Another wonderful gangland crime thriller by Mandasue Heller. I read this in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. A good read with great characters.

It has been a wee while since I read Heller and I forgot how much I enjoy her writing. She creates some real unsavoury characters, some we root for and can still get exasperated but some of their choices and behaviours. Meet Lexi, poor, estate kid, best pal has now got money, isn't a very nice individual and her home life brings its own challenges. When she has a chance to stay out, be with her friend and just enjoy a party.............everything changes!

The story spans over ten years, the first part is meeting the characters and then we flip forward to ten years later. Oooft guys, we see some really reprehensive behaviour, shady/dark sides of humanity, abuse, intimidation, SA, abuse of power/authority, drugs, violence, murder - it has a whole whack of everything.

Even when things get really dark you struggle to put it down, how can people be like this and you get the WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!? for some people's life choices/decisions, why, NO don't do that, OMG, AHHHHHHH. I read this in less a day, sometimes you just want to step outside your own world/drama just for a little while, Heller gives you that opportunity to immerse in some shady underworld style characters, 4.5/5 for me!

Enter the world the world of Lexi; A strong female protagonist who has been dealt a rather unfortunate hand in life. Having most recently found herself at the fate of infidelity she relocates to her home town, Manchester, where her previous life starts to haunt her. Being from Manchester, I thoroughly enjoy when a book is set there!

This was an excellent read! The characters, love them or hate them (and you absolutely will!), were excellent. They felt so real!

This is the first book I've read by Mandasue Heller (despite being recommended her material multiple times!) and the one positive of this means I have an abundance of titles to get lost in over the upcoming months! How exciting!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 📖

Mandasue Heller never fails to let her readers down with her brilliant books and this one is no exception, another brilliant twisty book by this amazing author.
Lexi is a young girl living with her mum and brute of a stepdad on a council estate in Manchester, one night at a party Lexi is attacked by her so called best friends brother and not long after tragedy strikes and Lexi has to go into care and leave the area. Years later she finds herself back in Manchester but familiar faces are still around and some people are not very happy to see her. A gritty story full of violence and crime with the hint of a love story entwined.

I devoured this book in one sitting . I couldn't get enough of it . I loved everything about it from the storyline to the characters . Although I despised Adam . Really addictive read . I recommend you read this

Wow just wow!!! @mandasueheller is just magnificent. What a book!! I’m not sure I have any words.

𝗡𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲- but I will try because I just love Manda so much!!

Lexi is brave, strong and a force to be reckoned with. The journey through this one has been a rollercoaster and extremely rocky and unpredictable. Nicole is vile, stuck up, snobby and definitely plays on who her daddy is.

There have been so many jaw dropping moments in this one. It’s been completely unpredictable and I have devoured this in just hours.

This is a superb read. Whether you love/hate the questionable characters there’s definitely something in this one for everyone.

I have all of Amanda’s books and have read most and this one is definitely a favourite. I have been eagerly anticipating this one and it definitely hasn’t disappointed.

A must read for the TBR

Running Scared is another excellent read from Mandasue Heller. I have read all of her books and this one did not disappoint. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant book.

I loved the characters and was drawn in from the first page.

A major gangland crime book, with drugs, lap dancing, rape, and murder this book will keep you addicted. By the time id' finished it I felt like I'd been through a mangle and spat out. The thrilling chapters and fast pace took my breath away and kept me wanting more and boy it gave everything and more.

In my opinion, it is one of the best crime books this year and I feel it will take a lot to beat it.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this outstanding book. xx

Running Scared by Mandasue Heller was an excellent book especially as its the first book by this author for me "where have I been?" This book is set in Manchester, and is about Lexi who lived on a council estate with her best friend Nicole. Lexi left Manchester when she was 15, now 10 years later she’s back. Why has she returned?

This book was fast paced and gripped me from the very first few pages and it will not be the last book I will read my Mandasue. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

I am a massive fan of mandasue’s books so couldn’t wait to read this one. As usual it didn’t disappoint at all and it hooked me from the very start. It had a great bunch of characters with some really nasty ones thrown in there. I loved it from the first page to the last and I read it in a few sittings. 10/10

Running Scared is another excellent read by Mandasue Heller. We are back in Manchester in this gritty gangland crime thriller. This is a well written thriller with great characters that kept my interest the whole way through.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Mandasue, I have read all her books. She never disappoints. I loved this one, just the ticket. Mandasue certainly is the Queen of Gangland Manchester.

Another fantastic blockbuster by the queen of crime. Loved this book and as usual was written superbly by someone who does it well.
This is based in Manchester and follows the lives of Lexi and Ryan. They had a terrible start with Ryan saving her from his then girlfriend and lexi’s best friends brother Adam. This leaves through tragic circumstances Lexi to leave the area. She later in life returns only to become embroiled all over again with Nicole Adam’ sister who is now married to Ryan.
It’s starts and finishes with the story of people and how far they go to get what they want.
No hold barred story that was throughly enjoyed.

First time author for me and really enjoyed the fast paced and style of writing which hooked me on from page one, very gritty lots of twists and turns and a great read.

This book requires some trigger warnings ( violence, rape, swearing ) not normally my taste tbh. The story itself was fast moving and kept you interested. Just make sure this genre is for you
Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.

One of those books that you know how it is going to pan out., so if you don’t enjoy it, it is your own fault.
It was similar to countless other books out there, it was on holiday, so thought it would pass the time. Plus, it was based in Manchester where I know my way about, so you can picture various scenarios.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a new book by this author and it was well worth the wait.

Lexi left Manchester when she was 15, now 10 years later she’s back. A chance encounter with old friend Nicole will soon have Lexi running for her life.

Fast paced and action packed, this was a fantastic read.

Fast paced and gripping, I found it hard to put this book down. Well written with a compelling sotryline and well developed characters - some of which are unlikeable but all are believeable. A great read.

I started this book late at night and ended up reading till almost dawn, I did my usual just one more chapter till my eyes shut of their own accord. I have to admit that maybe I should have waited but as soon as I get a copy of her books in my sticky little mitts I can't wait to start it.

In #runningscared we meet the main protagonist, Lexi (Alexis) James, her best friend Nicole the two girls lives couldn't be further apart., Lexi's mum works hard (her fella Tony is a wastrel) and Nicoles family are wealthy and she just loves to rub her friends nose in it. While Nicoles family were away on holiday her and her brother decide to have a party, sadly an incident causes the friends to fall out. This is made worse by a young man making sure that Lexi gets home safe, said young man is Nicoles boyfriend..

Fast forward a few years and Lexi is back in Manchester and the two friends meet up by chance and try to repair their friendship, but again a man, well more than one comes between them. Now in my opinion Lexi is the innocent party on more than one occasion. When she meets a new man she can't begin to see just how this is going to impact her future and not all in a good way.


I've been a fan of Mandasue Heller since her first book, The Front and I can't recommend this one highly enough, it is most definitely worth a read. if you read books by Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers and Jessie Keane then this author should absolutely be added to your list.

Thank you Ms Heller, #Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

I’m a big fan of Mandasue Heller, and yet again she hasn’t disappointed. Set in Manchester it’s full of great characters, some you’ll love and some you’ll love to hate. You follow the life of Lexi and boy what a rollercoaster ride her life is. It’s a fast paced book with so much going on. You’ll be gripped from page one and definitely will not be able to put it down. A captivating read that draws you straight in it’s definitely a five star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️