Today I am delighted to join the blog tour for the latest crime thriller from author Jacqui Rose, Toxic. My thanks to Sabah Khan from Avon for inviting me to join the tour. I have a great extract from the book to whet your appetites in just a moment, as soon as we’ve seen what the book is all about.

About the Book

Sometimes love is toxic…

Bree Dwyer is desperate to escape her husband, take the children and run. But he’s always watching. And she always gets caught. Until her first love, Alfie Jennings, returns to Essex…

Gangsters Alfie and Vaughn have been out of the game for a while, but a life of crime is one you never forget.

To get back on top they need serious money, because loyalty and power don’t come for free. One dangerous job and they’ll have the payoff they need. And Alfie isn’t going to let anyone get in the way, least of all a pretty face like Bree.

It’s time to show Essex what they’re made of. And this time, Alfie and Vaughn aren’t backing down.

Toxic

by Jacqui Rose

 

Wakey, wakey! Come on my handsome darlin’s, what’s all this? The day has started and you two pieces of lump are still in bed.’

Lola Harding cackled loudly as she energetically opened the curtains in the garishly decorated silver and velvet master bedroom of Janine Jennings’ large mansion just outside the straggling village of Wimbish in Essex.

‘Do me a favour! Bloody hell, Lola! Turn it in. Are you trying to kill me?’

‘No one died of a bit of sunshine, hey Janine?’

Leaning against the bedroom door, Janine Jennings sniffed as she bit into her fifth chocolate biscuit of the morning. ‘Don’t know why yer bothering, my husband has always been a lazy bastard.’

Alfie Jennings sat straight up. ‘Ex-husband.’

Janine guffawed with laughter. Her gold necklaces jangling with her. ‘You see, that’s the way to get him out of bed; remind him of our nuptials. Come on Vaughnie, take them covers off yer head. What’s wrong with you two? You asked me to wake you up.’

Alfie groaned. ‘Not this bloody early. And if I’d known me and Vaughnie had to share a bed when you said we could stay, I wouldn’t have bothered.’

Janine scowled. ‘Beggars can’t be choosers and anyway it’s only temporary, ain’t it?’  She paused before adding, ‘I thought you were supposed to be picking up Franny today.’

Alfie’s smile was tight as he tried not to let his anger overwhelm him as he thought of Franny. Franny Doyle, the woman he’d given his heart to. So strong, so beautiful, so clever, so fearless yet with a vulnerability which had made him fall in love with her, no matter how much he had tried to stop himself. But he had, and he’d fallen hard.

The daughter of one of the most notorious gangsters, he’d met Franny in Soho but after a while they’d decided to leave and go and live in Spain; there was nothing in the West End for them anymore. The place had changed beyond recognition. There was no more making money. Gangsters and faces had moved out. Tourists and foreigners, druggies and coffee shops had moved in. The council had clamped down, going into overdrive on any illegal activity, something they would’ve once turned a blind eye to or at least he could’ve paid them off. So, Spain had been their ideal.

He’d even given up the business for her after she’d become tired of seeing how many people it hurt. And he’d been happy to go semi-legitimate, or as happy as he could’ve been. But now, now was entirely different and happy certainly wasn’t a word which came to mind.

He stared at Janine and then at Vaughn. He shrugged, trying his best to sound unruffled.

‘There’s been a slight change of plan.’

If that has piqued your interest then you can buy a copy of the book at the following links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ Kobo ~ Waterstones

About the Author

Jacqui Rose is a novelist who now lives in London although she hails from South Yorkshire. She has always written for pleasure but the ideas for her books come from her own experiences.

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