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Sinner

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Having been brought up amongst the hardest gangsters and faces of London, Franny Doyle learnt never to let love be her weakness. But she’ll do anything to protect those close to her, and at whatever cost.

Her partner Alfie Jennings is under pressure. The only person he ever sent down has recently been released from prison, and his Soho nightclub is under threat from his rival Charlie Eton – a man who doesn’t respond kindly to people taking away his business.

Charlie is playing dirty to come out on top, and when innocent children become involved in the feud, Franny and Alfie are dragged into a dark underworld where Alfie must face demons from his past, and Franny is in a dangerous race against time to ensure her own secrets aren’t exposed.

Betrayal and lies come with consequences, and old sins cast long shadows…

The heart-racing new thriller perfect for fans of Kimberley Chambers and Martina Cole.

385 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2019

175 people are currently reading
153 people want to read

About the author

Jacqui Rose

33 books174 followers


Jacqui 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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5 stars
384 (57%)
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175 (26%)
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88 (13%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
Profile Image for Janel.
511 reviews105 followers
June 13, 2019
I love me a gangland thriller, diving into the dark criminal underworld of London, where the 'faces' of Essex and London do their deeds! This is the most tense book I have read from Rose, it had me on edge because I could just sense things were going to implode, it was only a matter of time. Now I'm itching for the sequel!!

Some real dark content but always written written with heart. You'll get more out of this one having read the previous book, Fatal, as there's continuity to the backstories, but I think you could just get away with reading this one as a standalone 🤔.

*My thanks to the publishing for providing me a copy of this book*
Profile Image for Philomena Callan Cheekypee.
4,013 reviews431 followers
June 25, 2019
I am absolutely loving this authors books. I just wish there was more time in the day to read so I could read her previous books that I’ve not read yet.

I recommend you read Fatal before reading this as this continues Alfie and Frannys story.

I seriously couldn’t read this story fast enough. The author has pure talent. She has sucked me right in and I loved the fast paced ride through the seedy crime world.

I highly recommend this brilliantly written story. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Profile Image for Adele Shea.
722 reviews20 followers
June 13, 2019
I chose to read this book not realising there were other books before this. However, I feel it can be read as a stand alone.
The subject matter is a little hard to read at times but it brings awareness of how dark the world can be.
I will definitely read the other books in this series.
Profile Image for Rachel Gilbey.
3,356 reviews571 followers
April 18, 2019
This is now the third book I've read by Jacqui Rose, and I'm still not 100% positive I like them. I mean they have far too much violence, and unpleasant subject matter in them, the body counts seem very high, but yet every time I pick up one of these books I find I am racing through it completely hooked.

I'm completely and utterly addicted to this author's version of London, the dark seedy underbelly where the most notorious of crime and gangster families are working side by side, sometimes more peacefully than others. Where everyone seems to either know everyone else, or is related to them.

In fact I would love to see some sort of family tree for all these characters as it really is mind blowing to try to keep track of.

Sinner focuses on Alfie Jennings and Franny Doyle and continues on a few months later from Fatal. I found it really easy to get back into the story and the familiar characters and their stories came back to me reasonably fast.

The amount of action in this book is staggering, and we get to know so much more about Alfie and Franny and learning that they both have a slightly different side to them is very good to know.

Yet a large amount of the actual subject matter with the crimes is really uncomfortable to read. I'm not really sure I could ever say that I enjoyed a book that deals with horrific subject matters, but I can completely appreciate just how talented a writer Jacqui Rose is - for keeping me coming back for more and more, leaving me already knowing that the wait for the next one is too long.

I was completely hooked on this and I do love a fast quick paced thriller, and this did far more than just hold my attention throughout. Very impressive book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,
Profile Image for Sandra.
566 reviews22 followers
April 10, 2019
Another fabulous book from the pen of Jacqui Rose i love reading her books as we keep abreast of the usual characters and become involved in whatever they are all doing.Highly recommend anyone reads her books you will get pulled in from first page.well worth 5*
3 reviews1 follower
February 10, 2024
My feelings towards Franny changed the more of the book I read. Great read.
6 reviews2 followers
March 2, 2022
JUST FINHSED READING AND BOY BOY BOY AM I GLAD MY BESTIE VAUGHN IS ALIVE, FRANNY IS ACTUALLY SO EVIL AND I FEEL SO BAD FOR SHANNON. I feel bad that she had to work at such a toung age especially doing that type of dangerous work, Charlie is actually such a disgusting human being but he takes after his father ig and his sister aswell. How can Barry he regarding children as products which are sold and thrown away, it's creepy because alot of this type of 'trade' and grooming happens in real life, ppl actually buy other ppl especially children. Not gonna lie, I found Ma kind of funny I also like how she didn't put up with Frannys trash like franny can actually go to hell. I'm confused did franny actually kill Bree or not like Vaughn said at the end 'I know you didn't kill her' so I am confused, cos I thought she did or maybe Vaughn doesn't know she is. Overall, the writing style is basic and although the plot seems simple I think book focuses of the unfortunate realities of the way children are groomed and treated in this world, it also focuses on how easy it is to get away with that type of business as well. PS im so glad Taylor is safe now I also hope bree gets justice even though she's dead but....i do up Mia doesn't end up growing up with someone like Franny. Additionally, I dothink Alfie is dumb to have believed franny's lies, but she is habitual liar and a sociopathic murderer so she can easily trick others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
31 reviews
February 18, 2024
This book was hard to put down . Franny was such a strong character and at times her motives for what she did were hard to understand. It was written well you wanted to keep reading to see what happens next . Good story great characters excellent insight to criminal world . Can’t wait for next book .
Profile Image for Pol.
451 reviews9 followers
September 8, 2019
Another good book kept me reading from page one.
Profile Image for Meenu Annadurai.
Author 1 book22 followers
June 13, 2019
I got this Advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Avon books UK for the ARC.


“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Review

This is the first book I’m reading from Jacqui Rose and I found out it’s third book in the Alfie and Franny series but still it can be read as a stand-alone as well. The plot itself was dark and twisted. This book will shed light upon the shady lifestyle of high profile gangsters. The author has vividly brought the gangland to life with her words. The book was fast moving, unputdownable, thrilling, mysterious and has everything to keep the readers hooked up to it until the last page. Each and every chapter had something to unravel in the course of its journey. The cliffhangers at the end of the each chapters made it impossible to keep the book at bay. The character of the protagonist Franny Doyle was something very peculiar, the readers will be perplexed whether to love or hate her, her character gives a mixed kind of feelings to the readers. She is somebody who sees love as weakness but does anything to protect the people she love, ironic isn’t it ? She has plenty of ugly secrets that she hides even from her partner Alfie Jennings. He is the male protagonist of the book, who is a strong and dreaded gangster in the city but he turns into an exact opposite of that, naive and weak when he is faced by the demons of his past. There are lot of characters one would hate to the core, the family of Charlie Eton was disgusting and sickening. This book covers all the illegal activities like child and girl trafficking, drugs and everything that comes under the gangland. The characterization of Alfie was wonderfully developed, his nature towards the desire to save young kids from the miserable world was touching and heroic. The painful emotional breakdowns were marvelously written, certain characteristics he possess were extraordinary. Fight sequences were penned down in a stunning manner. The supporting characters played their villainous part perfectly. Towards the end the phase of the book was as high as a kite and unstoppable. Even though all the chapters were extremely good, last four to five chapters was the best among them all, it was racy, heroic, heart touching and heart wrenching. The climax was good and thoughtfully plotted and processed efficiently. As it is for any thriller novels I want to share a lot about this book but the fear of giving away spoilers is restricting me from saying more. So let me stop myself here.
On the whole I really liked this book though initially I had my set of doubts and uncertainty about the plot, I eventually dived into the gangland created by the author. It was different from all the other books I had read in this genre because always our protagonist will be ideal or innocent. But the protagonist of this book had their own flaws imperfections and moments of weakness. It made it more realistic, in spite of being a legendary gangster there are certain point in which one tends to make mistake that’s what make a person a human. Because at the end of the day we are all humans, good or bad is secondary. I totally loved Alfie, I had mixed feeling towards Franny who was full of lies which threatened her entire future with Alfie to which I was totally against but at the end I wanted her to be safe and sound. I’m looking forward to read the prequels as well as all the other books by this author. I really love her plot, twist and writing. I finished this book in one sitting, see how good it should be.
I recommend this book to all the thriller lovers, it was absolutely thrilling, dark and shady. Do try it and let me know how do you feel about it.

Happy Reading Folks!!!
~Meenu

Profile Image for Cassandra MADEUP BookBlog.
458 reviews9 followers
June 22, 2019
If you haven’t read the authors previous books, then I strongly suggest doing so before you read this book. Although it CAN be read as a standalone quite easily, it is a continuation of two characters stories from her previous book. As you might expect, there are then some elements which may be better understood or better experienced having enjoyed the previous story.

As with the others in this series, it is a fast paced thriller that keeps the reader engaged and invested, you need to know what is going to happen to the characters, you need to know how scenarios are going to be concluded. You might have some ideas of where it is going, what they might do... but you will find yourself surprised in the conclusions. I have to say that I admire how different the author manages to make each book, shocking and entertaining from start to end.

The books do cover some darker topics that can be difficult or uncomfortable to read about, and yet I find myself addicted to her writing for that very reason. She approaches topics that aren’t always easy to digest, but in such a way as maintains the harsh brutal nature of life in certain circles and areas, without being so heavy that they are unreadable.

As you might expect from a gangster/mafia group, there are dodgy dealings and unsavoury characters. There are crimes, calculations and betrayals. But there is also loyalty in surprising places, and strength despite the odds they may be faced with. I love the fact that in discussing such difficult themes honestly, the author manages to maintain the image that no matter how difficult a life, or a particular situation, there are those moments that push us to strive for more; for better; for a world that we want to be a part of.

I will admit that despite my enjoyment of the first book, i find it difficult at times to get to grips with the way the accents have been written. For myself, I prefer to be told the accent, and then do it in my own head. Having the words written as they are spoken makes my mental voice stumble and it can become very frustrating at times. However, despite that I still continue to read because the story is just SO GOOD! I also accept that this is a very personal preference when reading. What I will say is that if like me this kind of thing usually puts you off, DONT let it !! Try the books, because they are SO worth sticking with! And after a few chapters, you may find yourself reading with ease!

Another brilliant book from Jacqui, and well worth grabbing whether you are new to the author, or adored her previous work!
Profile Image for Steph Sheppard.
194 reviews6 followers
April 15, 2019
Sinner - Jacqui Rose

Jacqui Rose I have to say that you have pulled it out the bag again for me, I flew through this book. I went into Glasgow city centre on the train to visit my nephew and was so engrossed in Sinner that I promptly missed my stop, not by one either I ended up on the other side of the city from where I was meant to be!

Brought up within a crime family Franny was never going to be a housecoat and slippers kind of gal, she was always going to be more emotionless and harder than most blokes we know. Following on from her dad she now part owns a club with Freddie, maybe the only person she loves. Sadly not on their own lets not forget Freddie’s best pal Vaughn and he makes it clear that he neither likes nor trust her with good reason if her past exploits are anything to go by.

The club is doing pretty well, they are running one much cleaner, less seedy and with no on the job extras and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by Charles Eton a local boy who has know Freddie since they were in school they have a secret between them that Freddie has shared with no-one not even Franny. Even if he had I think she would still have made the same choices, the same choices that sees everything change between them. .

This book takes you down some roads that aren’t pretty it touches on drug abuse, mental health and prostitution among others. It was so sad to see their lives imploding following one or two bad decisions by the ones they love and trust the most.

On a lighter note I had two or three ‘well I never expected that’ moments that I was pleasantly surprised with. It’s always nice to see the good bad boys get a win once in a while isn’t it? There were also parts in it that restored my faith in some of the characters. As always there are one or two characters that got right under my skin and that’s possibly because I had invested in one or two only to be completely wrong about them.


Read for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books
Profile Image for Vicki - I Love Reading.
961 reviews56 followers
January 1, 2020
Jacqui Rose is one of those authors that I don't even have to read the synopsis to know, I WILL BE READING THE BOOK. JR has never disappointed me with any of her books and she is one of my all time favourite authors.
This lady can write!
Sinner is the latest instalment in the Alfie Jennings & Franny Doyle series of books. I love these characters, have loved following them on their journeys. For me personally the story is better as I've read all the previous books. I wouldn't say you needed to read them all first, but I always find you get a better feel for the characters. For me in this book Franny seemed a very different person, obviously things that have happened in the past have contributed to this, and while things are explained as you go along, a better feel is had by reading the books in order.
When an old face rears his ugly head, Alfie Jennings is not happy, facing pressures and seeming somewhat stressed out, Franny pleads with Alfie to slow down, move away again but it seems to be falling on deaf ears.
With his business under threat Alfie Jennings seems to have it all on his hands. With the tension building it isn't long before Franny and Alfie have trouble in their life. Franny is also trying to keep secrets hidden, but how long she can do this for is anyone's guess? The past could be coming to bite everyone.
This book has you gripped from the opening pages, starts with a boom and ends with a boom. Filled with suspense. Each and every page from start to finish, I couldn't turn them quick enough. I wanted to read and find out what was going on, what was going to happen, then I wanted to slow down and savour the book because I knew I'd have a while to wait for the next one. Everything a Jacqui Rose fan will want in a book.
Ideal for fans of Mel Sherratt, Jessie Keane, Casey Kelleher, Emma Tallon.
Profile Image for LianaReads blog.
2,801 reviews245 followers
June 12, 2019
Where have I been living before reading this author???
I absolutely loved this book! Not only I love London but we get to read about it’s darker side, about night clubs and life that it’s another world and definitely not a tourism one.
I like a good dark read and this story definitely brings in me all the feelings that I was craving.
Now I really need to go back and read the other books in the series to get a bit more inside about the families and characters but this story definitely could be read as a stand-alone book.
There’s a lot happening, from drug use, physical violence and psychological abuse. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and went through a rollercoaster of emotions with every page turned.
I love the writing and looking forward for more from the author.


Thanks for the opportunity to read and review - NetGalley and the publisher.
#Sinner #NetGalley
Profile Image for Julie Lacey.
2,030 reviews129 followers
June 12, 2019
Another great book from Jacqui Rose.
Franny and Alfie are back together but they’re both keeping secrets from each other.
Vaughn suspects Franny is hiding something but as he knows they hate each other, Alfie doesn’t listen to him.
Franny is secretly visiting Bree and the baby but has told her she can’t go outside in case Alfie sees them. This is driving Bree mad and soon they come to blows.
Alfie is getting threats from someone and is becoming more and more worried about it but doesn’t share his concerns with Franny.
Soon events take a turn for the worst and Franny and Alfie work together to put things right - but it’s soon taken out of their control.
This is a gritty crime thriller which I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Profile Image for Gail.
450 reviews6 followers
July 30, 2019
I have read and really enjoyed all of Jacqui’s previous books, Sinner is no exception. It was lovely to get reacquainted with Franny, Alfie and Vaughn. Franny is keeping a big secret from Alfie and Vaughn knows that she is hiding something, which doesn’t help in their mutual hatred of one another. Franny plots to come between the lifelong friends. Alfie has his own troubles with a very evil contact from past turning up, leaving Alfie in turmoil.
The plot ties together characters from the past and brings in some new ones from the present day, in a cleverly crafted story. This book sees all three main characters involved in some heavy gangland crime, whilst you also see a different side to each of them. Some of the story makes for uncomfortable reading but is dealt with in a very appropriate manner. A really enjoyable read with a great ending that I didn’t see coming.
Profile Image for Best Crime Books & More.
1,191 reviews179 followers
December 8, 2025
I am absolutely loving this series and once again was dragged into the world of Franny and Alfie. Now in this latest instalment I felt myself disliking Franny more and more as the story progressed. Thankfully this absolutely didn't lessen my enjoyment (sometimes if I don't connect with a character I dislike the book but that didn't apply here). Franny is hiding secrets from both Alfie and Vaughan and frankly there were times I wanted the worst to happen to her, but at the same time I didn't. This was packed with action, crossover threads from the previous books and introducing new characters into the fold. This was definitely a very easy book to get dragged into and its easy to lose track of time. Luckily I have another book in this series lined up and cannot wait to get started. I would highly recommend you read all the books in the series as they can become quite addictive!
Profile Image for MarylineD.
480 reviews5 followers
June 13, 2019
This is the second time I read Jacqui Rose and I just love that author so much!

I started reading this last night and couldn't stop, had to at some point to sleep some then read the rest of it the entire morning until early afternoon.

WOW! 5 stars and more!
Hooked from page one! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! This is a well written story about night club girls working for pimps, secret letters, abuse, drugs, secrets, crime, and more...
I love the writing style, storyline, characters, attention to details... It's dark, a bit depressing, and I love it!

A fantastic mind blowing read! I can't wait to read the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Diane.
950 reviews16 followers
July 31, 2019
The next gripping chapter in the lives of Alfie Jennings and Franny Doyle. Alfie thought his childhood nightmares were a thing of the past, but things start happening bringing it all painfully back to him. What is going on, and who can he trust. Poor Alfie is spinning trying to figure out exactly what’s going on and who is on his side and who are his enemies. Another great read from Jacqui leaving us readers waiting for the next instalment.
174 reviews2 followers
July 11, 2019
The best yet

Wow brilliant book. I've read all Jacqui Rose books and this is the best out of all of them. I didn't want to put it down.I love hearing about Franny and Alfie 's relationship.Franny giving Alfie the run around. A big twist as usual at the end. If you like Martina Cole or Kimberley Chambers you will love this book
Profile Image for Alison Cairns.
1,103 reviews13 followers
July 18, 2019
A London crimeland story with characters you'll love to hate.. Franny is an nasty piece of work, and it's unusual in this genre to find such a strong female main character. She has been manipulating her husband, Alfie, for years, and keeping a major secret from him. The story itself is a reasonable one, but it didn't grab my interest.
Profile Image for Samantha.
278 reviews8 followers
March 19, 2025
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
AMAZING!!! THE BEST ONE YET!! Jacqui Rose just took the trio of charicters I love and blew it all out of the water! Did not see all this coming!
One heck of a twisty, gripping, bloody, toe curling thriller. This shit legit made me uncomfortable at some points, but like a car crash, you can't look away!
Alfie Jennings is now a favorite book charicter of mine for life!
Profile Image for Nikki Malin.
120 reviews
March 20, 2025
Fair play she’s a published writer but this is pretty bad. Characters are flat, things don’t make sense and far too much extraneous detail about furnishings! Why doesn’t Alfie wonder where his partner’s gone and who the corpse in the club might be? Why do we keep hearing how much they love each other yet no real sense of why and how that ties in with their questionable actions. Just weird.
Profile Image for Jody Wheeler.
390 reviews
June 17, 2019
The only word for this book is excellent

This book was excellent i thoroughly enjoyed it and was so disappointed when it finished. Yes some parts did make me cry a little bit for the most part it had me sitting on the edge of my seat it was so good
Profile Image for Julia Jones.
82 reviews
June 29, 2019
Gripping Read

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Another chapter in the lives of Alfie Jennings and Franny Doyle. Some parts were hard to read but well written. You will see what I mean by that when you read the book which I recommend.
Profile Image for Winter Aragon.
Author 3 books19 followers
August 7, 2019
I read the beginning and few pages at the end. As much as I wanted to like the story, unfortunately, I'm not really a fan of the genre and the author's writing style. Sorry.

Thank you though to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC!
1 review
September 5, 2019
Fabulous.

I loved this book from page 1. I enjoy the fact that I now know all the characters in these books. I am never disappointed by this author. Will keep buying her books.
Profile Image for ~ Cariad ~.
1,926 reviews54 followers
October 1, 2019
Another awesome JR read - with Annie Aldington narrating - holy shit, she's the best narrator in the business, this story was absolutely brought to life by her.

Can't wait for the next one!!
Profile Image for Gillian.
276 reviews2 followers
December 6, 2019
I loved this book so much. I didn't realise she had other books I should have read first though although it didn't really matter. I will definitely be reading her other books too. Brilliantly written and kept me intrigued right until the end. 5 stars without doubt!
2 reviews
March 31, 2020
Fabulous read.

Absolutely riveting as are all the books written by Jaquie Rose I have read them all twice, and just about to start her latest one Poison, I can’t wait.
I will read it slow as there isn’t one after unfortunately.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews

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