The second book in a series
This is a fast paced book with a great storyline
It’s well written with plenty of twists. The characters are well developed and believable
A great book

A high stakes crime thriller perfect for fans of Kimberly Chambers and Peaky Blinders, Villain is a hair-raising and heart-stopping page-turner by Caro Savage.

Detective Bailey Morgan loves her job and when it comes to working undercover, she has no equal. Brave, fearless and resourceful, Bailey always gets results even when her back is against the wall and time is not on her side. With her bosses fully aware of what a talented cop she is, they send her on a brand-new assignment that will seriously test her mettle and put her in the line of fire. Bailey needs to be on the alert and keep her eyes and ears open because one false move and one error of judgement and her mission could be compromised – and the repercussions should this come to pass simply do not bear thinking about!

Her bosses want her to infiltrate a notorious underworld family and bring them down. Posing as a ruthless villain, Bailey quickly finds herself forming part of this inner circle of thugs and criminals. However, Bailey’s mission soon gets complicated and things take a far more sinister and terrifying turn as echoes of the past quickly threaten to overwhelm this mission and worse could very well end up putting all of her hard work in jeopardy. With nobody to turn to and nobody to trust, Bailey needs to stay one step ahead and have eyes in the back of her head if she is to bring this family down. But with enemies round every corner, what will Bailey do next?

With everything to lose, Bailey finds herself flabbergasted as she is confronted with shocking revelations about her life and her world that threaten to not just derail her investigation, but also make her question how well she truly knows those around her. With nobody to vouch for and everything to play for, can Bailey bring down these evil criminals? Or will she end up paying the ultimate prize for simply doing her job?

A chilling thriller that kept me up well past my bedtime, Villain is one terrifying read. Caro Savage certainly knows how to deliver a spine-tingling and nail-biting tale that will make readers jump out of their skin on plenty of occasions as they find themselves completely and utterly hooked by this fast-paced and nerve-twisting thriller.

Bailey Morgan is such a brilliant character. An intelligent and dedicated heroine, she has much in common with Lynda La Plante’s Jane Tennison and Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie for her boldness, courage and intuition.

Dark, gutsy and gritty, gangland thriller fans will love Caro Savage’s Villain.

Great thriller which kept me turning the pages well into the night. Great characters and plot. Highly recommend to others!!

This is the second book by Ms Savage that I've devoured in the matter of hours, and honestly, she is one of my new favorite authors. It follows on from the previous book (Jailbird), but does read nicely enough as a standalone so you don't miss out on much. But why wouldn't you want to read the first book, just do it, you know you want to! Highly recommended for anyone who loves a great read that will entertain you throughout.
TB

I would like to thank Boldwood books and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.

I was immediately attracted by the pretty cover of this book and the three catch words: "Family, Blood, Vengeance" which say a lot about what will happen in the book.

We find Bailey Morgan, a police officer who returns to work undercover, which she knows best. She will have to infiltrate a family circle of the Underworld. She poses as a criminal to try to bring the family down.

Except that not everything in life is so rosy, Bauiley is forced to face the demons of her past. Left to her own devices, she will have to do everything she can to get out of it.

A book read almost in one sitting, so much so that I was hooked on the story, so moving in certain passages, captivating, gripping, addictive, full of intrigue, suspense and twists and turns with very endearing characters. I love the author's writing, so eager to discover more of her books.

etective Constable Bailey Morgan is back doing what she does best – working undercover.

This time she has to infiltrate the inner circle of a notorious underworld family. Posing as a fellow villain, she is on a one-woman mission to bring the family to their knees.

But things are never that simple. Bailey finds that she is forced to confront shadowy wraiths from her past and will come face-to-face with a set of devastating revelations that will shatter her world and threaten her very existence.

With only herself to trust, Bailey is on her own and the stakes are higher than ever.

Heart-stopping and gripping. Perfect for the fans of hit TV shows such as Line of Duty and Gangs of London.


The cover of Caro Savage’s second novel, ‘Villain’
Caro Savage is a new writer to me. I had missed her debut, Jailbird published in October 2019, but I liked the sound of her latest effort, Villain.

The fact that she has the best name for a crime writer since Karen Slaughter, only interested me further!


The atmospheric author portrait of the mysterious Caro Savage
I am happy to report that she lives up to her name: this novel is top notch. Savage manages to sprinkle the consequences of her protagonist’s previous undercover exploits through the novel with a light touch as well create a plucky, highly skilled detective who you want to go on the ride with.

It is not often that we see the far reaching results of exposure to violence and the effect that has on those that undergo it. Here, Bailey is on beta-blockers after a diagnosis of PTSD courtesy of the horrors she has previous undergone.

Dainty Dialogue
A bugbear of mine in crime fiction is that convincing, flowing dialogue can often be the casualty of action but Savage manages the trick of making her characters distinct, recognisable and also realistic.

The other thing that Savage manages to do is ramp up the tension. Bailey’s interactions whilst undercover make your palms sweat as the threat of violence and trauma hangs over every encounter and keeps you hooked from first to last.

Black Humour
I have to be honest, the seam of black humour which runs through the novel – a severed arm torn asunder by a car bomb landing with a splat in front of a homeless man in the opening pages is a particular treat – keeps this novel from the potential of all thrillers to topple towards melodrama and is like a palate cleanser from the tension and thrills.

Caro Savage has announced her arrival as a writer to take note of with this thrilling follow up to her debut and I can’t wait to come across Bailey again.

What a brilliant crime book. Fast-paced and gritty, it pulls you in from the first page.

Bailey Morgan is a DC in the police, she has previously worked undercover so when her bosses approach her to go back undercover to bring down the notorious family The Molloys she accepts.
The job is to infiltrate arms coming into the UK which the family wants to buy to flood the streets with them and for her to catch them in the act of receiving them.
Bailey has an underlying family problem, her sister Jennifer was taken as a young child, her father is dying of cancer and her mother is basically very weak.
A great story with lots of twists turns and surprises. Well written.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. x

Omg Caro you have done it again. Love the author love the books undercover cop at its best. Thank you Netgalley for the early read

Well written thriller.

My second time reading that author, no regrets!

I love those undercover cop stories. This one was engaging, captivating, well developed and told at a good pace.

A real page turner.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

5 stars

This is the second book in the DC Bailey Morgan series by Caro Savage.

This book takes place not long after the end of the previous book, Jailbird. One of her old school chums asks her superior Frank to place her undercover with a crime family after his source is killed by a car bomb. She is pulled in to uncover a gun running operation.

I am surprised how different this book is than the previous one. This one can definitely be read as a standalone but it is nice to have the circumstances from the previous book to draw from when trying to figure things out.

Not everything is what it seems in this book and a lot of revelations are uncovered. Definitely a lot of surprises in this one. One bombshell I figured out ahead of time but the other only made sense the few minutes before it was unveiled.

This book was just perfection in its plotting and pace. I can’t wait for book three!

If you like police procedurals and British detective mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

What a book! I have not read Jailbird the previous book from Savage featuring DC Bailey Morgan, but that did no stop me from getting engrossed in this book from the get go! There is enough back story and history regarding Bailey's previous undercover operations that left her with the scars she bears to make this easily a stand alone book.

Bailey gets a call during Christmas regarding a new undercover operation that her supervisor Frank feels would need a female touch - win over the Molloy matriarch Nancy and get the scoop on a gun trade. She begins to infiltrate the family, but at the same time her father becomes ill with cancer and she is blown away with information regarding the disappearance of her sister twenty-four years ago.

This was a fast paced book that had me hooked and with every twist and turn that I saw coming I was willing Bailey to see it too before it was too late. A truly gritty action-packed page-turner that will have you on the edge of your seat!

5 stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my first book by this author. I have not read Jailbird which is the first book about undercover cop Bailey Morgan. This being said I still thoroughly enjoyed it and it can be read as a stand-alone. Although I will be reading jailbird soon and I’ll definitely be looking out for future books by Caro. This is a hard hitting crime thriller with lots of twists and turns along the way. It grabbed me from page one.

I had the distinct pleasure of reading and reviewing Caro’s first book, which is called ‘Jailbird’ and it was released in October 2019. ‘Jailbird’ was the first book in a new series featuring Detective Constable Bailey Morgan. I loved ‘Jailbird’ and I couldn’t wait to get hold of a copy of the second book. Well ladies and gents the wait is over because the second book to feature Detective Constable Bailey Morgan is called ‘Villain’ and it was released on 6th October 2020. I thought that ‘Jailbird’ was good but ‘Villain’ is even better. I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of ‘Villain’ but more about that in a bit.
What can I say about Detective Constable Bailey Morgan? I actually liked to her and once again I warmed to her from the start. At the beginning of ‘Villain’ we learn that Bailey is still coming to terms with her scars and the trauma she experienced in a previous case, when she was working deep undercover. Bailey is still a police officer and she still undertakes undercover work. I thought that the close call she had previously might have put her off but it didn’t. Bailey is having personal family problems which leave her wondering whether or not to give up the undercover work. I won’t go too far into details but needless to say that the news she receives is the sort of news that we all dread hearing. Bailey is certainly plucky, determined, hard working, brave, tenacious, stubborn, confident and ever so slightly stubborn. What is Bailey’s latest undercover mission? Will she succeed? Will she survive? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my goodness me, I was drawn into ‘Villain’ from the very first word on the very first page. It was as if the book had developed a hold over me and this hold lasted until the moment I read the very last word on the very last page. I had taken so well to the character of Bailey Morgan that I found myself turning the pages over at a fair old rate as I had a desperate need to find out what happened to Bailey and whether or not she survived in one piece until the end of the book. ‘Villain’ was one of those books that I couldn’t have put down even if I had wanted to. My Kindle wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I didn’t want to miss a single second of the story. It will come as no surprise to many that I managed to read ‘Villain’ in a single day.
‘Villain’ is brilliantly written. The story starts with a bang- quite literally- and from then on the pace doesn’t let up. For me reading ‘Villain’ was much like being on a very scary, fast and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with lots of twists and turns along the way. ‘Villain’ describes the criminal underworld and I have to be honest, it scares the crap out of me. At times I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was coming next. ‘Villain’ is a fast paced, gripping read, which had me on the edge of my seat throughout.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Villain’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Caro’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

When the blurb for this new thriller by Caro savage says 'gripping', it doesn't lie. I put on hold everything I did and was glued to the book until small hours - I just had to find out how the new undercover operation DC Bailey Morgan is embarking on in this instament going to turn out.

The book begins with a bang - a shockingly visual scene lets us know: we are entering a dangerous world of organised crime and violent, revengeful criminals. Bailey is spending Christmas with her family, when she gets a phone call from Frank, the head of undercover operations, which can only mean one thing- a new assignment. This time her task is to infiltrate a powerful criminal underworld family, the Malloys. The way to earn the criminals' trust is never easy, but this time it goes through making Nancy Malloy, the mother of the current head of the family, believe that Bailey and she are made of the same ruthless cloth.

I found all aspects of Bailey's work utterly fascinating- her preparation, the courage she needs to face the task, the creation of her new identity, a little, but potentially deadly mistake she almost makes that could blow her cover. I haven't read ( I will now!) the first book in the series, but we do get an idea of what Bailey's previous jobs were like and the toll they took on her, both mentally and physically. She is a flawed character, but as the events unfold and you get to know her better, you get a sense that DC Bailey Morgan is the kind of person who has a strong moral compass and her heart is in the right place.

I really don't want to give the story away. This was one of those rare cases that I wasn't even tempted to take a peek at the last page, because the writing was so good that I really wanted to savour every scene and every detail. The pace is fast and the time seems to get compressed in these short, action-packed chapters.
Highly recommended for all readers who enjoy a well-written thriller with a strong female lead.
Thank you toNetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

I was drawn to this book by the author’s name, who has an incredible reputation among my bookish friends!

The opening involves a mysterious, random act of kindness followed by a huge deadly incident, and well let’s just say from that point on I was hooked!

I have never read a book by Caro Savage before and I don’t believe this hampered my enjoyment of the book.

It is dark, addictive and gripping, has sophisticated story telling and awesome characters, with independent and strong willed Bailey as the star – basically everything you want in a 21st century thriller.

I devoured this one really quickly and will definitely be going back to read other books by this author!

I received a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Villain
By: Caro Savage


REVIEW ☆☆☆☆

I would last maybe ten minutes as an undercover officer. I can't lie convincingly, and I don't assimilate quickly. Bailey Morgan, heroine of Villain, does not have a problem with these things. She is a dynamite undercover officer, previously assigned to a women's prison. Now, she is tasked with infiltrating a crime family, the Molloys, and taking them down. That's not asking much.

The Molloys have no respect for human life, show no mercy and laugh in the face of the devil. They are on the war path, wanting revenge for the death of one of their own. Bailey steps into this situation with confidence and sass. Of course, the Malloys test her at every turn because loyalty is everything to these people. They ask her, rather, they tell her to do some bad things. How do you please a crime family while keeping your ethics in tact?

As Bailey walks the tightrope over the lava pit filled with sharks, she has bad news in her personal life. Regardless of her feelings, Bailey has a job to do, and one tiny slip would likely be her demise. Bailey is a seriously tough, intelligent woman. I have total respect for any woman with this type of job. Bailey is a chameleon, able to blend with the worst criminals, and she holds her own.

Villain is an excellent story. I love undercover stories, and this one is highly compelling and hard to put down for a moment. Bailey is a flawed human being with authentic characteristics. It's hard not to like Bailey and root for her success. I heartily recommend this thrilling story!

Detective Constable Bailey Morgan prefers working undercover over normal duties. In fact, you might say she’s addicted to the adrenaline rush, the secret life, and maintaining a cover story.

In a previous job, she was tortured when her cover was blown. Those scars, both mental and physical, are testament to the danger she puts herself in. Yet, that’s what she does. Most recently (in the previous book of the series – Jailbird) she went undercover in a women’s prison. Bailey Morgan thrives in these conditions, and she gets results too.

When she is called in to work for a meeting over the Christmas break, she knows it has to be for something important. Is she ready? Does she need time to think about throwing herself back in the fray? Hell, no!

The latest job requires her to act as an intermediary, looking to buy arms from the Molloy family. The story develops following a car bombing in which Adraian, the eldest Molloy son was killed. Unbeknownst to his family, Adrian was an informant and the team use that connection to get Bailey introduced to his brother, Rick who heads up the family business under the watchful gaze of his mother, Nancy.

Nancy is hell-bent on avenging Adrian’s death while Rick is super cautious, determined to maintain his “never been caught” record.

Bailey has to convince them that she’s genuine, and they test her at every opportunity, even breaking in to her undercover apartment to check her out. That’s not their only surprise, as she is invited to join them on a shooting spree (for grouse) as well as to the “interrogation” of someone they believe to know who was behind Adrian’s death. Keeping her cover at all times, Bailey plays her best game.

However, her mind is elsewhere when her father falls gravely ill. Even so, she doesn’t slip up. Until a potential date reminds her that trust is a fragile thing and not everyone is deserving of hers.

A fabulous thriller from the outset, plunging the reader straight into the action and ramping up the tension beautifully as the story develops. The drama of the undercover job is complemented by Bailey’s daughterly role and her concern and love for her dad. These life layers given Bailey greater depth as a character and the balance gives the reader time to breathe before the next drama kicks in.

I very much enjoyed Villain and have already added the first book to my Kindle. This is a new author for me, and one whose work I’ll keep an eye out for in the future.

PS - I'll have the coffee creams if there are any going ;)

I loved this book!!  It was fast paced, full of action and an additive read!

This author is always a go too for me when I was a gritty and realistic read and this one was no different - it is probably the best one I have read to date and I really enjoyed this one.

The plot was excellent, it was well developed and the characters were perfect - they worked really well with the story and the interaction was spot on, I thought it was superb overall.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, a brilliant story and a totally additive read - another cracker from this author - very highly recommended!!

Its Christmas Day and Bailey has been called into work. She is in the Police and there has been a murder. An informant has been killed, someone blew up his car. The victim was Adrian Molloy, part of notorious organised gang crime family, The Molloys.

There is only one way to take down the Molloy family and that is for Bailey to go undercover. She must take Adrian's place and bring them down.

Whilst undercover Bailey receives devastating family news but she must keep it together to get the job done.

This book is fast paced, gripping and dirty. It had me hooked from the start and one I couldn't put down.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Detective Constable Bailey Morgan works an undercover police officer when required, alternating with her normal duties. At the age of thirty, she has already been involved in two horrific jobs, once in a car-stealing ring where she was mercilessly tortured when her cover was blown. She has the scars to prove it and she knows she won’t rest until she has tracked down the culprit. Her most recent assignment was undercover in a women’s prison and that has taken its toll on her as well. She knows her new role must be urgent and important when she is summoned on Christmas Day to a meeting with her handler and a DI. The job is to pose as an up and coming gangster with fingers in many pies looking to buy a large consignment of arms from a notoriously hard family called the Molloys. Headed up by son Rick but watched closely by matriarch mother Nancy, the Molloys are close knit, clever and plan meticulously. It’ll be a tough job getting accepted by them, particularly as they are more watchful than ever at the moment. Elder son Adrian has just been blown to pieces in a car bombing and the family are determined to find his killer. As Bailey starts to ingratiate herself with the gang, there are major surprises in store for her in more ways than one as a bombshell threatens to turn her world inside out just at the wrong time. She is forced to hang out with them and experiences first hand their complete lack of humanity as she pretends to be part of their world and the gun deal fast approaches. Can she keep her mind on her job while her family problems past and present overshadow her and threaten to undermine her investigation? A simple basic error could give the game away and after all, it will only take one slip up for the ever-vigilant Molloys to rumble her, and they take no prisoners. They simply kill them instead, often with a fair degree of violence and torture first. It’s easy to see why there are few female undercover officers in this gangland world where women bosses are far from the norm. It’s a nasty and brutal existence where no one can afford to show weakness and family is important. Everything rests on Bailey keeping her nerve. This was a thrilling ride from start to finish, with loads of action and excitement. I liked that it was part police, part gangster instead of completely revolving around the dark side, and also there are other side plots coming into play at the same time. Although this is book two, it works fine as a standalone as all the history necessary is explained. I haven’t read a lot of this type of gangland related book before, but I have to say I very much enjoyed it and I shall definitely be going back to read the first book, Jailbird, and look forward to more Bailey Morgan stories. 5*