A gritty crime thriller. It’s also very violent. The pacing is perfect. The characters are great. The plot is exciting.

Thoroughly enjoyed the novel Blood Ties by Heather Atkinson and will definitely read other books by her in this series. Jamie Gray and his team the Blood Brothers work for the Glasgow Queen Toni McVay who collects eyeballs as trophies. The Gordons and the Thompsons indulge in a turf war for the Gallowburn estate so the Blood Brothers work together to keep Toni's hold on the estate secure. Would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller as it keeps the reader enthralled until the final pages.

Unfortunately I wasn’t aware that this was the third book in the series and don’t have the time to pick the previous ones up.

I love the cover and the premise of the book but don’t think it works as a standalone.

This is the 3rd book in the series and I loved it as much as the first 2.. A totally addictive read that has plenty of action to keep you hooked . It was a gangland crime but had me laughing out loud at some of the characters. Leaves you in a cliff hanger wanting more

This is not a genre of book I have read much of in the past but I enjoyed it. I didn't realise it was part of a series so I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the others. Having said that, it was written in such a way that explained what you needed to know from the previous books that didn't feel crowbared in.

I don't think this is a book that is necessarily for everyone but for those who like this genre, they definitely will.

Gritty, gutsy and jaw-dropping, gangland chiller fans are going to lap up Heather Atkinson’s latest Glasgow-set novel, Blood Ties.

Toni McVay rules the Glaswegian underworld with an iron fist. Nobody dares disappoint the Queen of Glasgow and should anyone incur her wrath, Jamie Gray and his gang are immediately informed and they exact her blood-thirsty instructions to the letter. While Jamie and his gang get their hands very dirty, Toni instructs them in the nefarious methods of the criminal underworld. Jamie and the Blood Brothers know that Toni relies on them, however, they daren’t put a foot wrong because they know that if they displease her, then it will be their eyeballs the Queen of Glasgow will be keeping as souvenirs! Toni’s word might be law on the mean streets of Glasgow, but could her reign be threatened by two rival families keen to weaken her grip on the city?

The Gordon and Thompson clans are itching for a turf war. They are keen to knock Toni off her pedestal and they will use any means necessary to achieve their objectives. Could Jamie Gray and the Blood Brothers hold the key to making their plans for total domination a reality? The two families assume that the Blood Brothers are the weak links in the operation Toni McVay is running. But just how correct are their assumptions?

The stakes for Jamie Gray have never been higher. With past secrets threatening to be revealed, Jamie has the fight of his life on his hands. With his future in jeopardy, Jamie needs to stay out of trouble and keep himself, his family and the woman he loves safe – and failure is definitely not an option! With everything to lose, will Jamie manage to keep the people he loves safe from harm? Or is he doomed to fail?

My heart was in my throat the whole time I was reading Heather Atkinson’s Blood Ties! The criminal underworld of Glasgow is brought to vivid and terrifying life in Blood Ties and readers will not be able to stop themselves from turning the pages desperate to find out what is going to happen next.

Action-packed, hard-hitting and nail-biting, Blood Ties is another must-read chiller by Heather Atkinson.

This is another good read by Heather Atkinson as Jamie battles with two rival gangs in the latest episode. Jackie's character is very amusing, especially when she wields her frying pan! I loved how this book captured my attention in the first chapter, the author went right in and she did not slow down til the last sentence. I loved the characters and really enjoyed how it was written!

I’ve been reading books by Heather Atkinson for a while now so it was a no brainer when the blog tour request for Blood Ties came into my inbox. I’m so happy I read this because as usual, this author does not disappoint.

Action packed, never dull, it’s easy to speed through this book. If you’re looking for a perfect crime read, this is the author you should be checking out. Blood Ties has all the elements for a gangland read and I absolutely loved it.

Great writing, great characters, great plot…overall, just great. Don’t miss out!

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

I picked this up not knowing that it was part of a series, but I LOVED this book and actually ended up picking up Heather Atkinson’s backlist after reading it!

Blood Ties was so fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat, a complete rollercoaster from front to back. I loved learning about the characters and inserting myself into a new world of crime.

I will definitely recommend this to friends who are also fans of the crime genre. Heather Atkinson has earned a new fan!

I absolutely adore Heather Atkinson and this book has been another absolute gem and a delight to read.

This is an author that really can challenge Martina Cole for the title of queen of the genre. This book has pulled me in and been completely impossible to put down.

The blood brothers are fantastic characters and I hope there is more to come. I love to read about anyone taking them on. This one we see plenty of that.

This is the perfect pace and written in a way you feel as though you are watching the events play out in front of you. This is quite possibly my favourite book by Atkinson yet.

I have really enjoyed this one and will definitely be recommending it.

Blood Ties by Heather Atkinson is the third book in the Gallowburn’ series and the first book I have read by Heather. All the characters were brilliant and played good parts within this book. I may of not read the other 2 book but it did not ruin this book. So, If you love a gritty, gangland thriller this is a book for you. I will be going back to read the other two books,

Big Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources for a gifted copy of this book, in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

It is almost exactly a year since I first reviewed a novel by Heather Atkinson. Attracted by the Glasgow setting, I was full of praise for Atkinson’s ‘Blood Brothers’ and saw her as a “safe pair of hands”.

In June, I reviewed the sequel to ‘Blood Brothers’, ‘Bad Blood’ and I went on an almost hallucinatory literary mash up, taking the bone jarring violence of the novel – especially in the visceral opening battle scene on the streets of her fictional scheme, Gallowgate – and mashed it up with a plethora of ‘Macbeth’ quotes.

Which was different, if nothing else.

Here, though, Atkinson’s latest novel begins to move into different territory. There is a calmer tone, especially in the opening stages of the novel and the sense in which the author is focusing less on the crash, bang, wallop-there-goes-a-chain-to-the-face of the earlier instalments and more on the expanding cast of characters who inhabit the scheme.

It is like the world is expanding and we are peeking behind the curtains of these characters lives. There’s also a humour and a lightness of tone which was not so much in evidence in the earlier outings for these characters.

Fans of the genre and this author should not be concerned, however, there are still plenty of battles and Machiavellian scheming gangsters to go around – and that’s before we get as far as the women who, as in the Godfather, are more dangerous than shotguns.

Atkinson remains an extremely safe pair of hands ‘Blood Ties’ heralds yet another enjoyable and accomplished outing for the folk of the Gallowgate.

There is one moan I have with the novel – although I doubt it is serious or will damage anyone’s enjoyment of the work- No one in Glasgow has called a tattie scone a potato cake in the history of the world.

Either way, I’m sure we’ll live – which is more than can be said when you go against the Blood Brothers.

Blood Ties is the third book in the Gallowburn series. I admit I am a new fan of the author after reading the first two books in the series. Just when I think it couldn’t get any better it just did!

From start to finish I am tearing through the pages to get to the end. This book is bloody brilliant! I love everything about it….. the characters, the relationships, the good guys, the bad guys, the setting and of course the plot. I can hear the characters accents when they jump out of the pages who are brought to life with humour and personality.

It is gritty, twisty and action packed just what you would expect to find in a gangland thriller. If you’re a fan of gangland like myself this book/series is a must read.

Thank you to Rachel Gilby for inviting me to take part on this epic tour.

Ive not read any of this authors books but I will be from now on, this was the third book in the series and I throughly enjoyed it, ( I will go back and read the 1st 2), however it was action packed, gritty gangster novel and one that I got stuck into. You will not be disappointed!

This is book three in the blood brothers series and what a read it is. Heather has done it again. A fast paced gritty gangland gangster read. Cameron is now in prison for the death of his daughter Allegra and is desperate to prove she’s alive to regain his freedom. There is a full on gangland war with people turning against each other and other’s ganging up together to try and bring down the blood brothers and also Toni McVey. Who can Jamie trust and will he and his family and friends get out of this war in one piece. I can’t wait for book four. If this is your genre then I highly recommend this book a five star read.

Oh boy, what a brilliant book. The third in the series.

We're back on the Gallowburn Estate with the blood brothers. I love this series and the characters in it, from Jackie Gray and her frying pain to Gangland boss Toni McVay who takes out people's eyes that cross her and keep them in jars.
With Allegra, Jamie Gray's supposedly dead girlfriend, living in Italy for putting her vicious father in prison accused of murdering her, Jamie and his gang are now facing the fight of their lives to protect "the scheme" two rival gangs are trying to muscle in on their territory and with Toni's backing they prepare to go to war.

This book is very gritty and violent, but on the flip side, there are tight bonds and protection of each other.
A cracking read,

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book.

I have been a fan of Heather’s work for a little while now.. It was the first book in the ‘Gallowburn’ series called ‘Blood Brothers’ that introduced me to Heather’s work and I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t believe I had left it this long to realise just how fantastic an author Heather is. Since then I have tried to read one of her earlier books when I have the spare time and I keep up with every new book that she releases. The third book in the ‘Gallowburn’ series is called ‘Blood Ties’ and it is another corker of a read and then some. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Blood Ties’ but more about that in a bit.
As soon as I started reading ‘Blood Ties’, I knew that I was going to find it rather difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I was drawn in by the storylines, the intriguing characters and the violence. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen so I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wanted down the wrong path entirely. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. The more of the book that I read, the more that I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. This was one of those stories that really got under my skin and stayed on my mind for quite a while after I finished reading it. I found ‘Blood Ties’ to be an unputdownable page turner of a read and then some. The storylines were gritty, the characters were ever so slightly scary and the violence made me wince at times as if I was on the receiving end. ‘Blood Ties’ certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Blood Ties’ is superbly written but then that is also true of Heather’s books in general. Heather certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a read. For me, the story hits the ground running and maintains a fairly fast and scary pace throughout. Reading ‘Blood Ties’ felt like being on a rather scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. Just when you thought that you could take a moment to reclaim your stomach, gather your thoughts and take a breather, then off the action would go again. At certain times I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was going to happen next. I love the fact that the series is mostly set in Glasgow and I even read the dialogue between the characters in a Glaswegian accent. I felt as though I was part of the story myself and that’s thanks to Heather’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Blood Ties’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Heather’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Heather Atkinson is the author of numerous books in the crime fiction genre, but I only discovered this talented writer last year when I read Blood Brothers, the first book in her Gallowburn series. In this book we go introduced to the fictional Gallowburn Estate in Glasgow and four friends who were born and bred in this poverty-stricken community. For Jamie Gray and his Blood Brothers Gary, Digger, and Logan loyalty and family are everything. This action-packed gangland thriller also had unexpected romance, but more about it later. The second book in the series introduced us to new fascinating characters, including fearless Reverend Valerie and Toni McVay, a powerful crime boss. Heather Atkinson's newest thriller Blood Ties is the third instalment, in which Jamie and his friends deal with new threats coming from a new pretender, as well as Jamie's formidable enemy from the past.

If you are a fan of the genre (which isn't admittedly everyone's cup of tea) and would like to read the series, it is better to start from the first book and see the development of relationships, including Jamie's whirlwind romance with feisty Allegra Abernathy, which is crucial for understanding the events in Blood Ties. The plot is as fast-paced and gritty as in the first two instalments, and, of course, there are plenty of twists to keep the readers turn pages. The characters are still as colourful as ever (my heart belongs to Jamie's mother Jackie who will not hesitate to get out her weapon of choice- a frying pan- and go into a street fight to get justice for her kids).
Heather Atkinson's fans will be happy to read this new addition to the series and find out what life has in store for the Blood Brothers and their families.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

I am over the moon to be part of the recent book tour arranged by Rachel's Random Resources for this amazingly dangerous and intense gangland thriller. I think this is the best one from the series that I have read so far. This had me engrossed from the first few pages and could very easily be a one-sitting read.

Getting reacquainted with the female boss, Toni and the Blood Brothers on the grimy council estate of Gallowburn was everything I have come to expect from this author. Although I am not sure if we are truly supposed to like these characters, their dark and gruesome ways of life are nothing less than sinister, but I can't help it! They always intrigue me and they left me a little deflated when the story came to an end, thinking I just wanted it to go on for a little longer. I wasn't ready to leave Gallowburn when this concluded.

Blood Ties is a fantastic page-turner and would be perfect for any fans of Martina Cole, Karen Rose, and Caro Savage. I can not wait to see what Heather produces next. She's definitely someone to look out for if you are a fan of this genre.

Blood Ties

The Queen of Glasgow, Toni McVay, is no ordinary crime boss.

For one thing, she likes to discipline disappointing employees by scooping out their eyeballs and keeping them as souvenirs. Jamie Gray and his gang the Blood Brothers are happy to do her dirty work in return for lessons in the ways of the local underworld, but are in no doubt that they need to keep Toni sweet to keep themselves safe.

Rival families The Gordons and The Thompsons are ready for a turf war, keen to take over the lucrative Gallowburn estate, and weaken Toni’s grip on the city. But can the old enemies really trust each other enough to join forces? And will their assumption that the Blood Brothers are the weak link in the McVay empire, prove to be their greatest mistake?

Meanwhile Jamie’s past refuses to stay hidden, and as his biggest secret looks set to be revealed with explosive consequences, Jamie faces the battle of his life. To keep his family safe, to keep his friends safe, to keep himself safe, and to keep the woman he loves alive.

If you love Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers, and Jessie Keane, you’ll love Heather Atkinson. Discover the bestselling gangland author Heather Atkinson and you’ll never look back…

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3iFP7CA

REVIEW ~ NIKI PRESTON ~ 5 STARS

A Gangland thriller that does exactly what it says on the tin. Set on the mean streets of Glasgow, a book to rival Ian Rankin’s gangland books. This book certainly has a no holds barred plotline, with the feisty strong female leader of the Gang, Toni. She is a no nonsense woman who does not shy away from violence. The Blood Brothers who now work for her reminded me of The Krays. They gather in Jaime’s home and his mum is loved by the Brothers, while she adores them right back and of course always has a hearty meal on the table whenever they call. Very reminiscent of Ronnie and Reggie’s home set up.

Jamie is keeping a huge secret from his Brothers in the Gang. This secret could bring down the whole McVay gang and there is no way Toni is going to take it lightly if she ever finds out. There is an undercurrent of darkness but alongside this is a tenderness from Jamie that he only shows his Mum and one other, but this side of him means that there is trouble around every corner. He really has to keep his wits about him. Will he lose everything by letting his heart rule his head? That remains to be seen.

I found Heather’s writing style strong. You get a sense of the Glasgow streets and the constant trouble going on. She doesn’t mess about with unnecessary plot lines that lead no where and only serve to confuse. No this is a hard hitting, thrilling read with a great cast of characters. There is a level of humour amongst the danger that creates a more believable and human side to these dangerous people. Definitely worthy of 5 stars.

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Author Bio –


Heather Atkinson is the author of over fifty books – predominantly in the crime fiction genre. Although Lancashire born and bred she now lives with her family, including twin teenage daughters, on the beautiful west coast of Scotland.

Social Media Links –

Website https://www.heatheratkinsonbooks.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/booksofheatheratkinson/

Twitter https://twitter.com/HeatherAtkinso1

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heathercrimeauthor/

Newsletter Sign Up Link http://bit.ly/HeatherAtkinsonNewsletter

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-atkinson


With thanks for the Advance copy for the #BLOGTOUR to………

Rachel Gilby https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/

Boldwood Books https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/

Heather Atkinson http://Website https://www.heatheratkinsonbooks.com/