THE CARTER WOMEN DON'T FOLLOW THE THEY MAKE THEM.The brilliant new gangland thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of DIAMOND.Gangster Max Carter and his ex-wife Annie Carter are leading separate lives in separate past hurts and broken promises cannot be resolved. But then a summons to Majorca and a tragic death makes Max question all that has happened to him over many years.He had two brothers - both are now dead. His closest friend has been found hanging from a London bridge. As the police wrestle with a seemingly unsolvable case, Max is forced to revisit his painful past to find answers to a mystery that seems to make no sense at all. Who is targeting his family and why?Annie Carter is at a crossroads in life. She has a luxurious lifestyle but no one to share it with, and Max clearly thinks she is in danger too. Her daughter, Layla, has left her mafia lover Alberto Barolli and is back in London, stumbling into the police investigation and making waves. You should never go back, so the old saying goes. But then, the Carter women don't follow the rules, they make them.And when the truth of what's been happening is finally revealed, will the Carter family stand together - or will it finish them for good?'We love a gangland thriller - and no one writes them better than Jessie Keane' CLOSER'If you enjoy gangster flicks such as Legend you'll love Never Go Back' YOURS* PRE-ORDER JESSIE'S NEXT NOVEL, DEAD HEAT, NOW! *
Now what about me? I’ve done a lot of writing, but way back before I even dreamed I could be a professional writer I was just the youngest in a big family. My Dad was a surveyor with an edge of brilliance. My Mum was from gipsy roots and used to drive around in a goat-cart (yes, really!) when she was little. Once we were rich (although I didn’t know it then, and it was all thanks to my Dad’s ingenuity) and then suddenly – pretty shockingly, really – we were poor (thanks to greedy people who exploited his kindness). I have to tell you, rich is better. But the great thing about life is, even painful events pass, and if you make bad choices, hopefully you learn from them.
I normally love this authors books but unfortunately although i really didn’t enjoy this book. It started off well but about half way through I found myself easily distracted. The plot wasn’t original, and the main characters seemed to have lost their spark.
After binge-watching both seasons of Gangs of London I was in the zone (The Zone aka The Grey: where one’s moral compass undergoes a slight re-alignment! *winks*) for reading my first Jessie Keane novel, Never Go Back.
*waves hand* No need to dwell on the fact it’s my first JK read. I will fix that egregious error as soon as I can finagle my TBR as I need more of this world.
This book had me in a chokehold! Annie and Max (along with a certain someone!) consumed my thoughts and I couldn’t devour the book fast enough. Before you ask, yes *nods*, I can confirm that I held daily briefings with The Mommy detailing the current state of play in the book alongside theories on personal agendas and who’d copped it next! I was fit to burst with the need to talk to someone about this story.
Now, I know normally…
*wags finger*
🎶 We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no! 🎵
But can we puhlease? *sighs* Coz, I. Was. Fascinated!! Stiletto knives… *shivers*. I know my friends won’t be surprised in the least *snorts*.
What can I say? Fans of the series and new-to-the-series crime drama fans are in for a treat!
Gang boss Max Carter and his ex-wife Annie are living separate lives, but secrets from the past are about to drag them back together. When Max discovers the truth behind a tragic death in Majorca, he realises that there may be a dangerous mystery figure at play in the fateful events that have torn his family apart. Both his brothers are dead, but he still has good men around him in London, and now might be a good time to gather his ex-wife and daughter into the fold to protect them from harm.
Annie is living a comfortable life in America, but she is lonely. Reluctantly she heads back to London for an uncomfortable reunion with Max, soon followed by their troubled daughter Layla. It is not long before Max's suspicions are proved to be true, and even if they have no idea who lies behind the sinister threat, they are not going to stand back and let the police handle an investigation on their turf.
Old sins will out. Will the Carter family survive the fall-out?
Never Go Back forms something of a companion piece to the Annie Carter series, as it spans the history of the Carter clan from the 1950s onwards, charting the rise to power of Max and his family to dizzy heights that rivalled the Krays and the Richardsons.
The story begins with Max's mother Queenie, in an intriguing plot line that holds this story together. The consequences of Queenie's actions ripple through time, raining tragedy on the Carter clan, and it is this previously untold story that plays out in the foreground of all that has befallen them - burgeoning into a new direction for the Carters as the twisty threads collide in an exciting climax.
As a new comer to this series, there was much to catch-up on, because this book covers a lot of gangland ground, but Keane fills in just enough detail to keep you up to date with the broad strokes of the relationship between Max and Annie, the significant events that brought them together and then parted them, and the fierce rivalry between the Caters and the Delaneys that has built to boiling point over the years. I loved how Keane delves right back in time to the high days of the 1950s when to rub shoulders with gangsters brought a certain cachet, and she name drops the celebrities who were closely associated with the scene - both on the right side of the law, and those most definitely well beyond it.
Keane builds nicely on this groundwork to echo the changes in gang culture over time. She excels in ramping up the tension, and pulling you along with the promise of reckonings to come. There is just the right level of gritty revenge-filled violence to keep the pace of the story going beautifully, coupled with the human interest of domestic drama. I really enjoyed how she plays skillfully with the push and pull of characters intimately tied to one another with a lot of baggage to work through. Keane weaves themes of family ties, betrayal, revenge, and divided loyalties throughout to pack a real emotional punch amongst all the action, and there is a lovely poignant kick to the conclusion of the story that I was not expecting. There are some glorious female characters to get behind here too.
Having had a taste of the Carters, I am now hungry for more, and will be going back to delve into the Annie Carter series in full in the not too distant future!
In this book we unravel the history of the Carters, where it began for Max Carter, his mother Queenie and brothers Jonjo and Eddie, working his way up to Kray level. We also meet Annie Bailey who fancies Max from afar. Queenie has an illegitimate son Bruno, raised by her sister Nora. Nora is killed by Jonjo and Bruno goes it alone in London determined to work for the Delaneys, the rival gang.
We then skip forward in time, Max and Annie have married…and divorced, separated from each other for more than a year they are still drawn to each other like moths to a flame. Old enmities persist, the Delaneys want Max to pay for times past. Smashed nightclubs, old mates dead, witnesses drowned. Who is on whose side?
‘Spelled it out in block capitals’ said Jonjo with a grin ‘chucked the old mare off Margate cliffs.’
I wasn’t sure about this book at first, not really my usual fare but I got gripped by the soap opera of it all. Family feuds and at their heart strong women. For me the men were a side show, peacocks strutting about, looking and being tough, meting out punishments. The women and especially Annie, I much preferred. The story zips along, love, death and betrayal in equal measure, bad boy comes good, family is everything and I feel there’s more to come.
‘Going back, when everyone knew you should never go back. All it ever gave you was regrets.’
Excellent, gritty, real and addictive. The Carter women are sublime.
This book was a new departure for me! Set in ganglands London, and exploring the rise of author Jessie Keane's fictional notorious Carter family, it's set in London's East End underworld. But with strong female characters, an emotive plot of an unloved brother and a thrilling narrative, it turned out to be a great read! The first part of the story, bringing us up to speed with where the Carters are now in the series, was so good. The narrative raced along, introducing us to all the main players and fleshing out their lives as they clawed and fought and sometimes killed their way out of poverty. Nothing is black and white when it comes to gangleader Max Carter, his estranged wife Annie and long-lost brother Bruno, and the story carries with it a strong emotional pull. Jessie Keane is a great story teller. Her experiences give great authenticity to her writing, which is atmospheric, fast-paced and suspenseful, with convincing characters and dialogue, and gives a real flavour of what life must be like if you’re caught up in the gang world of East London.
“You should ‘never go back’, so the old saying goes. But then, the Carter women don’t follow the rules, they make them”
Where to start? A huge thank you to Courtney at @ed.or for allowing me to be part of this tour and sending me the arc and a finished copy!
This was my first Keane book, and I’m definitely glad I read it! I’m a sucker for short chaptered books, and this fulfilled that! I’ve found personally that I am much more intrigued by the storyline and I definitely got sucked into this one! There are many more books by the author that circulate around the Carter family, and I will be picking some of them up soon as I fell in love with her writing style! I absolutely loved the female gangster (something I don’t personally see a lot of!) and absolutely loved Annie.. who wouldn’t?😂 Mafia and gang books always worry me however I think this was written perfectly! It was the perfect combination of gangs and mystery and I thoroughly recommend it!
From the first few pages, I was instantly drawn into the crime world and the goings on of the Carter family. The family reminded me a little of Peaky Blinders, but the favourite for me was definitely Queenie. She was such a strong female matriarch of the family and this easily passed to Annie. The relationships they hold with family and friends, as well as the morals they hold, became a pinnacle part of the story and they were so protective of each other, making them relatable. There were definitely a few twists in the story, especially in regards to Bruno, but I am so glad he did what he did at the end. I would be so interested to read another book and find out how his relationship with Max will progress. I'm aware of some of her previous books, but I hadn't read any of them, but found that it didn't matter as this worked as a stand alone. This is definitely a book you could devour, as I did and I would urge anyone to read it.
Oh this was great!! I must start by saying that there are previous books by Jessie Keane featuring The Carters, all of which I am yet to read, but this worked perfectly fine as a standalone as there were enough brief but complete mentions of previous incidents to keep you in the loop, and I will definitely be visiting all of the previous books - I loved Keane's writing, and I loved The Carters! There are some great female characters set alongside a true mix of gangsters within rival gangs in London.
I enjoyed the short chapters, and the fast pace of the plot and was hooked into the writing from Page 1. This is gangland crime fiction at its finest, which for me felt like Eastenders - if the Mitchell brothers were replaced with The Krays.
Annie is the strong-minded ex-wife of gangster Max Carter, in the days before their separation Max was Annie's absolute world, she saw him, she wanted him and she got him! When he went missing (presumed dead thanks to being thrown off a cliff) and her daughter was kidnapped, Annie did what she had to do to secure the safe return of her daughter - this included moving on with a Mafia boss (as you do) and when Max resurfaced, he initiated divorce. In this book, the Mafia boss is gone, and Annie & Max are forced back together when someone begins to take out Max's closest allies and businesses, and seems to have a target on Annie and their daughter next.....oh and I didn't get round to talking about Max's secret brother Bruno.......you'll just have to read to find out about him.
Definitely one to pick up and enjoy, I read this as part of a buddy read, but if you pick this up alone I think you'd be hard pushed not to just read it from cover to cover in one sitting.
Thank you to ed.pr for inviting me onto the blog tour for this one, I really enjoyed taking part and discovering another new author to love.
Jessie Keane has once again proved that she is the queen of gangland crime books. She takes us down a route of betrayal, revenge and deep seated love.
We head into the world of the London underworld where mafia lords also help out.
This is a continuation of a series whereby we have a back story about the Carter Family.
The Past
A mother hoping to find a second love instead finds herself at a crosspoint. An illegitimate son wanting revenge. A son making his name in the gangland community. An ex wife still reeling from a breakup.
The Present
An enemy who was thought to be dead. An enemy slowly seeking revenge A family brought together by hits on their lives.
I loved this, it's been a long time coming but I love reading about the Carter's. This started from the very beginning of Annie & Max's story and although we know (part of) the story from the previous books this kind of tied them all together with more backstories with a few killer twists & turns along the way. Jessie Keane is one of my very favourite authors and I've loved all of her previous books and this one has definitely not disappointed it was fantastic!
⭐️ 4.5/5 📍 🇬🇧 🗂️ Crime Drama 📖 When Queenie’s husband packs up and leaves, her 3 East End sons (The Carters) need to step up. Max, the eldest, had no formal education but is street-smart and super tough. To stop his Mum working 3 jobs, he headed up The Firm. Gangs. Theft. Selling. Protection rackets. Clubs. How messy can it get? 🙋🏻♀️ My first @realjessiekeane novel 🌶️ Descriptions (pool scene 🔥) ✅ I liked the introduction to the family at the start ✅ There was rama all the way ✅ It felt like the right amount of gang crime without it being stabby 💬 “He looked dangerous and she liked that” 📆 26th January 2023
Well Jessie you have done it again and well done with this brilliant book . From the first page to the last and you can still do another sequel to this book Every time I read your book I feel like I'm actually playing one of the characters .I give this novel 5 stars and you deserve more I would also recommend this book to friends and family well done jessie keane.
When I first of this book being written I couldn't wait to read it as i Love the Annie Carter books (they are my fav)to find out what had happend to the carters and their friends. To say this is an excellent book is an understatement it is full of emotion, anger and love and fans will love it.Well done to Jessie Keane on another BRILLIANT read.5*
Well I absolutely loved the Annie and Max Carter series, and after a very long wait they’re back. It was definitely worth the wait. This book as with all the others was a page turner that I didn’t want to put down. It was nice that loose ends were tied up too. A well deserved five star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another great book from this author. I’ve read all the Annie Carter books and it’s great to go back and remember how the characters started and came together. And also some details that we didn’t hear about in the other books. A great ending to the series. Can also be read as a stand alone book. Highly recommended. If you love gang land thrillers, you will love this book.
The story started well, but, as the reader reads on, the story isn't quite so edgy as the other books. We're taken back to the early days of the Carter family and their feuds with other gangs. As the years go by, there are a few surprises, including a fairly shocking one for Max Carter. I still enjoyed the book, but not quite so much as I'd hoped.
This would not be a book I would gravitate to or pick but a colleague gave it to me & I was surprised to enjoy it. At first I didn’t like the short chapters at the start but they definitely helped with pacing and I whizzed through the second half of the book… maybe will make me branch out into a new genre.
I thought for sure the last book was the last on in this series. I was so excited for this one to come out and read it in one day. Just as exciting as the previous books it will keep you at the edge of your seat. With all your favorite characters from the series and a new one.
Really love Jessie writing , she always has strong women characters like Queenie and Annie Carter. I read this book in a day, couldn’t put it down as wanted to see how it would end. Now want the next book in the Carter series to see how Bruno and Max relationship develops .
Although I loved the next instalment it felt like the same old story, Annie and Max fighting, those who were supposed to be dead not, it’s just a bit unrealistic. A good read nonetheless and I do love the books.
A brilliant book as always by Jessie Keane love her books was going to give this book 5 stars but I prefer the book previous to this book which is Diamond but this was a good book
What and end to the series nice to get the background stories. Finding out about what had happened to Bruno was an interesting read. Have read many books by Jessie keane and this is my favourite set yet. If you are a fan of her works then you will like to read Martina Cole
I really enjoyed this book and read at every opportunity. The story was good, I guessed the outcome of the brothers, but still wanted to read on with the plot twists. Will look out for more of the Carters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Another fantastic read in the Annie Carter series of books, I'd love to read another to see what happened to Layla and Alberto. Will quite readily read any other books by this fantastic author.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this story withe intrecacies of the relationship between Max and Annie Carter as well as the turmoils that Bruno faced as he grappled with his quest for revenge on the family he felt had rejected him
I honestly can say that I tried to preserve and read this book. It was boring and dull from the start. Lacked excitement and totally bored me to death finally gave up as I found it too winded and not really going anywhere.