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Bare Lies
Flashback to the Millennium and in Book 4 of the Boxer Boys series, gang enforcer Chuck Dolan and his brother Sly are out to prove there’s a new gang in town.
But when a raid on a drug rival’s nightclub goes tragically wrong, the two Boxer Boys flee to their granddad Billy’s villa on Spain’s Costa Blanca.
Their first impression of Billy is of an old man seeing out his days in the sun, but it’s quickly shattered when he introduces them to his ‘his ‘business partners’ – a murderous Colombian cartel boss and a sadistic former Irish paramilitary.
And though things look up for Chuck when ex-girlfriend Abby re-enters his life, Billy’s own relationships quickly turn sour and the prospect of a gang war on the Costas looms large.
As the brothers prepare for trouble, little do they realise there’s an even bigger danger hiding in Billy’s past: one which threatens their future, their loved ones and their very lives.
But when a raid on a drug rival’s nightclub goes tragically wrong, the two Boxer Boys flee to their granddad Billy’s villa on Spain’s Costa Blanca.
Their first impression of Billy is of an old man seeing out his days in the sun, but it’s quickly shattered when he introduces them to his ‘his ‘business partners’ – a murderous Colombian cartel boss and a sadistic former Irish paramilitary.
And though things look up for Chuck when ex-girlfriend Abby re-enters his life, Billy’s own relationships quickly turn sour and the prospect of a gang war on the Costas looms large.
As the brothers prepare for trouble, little do they realise there’s an even bigger danger hiding in Billy’s past: one which threatens their future, their loved ones and their very lives.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2021
About the author
Nick Rippington
9 books57 followersNick Rippington is the award-winning author of gangland and psychological thrillers.
The first novel in his Boxer Boys series Crossing the Whitewash received an honourable mention in the genre category in the Writer's Digest 2016 self-published eBook awards. Judges describing it as "Evocative, unique, unfailingly precise and often humorous".
The prequel Spark Out was released in July 2017 at the Books Go Social Dublin Writers' Conference, winning a readers' award from Chill With A Book. Readers felt it was "compelling" with an "unexpected twist".
The next book in the series Dying Seconds topped the Amazon Chart for Contemporary Urban Fiction giveaways with 350 downloads in two days and the fourth book in the seris was Bare Lies.
The Boxer Boys Collection containing the first three books is available as a digital box-set and hit the top 20 in the Contemporary Urban Fiction category for paid-for titles.
In a departure from the genre, Nick released the psychological thriller Rabette Run which was followed by a successful blog tour in April 2020.
In March 2024 a Boxer Boys spin-off The Jagged Scar , focusing on London's Soho district in the 1970s, was released on digital and in paperback.
A former Welsh sports editor of the News of the World, Nick now works on the Daily Star sports desk. He is married to Liz and has two daughters. He lives in Suffolk.
The first novel in his Boxer Boys series Crossing the Whitewash received an honourable mention in the genre category in the Writer's Digest 2016 self-published eBook awards. Judges describing it as "Evocative, unique, unfailingly precise and often humorous".
The prequel Spark Out was released in July 2017 at the Books Go Social Dublin Writers' Conference, winning a readers' award from Chill With A Book. Readers felt it was "compelling" with an "unexpected twist".
The next book in the series Dying Seconds topped the Amazon Chart for Contemporary Urban Fiction giveaways with 350 downloads in two days and the fourth book in the seris was Bare Lies.
The Boxer Boys Collection containing the first three books is available as a digital box-set and hit the top 20 in the Contemporary Urban Fiction category for paid-for titles.
In a departure from the genre, Nick released the psychological thriller Rabette Run which was followed by a successful blog tour in April 2020.
In March 2024 a Boxer Boys spin-off The Jagged Scar , focusing on London's Soho district in the 1970s, was released on digital and in paperback.
A former Welsh sports editor of the News of the World, Nick now works on the Daily Star sports desk. He is married to Liz and has two daughters. He lives in Suffolk.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 17, 2021
Nick Rippington returns with a New Boxer Boys Book, a couple of years after the trilogy comprising of Crossing The Whitewash, Spark Out and Dying Seconds. A series of books focusing on Gangland families. In particular the Dolan’s.
It’s the turn of the Millennium and returning brothers, Chuck, Sly and Arnie, are up their old tricks and trying to muscle in on the local drug business. When a coup on a rival gang goes completely Pete Tong, the boys, Chuck and Sly scarper to Spain to hideout with Grandad Billy.
Unbeknown to them, life in Spain with Grandad and old school Gangster Billy is about to be far more dangerous than anything at home.
With larger than life, cunning and violent criminals, Sly and Chuck are soon up their necks in trouble, and with Chuck’s explosive temper, things can go off at any time - especially with Colombian Drug Cartels and crazed ex Irish soldiers on the Scene.
Fast Paced and Frantic Gangland Thrills, spliced with Violence and with humour throughout to cut the tension, this is seriously entertaining reading that while gritty and at times dark, is also a lot of fun to read.
And while you really shouldn’t root for the Dolan boys, you can’t help but not as their crafty, loud, charming yet irascible personalities draw you into their criminal worlds.
Dirty Money, Hard Drugs, Corruption, Back Stabbing, Violence and more all add up to an explosively charged Gangland Thriller with a blockbusting Finale that leaves the door ajar for much more and a fine addition to an already excellent series of thrillers,
It’s the turn of the Millennium and returning brothers, Chuck, Sly and Arnie, are up their old tricks and trying to muscle in on the local drug business. When a coup on a rival gang goes completely Pete Tong, the boys, Chuck and Sly scarper to Spain to hideout with Grandad Billy.
Unbeknown to them, life in Spain with Grandad and old school Gangster Billy is about to be far more dangerous than anything at home.
With larger than life, cunning and violent criminals, Sly and Chuck are soon up their necks in trouble, and with Chuck’s explosive temper, things can go off at any time - especially with Colombian Drug Cartels and crazed ex Irish soldiers on the Scene.
Fast Paced and Frantic Gangland Thrills, spliced with Violence and with humour throughout to cut the tension, this is seriously entertaining reading that while gritty and at times dark, is also a lot of fun to read.
And while you really shouldn’t root for the Dolan boys, you can’t help but not as their crafty, loud, charming yet irascible personalities draw you into their criminal worlds.
Dirty Money, Hard Drugs, Corruption, Back Stabbing, Violence and more all add up to an explosively charged Gangland Thriller with a blockbusting Finale that leaves the door ajar for much more and a fine addition to an already excellent series of thrillers,
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October 14, 2021EVERY time I’ve started writing a Boxer Boys book the intention has been for it to be the last one – but there are always parts of the story I feel need to be filled in.
Over the years we’ve met Arnie Dolan, one of the central figures in Crossing the Whitewash, his dad Mo and his best friend Gary Marshall. But some of the other members of the Boxer Boys gang have stories to tell, too.
At an early stage in Crossing the Whitewash we discover how Arnie started off on the road from ordinary street hoodlum to become a ‘face’ in the London underworld. There is a raid on a night club with the intention of doing two things: Scaring off the opposition and impressing the man behind the vast amount of drugs imported into Britain.
During the raid there is an explosion, but other than knowing that something happened inside the nightclub the story moves on without telling us exactly what.
The man leading the raid is Arnie’s eldest brother Chuck, who enters the club with a grenade in his pocket – something that with hindsight proves a great mistake. The story is about the aftermath and how Chuck and his younger brother Sly have to flee the country to seek refuge with their grandfather Billy The Kid in Spain.
We have met all three of these in the prequel to Crossing – Spark Out. At the time Chuck is about eight and we learn about how parental influences set him on the wrong path and how his father Big Mo forces him to burn his football boots and take up boxing. Sly also makes a brief appearance in Spark Out, but is just a baby. It struck me that to give both boys central casting in a novel of their own would help me to develop them and I am delighted with the way they turned out.
As with all my books, I try to write them as standalones. Knowing a bit about the series helps, but isn’t vitally important as, like all stories, they have a beginning a middle and, hopefully, a satisfactory conclusion.
I hope if you read Bare Lies you enjoy it as a one-off, but also might be tempted to read the other books in the series.
Over the years we’ve met Arnie Dolan, one of the central figures in Crossing the Whitewash, his dad Mo and his best friend Gary Marshall. But some of the other members of the Boxer Boys gang have stories to tell, too.
At an early stage in Crossing the Whitewash we discover how Arnie started off on the road from ordinary street hoodlum to become a ‘face’ in the London underworld. There is a raid on a night club with the intention of doing two things: Scaring off the opposition and impressing the man behind the vast amount of drugs imported into Britain.
During the raid there is an explosion, but other than knowing that something happened inside the nightclub the story moves on without telling us exactly what.
The man leading the raid is Arnie’s eldest brother Chuck, who enters the club with a grenade in his pocket – something that with hindsight proves a great mistake. The story is about the aftermath and how Chuck and his younger brother Sly have to flee the country to seek refuge with their grandfather Billy The Kid in Spain.
We have met all three of these in the prequel to Crossing – Spark Out. At the time Chuck is about eight and we learn about how parental influences set him on the wrong path and how his father Big Mo forces him to burn his football boots and take up boxing. Sly also makes a brief appearance in Spark Out, but is just a baby. It struck me that to give both boys central casting in a novel of their own would help me to develop them and I am delighted with the way they turned out.
As with all my books, I try to write them as standalones. Knowing a bit about the series helps, but isn’t vitally important as, like all stories, they have a beginning a middle and, hopefully, a satisfactory conclusion.
I hope if you read Bare Lies you enjoy it as a one-off, but also might be tempted to read the other books in the series.
October 5, 2021
My Thoughts: Firstly let me apologise if my review doesn’t do this book justice, I didn’t realise it was book 4 in a series! – totally my fault but for this reason I did feel like I was missing vital parts of the bigger picture 🤦🏻♀️
That being said I did enjoy this, I love a Gangland crime novel, they tend to be on the darker more brutal side of crime novels and sometimes that’s just what a girl needs, they’re so far removed from my everyday life that they’re just so easy to get lost in and devour. Bare Lies was no exception!
Chuck and Sly land themselves in trouble when someone brings a grenade to what should have been a routine job, there’s a big explosion (obviously🤣) and people die, now because that wasn’t part of the plan they now need to escape, find somewhere to lay low until it all blows over…
Their Grandad Billy Dolan otherwise known as Billy The Kid steps in and gives them somewhere to stay, with him in Spain as long as they do some work for him! – now as you can imagine this doesn’t actually go as smoothly as they’d like, Chuck has a temper that very quickly lands him in more trouble with a business associate of Billy’s and Sly can’t seem to keep it in his pants!
Soon Billy’s past comes back to haunt him too as if they don’t have enough to deal with! – can they get to the bottom of everything before it’s too late and someone ends up dead?
There were moments where I laughed out loud whilst reading, moments that made me bury my head in my hands and moments that had me on the edge of my seat! – it was fast paced and definitely kept me on my toes, I just now feel like I have to go to book one and start it all from the beginning!
If you’re a fan of gangland crime I can highly recommend this one.
That being said I did enjoy this, I love a Gangland crime novel, they tend to be on the darker more brutal side of crime novels and sometimes that’s just what a girl needs, they’re so far removed from my everyday life that they’re just so easy to get lost in and devour. Bare Lies was no exception!
Chuck and Sly land themselves in trouble when someone brings a grenade to what should have been a routine job, there’s a big explosion (obviously🤣) and people die, now because that wasn’t part of the plan they now need to escape, find somewhere to lay low until it all blows over…
Their Grandad Billy Dolan otherwise known as Billy The Kid steps in and gives them somewhere to stay, with him in Spain as long as they do some work for him! – now as you can imagine this doesn’t actually go as smoothly as they’d like, Chuck has a temper that very quickly lands him in more trouble with a business associate of Billy’s and Sly can’t seem to keep it in his pants!
Soon Billy’s past comes back to haunt him too as if they don’t have enough to deal with! – can they get to the bottom of everything before it’s too late and someone ends up dead?
There were moments where I laughed out loud whilst reading, moments that made me bury my head in my hands and moments that had me on the edge of my seat! – it was fast paced and definitely kept me on my toes, I just now feel like I have to go to book one and start it all from the beginning!
If you’re a fan of gangland crime I can highly recommend this one.
October 10, 2021
'Bare Lies' by Nick Rippington is the fourth book of the Boxer Boys series. I own this series and love every single book. This one keeps the standards that have been set from the other books. I have read other work of his that doesn't belong to the Boxer Boys series and I enjoyed that book too, 'Rabette Run'
A gritty gangland thriller that follows the Dolans. Mo Dolan is in prison and Chuck and Sly, his kids, are in the middle of it all. Someone brings a grenade to a job that should have been run of the mill. An explosion goes of that causes people to die. Cue Chuck and Sly disappearing off to Spain. Their grandad, Billy Dolan or Billy the Kid let's them stay with him as long as they will do some work for him. When they get there they get caught up in drug deals at high levels. This leads them to meeting a Columbian cartel boss too. As Billy’s past comes back to haunt him on top of everything else, they need to sort this one out before anyone gets killed for their pains.
A brutal, gritty novel of family loyalty, romance, torture,decency and murder too! I think the Dolan family are a force to be reckoned with and Sly and Chuck are such likeable lads, even with all their faults, they give us a bit of humour throughout. Nick Rippington has written a book that includes a bit of everything. I had times that I was really on the edge of my seat and others where I found it funny too. I loved the pacing of 'Bare Lies', it was perfect for this story and had me glued to it from the start. I am going to go back and read the first few books now, I enjoyed this that much.
Thanks to ZooLoo's Book Tours and Nick Rippington for the copy of the book.
A gritty gangland thriller that follows the Dolans. Mo Dolan is in prison and Chuck and Sly, his kids, are in the middle of it all. Someone brings a grenade to a job that should have been run of the mill. An explosion goes of that causes people to die. Cue Chuck and Sly disappearing off to Spain. Their grandad, Billy Dolan or Billy the Kid let's them stay with him as long as they will do some work for him. When they get there they get caught up in drug deals at high levels. This leads them to meeting a Columbian cartel boss too. As Billy’s past comes back to haunt him on top of everything else, they need to sort this one out before anyone gets killed for their pains.
A brutal, gritty novel of family loyalty, romance, torture,decency and murder too! I think the Dolan family are a force to be reckoned with and Sly and Chuck are such likeable lads, even with all their faults, they give us a bit of humour throughout. Nick Rippington has written a book that includes a bit of everything. I had times that I was really on the edge of my seat and others where I found it funny too. I loved the pacing of 'Bare Lies', it was perfect for this story and had me glued to it from the start. I am going to go back and read the first few books now, I enjoyed this that much.
Thanks to ZooLoo's Book Tours and Nick Rippington for the copy of the book.
October 7, 2021
This is the first of Nicks books I have read, and I wasnt aware that Gangland Crime was a genre of its own, but I love it as a genre of crime fiction so knew I was probalby going to enjoy this. This is book four in the series, and although there being links to previous books, I still enjoyed it as a standalone. It was so good that I want to go back and read the previous books.
After a job goes wrong, and the boys run off to Spain.their grandad makes sure they earn their keep in return for a roof over their heads. Obviously this isnt normal work and they end up mixed up in drug deals, and meet a cartel boss.
The story is fast, full on and brutal. There really are no holds barred. What sort of gangland crime novel would it be withouit a side of torture and a murder or two.
However, alongside this was a really close family group, a clear loyalty, no matter how hazardous it was to their health. The boys were
Sly are Chuck are quite sweet really, and provide some more lighthearted and funny moments. Although I know they are criminals, and what they are doing is wrong, I couldnt help but root for them. They are loveable rogues.
When the action ramps up, it does in a big way, and I was sitting on the edge of my seat, reminding myself to stop holding my breath.
The Spanish setting with the sun and the sea added a different atmosphere to normal. There wasnt the usual dark, dirty, impoverished streets of Britain. Yet it still felt as oppressive and dangerous. A credit to the author.
Im off to amazon to get books 1-3!!
After a job goes wrong, and the boys run off to Spain.their grandad makes sure they earn their keep in return for a roof over their heads. Obviously this isnt normal work and they end up mixed up in drug deals, and meet a cartel boss.
The story is fast, full on and brutal. There really are no holds barred. What sort of gangland crime novel would it be withouit a side of torture and a murder or two.
However, alongside this was a really close family group, a clear loyalty, no matter how hazardous it was to their health. The boys were
Sly are Chuck are quite sweet really, and provide some more lighthearted and funny moments. Although I know they are criminals, and what they are doing is wrong, I couldnt help but root for them. They are loveable rogues.
When the action ramps up, it does in a big way, and I was sitting on the edge of my seat, reminding myself to stop holding my breath.
The Spanish setting with the sun and the sea added a different atmosphere to normal. There wasnt the usual dark, dirty, impoverished streets of Britain. Yet it still felt as oppressive and dangerous. A credit to the author.
Im off to amazon to get books 1-3!!
October 9, 2021
Bare Lies by Nick Rippington.
The boxer boys series book 4.
Gang enforcer Chuck Dolan and his brother Sly are out to prove there’s a new gang in town.
But when a raid on a drug rival’s nightclub goes tragically wrong, the two Boxer Boys flee to their granddad Billy’s villa on Spain’s Costa Blanca.
Their first impression of Billy is of an old man seeing out his days in the sun, but it’s quickly shattered when he introduces them to his ‘his ‘business partners’ – a murderous Colombian cartel boss and a sadistic former Irish paramilitary.
And though things look up for Chuck when ex-girlfriend Abby re-enters his life, Billy’s own relationships quickly turn sour and the prospect of a gang war on the Costas looms large.
As the brothers prepare for trouble, little do they realise there’s an even bigger danger hiding in Billy’s past: one which threatens their future, their loved ones and their very lives.
I really really enjoyed this book. Full of violence corruption and backstabbing. I was hooked from the start. I hope there is more to come. 5*.
The boxer boys series book 4.
Gang enforcer Chuck Dolan and his brother Sly are out to prove there’s a new gang in town.
But when a raid on a drug rival’s nightclub goes tragically wrong, the two Boxer Boys flee to their granddad Billy’s villa on Spain’s Costa Blanca.
Their first impression of Billy is of an old man seeing out his days in the sun, but it’s quickly shattered when he introduces them to his ‘his ‘business partners’ – a murderous Colombian cartel boss and a sadistic former Irish paramilitary.
And though things look up for Chuck when ex-girlfriend Abby re-enters his life, Billy’s own relationships quickly turn sour and the prospect of a gang war on the Costas looms large.
As the brothers prepare for trouble, little do they realise there’s an even bigger danger hiding in Billy’s past: one which threatens their future, their loved ones and their very lives.
I really really enjoyed this book. Full of violence corruption and backstabbing. I was hooked from the start. I hope there is more to come. 5*.
October 11, 2021
Firstly this cover was so unusual and confusing but captivating so this was definitely one I wanted to figure out what was up with the frog.
This was definitely my kind of read I absolutely love for thrillers and this jam packed of intensity feelings with an unbelievable twist.
I love that you start on a specific date in the year 1983 in the prologue and then before you know it you start chapter one fast forwarding to 1999. For me the author did an incredible job at bringing to life that year for readers to remember Mike Tyson etc.
It was unexpected to me but this was book four in the boxer boys series by this author and although I’ve not read the others I definitely now want to complete the first three. This book is full of gangs, drug raids, cartel bosses and trouble that take you on an adventure so exciting you don’t expect it at all.
This is brilliant it takes you on one end of the east end gangs to the cartel in Spain. The two main characters are brilliant also. I thought this was fab and so glad got the opportunity to discover this author.
This was definitely my kind of read I absolutely love for thrillers and this jam packed of intensity feelings with an unbelievable twist.
I love that you start on a specific date in the year 1983 in the prologue and then before you know it you start chapter one fast forwarding to 1999. For me the author did an incredible job at bringing to life that year for readers to remember Mike Tyson etc.
It was unexpected to me but this was book four in the boxer boys series by this author and although I’ve not read the others I definitely now want to complete the first three. This book is full of gangs, drug raids, cartel bosses and trouble that take you on an adventure so exciting you don’t expect it at all.
This is brilliant it takes you on one end of the east end gangs to the cartel in Spain. The two main characters are brilliant also. I thought this was fab and so glad got the opportunity to discover this author.
October 6, 2021
This book was a total surprise. It is not a genre I would normally read but I loved it. Proper East End villains circa 1990s move to Costa del Crime. It is incredibly violent but that fits the story line. It is a story about family loyalty, decency, murder, torture, romance. I really like the two “boys” characters, flawed though they were and hoped they would survive their Spanish adventure. I cannot even think about the end. Suffice to say it was shocking.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews