Girl Seven

London Underground #2

by Hanna Jameson

What is the price of revenge?

The day her parents and sister were murdered, Seven did not cry. Instead, she tried to forget. She vowed that one day she would be free from the sight of their blood.

But Seven could not forget. And now that she is part of London's criminal underworld, she knows men who can maim; men who can kill. But they all have a price.

Will Seven betray her frinds to avenge her family?

A breath-taking thriller laced with fierce, sparse prose, GIRL SEVEN is the new turbo-charged novel from Dagger-shortlisted Hanna Jameson.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Hanna Jameson is a screenwriter, and the bestselling author of dystopian thriller THE LAST (2019, Viking) and literary dystopian romance ARE YOU HAPPY NOW (2023, Viking).

Jameson had written the first draft of her debut, award-nominated novel - SOMETHING YOU ARE (2022) - at just 17. Something You Are and two further novels in the series - GIRL SEVEN and ROAD KILL - are available in the UK, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.

She lives in London currently. She likes whiskey, coffee, history, and emotionally taxing TV shows.

Reviews

[Sam Hetherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a big reader of crime-fiction but I did read Jameson's debut novel, Something You Are. I liked Something You Are but there were elements that I didn't click with - mostly because of the genre. However, I loved Girl Seven and found it a fast, exciting and enjoyable read.

What really made this book for me was the protagonist and narrator, Seven. Seven's family were murdered and the case was never solved. She sets out to get her revenge and (inevitably) gets mixed up in London's seedy underbelly. Seven is very complex with clear motivations but plenty of flaws. She's also very funny (and knows she is) so I was snorting along, particularly in the opening chapters before shit goes down. Seven in very, very, real.

Seven does a lot of terrible and stupid things throughout the book but her actions never seem unrealistic or unjustified. That characterisation is a very hard thing to pull off and that's what made Seven so engaging.

I did think the plot was a little simplistic - especially for crime veterans - but it didn't matter so much (to me anyway) because I just wanted to spend time in Seven's head. That said, although this book hits a lot of the crime-fiction beats as the genre dictates, I had no idea what was going to happen in the final few chapters and read them with my heart pounding. The plot also serves Seven's character pretty perfectly and with a different plot we wouldn't have got to know her in the same way - and that's what matters most.

Read this one for the characters, especially if you like rounded female characters out for revenge.

Stray observations:
- I loved the returning characters from the first novel. Especially Daisy and Mark. More Mark, I say! MOAR!
- Ah, Chekov's Russians have arrived.
- I didn't like how Seiko's character was treated in the final chapters but, thankfully, my fears were averted in the conclusion.
- I love how everyone acts like actual human beings.
- That's less violence than Something You Are which distracts less from the characters.
- The Japanese elements all fit in well and feel well-reseached.
- I demand a direct sequel. I absolutely want to be back in Seven's head again.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was glad to be wrong about Girl Seven. I read fast, but life is too short for crap books. I chose the book because I love the number Seven, I love Seven as a name and I am a crime fiction fan. The cover said 'Hanna Jameson writes like an angel on speed' which I found both interesting and cringeworthy. I wondered if I should bother as the book looked like it was trying too hard and will I be engaged by a twentysomething in The Seedy Underbelly of That London.

There are tropes, tired tropes that I approached with trepidation that turned to delight. In Seven we have a smart, funny and relatable young woman. There are elements of the super being about her, but she says and does some distinctly unsuper things.

This is a character-driven book and all the better for it. Not a twisty edge of your seat job but the sex and violence reminds the reader what genre we are spending time with. This was a speedy read and I am looking forward to more fun fearless female characters from Hanna Jameson.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book through goodreads first-reads.

The best thing about this story is the main character, Seven. She's a strong, but confused character that adds depth to the novel. The basic set-up is intriguing, her family has been killed and Seven wants to find out why and get revenge. She has a dry, sarcastic humour, which works well and was the main thing that kept me wanting to read more.

I did feel that this thriller was a bit too simplistic. There's not really much mystery surrounding what happened to her family and it all seems a bit too easy to find out. There are no 'red-herrings' thrown in, which is what I like most about thrillers, the mystery of finding out what's happened. This book is more about 'shock-factor', so if what you want from a thriller is lots of sex and violence, this is definitely the book for you.

[Gary Letham · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second of the "Underground" series of books, the focus shifts to a minor character from book one, Seven an Anglo-Japanese girl who works as a hostess/escort at the Underground club. We find early on that Seven's family,mother father and five year old sister had been brutally murdered only minutes before she returned home three years previously. Nic Caruana's (protagonist of book 1) flat mate Mark, also a "caretaker" on learning of Sevens history offers to track down those responsible on a pro bono basis. After wise taliking some Russian mobsters in the club one night Seven finds herself caught in a three way web of deceit that appears to have no good ending.
This was another entertaining entry from Hanna Jameson, set in that all too familiar underworld of London, but yet manages to breathe fresh life into it

[Tex · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Girl Seven” (GS) is the second novel by Hanna Jameson and the second instalment in the gangland crime “London Underground” trilogy.

Kiyomi Ishida wasn’t there when her family were brutally murdered…but she never forgot her need to find out who did it and why. Now known as “Seven”, working as an exotic dancer at the Underground Club, she meets someone who might be able to assist her quest whatever the cost.

London Underground is an gangland crime anthology series (each book’s storyline so far focussing on different characters but all in the same universe and relative timeline) and GS is a good second stanza. The characterisations are much more rounded and believable and the subtle references to the previous book were well placed and relevant to the current story without impacting on it, and the subplot (“Seven has some adventures with the Russians”) fell neatly around the main storyline. One element I really quite enjoyed was Seven’s discussions with one of her clients regarding the differences between psychopaths and sociopaths not only for the dialogue but also Seven’s internal monologue during those conversations.

GS is another hard hitting storyline that shows the brutality of organised crime in London. The overall narrative, while still a touch clunky in places, is also much tighter and clearer than the first book, which shows the development and maturation of Jameson as a writer. I’m looking forward to seeing what Jameson has in store in the third and final book and which characters take centre stage.

GS gets three and a half single shot Derringers out of five.

[Rita Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven, a girl whose family was murdered while she was getting her pleasure on with someone she didn’t even like. And for three years Seven closed herself off from other people. She did what she needed to do to survive, but there was only one thing she had ever been good at.

Sex.

But how long can a person really ignore their past? In Seven’s case it is three years. And when it does reach into her present it finds her in a high-class gentlemen’s club and in the company of people who can help her take revenge.

I loved this character because I recognized her brokeness and pain. But also because she has a spirit of strength that helps her survive. She is strong and vulnerable at the same time.

Plus, she lives her truth.

I would place this in the Noir genre. It is a thriller and has lots of action and adventure.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one! It's the 2nd book of a trilogy but read perfectly fine on its own, but now I want to read the other two!
Seven comes home one day to find her family murdered. No suspects are found but Seven can't forget. A few years later, working in an exotic nightclub she comes across a man that offers to help her find the answers from that awful day. Will she discover who killed her family and why?
An entertaining read with a strong female lead.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was somewhat enjoyable and the story was good. Personally, I found it a bit difficult to really absorb myself into the story and seemed to be reading it more to finish rather than to see really what would happen next. Still an okay read!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t stop reading this.

Seven is such an interesting character as is Mark. I read mostly about Nic in Something You Are. Very good writing, exciting characters and just so good.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting with quite a twist.

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started off pretty good. But it started getting too complicated, too much going on. By the half way point I gave up

[Jan93 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was not too predictable and the main character is interesting enough to carry the narrative. I will definitely check out the author’s work.

[Paul Markham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. Reminded me of kill Bill

[Sandra Burton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the character seven. Story good

[Kimberley Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid read, bit unbelievable, but moves quickly!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of Girl Seven via a Goodreads giveaway and never having read anything by Hanna Jameson before, I was pretty excited.
The story follows the journey of Seven, a young twenty-something living in London, struggling to find herself following the brutal murder of her parents and younger sister. Caught up in a life of strip clubs, escorting, violence and criminal activity, Seven (real name Kiyomi ) longs to return to Japan. Finally it seems her prayers are answered, when Kiyomi is offered a chance to find her family’s killer and escape London for good. This tale follows Kiyomi’s emotional rollercoaster ride as she finally finds out the truth. Filled with suspense, mystery, betrayal and pure grit, Girl Seven is perfect for readers who enjoy criminal thrillers and coming of age themes.

I really liked the character Kiyomi, she is strong, intelligent and like me she has a dry sense of humour. As a reader, you get to see so many dimension’s to Kiyomi, touching themes regarding race, sexuality and cultural differences. I thought this was pretty bold of Jameson and it worked really well. Who doesn’t want to read about a kick-ass half English, half Japanese bisexual hostess who is trained in martial arts?

This book for me is more like 3.5 stars; to have made it a solid 4 stars, I would have liked to have found out more about the family’s death. *Spoiler alert* Why were they in witness protection? What crime did her father see? Who had ordered the hit to DCI Kenneth Gordon? Why had Gordon let Kiyomi go so easily and not track her down? I understand that some things are better left open for the reader’s imagination but I felt the story lacked somewhat in these details.

Overall, I enjoyed it and will definitely be picking up Jameson’s debut novel Something you are.

[Jeanette Greaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer. I bought this book because I know Hannah, and I read her first book and enjoyed it.

Girl Seven has been languishing on the shelves for a few weeks now. This kind of thriller about the criminal underworld isn't usually my cup of tea. I prefer my gory deaths to be associated with zombies, vampires and werewolves, not waifish young women (unless that waifish young woman is a vampire or a werewolf ...).

Still, it's been a day of enforced rest away from my desk after spending the morning in hospital, so I picked it up and only put it down to get a real cup of tea. In other words, it's a well paced story that carried me along with it. I enjoyed it, mostly for the title character, Seven, who is a very smart woman who does ruthless in a way that few heroines who aren't actually in an sf story do. Science fiction often frees the writer to create a different society with different rules, where women can work solely in their own self interest, where they can fight without guilt, and still be rounded characters. Hannah has managed to pull this off with modern day London as her background.

Now, this either confirms my suspicion that the sf worlds I've been reading about for the last forty years are already here, or it makes Hanna a rather bold young writer. It's probably a mixture of the two.

You will like it if you enjoy a violent thriller. You will enjoy it if you like strong female characters who interact with other women, as well as with men. You won't enjoy it if you are in any way squeamish.

[Jarvo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hanna Jameson's first novel, Something You Are, was one of the best things I read last year so I've been looking forward to finding out how she coped with the challange of the 'difficult' second novel. And the verdict is...pretty well. On the downside I missed the narrative twists and turns of the first book but this time round everything is subservient to the eponymous central character, and she is a spectacular success. Seven (as I'll call her, because I'm useless at spelling Japanese names despite a shared love of the heroine's native land) has a kind of punk sensibility which might make you compare her with Liz Sander for the Girl Who Played With trilogy but she is way more interesting and credible, has a personality and a character etc etc. This is her book and this is a model of character driven genre fiction - I remember someone saying of James Ellroy that 'he writes like a man possessed about men possessed', perhaps the same will be true about Hanna Jameson and women?

[A personal note: Krystof Kieslowski's A Short Film About Killing is a favourite film, even if it is uncomfortable viewing. In the TV version which was part of the Dekalog series there is a scene in which a group of people walk across a square in Warsaw, one of whom is probably waving a West Bromwich Albion scarf. In chapter three of Girl Seven a London based nurse makes a cup of tea in a West Bromwich Albion mug. It is a great touch and the hallmark of a true work of art).

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially reads like a TYA, but much swearing and prostitution and murder. No likeable characters. A slog.

[Dayana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book through the Goodreads 'First Reads'. I want to say thank you to Goodreads First Reads because I was one of the winners of this book giveaway. It was fast moving book without unnecessary details to burden the reader. I think it would have work better if it was a movie rather than book. I found strange how unemotional is the main character after everything she has endured in her life. I found a little unbelievable the fact that people dealing with dirty deals will give so much freedom to the women in the book. The killings are really detailed and there were moments when I wanted to skip the page. Overall it is not a bad book and it will be perfect for people who like action, sex and violence. My recommendation is the author to focus on the emotional side of her characters.

[Trish Hodnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and was excited to start reading it. It started very well, lots of intrigue into how she became who she was after her parents and sister were murdered.
When she eventually found out what had happened to her family it was a bit of an anti-climax, I was expecting more from that part of the story. It wasn't a bad read but not one I would re read.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Seven, thought she was such an intriguing character. Really liked how it tied in with Something You Are, too. There is so much in here that could only be written by a young female writer writing a young female character. You just can't manufacture this kind of authenticity. Looking forward to the next one. Hope it's about Daisy or Mark, they're my favourite characters.

[Jovdb · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting book.

I can not imagine the life Seven is forced to live after the death, murder, of her family. How she managed to survive and become such a strong person, is a mystery.

This book is full of tormented, twisted individuals, and yet they evoke sympathy and understanding.

Daisy is a wonderful character! I hope there is more about her in the following books.

[Sami Sayed · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's a good book .

[Sue G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having loved Something You Are I found this second book in the series disappointing. I think this was mainly because I felt very little sympathy with or interest in the main character.

[Lesley Halliday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was really surprised at the not so good reviews for this book. I really quite enjoyed it, Seven is a great character and I'd be really happy to read more books with her in it.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very intense book. Lots of sex, swearing, murder. It was engaging, I didn’t put it down until I finished. Unlike anything I usually read but I enjoyed it.