Wicked Girls is a standalone novel (with the potential for a follow up) describing the often violent lives of Toni, her cousin Valerie and their family's control of Glasgow. Despite having talent for the family business, Valerie is intent to get away from it if she can which is made a possibility when she meets the love of her life, Seb.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this novel, descriptions that can make y0ur eyes water and family pressure and intimidation to boot. A cracking read for anyone that is a fan of Martina Cole or Kimberley Chambers. HIghly recommended!

Heather Atkinson ups the ante with her gritty new gangland thriller, Wicked Girls.

Valerie and Toni McVay aren’t just cousins, but they are the best of friends. However, when Toni’s twelfth birthday ends in a terrible tragedy that make a lifetime of crime inevitable for the cousins, Valerie and Toni realise that they will need to stick together if they are to endure all the challenges of the Glasgow criminal underworld. A decade since Toni’s twelfth birthday party and the McVay clan are no longer the unstoppable force they once were. But Frankie McVay is determined to change that – at all costs. Frankie wants to be the king of the underworld and he won’t stop until he’s achieved his nefarious aims – and he expects his family to help him out.

Toni is immediately on board with her brother’s plans for domination, even though Valerie has her sights set on a quieter life far from the dangers of a life of crime. Having fallen head over heels in love with Seb, Valerie thinks she has found the man of her dreams who will be her ticket out of this wicked world her family inhabits. But will she be able to escape her roots? Can she unshackle herself from her family’s blood-stained legacy? And will Toni allow Val to turn her back on the secret that will always bind them together?

A top-notch gangland thriller that will make readers jump out of their skin, Wicked Girls is a shocking, tense, terrifying and entertaining chiller that had me cowering behind the sofa and double locking my doors and windows. Heather Atkinson never fails to deliver a propulsive, compelling and unputdownable read packed with jaw-dropping twists and turns and in Wicked Girls, she has once again written a nail-biting and heart-stopping thriller readers will be absolutely riveted by.

I enjoyed reading about Valerie and Toni`s earlier life.
It have you a good insight to characters you already know.

It had me turning the pages as all Heather's books do.

Cousins Valerie and Toni McVay have been best friends forever, and when you’re a McVay you need all the friends you can get.
When Toni’s twelfth birthday is marred by a terrible crime, the wicked path of the girls looks set. A decade later, the McVay family aren't the unstoppable force they once were in the Glaswegian criminal underworld but Frankie McVay, the up-and-coming prince, is determined to restore the family to its former glory by whatever means necessary. And the whole family are expected to help.

His sister Toni shares her brother’s blood lust but Valerie dreams of a quieter life, and when she meets and falls in love with Seb, as straight as Frankie is bent, as kind as Frankie is wicked, Val sees her way out.

Can she escape a family that is determined to own the city, and to keep Valerie firmly in their violent grasp? And will Toni ever let her best friend Val turn her back on the bloody secret they have shared for all these years…

Sizzles with tension, desire, and a forever-escalating sense of menace! Let this supremely enjoyable thriller whisk you up, up and away. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love this author’s books, they always deliver. Atkinson is an author who gets better and better.

Wicked Girls gives us a walk down memory Lane and allows the readers to find out Toni’s story. We go right back, finding out how she became top dog.

Atkinson is a brilliant author, I have been transported to the pages of this one. This is a book that is easy to read and completely unputdownable.

This book has suspense and a gripping plot. I have devoured this book in just one sitting. This is one that I was completely unwilling to put down.

As always, Atkinson has written a gem. I have loved everything about this book. It’s always a pleasure to take a trip to the dark side with Atkinson.

This is another brilliant read, worthy of all the stars. I absolutely recommend this one.

This book grabs me from the opening pages until the end. I stayed up and read it one night. The characters from the cousin Toni and Valeri are close and are working for the family as Toni’s brother Frankie works at taking control of the crime in his area. You see how these two females are strong and after males or females have a run-in with them they start to think twice about going up against them.
When a character Sabhastion is introduced Valeri starts to change or so you think she wants to at least, yet not everything as it appears. The McVay family is still fighting for their survival. This is a book that has twists and turns some surprises with the characters and overall a very good book that will keep you going from the first page until the last. Very much worth the read.

I have been a fan of Heather's work for a while. By no means have I read everything that she has written but that is something that I hope to rectify in the not too distant future. I love the way in which she writes such gritty and gripping gangland thrillers, even if they do scare the doo doo out of me at times. I read the synopsis of 'Wicked Girls' and it certainly sounded like another cracker of a read from Heather Atkinson. Well it was certainly all that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Wicked Girls' but more about that in a bit.

I was drawn into this story from the synopsis alone. From then on the book seemed to develop a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn't willing to break. I initially picked the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I became so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the characters that I was still sat there reading several chapters and an hour or so later. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen so of course I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered off in the opposite direction. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of 'Wicked Girls'. I found 'Wicked Girls' to be a gritty, gripping, tense and dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

'Wicked Girls' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Heather Atkinson. She has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Heather certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proved to be one hell of a read. For me, the story hits the ground running and maintained a fairly fast pace throughout. Heather clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. I have to say that the main characters in this book scared me somewhat particularly when you consider the ease with which they could dish out such violence as is described in the book. Reading 'Wicked Girls' felt like being on a rather scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns to it than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. Just when you thought that you could take a moment to gather your thoughts and catch your breath then off the action would go again. I love the way in which Heather makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Wicked Girls' and I would definitely recommend this book 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*.

I first came across Heather’s books when I was introduced to the Gallowburn Estate series. Which I absolutely loved. So when I heard that Wicked Girls was part of that series, I just had to read it.

In this book we follow a story about Cousins Valerie and Toni McVay from their younger life through to a decade later. We see new and old characters throughout the story.

The author brings us yet another gripping grit lit story that will have you racing through the pages to the end wanting to know what will be the outcome. This is another engaging read which I highly recommend

I have read every book in this series and have enjoyed each one. But this one topped the lot. Full of love, crime, violence, and family, this book is brilliant.

I loved reading about Valerie and Toni's early days before Valerie became a minister and the love and relationship she shares when she meets with kind gentle Seb who isn't a part of their crime-filled lives and gives her the peace she so craves.

The book races through their lives with some recognizable characters popping up and the McVay family living up to their usual hate-filled lives, with their fingers in so many pies and Frankie at the helm. I just didn't want to put it down and devoured every delicious turn of the page. Then the story takes a turn and shocks us the reader to our core. I didn't see that coming which kept me going back to it more and more.
What a fabulous book. Praise to Heather Atkinson and a well-earned 5***** and more.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this brilliant book. xxx

Wicked Girls by Heather Atkinson was another Superb book. This is a brand new gangland thriller and what a brilliant book this was. I was hooked from the beginning till the end. This latest book by Heather was well written, with lots of great twists and turns throughout, especially as it was a brilliant gritty story. I loved it!

I Highly recommended for fans of this genre! and all books by Heather Atkinson she never disappoints. All her books have been excellent!

Toni McVay and Valerie Brown are cousins on the infamous Gallowburn estate. Gang leader Frankie is Toni's brother and wants both women to support his criminal dealings. But can Valerie find happiness and leave the estate forever...?
Wicked Girls is a prequel to Heather Atkinson's Gallowburn gang crime series which has often featured Toni (I have previously reviewed Bad Blood and Blood Pact from the series).
Toni is a character that I have met in previous books. Her dauntless behaviour and strength have always been clear but this book allows us the opportunity to see how these characteristics developed. However, it is her cousin Valerie that leads the developments of this book.
Valerie is a gentler soul than Toni and yearns to escape the life of crime and violence that she seems destined for. Toni introduces her to Seb and they have a meeting of minds over literaure. But will scary Frankie ever let her go and will Seb's family ever accept her?
Of course, I say gentler but she certainly packs a punch when needed! As you would expect from this genre, there is a lot of swearing, violence and death. But the gritty feel to the content and writing lends a wonderful realism that had me completely enthralled with the plot developments.
I enjoyed the plot twists and the dilemma that Valerie faces as she considers her future. The characters are easy to understand and empathise with despite their shocking choices and behaviour.
Wicked Girls is full of engaging characters and fascinating scenarios.

This is a gritty yet at times comical tale of the McVay criminal family that are feared in the Glasgow area. Frankie has taken over a head of the family with his beloved sister, Toni, as his sidekick. Their cousin, Valerie, is being reluctantly dragged along for the ride but dreams of escaping her violent family and their criminal deeds. Then the gentle and kind Seb appears and seems to be the answer to all her prayers. With an escalating feud with a rival gang Valerie is evermore determined to leave but will the family let her and is Seb too good to be true.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book this plot develops at a good pace and whilst the character Toni is a nutcase I had to laugh at some of her comments and antics.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have read the first 3books in the Gallowburn series where the McVays feature so it was good to read this book to get the background on them and find out what made Toni a hard hearted and untrusting woman, and the reason Val took the path she did . I loved this book from.start to finish and devoured it in 2 days . It was a fast paced gripping read and storyline with lots of action.
Heather Atkinson is such a talented author, that she draws you into the depths of her books which leaves you addicted and wanting more .

Tony and Valerie are the best friends they laugh hang out and do everything together including beat up other people. Tony’s brother Frankie is a psychopath who wants to be the head man in Glasgow and unfortunately the Williams who is their biggest rival has been spreading rumors and causing trouble. As the gang wars picks up momentum Valerie is falling in love. Sebastian is from a good family who are big believers in education they followed the law and Valerie wants that life. Sebastian is also going to school to be a vicar And being a Parsons wife is something Valerie believes suits her, but before it’s over she will have to ask her self where does her loyalty lie to the family she was born into are the one she wants to choose the half? This book was really good I did wonder however if Sebastian was going to school to be a religious man why was he have an unmarried sex with the consent of his and her parents… That made no sense to me but having said that the rest of the book is totally on board it is a good read it is easy to read fast paced and that was unexpected things in the book I did not know were coming. I thoroughly enjoyed this book I received it from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Following on from the superb Gallowburn series, we now go back in time to when Toni McVay, now the undisputed Queen of Glasgow, was at her twelfth birthday party when she murdered Uncle Roddy, head of the family and the most feared man in Glasgow, when he made another depraved abusive advance on her. Her cousin and best friend Valerie Brown, eighteen months younger, saw how much Toni enjoyed her first kill, even demonstrating the start of her obsession with eyes, and the stage is set. Seven years later, the cousins make a fearsome duo who can certainly handle themselves as they carry out jobs for Toni’s older and increasingly unstable brother Frankie as he seeks to expand his criminal empire and re-establish the McVays as top dogs. Then Val falls in love with Seb, a man who couldn’t be further from her ugly and often brutal life, and sees a future away from the McVays. But will she manage to escape her past and the secrets they all keep within the family? And what will it cost her?
The feud was running with the Thompsons and Gordons, amongst other families, even in those days and the series shows how this violent fight for supremacy has continued over the generations. It was great to see how the two characters, well known from the series, were formed in their early years and how events shaped their respective futures. I really love this series and this trip back in time serves to fill out some of the background and history to the other books. As expected, it’s gritty and dark in places, with plenty of bloodshed and action and where family loyalty is everything. If you love this, you’ll definitely enjoy the Gallowburn series where we meet the grown-up Toni and Valerie. 5*

Wicked Girls by Heather Atkinson.
When Toni’s twelfth birthday is marred by a terrible crime, the wicked path of the girls looks set. A decade later, the McVay family aren't the unstoppable force they once were in the Glaswegian criminal underworld but Frankie McVay, the up-and-coming prince, is determined to restore the family to its former glory by whatever means necessary.  And the whole family are expected to help.
His sister Toni shares her brother’s blood lust but Valerie dreams of a quieter life, and when she meets and falls in love with Seb, as straight as Frankie is bent, as kind as Frankie is wicked, Val sees her way out.
Can she escape a family that is determined to own the city, and to keep Valerie firmly in their violent grasp? And will Toni ever let her best friend Val turn her back on the bloody secret they have shared for all these years…
Brilliant read. Loved the cover. 5*.

Powerful gangland thiller with family loyalty at his heart. Beautifully written, blood really is thicker than water in this novel. The twists made it so fast paced, and I genuinely couldn't stop reading. I can't wait for the next novel in the series as @heathercrimeauthor is a new favourite @bookandtonic

I always look forward to reading a Heather Atkinson book and this one did not disappoint. This is a well written, edgy, gritty story - loved it! Highly recommended for fans of this genre!

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

Having read and enjoyed the blood brothers series I was interested to read this prequel which tells the story of Toni McVey and her cousin Valerie growing up. It was good to learn how Toni got so feared around Gallowburn and where she got her fascination for eyes from. We also learn how Val ended up as a Minister such a different career path from the rest of her family. I highly recommend this whole series if this is your genre. A great read

Well written story that is fast paced and very gritty! A great gang land read! This is a series of books however I haven’t read any of them before and I could understand this book and throughly enjoyed it. I will now go and download the series and start them from the beginning.