attend the funeral. However, Angel's mother is convinced it wasn't suicide but murder. Julie begins her own investigation, growing suspicious of her old friends, each of whom is hiding secrets. As she digs deeper, Julie finds herself in danger.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When julia bumps into old school friend Tom, he tells her that Angel has died, murdered?? Julia goes to see Angels mom Renee and tells her they will get justice!!
The other members of the old group Frankie, Lindsay. Fran are not too happy to see Julia, but why?
As Julia digs deeper will she find out what her friends are in the middle of?
This was a thrilling thriller ! Suspenseful, I highly recommend

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️ WoW! ❤️ Payback by Roberta Kray was a excellent and gritty new gangland crime novel that will have you glued to your kindle from the very beginning, once I opened my kindle and started to read it I could not turn the pages over quick enough to find out what happens next! Payback was an excellent read from start to finish and I loved it!

Every book I have read by Roberta has been a 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ read and this one was No different.

❤️ I highly recommend this book ❤️

[CJ Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since a read a Krays offering but reminiscent of my teen years and preference for the gangland genre I thought I'd give it a whirl.

This was not what I was expecting gone was the underworld elements I used to enjoy and in its place an investigative murder who dun it style mystery which I felt lacked the flare I've experienced with this author in the past.

[Mrs Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started off with so much potential. I was genuinely drawn in and so eager to see where it went. However by the time I got to 200 pages I just felt like there were so many bits that didn’t need to be included. The second half of the book just dragged a bit for me.