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Life of Crime
Sometimes crime does pay, but at what price?
**The No.1 hardback and Top Ten paperback Sunday Times bestseller**
Some people are made for a life of crime.
Jason Rampling is a chancer, and he’ll do anything to give his family a better future – whatever the cost.
Melissa didn’t know what she’d let herself in for when she married Jason, but as the stakes get higher, she gets stronger.
In a game where loyalty is everything, Jason will risk everything for one last roll of the dice. Is a life of crime worth the price?
Some would kill for it . . .
**The No.1 hardback and Top Ten paperback Sunday Times bestseller**
Some people are made for a life of crime.
Jason Rampling is a chancer, and he’ll do anything to give his family a better future – whatever the cost.
Melissa didn’t know what she’d let herself in for when she married Jason, but as the stakes get higher, she gets stronger.
In a game where loyalty is everything, Jason will risk everything for one last roll of the dice. Is a life of crime worth the price?
Some would kill for it . . .
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2018
472 people are currently reading
1053 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
August 23, 2018
What a truly cracking read this was!
Jason Rampling is determined to have a better life than the one he had as a child. His mother was completely lacking in maternal instincts - and hit the bottle at every opportunity, leaving her kids to drag themselves up in whichever way they could manage.
Jason is a ducker and a diver (think Del Boy in 'Only Fools and Horses') he's not inherently bad, but he's no angel either! When we meet him, he and his daughter Shay are living with his mother and three siblings in a high rise flat on one of the worst council estates in the area - this place really is the pits. He believes his only way out is to find himself a decent woman, someone who'll make a good wife, but also someone who's happy to treat Shay as her own. When he meets single mum Melissa, he thinks he's found the perfect person, she's not his usual type, but otherwise she fits the bill perfectly. There's an added bonus too - her father owns a very successful construction firm, and appears to be extremely wealthy.
Melissa, for her part, is grateful that someone is interested in her, but Melissa's father Johnny, isn’t so sure about Jason - he's done some checking up and discovers that Jason is a bit of a wheeler dealer, but more importantly, that he has a reputation as a womaniser. Johnny does give Jason and Melissa his blessing, but it comes with a warning, that if Jason ever hurts his daughter he'll make him pay for it!
I won't give anything away at all because this compelling novel deserves to be read and judged on its own merits, without any spoilers, but seriously it was just awesome! At the core of this novel is the relationship between Jason and Melissa. To some degree they need each other, and we get to know both of them equally well, but it’s Jason who remains the primary interest for the reader, and I now feel as if I'm leaving behind people that I’ve come to know really well, such is the author’s talent in literally giving them life.
The narrative was raw and gritty, there was some clever plotting, meticulous detail, and an all too credible cast of characters, many with a wry sense of humour, and let’s not forget some neat little twists along the way, and then perhaps you’ll see why this made for a truly terrific read!
* Thank you to HarperCollins UK for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
Jason Rampling is determined to have a better life than the one he had as a child. His mother was completely lacking in maternal instincts - and hit the bottle at every opportunity, leaving her kids to drag themselves up in whichever way they could manage.
Jason is a ducker and a diver (think Del Boy in 'Only Fools and Horses') he's not inherently bad, but he's no angel either! When we meet him, he and his daughter Shay are living with his mother and three siblings in a high rise flat on one of the worst council estates in the area - this place really is the pits. He believes his only way out is to find himself a decent woman, someone who'll make a good wife, but also someone who's happy to treat Shay as her own. When he meets single mum Melissa, he thinks he's found the perfect person, she's not his usual type, but otherwise she fits the bill perfectly. There's an added bonus too - her father owns a very successful construction firm, and appears to be extremely wealthy.
Melissa, for her part, is grateful that someone is interested in her, but Melissa's father Johnny, isn’t so sure about Jason - he's done some checking up and discovers that Jason is a bit of a wheeler dealer, but more importantly, that he has a reputation as a womaniser. Johnny does give Jason and Melissa his blessing, but it comes with a warning, that if Jason ever hurts his daughter he'll make him pay for it!
I won't give anything away at all because this compelling novel deserves to be read and judged on its own merits, without any spoilers, but seriously it was just awesome! At the core of this novel is the relationship between Jason and Melissa. To some degree they need each other, and we get to know both of them equally well, but it’s Jason who remains the primary interest for the reader, and I now feel as if I'm leaving behind people that I’ve come to know really well, such is the author’s talent in literally giving them life.
The narrative was raw and gritty, there was some clever plotting, meticulous detail, and an all too credible cast of characters, many with a wry sense of humour, and let’s not forget some neat little twists along the way, and then perhaps you’ll see why this made for a truly terrific read!
* Thank you to HarperCollins UK for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
December 31, 2017
Dragged up on a council estate, Jason Rampling is determined to change his lot. Melissa thought she had struck gold marrying Jason. But there is no glamour in waiting on your husband coming home or waiting on a knock at the door. After a stretch inside Jason wants to pull off one last job, the biggest job of all - but will it cost them everything?
Kimberley Chambers has another best seller on her hands. I don't know how she keeps coming up with the fantastic plots. The book is action packed, gritty and suspenseful. There are characters you will love and some you will love to hate. I really liked how the book ended. Never saw that coming!! The bad points - there isn't any!
I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Kimberley Chambers for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kimberley Chambers has another best seller on her hands. I don't know how she keeps coming up with the fantastic plots. The book is action packed, gritty and suspenseful. There are characters you will love and some you will love to hate. I really liked how the book ended. Never saw that coming!! The bad points - there isn't any!
I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Kimberley Chambers for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 14, 2018
Fucking Brilliant! I did have an inkling of the twist and the ending but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. She sure can spin a fucking tale.
November 9, 2025
Nedaugžodžiaujant- toksiška!
Knyga persisunkusi kaltės jausmo, vulgarumo, naudos sau, keršto, savanaudiškumo, melo, snobizmo, tuštybės ir visko kas dar neišvardinta...
+ Istorijos tempas, tarsi bėgant nuo kalno pagavus savaiminį pagreitį..
- herojaus talentas pastebėti galimybę ir griebti ją abiem rankom neišlaikė egzamino.
**********************************
In short- toxic!
The book is full of guilt, vulgarity, self-interest, revenge, selfishness, lies, snobbery, vanity and everything else that has not yet been mentioned...
+ The pace of the story;
- fail of hero's talent to spot an opportunity and grab it with both hands.
Knyga persisunkusi kaltės jausmo, vulgarumo, naudos sau, keršto, savanaudiškumo, melo, snobizmo, tuštybės ir visko kas dar neišvardinta...
+ Istorijos tempas, tarsi bėgant nuo kalno pagavus savaiminį pagreitį..
- herojaus talentas pastebėti galimybę ir griebti ją abiem rankom neišlaikė egzamino.
**********************************
In short- toxic!
The book is full of guilt, vulgarity, self-interest, revenge, selfishness, lies, snobbery, vanity and everything else that has not yet been mentioned...
+ The pace of the story;
- fail of hero's talent to spot an opportunity and grab it with both hands.
August 2, 2019
This book annoyed me. For several reasons, I was relieved once I had finally reached the Epilogue and, whilst the ending surprised me, I was too far gone with my judgement to award this novel anything more than three stars. Allow me to explain…
No one, and I repeat, no one, in this novel appears to be straight. The whole cast are crooked, criminals, “chancers” if you life – all committing some form of deception and involved in a type of illegal activity. And if they don’t fall into this category, then they are off performing adultery: none of the characters appear to have a loyal bone in their body. Frustratingly, the females all fall under the male spell and are forever weak and in need of “saving” – sexually or physically. All in all, it felt so dated and cliched that this was one of the main reasons that the novel lost my interest. (This book was published last year, so I can only imagine that the retroactive attitudes are supposed to reflect Melissa’s traditional upbringing?)
The protagonist, Jason, is the man living the life of crime. He is dodgy from the beginning and the tale follows as he gets involved in deeper crimes, no thanks to his inability to “keep it in his trousers”, have unfavourable friends and a terrible mother who has allowed Jason’s brothers and sister to fall into similar difficult situations. Wanting to give Jason a good slap and seeing to, it was no surprise when it is revealed that he intends to use Melissa as a means of providing a mother-figure to his daughter, Shay. Mel is in a similar situation – also a single mother – and feels Jason can fulfil the role missing from her son’s life. Plot development was predictable and obvious and, at times, a little cringe-worthy. The awkwardness of reading how Melissa’s wedding day occurred was awful and she also needed a good shake to make her realise how naive and stupid she was being.
Melissa, Jason’s ever-suffering wife, appears to have no clue about Jason’s background and infidelities. She is described as preferring ignorance to how Jason earns his money yet, seems surprised when the law eventually catches up with them. Instead, she is happy to spend, spend, spend, making her no better, in my opinion, than her dodgy husband. Not intending to lift a finger and contribute to the house finances, she expects Jason to keep an expensive roof over her head, allow her to live a life of luxury, and send the two children to private schools. Materialistic and dozy, I was glad when life started to fall apart around her.
These two characters embodied many principles that I disagree with and, as a result, it felt uncomfortable reading. I do realise that reading allows you to immerse yourself into an imaginary world, but this was too far-fetched for my liking. The naivety of the characters was incredible, particularly with the forever-absent police. Seeing where the plot would go was a further disappointment, although the final twist was satisfying and I really did not see it coming.
I felt like this was a dated crime story that abandoned so many literary principles. It is a shame there weren’t stronger female characters and morality absent. Crooked and corrupt, whilst there were some chuckles at the dialogue, for the most part I was left feeling frustrated. Refreshingly, this is a stand-alone novel, (I find it difficult to come across crime novels that are not part of a series) and I would be interested to read another of Chambers’s works, just to see if it tickles my literary taste buds a little better.
No one, and I repeat, no one, in this novel appears to be straight. The whole cast are crooked, criminals, “chancers” if you life – all committing some form of deception and involved in a type of illegal activity. And if they don’t fall into this category, then they are off performing adultery: none of the characters appear to have a loyal bone in their body. Frustratingly, the females all fall under the male spell and are forever weak and in need of “saving” – sexually or physically. All in all, it felt so dated and cliched that this was one of the main reasons that the novel lost my interest. (This book was published last year, so I can only imagine that the retroactive attitudes are supposed to reflect Melissa’s traditional upbringing?)
The protagonist, Jason, is the man living the life of crime. He is dodgy from the beginning and the tale follows as he gets involved in deeper crimes, no thanks to his inability to “keep it in his trousers”, have unfavourable friends and a terrible mother who has allowed Jason’s brothers and sister to fall into similar difficult situations. Wanting to give Jason a good slap and seeing to, it was no surprise when it is revealed that he intends to use Melissa as a means of providing a mother-figure to his daughter, Shay. Mel is in a similar situation – also a single mother – and feels Jason can fulfil the role missing from her son’s life. Plot development was predictable and obvious and, at times, a little cringe-worthy. The awkwardness of reading how Melissa’s wedding day occurred was awful and she also needed a good shake to make her realise how naive and stupid she was being.
Melissa, Jason’s ever-suffering wife, appears to have no clue about Jason’s background and infidelities. She is described as preferring ignorance to how Jason earns his money yet, seems surprised when the law eventually catches up with them. Instead, she is happy to spend, spend, spend, making her no better, in my opinion, than her dodgy husband. Not intending to lift a finger and contribute to the house finances, she expects Jason to keep an expensive roof over her head, allow her to live a life of luxury, and send the two children to private schools. Materialistic and dozy, I was glad when life started to fall apart around her.
These two characters embodied many principles that I disagree with and, as a result, it felt uncomfortable reading. I do realise that reading allows you to immerse yourself into an imaginary world, but this was too far-fetched for my liking. The naivety of the characters was incredible, particularly with the forever-absent police. Seeing where the plot would go was a further disappointment, although the final twist was satisfying and I really did not see it coming.
I felt like this was a dated crime story that abandoned so many literary principles. It is a shame there weren’t stronger female characters and morality absent. Crooked and corrupt, whilst there were some chuckles at the dialogue, for the most part I was left feeling frustrated. Refreshingly, this is a stand-alone novel, (I find it difficult to come across crime novels that are not part of a series) and I would be interested to read another of Chambers’s works, just to see if it tickles my literary taste buds a little better.
January 18, 2018
Oh dear lord. This woman is simply crazy! She is also brilliant. What a story that was.
It always takes me a little while to settle into one of Kimberley Chambers books. But when I do there is no turning back. She has a knack for keeping you on your toes. What a cast of characters and crazy events.
I LOVED The Butlers series. Fucking Vinny! No one will top that guy but Jason Rampling was a bit of a prick himself. And this is his story....
My head is still spinning!
It always takes me a little while to settle into one of Kimberley Chambers books. But when I do there is no turning back. She has a knack for keeping you on your toes. What a cast of characters and crazy events.
I LOVED The Butlers series. Fucking Vinny! No one will top that guy but Jason Rampling was a bit of a prick himself. And this is his story....
My head is still spinning!
October 31, 2025
Jau nepamenu, kada buvo taip blogai🫣 prasikankinau 150 psl, o likusią knygos dalį prašuoliavau, tiesiog permečiau akim praleisdama po pastraipą ar kelias. Visiškai nekabino ir neįtraukė. Labai silpni, nerealistiški, neįtikinantys veikėjai, nuobodžiai papasakota istorija. Ir pabaigoj numesta bomba apie Mel tėvą.. jei jis tas, kas sakėsi esąs, tai kodėl tiek metų leido, kad Mel taip gyventų, kad su ja taip elgtųsi?
January 5, 2018
OMG Kimberley Chambers is back with a Life Of Crime let me tell you “it’s a blinder”, I’m a huge fan of this author and have read every book she has ever written. Last year the author ended the hugely popular “Butler” series and although I was left feeling bereft after saying “goodbye” to some of my all time favourite characters, I was also excited by the prospect the author would be publishing a standalone in the shape of a Life Of Crime. If your a fan of this author and were concerned she wouldn’t be able to top her last book, let me allay your fears, Life Of Crime is definitely the authors best standalone novel so far, a diamond amid the numerous crime thrillers on the market at the moment.
A Life Of Crime is the story of Jason and Melissa Rampling, Jason wants a better life for his family than the one he had, and if that means breaking the law so be it, as Jason becomes more embroiled in the murky crime world, treachery, lies and violence become part of his every day life. Anyone who has ever read a book by Kimberley Chambers will not be surprised to hear there’s plenty of swearing in this book, personally I feel it adds authenticity to her characters and very much fits their personalities. One thing I love about this authors writing are her characters they are vibrant and larger than life, there are so many characters in Life Of Crime that I could write about, the good, the bad and the down right ugly but in doing so I would be in danger of giving away spoilers, what I will say love them or hate them Kimberley Chambers has created another set of characters that are memorable.
Life Of Crime is a story of violence, treachery, loyalty and family ties and although these are familiar themes in the authors book, she still manages to write an exciting tale, with surprises galore. Kimberley Chambers has a unique knack of adding her own style of humour to her plot with her “one liners”, which constantly made me chuckle. From the first page of this exceptional crime thriller I was hooked you could not have prised this book away from me for love nor money, in fact I pretty much read it in one hugely satisfying sitting. Fast paced, gripping and with more twist and turns than a roller coaster, it’s a thrill a minute. Kimberley Chambers has once again reminded me why she continues to be one of the best crime thriller authors out there. Highly recommended
A Life Of Crime is the story of Jason and Melissa Rampling, Jason wants a better life for his family than the one he had, and if that means breaking the law so be it, as Jason becomes more embroiled in the murky crime world, treachery, lies and violence become part of his every day life. Anyone who has ever read a book by Kimberley Chambers will not be surprised to hear there’s plenty of swearing in this book, personally I feel it adds authenticity to her characters and very much fits their personalities. One thing I love about this authors writing are her characters they are vibrant and larger than life, there are so many characters in Life Of Crime that I could write about, the good, the bad and the down right ugly but in doing so I would be in danger of giving away spoilers, what I will say love them or hate them Kimberley Chambers has created another set of characters that are memorable.
Life Of Crime is a story of violence, treachery, loyalty and family ties and although these are familiar themes in the authors book, she still manages to write an exciting tale, with surprises galore. Kimberley Chambers has a unique knack of adding her own style of humour to her plot with her “one liners”, which constantly made me chuckle. From the first page of this exceptional crime thriller I was hooked you could not have prised this book away from me for love nor money, in fact I pretty much read it in one hugely satisfying sitting. Fast paced, gripping and with more twist and turns than a roller coaster, it’s a thrill a minute. Kimberley Chambers has once again reminded me why she continues to be one of the best crime thriller authors out there. Highly recommended
September 1, 2021
Iki dabar nebuvau skaičiusi dar nei vienos šios autorės knygos. Nusprendžiau, jog dabar yra tinkamas metas pažinčiai. Tikrai sudomino šio psichologinio trilerio anotacija, tad nieko nelaukdama ėmiau skaityti 📖
Vaikystėje gerų gyvenimo sąlygų niekada neturėjęs Džeisonas Ramplingas nusprendžia, jog gyvenime jis pasieks šio to daugiau ir tikrai nebegyvens Madraike. Vaikinas puikiai supranta, jog daili išvaizda šiam tikslui puikiai pasitarnaus. Todėl susipažinęs su Melisa Bruks supranta, jog ji puikiai tiks jo tikslui.
Melisai atrodo, jog Džeisonas - svajonių vaikinas. Puikus humoro jausmas, gera išvaizda bei prabangus automobilis. Tai tik dailus fasadas.. Už kurio slepiasi šis tas daugiau.. Sutikusi tekėti ji net nenutuokė, jog viskas yra kitaip nei atrodo.
Džeisonas atsiduria kalėjime, nors ir gana nepelnytai, tačiau jis nusprendžia, jog sugrįžus į laisvę prasuks dar vieną reikalą ir su tuo baigta visiems laikams. Tik ar tikrai? Kai kurie žmonės dėl didelių pinigų yra pasiryžę bene viskam..
Pradėjusi versti pirmuosius šios knygos puslapius supratau, jog tai tikrai bus pagaulus skaitinys. Nuobodžiauti nebuvo kada, daug įvykių bei veikėjų. Patiko man Džeisono personažas, nors tikrai ne visus jo poelgius pateisinau bei supratau. Perskaičius truputį daugiau nei pusę knygos, mane erzino Melisa. Negalėjau pakęsti jos amžino verkšlenimo 🙈
Manau, jog autorei puikiai pavyko atskleisti tai, kiek stipriai kai kurie žmonės yra priklausomi nuo pinigų, "valdžios" bei tai, kaip toli eiti jie yra pasiryžę. Tikrai ne viskas šioje knygoje mane įtikino, o artėjant kulminacijai jau pasidarė net kiek ir nuobodoka, o kur dar Melisos draugė Treisė, kuri knygos pabaigoje laabai erzino. Puikiai supratau, kodėl su Melisa jos taip gerai sutarė 🤭 Nepaisant to, man pasirodė, jog autorė potencialo turi ir mielai ateityje perskaitysiu ir kitą jos knygą 📚
Vaikystėje gerų gyvenimo sąlygų niekada neturėjęs Džeisonas Ramplingas nusprendžia, jog gyvenime jis pasieks šio to daugiau ir tikrai nebegyvens Madraike. Vaikinas puikiai supranta, jog daili išvaizda šiam tikslui puikiai pasitarnaus. Todėl susipažinęs su Melisa Bruks supranta, jog ji puikiai tiks jo tikslui.
Melisai atrodo, jog Džeisonas - svajonių vaikinas. Puikus humoro jausmas, gera išvaizda bei prabangus automobilis. Tai tik dailus fasadas.. Už kurio slepiasi šis tas daugiau.. Sutikusi tekėti ji net nenutuokė, jog viskas yra kitaip nei atrodo.
Džeisonas atsiduria kalėjime, nors ir gana nepelnytai, tačiau jis nusprendžia, jog sugrįžus į laisvę prasuks dar vieną reikalą ir su tuo baigta visiems laikams. Tik ar tikrai? Kai kurie žmonės dėl didelių pinigų yra pasiryžę bene viskam..
Pradėjusi versti pirmuosius šios knygos puslapius supratau, jog tai tikrai bus pagaulus skaitinys. Nuobodžiauti nebuvo kada, daug įvykių bei veikėjų. Patiko man Džeisono personažas, nors tikrai ne visus jo poelgius pateisinau bei supratau. Perskaičius truputį daugiau nei pusę knygos, mane erzino Melisa. Negalėjau pakęsti jos amžino verkšlenimo 🙈
Manau, jog autorei puikiai pavyko atskleisti tai, kiek stipriai kai kurie žmonės yra priklausomi nuo pinigų, "valdžios" bei tai, kaip toli eiti jie yra pasiryžę. Tikrai ne viskas šioje knygoje mane įtikino, o artėjant kulminacijai jau pasidarė net kiek ir nuobodoka, o kur dar Melisos draugė Treisė, kuri knygos pabaigoje laabai erzino. Puikiai supratau, kodėl su Melisa jos taip gerai sutarė 🤭 Nepaisant to, man pasirodė, jog autorė potencialo turi ir mielai ateityje perskaitysiu ir kitą jos knygą 📚
August 16, 2023
Va čia tai galima rasti visko, tik ne nuobodulio. Buvo kiek pikta dėl autorės sprendimų, bet dėlto knyga tapo tik dar labiau įsimintinesnė. Šiek tiek pavargau nuo tiek melo, apgavysčių ir pykčio, perskaičius pasidžiaugi dar kartą savo paprastu, kukliu, bet ramiu gyvenimu. Kaip ten bebūtų tikrai žinau, kad jei norėsiu veiksmo kiekvienam puslapy ir kraują pripumpuot adrenalino, tai skaitysiu būtent šios autorės knygas. 😊
February 10, 2018
I really enjoyed Life of Crime. The scenes were set well and good gritty characterisation kept me turning the pages quickly. The twist was perfect and the ending really made the story.
A book I would highly recommend.
A book I would highly recommend.
January 14, 2018
My thoughts to follow .......
May 28, 2018
The plan was to read 10 books while I was away, in reality I’ve read 1 so far as I’ve been too busy eating, drinking, walking and catching the sun! Will have to think on this one re my review and final rating.
February 4, 2022
jau seniai neskaiciau tokio gero trilerio.keliaus net 5.30 ryte kad pabaigt
January 8, 2018
Time taken to read - as and when I could over 2 days
Pages - 528
Publisher - HarperCollins
Source - Review copy
Blurb from Goodreads
If you could get away with the perfect crime - would you?
HEAVEN HAS NO RAGE, LIKE LOVE TO HATRED TURNED.
NOR HELL A FURY, LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED.
My Review
Meet Jason Rampling, this is his story, a bit of a jack the lad, fingers in many pies, ducking and diving and looking for a mother for his kid. When he is zeroed in on by the flighty Tracey it is her quiet plain friend who catches his eye. There begins the story of Jason and Melissa, Melissa can't believe he would pick her over Tracey, she is used to playing second fiddle to her friend. But pick her he did, his Shay needs a mother and Melissa could be the answer to all his prayers.
So this is a different kind of story from Chambers, still skulduggery, crime, relationship woes and some very steamy/graphic sexual scenes. However, she doesn't fall into the formulaic pattern some writers do when they write a fair amount of books of the same genre. The characters are fresh, the story lines hook you from the get go and provoke emotions and responses from the reader, well it did for me. Fury at how Melissa is treated by a few of her so called loved ones and friends. The story is original, fresh, keeps you on the edge of your seat to find out what skulduggery is coming next.
I have never been one of those readers who guesses everything, I think even those who do will be kept on their toes with this one. I think one of the reasons I like Chambers work so much is because she never disappoints, that said I always have the fear picking up her newest offerings, just in case lol. Humour, sex, anger, violence, secrets, betrayal and don't forget the swearing are all included in Life of Crime, if you enjoyed Chambers previous offerings you will love this. 5/5 for me this time, I am sure I have read all her books and eagerly await her next. Life of Crime is out to buy from 11/01/18 from all good retailers.
Pages - 528
Publisher - HarperCollins
Source - Review copy
Blurb from Goodreads
If you could get away with the perfect crime - would you?
HEAVEN HAS NO RAGE, LIKE LOVE TO HATRED TURNED.
NOR HELL A FURY, LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED.
My Review
Meet Jason Rampling, this is his story, a bit of a jack the lad, fingers in many pies, ducking and diving and looking for a mother for his kid. When he is zeroed in on by the flighty Tracey it is her quiet plain friend who catches his eye. There begins the story of Jason and Melissa, Melissa can't believe he would pick her over Tracey, she is used to playing second fiddle to her friend. But pick her he did, his Shay needs a mother and Melissa could be the answer to all his prayers.
So this is a different kind of story from Chambers, still skulduggery, crime, relationship woes and some very steamy/graphic sexual scenes. However, she doesn't fall into the formulaic pattern some writers do when they write a fair amount of books of the same genre. The characters are fresh, the story lines hook you from the get go and provoke emotions and responses from the reader, well it did for me. Fury at how Melissa is treated by a few of her so called loved ones and friends. The story is original, fresh, keeps you on the edge of your seat to find out what skulduggery is coming next.
I have never been one of those readers who guesses everything, I think even those who do will be kept on their toes with this one. I think one of the reasons I like Chambers work so much is because she never disappoints, that said I always have the fear picking up her newest offerings, just in case lol. Humour, sex, anger, violence, secrets, betrayal and don't forget the swearing are all included in Life of Crime, if you enjoyed Chambers previous offerings you will love this. 5/5 for me this time, I am sure I have read all her books and eagerly await her next. Life of Crime is out to buy from 11/01/18 from all good retailers.
February 9, 2018
Life of Crime – A Low Life Gritty Thriller
Kimberley Chambers is a bestselling crime writer, who knows how to keep her public in her grip, before pulling off an unexpected twist at the end, like death you know its coming, just not when. Life of Crime is her latest thriller that grabs you from beginning to end, this is the inglorious underbelly of crime. Showing you, it doesn’t matter how glamourous the life may look, the foundations are built on sand and do not complain when Mrs Windsor’s boys are knocking on your door with a warrant.
Jason Rampling is one of life’s chancers, a modern day Del boy wheeling and dealing living life large. Having been brought up by a mother who is nothing more than a drunken bum, two younger brothers and a sister along with his own daughter live in a flat in a high rise flat. The estate they live on is the boil on the backside of the world, to call it rough would be a compliment.
One thing he knows he needs to find a woman who has the ability to take on his daughter, Shay, be a mother to her and a wife to him. That would not be to hard with his good looks, but he has trouble keeping his pants on and other women have been known to take care of him in ways others can only dream of.
Melissa, a single mum, walks into Jason’s life, and she falls in love with Jason and is willing to take him and his daughter on. She is just happy someone is interested in her, and he has fallen on his feet when he finds out who her father is. Johnny Brookes a well known local businessman with money falling all around him. Who does give Jason a warning never to break his beloved daughters heart.
Jason is part narrator of the story and we see his viewpoint on his mother, his wife, children and family. This is a story about relationships, secrets, lies, women (lots of), a painting, planning and standing by your man.
Some may view crime thrillers as lowbrow compared to a lot of high-brow, anal retentive literature. The difference being that people actually love reading Kimberley Chambers work as she knows how to entertain, keep a reader, and not bore them to death. Chambers gives you a rollercoaster ride of a thriller that is gripping, breath-taking and a guide to the low life of Essex.
The only thing wrong about Kimberley Chambers, is she is a Spurs fan, but we all have our crosses to bare.
Kimberley Chambers is a bestselling crime writer, who knows how to keep her public in her grip, before pulling off an unexpected twist at the end, like death you know its coming, just not when. Life of Crime is her latest thriller that grabs you from beginning to end, this is the inglorious underbelly of crime. Showing you, it doesn’t matter how glamourous the life may look, the foundations are built on sand and do not complain when Mrs Windsor’s boys are knocking on your door with a warrant.
Jason Rampling is one of life’s chancers, a modern day Del boy wheeling and dealing living life large. Having been brought up by a mother who is nothing more than a drunken bum, two younger brothers and a sister along with his own daughter live in a flat in a high rise flat. The estate they live on is the boil on the backside of the world, to call it rough would be a compliment.
One thing he knows he needs to find a woman who has the ability to take on his daughter, Shay, be a mother to her and a wife to him. That would not be to hard with his good looks, but he has trouble keeping his pants on and other women have been known to take care of him in ways others can only dream of.
Melissa, a single mum, walks into Jason’s life, and she falls in love with Jason and is willing to take him and his daughter on. She is just happy someone is interested in her, and he has fallen on his feet when he finds out who her father is. Johnny Brookes a well known local businessman with money falling all around him. Who does give Jason a warning never to break his beloved daughters heart.
Jason is part narrator of the story and we see his viewpoint on his mother, his wife, children and family. This is a story about relationships, secrets, lies, women (lots of), a painting, planning and standing by your man.
Some may view crime thrillers as lowbrow compared to a lot of high-brow, anal retentive literature. The difference being that people actually love reading Kimberley Chambers work as she knows how to entertain, keep a reader, and not bore them to death. Chambers gives you a rollercoaster ride of a thriller that is gripping, breath-taking and a guide to the low life of Essex.
The only thing wrong about Kimberley Chambers, is she is a Spurs fan, but we all have our crosses to bare.
January 12, 2018
FINALLY! It always seems like such a long time between books from Kimberley Chambers but in reality it's not. Last year saw the end of an era with the last book featuring the Mitchell's and the Butlers. As much as I loved the books, I was glad they finished when they did and was really looking forward to a stand alone book by KC. This latest book is all about Jason Rampling and Melissa Brooks and starts back in the beginning in 1994. Jason wants a better life for him and his daughter Shay. That means finding the perfect woman to be a mother to his daughter and would hopefully be the key to him getting off the Estate he lives on. Melissa thinks Jason is her very own Prince Charming and in her eyes her fairytale man has just walked into her life. In all honesty the first part of the book was the slowest for me. However, having got to the end I realised that without that build up of the characters the following elemnts of the book wouldn't have had as much appeal.
The book is separated into parts and with each part we jump forward a few years and this element of the book was bang on the money. With each part of the book it seems to jump up a notch as more and more is revealed. I liked Jason as a character, but struggled with Melissa for a large part of the book. Even though I didn't like her that much I understood why she was the was she was and towards the end I wanted her to make the best of things that she could. What I didn't expect was the ending. Sadly for me, I was only halfway through the book and saw a few reviews which hinted at the ending (HATE that) but it was still done very cleverly and with typical Chambers style.
I feel like I am always being extra critical with KC, but only because I secretly hope she never loses her touch. Some authors seem to hit a huge peak and then start to produce the same old stuff. Luckily KCs stuff always seems fresh and new and you never feel like characters are eing re-created, they always have a different edge. Sadly this still hasn't made it to my favourite of the KC books (The Schemer to date has that title) but was, as ever, an outstanding read which pulls you in and doesn't let go right until the last page. KC fans will LOVE this book, and for those that maybe haven't tried her out you really do need to start!
The book is separated into parts and with each part we jump forward a few years and this element of the book was bang on the money. With each part of the book it seems to jump up a notch as more and more is revealed. I liked Jason as a character, but struggled with Melissa for a large part of the book. Even though I didn't like her that much I understood why she was the was she was and towards the end I wanted her to make the best of things that she could. What I didn't expect was the ending. Sadly for me, I was only halfway through the book and saw a few reviews which hinted at the ending (HATE that) but it was still done very cleverly and with typical Chambers style.
I feel like I am always being extra critical with KC, but only because I secretly hope she never loses her touch. Some authors seem to hit a huge peak and then start to produce the same old stuff. Luckily KCs stuff always seems fresh and new and you never feel like characters are eing re-created, they always have a different edge. Sadly this still hasn't made it to my favourite of the KC books (The Schemer to date has that title) but was, as ever, an outstanding read which pulls you in and doesn't let go right until the last page. KC fans will LOVE this book, and for those that maybe haven't tried her out you really do need to start!
May 19, 2022
Patiko visai, lengvai skaitėsi, puslapiai vertėsi greit. Ateityje reikės perskaityti ir kitas autorės knygas.
August 30, 2019
4.5 stars
I really liked this book and the twist at the end. I loved the way the author built the story over several decades that draws in the reader. I've read several books by this author and have enjoyed them all. If you're a fan, then you'll like this too. I love the way she draws her characters so you end up really despising the unpleasant ones, although in the end, most of them were not that nice.
I really liked this book and the twist at the end. I loved the way the author built the story over several decades that draws in the reader. I've read several books by this author and have enjoyed them all. If you're a fan, then you'll like this too. I love the way she draws her characters so you end up really despising the unpleasant ones, although in the end, most of them were not that nice.
March 16, 2022
...knyga tau, jei patiko serialas "Sopranai"...
...knyga tau, jei patiko "Krikstatevis" ir "Pasmerkti"...
...knyga tau, jei patiko "Krikstatevis" ir "Pasmerkti"...
January 20, 2018
This went from awesome to phenomenal at the 75% mark!!!
I didn't see that ending coming - and what a finale - stunning!!! Fucking hell Kimberley Chambers can write a gripping story!!
Again, Annie Aldington proves she's the best in the business. She makes it worth forgoing written books just to listen to her paint another brilliant story with her extraordinary narrative skill.
I didn't see that ending coming - and what a finale - stunning!!! Fucking hell Kimberley Chambers can write a gripping story!!
Again, Annie Aldington proves she's the best in the business. She makes it worth forgoing written books just to listen to her paint another brilliant story with her extraordinary narrative skill.
September 16, 2018
Bit different to my normal read, didn’t really like the characters and therefore didn’t really care that much about what happened to them, last few chapters where things all tied up were better than whole book, also naff cover, title and a mega amount of pages! Was a book club choice so I had to read it as certainly would never has chosen it on my own.
January 14, 2018
Life of trash
Not enamoured with this story to far fetched that's why only 3 stars
I do like this author but not this time.to long and drawn out .
Not enamoured with this story to far fetched that's why only 3 stars
I do like this author but not this time.to long and drawn out .
August 26, 2018
‘This is Jason Rampling’s story’.
A no-holes barred romp through the suburban streets of East London. As always with Kimberley Chambers the characters are so well drawn out that you feel you really know them. Jason Rampling is compelling though. You are not sure about him at all and this makes for a great character and a good story. Is he selfish, self-centered or just being practical? He certainly appears manipulative? Due to this you are never quite sure what is going to happen. The scrapes that he manages to get himself out of are superb. How does he do it? One quickly follows another. As his accountant says to him ‘‘I’ve met some chancers in my time and you’re definitely up there with the Del Boys of this world.’ You liked Del Boy but should you like Jason?
Honestly, there will not be a better wedding reception scene than the one here at Jason’s wedding. Of course, this book and in particular, this scene, are way over the top but you would expect nothing less Chambers? This is not a gangster book. It is more to do with family and a bit of ducking-and-diving.
Nice few surprises and some tense drunken moments make for a little uncomfortable read at times. I enjoyed the book and the ending. I’ll be interested to now read some reviews to see what others thought.
BTW: Jason’s Nan in this book is absolutely hilarious. Had me laughing out loud on many occasions.
A no-holes barred romp through the suburban streets of East London. As always with Kimberley Chambers the characters are so well drawn out that you feel you really know them. Jason Rampling is compelling though. You are not sure about him at all and this makes for a great character and a good story. Is he selfish, self-centered or just being practical? He certainly appears manipulative? Due to this you are never quite sure what is going to happen. The scrapes that he manages to get himself out of are superb. How does he do it? One quickly follows another. As his accountant says to him ‘‘I’ve met some chancers in my time and you’re definitely up there with the Del Boys of this world.’ You liked Del Boy but should you like Jason?
Honestly, there will not be a better wedding reception scene than the one here at Jason’s wedding. Of course, this book and in particular, this scene, are way over the top but you would expect nothing less Chambers? This is not a gangster book. It is more to do with family and a bit of ducking-and-diving.
Nice few surprises and some tense drunken moments make for a little uncomfortable read at times. I enjoyed the book and the ending. I’ll be interested to now read some reviews to see what others thought.
BTW: Jason’s Nan in this book is absolutely hilarious. Had me laughing out loud on many occasions.
February 4, 2018
Best one yet!
As a huge fan of Kimberley Chambers I couldn't wait to dive into this book and I've got to say, it's her best one to date! Fast paced, full of violence and deceit I thought I'd worked it all out but I was wrong. What an ending! A well deserved five stars, I can't wait for the next!
As a huge fan of Kimberley Chambers I couldn't wait to dive into this book and I've got to say, it's her best one to date! Fast paced, full of violence and deceit I thought I'd worked it all out but I was wrong. What an ending! A well deserved five stars, I can't wait for the next!
March 21, 2018
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
A brilliant story with great characters.
An amazing read with a twist in the tail.
A brilliant story with great characters.
An amazing read with a twist in the tail.
March 9, 2019
Now this is a good book. All that twists and plots, wonderful..
September 3, 2023
2.5/5⭐️ (3.9.2023)
December 21, 2017
This book was something different from Kimberley. And something of the same. The clue is in the title.
Who chooses a life of crime? Or who is dragged into it, by birth or making the wrong choices in life..
For those of you have read previous books, namely her series novels, this will be a change. A stand alone novel. It has all the ingredients of her previous books, gangsters and brassy women. Delinquent children all living in a world of their own.
Jason Rampling is such a man. A Del Boy character who ducks and dives and fate takes a hand when he meets Melissa and her friend Tracey and that starts Jason of on his life of crime. With all the lies, deceit and two timing that lifestyle entails.
I must say I really enjoyed Kimberley's style of writing. A fast paced story that has the reader gripped rapidly turning the pages, full of OMG , on the edge of your seat and why did you do that,say that moments.
Thanks to Harper Collins, Kimberley Chambers and Lovereading for the ARC.
Who chooses a life of crime? Or who is dragged into it, by birth or making the wrong choices in life..
For those of you have read previous books, namely her series novels, this will be a change. A stand alone novel. It has all the ingredients of her previous books, gangsters and brassy women. Delinquent children all living in a world of their own.
Jason Rampling is such a man. A Del Boy character who ducks and dives and fate takes a hand when he meets Melissa and her friend Tracey and that starts Jason of on his life of crime. With all the lies, deceit and two timing that lifestyle entails.
I must say I really enjoyed Kimberley's style of writing. A fast paced story that has the reader gripped rapidly turning the pages, full of OMG , on the edge of your seat and why did you do that,say that moments.
Thanks to Harper Collins, Kimberley Chambers and Lovereading for the ARC.
May 2, 2018
Drivel
Drivel, drivel, drivel. What a load of utter rubbish, I only finished it as it was my bookclub’s choice. Hated it.
Drivel, drivel, drivel. What a load of utter rubbish, I only finished it as it was my bookclub’s choice. Hated it.
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