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DI Rosalind Kray #4
Jaded
A body washes up on a Blackpool beach, tortured and shot through the head.
A man is found in an alleyway with his throat ripped open.
A woman is murdered in a hospital bed.
What connects them?
DI Roz Kray’s private life is in turmoil as she struggles to unravel a baffling case and DCI Dan Bagley is hell-bent on making her working life a misery.
Billy Ellwood is a chameleon. What forced him to disappear eighteen years ago? And what was the promise?
When Kray makes a shattering discovery it rocks her world to the core. The stakes could not be higher. She’s left with no choice.
This time … it’s all or nothing.
A man is found in an alleyway with his throat ripped open.
A woman is murdered in a hospital bed.
What connects them?
DI Roz Kray’s private life is in turmoil as she struggles to unravel a baffling case and DCI Dan Bagley is hell-bent on making her working life a misery.
Billy Ellwood is a chameleon. What forced him to disappear eighteen years ago? And what was the promise?
When Kray makes a shattering discovery it rocks her world to the core. The stakes could not be higher. She’s left with no choice.
This time … it’s all or nothing.
- GenresCrime
Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2019
71 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
July 14, 2021
The End
This has been a fantastic series and probably a good move to end it as he has. I am sure there are many more series lurking in the background.
Personally I preferred the first 3 books to this one, nothing majorly wrong and if the first 3 hadn't been out of this world. It would have been another 5/6 stars. I had a little difficulty at times knowing who was narrating the chapter and which timeline we were in. Also didn't help switching between 1st and 3rd person.
Overall this has been a great series.
This has been a fantastic series and probably a good move to end it as he has. I am sure there are many more series lurking in the background.
Personally I preferred the first 3 books to this one, nothing majorly wrong and if the first 3 hadn't been out of this world. It would have been another 5/6 stars. I had a little difficulty at times knowing who was narrating the chapter and which timeline we were in. Also didn't help switching between 1st and 3rd person.
Overall this has been a great series.
May 1, 2019
A man beaten, tortured, and murdered for no apparent reason. Another man “considers himself a good man apart from killing the occasional person.” And DI Rosalind Kray feels shit – even if she gave up on smoking and drinking. The reason why? That’s for you to find out – I won’t mention it for those, who haven’t read the previous books in the DI Rosalind Kray series!
Introduction
Michael Ellwood is at the receiving end of a serious beating. He will die that same night. The method used to torture him resembles that of South-American drugs gangs. No wonder freshly appointed and fulltime arsehole DCI Dan Bagley immediately jumps to the conclusion of a drug-related murder. No wonder he heavily objects Roz’s investigation going anywhere else but that angle.
Read the full review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/jaded-...
There is this disturbing voice of a man – scarred for life because of his past. A past we only get a glimpse at but still, it’s shocking enough. There is more to him. Is it previous events that made him the way he is now? Or has it always been a part of him? Is it a coincidence his name is ‘call me Billy’ Ellwood? Somehow he is or was involved with the Critchley brothers – infamous names. More importantly, he is a man on a mission.
With a murderer on the loose, an investigation going nowhere, a DCI keen to belittle Roz in any way he can, as well as issues at home, both Roz’s professional and personal life are about to explode…
My Thoughts
After the previous book, ‘Suspended Retribution,’ I wanted to start the next one – this book – right away. Alas for me, Rob Ashman had some writing to do first! This book is another fab addition by one of my favourite authors yet at the same time, it feels different. There’s a lot of violence, gangsters, a man on a mission, torture and more – but the story is more about motive, the reach of past actions and the implications in the present.
That is fascinating – it may be (heck, it IS!) a detective novel but it feels like a psychological thriller to me where we are witness to cruelty and things beyond our imagination but also to Rosalind Kray’s personal life and the way she handles what comes her way. Yes, this may sound cryptic but I’m trying to write a review here without spoiling the previous books in the series for you – bear with me! If you have read them, you know what I’m talking about. If not … start reading ‘Faceless’ book #1 in the series!
There are a few more things I’d like to say but I fear I cannot. You have to read ‘Jaded’ for yourself! It’s well-written, got great characterisation (boy I sooo dislike DCI Bagley!) and intricate plot lines that have you hooked from the start. Some things will come as a shock to you – you need to find out!
Rob Ashman’s ‘Jaded’ is intriguing, fascinating, shocking, and gripping. Loved it.
Introduction
Michael Ellwood is at the receiving end of a serious beating. He will die that same night. The method used to torture him resembles that of South-American drugs gangs. No wonder freshly appointed and fulltime arsehole DCI Dan Bagley immediately jumps to the conclusion of a drug-related murder. No wonder he heavily objects Roz’s investigation going anywhere else but that angle.
Read the full review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/jaded-...
There is this disturbing voice of a man – scarred for life because of his past. A past we only get a glimpse at but still, it’s shocking enough. There is more to him. Is it previous events that made him the way he is now? Or has it always been a part of him? Is it a coincidence his name is ‘call me Billy’ Ellwood? Somehow he is or was involved with the Critchley brothers – infamous names. More importantly, he is a man on a mission.
With a murderer on the loose, an investigation going nowhere, a DCI keen to belittle Roz in any way he can, as well as issues at home, both Roz’s professional and personal life are about to explode…
My Thoughts
After the previous book, ‘Suspended Retribution,’ I wanted to start the next one – this book – right away. Alas for me, Rob Ashman had some writing to do first! This book is another fab addition by one of my favourite authors yet at the same time, it feels different. There’s a lot of violence, gangsters, a man on a mission, torture and more – but the story is more about motive, the reach of past actions and the implications in the present.
That is fascinating – it may be (heck, it IS!) a detective novel but it feels like a psychological thriller to me where we are witness to cruelty and things beyond our imagination but also to Rosalind Kray’s personal life and the way she handles what comes her way. Yes, this may sound cryptic but I’m trying to write a review here without spoiling the previous books in the series for you – bear with me! If you have read them, you know what I’m talking about. If not … start reading ‘Faceless’ book #1 in the series!
There are a few more things I’d like to say but I fear I cannot. You have to read ‘Jaded’ for yourself! It’s well-written, got great characterisation (boy I sooo dislike DCI Bagley!) and intricate plot lines that have you hooked from the start. Some things will come as a shock to you – you need to find out!
Rob Ashman’s ‘Jaded’ is intriguing, fascinating, shocking, and gripping. Loved it.
May 13, 2019
Rob Ashman has done it again! he’s seriously messed with my reading schedule, when I down loaded Jaded I planned on taking a quick peek at the first page, epic fail! because before I realised it I had read the first half! I shouldn’t have expected anything less, as the author has the extraordinary ability to hook you in with a shocker of an opening, let’s just say I never realised what a bottle of red hot chilli sauce could be used for (ouch). The author really has a very twisted imagination as I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, but it means the reader should “expect the unexpected”, I like that in a read, it heightens my enjoyment tenfold if you are never sure which dark path the author will take you down next.
Roz Kray is back, but the author doesn’t give her an easy ride, she struggles to unravel a baffling case when a body washes up on the beach, DCI Dan Bagley (a nasty piece of work) is hell-bent on making her working life a misery, her private life is in turmoil. I really felt for Roz this time round, at the start of the book she is looking at a rosy future with her new boyfriend Millican, but then she suffers a personal tragedy, one that might break Roz, I’m not sure how Rob Ashman does it but somehow he always manages to gain my sympathy for what at first appear to be the most hardened killers, Billy included. Jaded has sporadic chapters from Billy’s perspective, a man who faces his own personal hell, these chapters look at his motives and the brutal world he’s become part of, I couldn’t help but find excuses for Billy’s actions, and also hoping along the way he would finally find some closure to a painful chapter of his life. Rob Ashman shares both Roz’s and Billy’s personal tragedies as the story progresses it’s these chapters that are tragic, powerful and heartbreaking.
Jaded opens with many brutal murders, and the reader is introduced to an array of characters, what at first appear to be many subplots are craftily melded together to make a heart thumping read. With themes of human trafficking, drugs, and murder incorporated into a cauldron of violence and revenge Jaded is a crime thriller that keeps the reader on tenterhooks throughout. You would be forgiving for thinking this book sounds very dark, but there are moments of light relief hidden within the pages. Although the book packs a brutal punch, it’s actually a very emotional read, somehow or other Rob Ashman has the unique ability to write the most brutal scenes but alongside them are powerful, emotional scenes that make his book such a pleasure to read.
Jaded by Rob Ashman is the fourth book in the DI Roz Kray series, personally I wouldn’t read it as a stand-alone, it’s just to good a series not to start at the beginning. If you are looking for a sedate crime thriller, then this definitely isn’t the book for you, but if you are looking for a read that’s fast-paced, brutal, with well-depicted characters, a thriller that will make your heart pound then this is definitely the book for you. Highly recommended.
All my reviews can be found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com
Roz Kray is back, but the author doesn’t give her an easy ride, she struggles to unravel a baffling case when a body washes up on the beach, DCI Dan Bagley (a nasty piece of work) is hell-bent on making her working life a misery, her private life is in turmoil. I really felt for Roz this time round, at the start of the book she is looking at a rosy future with her new boyfriend Millican, but then she suffers a personal tragedy, one that might break Roz, I’m not sure how Rob Ashman does it but somehow he always manages to gain my sympathy for what at first appear to be the most hardened killers, Billy included. Jaded has sporadic chapters from Billy’s perspective, a man who faces his own personal hell, these chapters look at his motives and the brutal world he’s become part of, I couldn’t help but find excuses for Billy’s actions, and also hoping along the way he would finally find some closure to a painful chapter of his life. Rob Ashman shares both Roz’s and Billy’s personal tragedies as the story progresses it’s these chapters that are tragic, powerful and heartbreaking.
Jaded opens with many brutal murders, and the reader is introduced to an array of characters, what at first appear to be many subplots are craftily melded together to make a heart thumping read. With themes of human trafficking, drugs, and murder incorporated into a cauldron of violence and revenge Jaded is a crime thriller that keeps the reader on tenterhooks throughout. You would be forgiving for thinking this book sounds very dark, but there are moments of light relief hidden within the pages. Although the book packs a brutal punch, it’s actually a very emotional read, somehow or other Rob Ashman has the unique ability to write the most brutal scenes but alongside them are powerful, emotional scenes that make his book such a pleasure to read.
Jaded by Rob Ashman is the fourth book in the DI Roz Kray series, personally I wouldn’t read it as a stand-alone, it’s just to good a series not to start at the beginning. If you are looking for a sedate crime thriller, then this definitely isn’t the book for you, but if you are looking for a read that’s fast-paced, brutal, with well-depicted characters, a thriller that will make your heart pound then this is definitely the book for you. Highly recommended.
All my reviews can be found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com
May 8, 2019
Wrong time, wrong place, wrong victim. When a gang mistakenly abduct the wrong man to brutally interrogate him, he obviously can’t give them the answers they are looking for, though it doesn’t stop them torturing him before murdering him and dumping his body in the sea. What they don’t realise is that the man they have just killed is the brother of someone who knew them years ago, only neither they or him are aware of it yet.
What an opening! Boy did it make my nose tingle. I have to say that with each book I read from this author he has me mesmerized with the inventiveness of the methods of torture and killings from beginning to the end, some of the more gruesome even coming with a price tag from the local D.I.Y shop.
The police station is a busy place as a second, then third death takes place, stretching the resources to the limit. DI Kray, assigned to the washed-up body on the beach is getting extremely frustrated with the attitude of her senior officer DCI Dan Bagley seeming to rub her up the wrong way no matter which way she goes with the leads. But Kray is drowning in her own sea of turbulent hormones at the moment not ready to totally give up her loyalties to her deceased husband and what she actually wants for her future with Millican. A policeman’s job is not a happy one at the moment.
Now, this author not only has wicked ways to do away with someone he also has a wicked mind to come up with some of the more interesting characters to carry these jobs out. Nothing gives a better adrenaline rush more than revenge, especially if it has had time to fester. Now I know it won’t be for everyone as it does get real graphic and there is a little bit of the ‘here’s Jonny’ look about this avenger at times but wow did I get carried away with it.
This is again a belting story in this series. Loved it!
What an opening! Boy did it make my nose tingle. I have to say that with each book I read from this author he has me mesmerized with the inventiveness of the methods of torture and killings from beginning to the end, some of the more gruesome even coming with a price tag from the local D.I.Y shop.
The police station is a busy place as a second, then third death takes place, stretching the resources to the limit. DI Kray, assigned to the washed-up body on the beach is getting extremely frustrated with the attitude of her senior officer DCI Dan Bagley seeming to rub her up the wrong way no matter which way she goes with the leads. But Kray is drowning in her own sea of turbulent hormones at the moment not ready to totally give up her loyalties to her deceased husband and what she actually wants for her future with Millican. A policeman’s job is not a happy one at the moment.
Now, this author not only has wicked ways to do away with someone he also has a wicked mind to come up with some of the more interesting characters to carry these jobs out. Nothing gives a better adrenaline rush more than revenge, especially if it has had time to fester. Now I know it won’t be for everyone as it does get real graphic and there is a little bit of the ‘here’s Jonny’ look about this avenger at times but wow did I get carried away with it.
This is again a belting story in this series. Loved it!
June 2, 2019
This is a good story and in terms of the main character a decent ending to the series.... But... The construction of the book was a challenge. Without any forewarning or indication, the book shifted from the third to the first person - for several chapters.
A Kindle user, I initially thought I had unwittingly opened a different book! This continued and drifted between the here and now to the backstory of another character without any clear linkage to the main tale.
It did eventually make sense but it was managed so poorly, it blighted my enjoyment. Even calling the chapters involving the narrator by a name or ‘xxx years earlier’ would have helped.
A Kindle user, I initially thought I had unwittingly opened a different book! This continued and drifted between the here and now to the backstory of another character without any clear linkage to the main tale.
It did eventually make sense but it was managed so poorly, it blighted my enjoyment. Even calling the chapters involving the narrator by a name or ‘xxx years earlier’ would have helped.
November 10, 2019
After all the nice things I said about the other Ashman books - this left me wanting a little more. I found it rather disjointed and it was tricky to work out who was who. I may have missed something but, to me, this wasn't up to the same standard as Ashman's other books. Don't get me wrong, it was a good read. Here's hoping he is up to his splendid best with the next book.
May 16, 2019
I am a huge fan of this authors books. Especially the ones in the DI Rosalind Kray series. Why? Because each one is as twisted and disturbing as the previous one and I for one can’t get enough!
Roz without a doubt deserves a bit of happiness in her life and yet again it looks like things are on the up for her. Life of course as different plans and my heart went out to her with having to deal with what she is going through.
What I really enjoyed about this book is how the author gives as much time to the villain in the story as he does the main character. It really pulls you in and gets you to the heart of the story line quickly. It also has you going through an array of emotions.
I’m not going to lie to you, the killings are pretty brutal in the story and made my toes curl. It sure gets the adrenaline coursing through the body and whilst it definitely gave me the shivers, I couldn’t get enough and had to keep reading to see what else the author had in store for me and he certainly gives the reader plenty of thrills.
Jaded is a dark and at times gruesome read but one that I devoured and loved. Not sure if I would ever want to see inside the authors mind as I would probably have nightmares but I absolutely love the shock factor he gives his readers. Compulsive crime reading at it’s best.
Roz without a doubt deserves a bit of happiness in her life and yet again it looks like things are on the up for her. Life of course as different plans and my heart went out to her with having to deal with what she is going through.
What I really enjoyed about this book is how the author gives as much time to the villain in the story as he does the main character. It really pulls you in and gets you to the heart of the story line quickly. It also has you going through an array of emotions.
I’m not going to lie to you, the killings are pretty brutal in the story and made my toes curl. It sure gets the adrenaline coursing through the body and whilst it definitely gave me the shivers, I couldn’t get enough and had to keep reading to see what else the author had in store for me and he certainly gives the reader plenty of thrills.
Jaded is a dark and at times gruesome read but one that I devoured and loved. Not sure if I would ever want to see inside the authors mind as I would probably have nightmares but I absolutely love the shock factor he gives his readers. Compulsive crime reading at it’s best.
April 29, 2019
Mr Ashman has done it again. Another brilliant offering in the DI Roz Kray series. This was a superb thrilling read. Fantastic plot plus some great characters. The gruesome and gore are still included, which in the opening chapters was "understandable" .
The personal life of Roz was a very emotional part of Jaded. Certainly pulls at your heartstrings. Looking forward to what the next in the series offers
The personal life of Roz was a very emotional part of Jaded. Certainly pulls at your heartstrings. Looking forward to what the next in the series offers
May 17, 2019
After reading the other three books in the DI Roz Kray series I couldn't wait to start this one, and I wasn't disappointed, Roz Kray is a brilliant character who's strong, bolshie and out spoken, but has a soft center which is what makes her so special, not a thing she would admit as she tracks down serial killers, and at this she is gifted, Jaded is another gritty, dark twisted book with an absolutely brilliant ending.
May 2, 2019
A small confession from me here… I have read the first book in this series and I absolutely adored the main protagonist Roz Kray, but somehow books 2 & 3 have fallen through the cracks on my reading, so i can honestly say that book 4 does work well as a stand-alone… the author does give snippets and details of past stories and I think he does this without giving too much away.
Jaded is in someways quite a powerful and emotional rollercoaster of a journey for a couple of the characters. Even though they have differences, there are also similarities. Their personal stories are heartbreaking and anchors them to the past. I know, I know this is so vague, but I’m not giving anything away as to spoil your reading of this book!
Roz has to deal with an every increasing workload and for the most part she is doing this without the support of her superior. One thing about her is her stubborn-ness, she is not one to let her superior get one over on her, or belittle her, this stubborn streak has a way of getting up the nose of a certain superior! Thankfully she has the respect and support of a good team who work alongside her. Roz goes with her gut instincts and has the time to listen to other theories and suggestions from colleagues as the cases are being dealt with.
The cases themselves are dark, brutal and are somewhat of a bloodfest. The case are different in their execution or should I say the means of execution are different in each case!
Billy Ellwood, Wow what a character and then some. His storyline is superb in so many ways and his involvment is brilliant. Is he a good guy? Is he a bad guy? I ‘aint tellin’. Decide for yourself!
Before I started this book I had struggled a little with reading a book in one sitting, usually taking two days for a book of this length. This book knocked that out the water, I started this and finished it in one day, I literally could not put it down. I was immediately drawn into what was a wonderfully brutal open chapter… that just sounds so wrong…”wonderfully brutal” but I know crime readers will know exactly what I mean.
This is a crime thriller that really doesn’t hold back on any of it’s punches and each one is fully loaded for maximum effect. if you like hard, dark, brutal crime, thriller reads then this is one for you!
A brilliant book and one I would Highly Recommend!
Jaded is in someways quite a powerful and emotional rollercoaster of a journey for a couple of the characters. Even though they have differences, there are also similarities. Their personal stories are heartbreaking and anchors them to the past. I know, I know this is so vague, but I’m not giving anything away as to spoil your reading of this book!
Roz has to deal with an every increasing workload and for the most part she is doing this without the support of her superior. One thing about her is her stubborn-ness, she is not one to let her superior get one over on her, or belittle her, this stubborn streak has a way of getting up the nose of a certain superior! Thankfully she has the respect and support of a good team who work alongside her. Roz goes with her gut instincts and has the time to listen to other theories and suggestions from colleagues as the cases are being dealt with.
The cases themselves are dark, brutal and are somewhat of a bloodfest. The case are different in their execution or should I say the means of execution are different in each case!
Billy Ellwood, Wow what a character and then some. His storyline is superb in so many ways and his involvment is brilliant. Is he a good guy? Is he a bad guy? I ‘aint tellin’. Decide for yourself!
Before I started this book I had struggled a little with reading a book in one sitting, usually taking two days for a book of this length. This book knocked that out the water, I started this and finished it in one day, I literally could not put it down. I was immediately drawn into what was a wonderfully brutal open chapter… that just sounds so wrong…”wonderfully brutal” but I know crime readers will know exactly what I mean.
This is a crime thriller that really doesn’t hold back on any of it’s punches and each one is fully loaded for maximum effect. if you like hard, dark, brutal crime, thriller reads then this is one for you!
A brilliant book and one I would Highly Recommend!
April 23, 2019
A fourth winner for Rob Ashman (also the author of the superb Mechanic Trilogy) in his DI Roz Kray series. Roz has battled down many of her inner demons from past cases and tragedies, and is now in a happy relationship with Dr Chris Millican (he of the waistcoats and tight trousers!). She is given the case of a man who was tortured drug lord style before washing up on a Blackpool beach, shot through the head. The man runs a garage and appears to have no enemies so she struggles to find any motive. Then a nightclub employee gets his throat slit open in an alleyway whilst making a dubious delivery and collection, but the club owner denies all knowledge of his actions. Finally a woman is involved in a hit and run, and then is murdered in her hospital bed. Her superior officer, DCI Dan Bagley, is still making Roz's life a misery and when she suggests that there could be a connection between the three killings he pours cold water on the idea. But Roz has one of her hunches and is determined to investigate together with her loyal team including DC Duncan Tavener, despite trying to cope with her own life spiralling out of control. Some chapters of the book are narrated (in both the past and the present) by Billy, a man who can blend into the background and who disappeared off the radar a number of years ago. Encouraged by a woman called Jade, he seems to be taking revenge for something in his past. This gives the reader a good insight into his motives and twisted world. The characters are well described and the reader comes to know them pretty quickly, although I would definitely recommend reading this series in order to get the most of out it.
There are lighter touches too, like the little “asides” Roz mutters to herself which bring a certain humour, and the killings are a little less perverted than some she has faced in the past. Also once again I had a certain amount of sympathy for Billy and very little for some of the victims which I think is a measure of how cleverly the book is written. It is a fast paced and exciting read, and keeps the reader gripped to a fantastic ending. This book was an absolute pleasure to read and review, and I think was probably the most complex in the series so far. Highly recommended!
There are lighter touches too, like the little “asides” Roz mutters to herself which bring a certain humour, and the killings are a little less perverted than some she has faced in the past. Also once again I had a certain amount of sympathy for Billy and very little for some of the victims which I think is a measure of how cleverly the book is written. It is a fast paced and exciting read, and keeps the reader gripped to a fantastic ending. This book was an absolute pleasure to read and review, and I think was probably the most complex in the series so far. Highly recommended!
May 4, 2019
There is a reason why this author is a best seller and had so many plaudits, it’s because his books are so damn good and this is another that doesn’t disappoint.
The body of a seemingly innocent family man is washed up on the shore with a bullet hole in the back of his head. It sends DCI Kray on a whirlwind mission to solve this inexplicable crime.
Rob is fast becoming my favourite go too author. This is his most complex storyline so far but his writing is so good and so well researched it is simply “unputdownable”. This book is full of twists and turns it keeps you on the edge of your seat, it takes you on a ride of emotions throughout the storyline. The ending is just magnificent and brilliantly written. In my opinion this series keeps on getting better and better and cannot wait for the next read from this gifted author.
The body of a seemingly innocent family man is washed up on the shore with a bullet hole in the back of his head. It sends DCI Kray on a whirlwind mission to solve this inexplicable crime.
Rob is fast becoming my favourite go too author. This is his most complex storyline so far but his writing is so good and so well researched it is simply “unputdownable”. This book is full of twists and turns it keeps you on the edge of your seat, it takes you on a ride of emotions throughout the storyline. The ending is just magnificent and brilliantly written. In my opinion this series keeps on getting better and better and cannot wait for the next read from this gifted author.
April 29, 2019
Why would a man with no enemies be tortured and shot and found washed up dead on the shore? As the team focus on the murder, Roz is trying to come to terms with being pregnant by Chris, who she still hasn’t told. Roz continues to have a strained relationship with ACC Mary Quade and DCI Dan Bagley. Will the team catch the killer and whose life are we hearing about in between chapters? I couldn’t help but feel sorry for this person we were hearing about.
Rob Ashman has written another sick and twisted book! This is very dark but you also get some great humour too, definitely a Rob Ashman speciality.
I would highly recommend this book.
Rob Ashman has written another sick and twisted book! This is very dark but you also get some great humour too, definitely a Rob Ashman speciality.
I would highly recommend this book.
April 19, 2019
This author just gets better and better!!!!!! I am loving this series. Roz is a brilliant character with her smart ass attitude, I could read about her every day. I was engrossed in the story from the beginning and it set my teeth on edge throughout. This is one book you won't be able to put down once you start. I applaud the author once again for an unforgettable story.
October 14, 2019
This is the fourth and final book in this series so you should do yourself a favour and go back to book one and read it in its entirety. They have all been cracking books, so why not!? Oh, and while you are at it, check out the author's Mechanic Trilogy too, it's superb!
I simply whizzed through this book, intending only to start it as I had things to do, it swiftly became evident that I had to sack off my chores and just keep reading as it held me completely powerless in its thrall throughout.
The body of an unknown man is washed up in Blackpool. It is obvious that he has been tortured before being shot, both evidence of a gang related death. The police struggle to identify him initially until they start to trawl through the missing person's reports as he had no ID on him. When he is identified, the powers that be strongly suggest that DI Roz Kray, hand it over to the drugs squad as it surely must be related. She disagrees and when the body of a man, throat cut, is discovered in an alleyway, she tentatively thinks they are linked. But there is no proof to back up her gut instinct. And then there's Billy Ellwood... we hear from him throughout the book. What part is he really playing in all of this? With Roz off the booze and cigs (for reasons that become evident eventually) and trying to maintain her relationship, having the non-support (understatement) from her DCI - Dan Bagley - really isn't helping as she and her team try to cut through all the noise and figure out what in the heck is going on! But how far will she go to prove what she believes is right? And what repercussions will this throw up?
Wowsers, there's a lot going on in this book. It's a rather convoluted plot so I will advise that, if you can, you do as I did and try and read the book as straight through as you can. It's not really one that can be picked up and put down as parts can be a bit confusing. We switch about both in time, narrator, and flit between first and third person throughout so have as many wits about you as possible whilst reading!
That said, it all works out nicely in the end. Well, as nicely as it all can given what has gone before!
The topics depicted in this book are, as you would expect from the author, quite nasty, brutal and dark. But the book never descends too far into the black as it is peppered throughout with humour and normality which keeps it all on an even keel.
Characterisation and pacing are darned near perfect, and there is no superfluous padding or waffle to distract - my golden trifecta which, together with a cracking plot (which this also is) goes to make a good book a great read for me. I could wax lyrical forever with examples but I fear that might inject spoilers into the mix and I'm not going there!
All in all, a cracking ending to a brilliant series. Now he has this and the Mechanic Trilogy all done and dusted, I really can't wait to see what he has in store for next time. I really hope that Kray returns in some way, shape of form in the future, even if just as a cameo, I'm not done with her yet and I hope the author feels similar.
I simply whizzed through this book, intending only to start it as I had things to do, it swiftly became evident that I had to sack off my chores and just keep reading as it held me completely powerless in its thrall throughout.
The body of an unknown man is washed up in Blackpool. It is obvious that he has been tortured before being shot, both evidence of a gang related death. The police struggle to identify him initially until they start to trawl through the missing person's reports as he had no ID on him. When he is identified, the powers that be strongly suggest that DI Roz Kray, hand it over to the drugs squad as it surely must be related. She disagrees and when the body of a man, throat cut, is discovered in an alleyway, she tentatively thinks they are linked. But there is no proof to back up her gut instinct. And then there's Billy Ellwood... we hear from him throughout the book. What part is he really playing in all of this? With Roz off the booze and cigs (for reasons that become evident eventually) and trying to maintain her relationship, having the non-support (understatement) from her DCI - Dan Bagley - really isn't helping as she and her team try to cut through all the noise and figure out what in the heck is going on! But how far will she go to prove what she believes is right? And what repercussions will this throw up?
Wowsers, there's a lot going on in this book. It's a rather convoluted plot so I will advise that, if you can, you do as I did and try and read the book as straight through as you can. It's not really one that can be picked up and put down as parts can be a bit confusing. We switch about both in time, narrator, and flit between first and third person throughout so have as many wits about you as possible whilst reading!
That said, it all works out nicely in the end. Well, as nicely as it all can given what has gone before!
The topics depicted in this book are, as you would expect from the author, quite nasty, brutal and dark. But the book never descends too far into the black as it is peppered throughout with humour and normality which keeps it all on an even keel.
Characterisation and pacing are darned near perfect, and there is no superfluous padding or waffle to distract - my golden trifecta which, together with a cracking plot (which this also is) goes to make a good book a great read for me. I could wax lyrical forever with examples but I fear that might inject spoilers into the mix and I'm not going there!
All in all, a cracking ending to a brilliant series. Now he has this and the Mechanic Trilogy all done and dusted, I really can't wait to see what he has in store for next time. I really hope that Kray returns in some way, shape of form in the future, even if just as a cameo, I'm not done with her yet and I hope the author feels similar.
May 21, 2020
A departure from the previous three books
I really liked the first two books in this series, but something changed in the writing style in book 3, and in this final instalment the changed writing style seemed to be cemented.
I found it difficult to follow the story line when it went to the point of view of the murderer. The move between third person to first person point of view jarred with me. I admit that this is a personal opinion, and perhaps others will see it completely different.
I really did like the character of the protagonist, Roz Kray. She is a sympathetic character and one that the reader can easily become attached to. I liked the plot of each of the four books in this series. My hang up, if you like, was with the change of writing style in the last two books.
However, each of us need to make up their own mind. I still recommend these books to anyone who likes a good crime fiction.
I really liked the first two books in this series, but something changed in the writing style in book 3, and in this final instalment the changed writing style seemed to be cemented.
I found it difficult to follow the story line when it went to the point of view of the murderer. The move between third person to first person point of view jarred with me. I admit that this is a personal opinion, and perhaps others will see it completely different.
I really did like the character of the protagonist, Roz Kray. She is a sympathetic character and one that the reader can easily become attached to. I liked the plot of each of the four books in this series. My hang up, if you like, was with the change of writing style in the last two books.
However, each of us need to make up their own mind. I still recommend these books to anyone who likes a good crime fiction.
August 17, 2019
Another superb read
Rob Ashman has managed to emerge from a pile of detective writers struggling to produce an original plotline buddy cleverly mixing strong plotlines with brilliant characterisation. Over the course of the DO Ros Kray novels I have fallen more than a little i.n love with her, and her wonderful colleagues and friends. Without any hint of deliberation, Rob Ashman interweaves all Ros's stories with a wonderfully ironic and light hearted humour even though there is some challenging subject matter to read. Jaded follows on from the previous novel, but you can read this without needing to go back to the other books in the series. That being said, I defy you not to want more of this feisty detective. I want more from this writer.
Rob Ashman has managed to emerge from a pile of detective writers struggling to produce an original plotline buddy cleverly mixing strong plotlines with brilliant characterisation. Over the course of the DO Ros Kray novels I have fallen more than a little i.n love with her, and her wonderful colleagues and friends. Without any hint of deliberation, Rob Ashman interweaves all Ros's stories with a wonderfully ironic and light hearted humour even though there is some challenging subject matter to read. Jaded follows on from the previous novel, but you can read this without needing to go back to the other books in the series. That being said, I defy you not to want more of this feisty detective. I want more from this writer.
September 9, 2019
"Gritty crime thriller"
This is a tough uncompromising story with terrific settings and unpleasant characters. Don't get me wrong, in literary terms several of them are strong characters and the book is well-written. However, I wouldn't want to associate with any of them, whether they're police personnel like Kray, Bagley or Quade. Or criminals like Billy, Jade and a dozen others. I was prepared to give this five stars, but when I reached the end I realised it lacked a little light & shade. It was dark and gloomy from start to finish. If that's your bag, fine, but then I probably wouldn't want to go for a drink with you either.
This is a tough uncompromising story with terrific settings and unpleasant characters. Don't get me wrong, in literary terms several of them are strong characters and the book is well-written. However, I wouldn't want to associate with any of them, whether they're police personnel like Kray, Bagley or Quade. Or criminals like Billy, Jade and a dozen others. I was prepared to give this five stars, but when I reached the end I realised it lacked a little light & shade. It was dark and gloomy from start to finish. If that's your bag, fine, but then I probably wouldn't want to go for a drink with you either.
January 21, 2022
After reading the ‘five star’ trilogy, couldn’t wait to get to grips with book four and it did not disappoint. Tremendous stuff from Rob Ashman. Followed the same pattern of the three previous books, first and third person writing full of twists and turns and graphic detail of murders aplenty, must make a note to keep away from Blackpool in the future. I am currently on holiday in Portugal and thought that this would keep me occupied, on and off, for one of my weeks, totally incorrect as it was read in less than a day, a great read and well recommended.
February 3, 2025
5 stars. The fourth and last book in the Rosalind Kray series by Rob Ashman. This entire series was spectacular. I will say the fourth book was my least favorite but only bc it had to do with gangs and I'm not really interested in that. However, I can't say one bad thing about the entire series. I loved the writing, the characters, the way the books just flowed along. I highly recommend this entire series.
April 29, 2019
Gritty and suspensful
. I've read all of this Author's books, including the excellent Mechanic Trilogy. I did think at the time it couldn't be bettered. Jaded is as good if not better. The Author has a talent for engrossing the reader and you end up living the story!. Yes it is very gritty in places and a lot of dark humour. I have no hesitation in giving this book 5 stars.
. I've read all of this Author's books, including the excellent Mechanic Trilogy. I did think at the time it couldn't be bettered. Jaded is as good if not better. The Author has a talent for engrossing the reader and you end up living the story!. Yes it is very gritty in places and a lot of dark humour. I have no hesitation in giving this book 5 stars.
May 5, 2019
The final curtain
I loved this book and in fact the whole series. Jaded is a a fast knuckle ride into the depths of underground crime and police corruption. D .I. Rosalind Kray is passionate about her work and loyal to her staff and has such a real character I would love to hear more from her in her new role.
Well written and well read
I loved this book and in fact the whole series. Jaded is a a fast knuckle ride into the depths of underground crime and police corruption. D .I. Rosalind Kray is passionate about her work and loyal to her staff and has such a real character I would love to hear more from her in her new role.
Well written and well read
June 7, 2019
Intrigue, coincidence and connection.
I found the different back-stories a little confusing but they started to come together making a compelling read with a twist of police corruption at the end. Having read all 4 Kray stories over a relatively short space of time, I found them all riveting. Is this the last?
I found the different back-stories a little confusing but they started to come together making a compelling read with a twist of police corruption at the end. Having read all 4 Kray stories over a relatively short space of time, I found them all riveting. Is this the last?
August 20, 2019
Great read
I'm sad to see DI Rosalind Kray Books have come to an end. I was truly upset with one part of the story (no spoilers). Nevertheless, it's still a great read.
I loved the twist toward the end; brilliant! I was beginning to wonder about that certain character --- made my day.
Rob, can we have some more books about DI Rosalind Kray?
I'm sad to see DI Rosalind Kray Books have come to an end. I was truly upset with one part of the story (no spoilers). Nevertheless, it's still a great read.
I loved the twist toward the end; brilliant! I was beginning to wonder about that certain character --- made my day.
Rob, can we have some more books about DI Rosalind Kray?
September 16, 2019
the series will grow on you
I was not sure I would read any more. Wrapping my head around the perp and mental screaming at DI Kray, I ventured into book three. Well heck let's see what number 4 holds. By then it was easy to keep turning the pages to a fitting end. Justice served to all.
I was not sure I would read any more. Wrapping my head around the perp and mental screaming at DI Kray, I ventured into book three. Well heck let's see what number 4 holds. By then it was easy to keep turning the pages to a fitting end. Justice served to all.
November 10, 2019
I just love this author! Why? Because once again he's given us another stonking read which I just couldn't put down. Twisty and quite violent and gruesome in part, this story will grip you and keep you at the edge of your seat throughout. I sure am going to miss DI Rosalind Kray now though but very much look forward to seeing what Rob Ashman gives us next.
May 18, 2024
Definitely recommend
Could not put down read all the books in this series each one great in its own right. Brilliant seeing how Roz grew in both her personal life and professional life loved it. Would definitely recommend reading in order of books so not to spoil the end. Well written and thought out. The five stars are most definitely earned shame it had to finish
Could not put down read all the books in this series each one great in its own right. Brilliant seeing how Roz grew in both her personal life and professional life loved it. Would definitely recommend reading in order of books so not to spoil the end. Well written and thought out. The five stars are most definitely earned shame it had to finish
October 10, 2024
Jaded -
This is the 4th book in the series I have read. The book started off with a real bang but then I felt it jumped around a little and I slightly struggled to see where things were going. However, as the story continued all the lose ends were tied up and the book came to its conclusion. 4.75 out of 5.
This is the 4th book in the series I have read. The book started off with a real bang but then I felt it jumped around a little and I slightly struggled to see where things were going. However, as the story continued all the lose ends were tied up and the book came to its conclusion. 4.75 out of 5.
May 5, 2019
Another great read from Mr Ashman Love this series almost feel like i know the characters their personalities so well described !Even Billy i liked and Jade who had a great impact she had on his life !!love this Author never disappoints can't wait for more..xx
May 17, 2019
Another 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Rob Ashman thriller!
I really enjoyed reading every book in this series! I do wish this series wasn't coming to an end though & would love to read more stories about of Rosailand Kray. Rob Ashman is a very talented writer & I highly recommend this series😊
I really enjoyed reading every book in this series! I do wish this series wasn't coming to an end though & would love to read more stories about of Rosailand Kray. Rob Ashman is a very talented writer & I highly recommend this series😊
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