An excellent read! The story is intricate and intelligent, with subplots skillfully woven throughout. The characters are well-crafted, and the narrative feels authentic.

Now this author writes some really gritty excellent gangland thrillers and her latest one Traitor by Roberta Kray was no different. This book was excellent from start to finish, Once you start to read it you will be turning your pages to find out what happens next especially as it full of great twists and turns that will have you gripped.

This book is based around The Mansfield estate in East London, with one story that focuses on a missing teen from 50 years ago.

The other story focuses on a new resident called Jem Byrne, who has run away from her existing life, now she is in hiding and fearing for her life. With every knock on her door, or every corner she turns down etc, she always fears that he has found her! all because she sold him out.

Now, her murderous ex-boyfriend who she turned in to the police was released from prison, Now he's out for revenge . . . . . . . . .Jem Byrne has to be very careful in everything she does even more so, He could be anywhere sitting there, waiting for her. . . . . . . . .

Private Investigator Harry Lind makes a living out of other people's secrets. When he meets Jem, he can tell she's hiding something big and he's desperate to find out what. But his talents have already been enlisted by another: an ageing mother hoping to discover the truth about her daughter's disappearance fifty years earlier on the Mansfield estate.

There's also the two kids from The Mansfield pestering him to find their missing dad.

Now, Could Jem be the key to cracking both cases?

WoW. . . . . this book is another 5 star read. A great holiday book........I loved it.

A fabulous read! A very complex and clever story as it has sub stories interwoven throughout. Great characters and it felt very authentic. Not so much gangland thriller but enjoyable nonetheless.

Always a pleasure to read a book by this author. Her style of writing makes for an easy read without gory details.

Four storylines run concurrently alongside each other and then become interwoven. The characters are likeable apart from Phillip and Nola for obvious reasons. Whilst I enjoyed reading this book I felt it went on for a little too long and the ending wasn’t as jaw dropping as I was hoping for.

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

A thoroughly enjoyable thriller based on an infamous estate in the East end of London.
Roberta Kray has written another great standalone novel. A great author and I have read all of her books to date.
There are 4 storyline’s which seem to be interwoven due to their connection geographically wise, but obviously this might not be the only link….
We have Jem on the run from a violent and criminal ex. Kayleigh and Kit searching for a missing father. Celia’s cold case looking for her long lost daughter and finally, Philip/ Joe an author who is taking his book preparations a tad too far maybe… and to to top it off we have Henry a PI in the mix.
A busy but well written storyline with good character definition makes this a great book.

This is a great gangland thriller.
Jem is hiding from her violent ex as he's just been released from prison.
She meets private investigator Harry Lind and he agrees to help her but he is also dealing with a couple of other cases.
This story has many threads and with them all centred around the Mansfield Estate, there's plenty going on in this book.
This is a gritty gangland thriller that I enjoyed.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group for the opportunity to read this book.

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Traitor’ written by Roberta Kray in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The Mansfield is an estate in London’s East End that’s home to Jem who’s escaped from her violent ex-boyfriend Aiden Hague on his release from prison. She forms a friendship with private investigator Harry Lind who wants to help Jem but is busy investigating the disappearance fifty-one years ago of schoolgirl Christine Mortlake. Then there’s ten-year-old Kayleigh and her younger brother Kit who asks Harry to help find their dad. Lastly, there’s Phillip Grosvenor, a weird middle-aged crime writer who speaks to his alter ego Joe Chapel.

‘Traitor’ is an amazing thriller that effortlessly combines several threads into a story based at The Mansfield where crime is part of everyday life. From page one I’ve been gripped by the perfectly described characters brought to life by the wonderful Roberta Kray who knows how to write a story that you can’t help but get immersed in. I’ve loved Harry Lind and the way he’s helping to search for the father of Kayleigh who’s still a child but in the absence of her mother has had to grow up quickly. The unique writing style has made this an easy-to-read novel that’s a pleasure to pick up but incredibly difficult to put down again, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every single page.

After reading Roberta Kray's new release, I remembered why I love her writing style and appreciated how her storytelling kept me engaged.

‘Traitor’ effortlessly combines elements of gangland drama, family dynamics, and a whodunit mystery. The story features dual storylines that intertwine with several smaller narratives, resulting in a complex and engaging reading experience. The plot flows well and makes for an effortless read.

The characters are well-developed, featuring a range of archetypes, including treacherous individuals, innocent victims, and unexpected heroes, contributing to their overall depth.

Overall, as predicted, it is a fast-paced, addictive, absorbing read that I highly recommend to fans of this genre.

Roberta Kray has done it again & brought us another gangland story that keeps you gripped & on the edge of your seat!
I really enjoyed this one & I liked the characters the only let down & this might just be me but I felt a few areas dragged a little but it did not affect the story or me wanting to read on
If you love a gangland adventure set in London then this is the book for you!

This is a story with interwoven storylines, two main ones, and a couple of small ones.
It started out fairly well but I must admit it dragged on a bit for my liking,the authors other books always managed to grip me as the whole gangland/crime aspect is one I enjoy but this one was just lacking for me,Ive preferred her other books more
Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Books Group Uk for the ARC.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

Wow what a brilliant book by this author

Gangland at its best

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this ARC.

Jem Byrne has moved to the Mansfield Estate in the fictitious East London borough of Kellston where all of Roberta Kray's novels take place, in order to hide from her violent ex Aidan Hague who has just finished a ten year stretch at his Majesty's pleasure. She is convinced he is going to find and kill her to finish what he started. She asks PI Harry Lind to find out where he is because she feels observed - as if someone is stalking her. Does she need to run again?

Ten year old Kayleigh and her mute younger brother Kit live alone with their mother Nola Dunn on the Mansfield Estate since their father disappeared three years ago. They want PI Harry Lind to find him because their mother has become a neglectful prostitute and alcoholic. Was Ray Dunn involved with local gangland boss Danny Street and had to hide or is he just one of those feckless Dads shirking their responsibility?

Celia Montlake lost her daughter Christine 51 years ago. No one knows what happened to her, there were suspects but nothing ever came of it. She hires PI Harry Lind to dig into the cold case again. Was it really the Freer family that everyone suspected and just could not prove and who were hounded out of Kellston by Christine's father Arthur Montlake? Or is someone very different the culprit? And how is religious nutter Moses connected to it all?

Then there is Phillip Grosvenor, a faded crime writer who has rented a small flat on the Estate under the name Joe Chapel. On the surface, he seems to have done this to immerse himself in the criminal culture for his next book, but is he really all he seems? When a young woman is murdered on the Estate, it is the same person that Phillip wanted to murder in his book. Is it coincidence or is something more sinister at play?

Roberta Kray is such a great storyteller. You just disappear into the story as if you lived on the notorious Mansfield Estate in Kellston yourself, with the prostitutes, the drug dealers, the graffiti and the casual racism and also classism of yesteryear, plus the general atmosphere of decay and neglect.

There are a lot of characters but you never feel overwhelmed because they get introduced one by one. The characterisations are spot on, especially of the less savoury characters and those who think they are respectable when they are anything but.

Harry is such a great character, juggling three cases at once and trying to do them all justice, even though he only gets reimbursed for one. I also loved Jem and Kayleigh, just trying to survive in tough situations not of their own making.

The writing style is tense, with the different storylines seamlessly intertwined and plenty of twists and turns. I couldn't put the book down. What a treat. This will keep you up until late at night but in a good way. Roberta Kray really is the queen of crime writing!

A very good gangster thriller, set in London from the author, an expert in the genre. The plotting is well thought out, with believable characters and an interesting storyline. A good read for lovers of the genre. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A while since read a book by this author and it was a welcome return to her work

This is a gangland/family drama/whodunit where 2 main storylines are mixed in with quite a few other mini ones that all come together in the mix

Everything is based around an estate in East London and one story focuses on a missing teen from 50 years ago whilst the other on a new resident who is in hiding and fearing for her life

I liked all the angles of all the stories and how they weaved together, the characters are a mix of treacherous, victim and saviour and all work really well ( fav being the estate gossip who misses nothing! )

Not much else to say except it was a really good read, one of those when you pick it back up you effortlessly fall back into, enjoyable and well written

She sold him out. Now he's out for revenge . . .

After her murderous ex-boyfriend who she turned in to the police was released from prison, Jem Byrne fled to London, desperate to hide herself in the hustle of the big city. Now she spends every day watching her back, waiting for him to catch up with her. But The Mansfield estate is far from a safe place to hide, and Jem soon learns she's only ever one wrong move away from being found out - and sold out.

Private Investigator Harry Lind makes a living out of other people's secrets. When he meets Jem, he can tell she's hiding something big and he's desperate to find out what. But his talents have already been enlisted by another: an aging mother hoping to discover the truth about her daughter's disappearance fifty years earlier. There's also the two kids from The Mansfield pestering him to find their missing dad. Could Jem be the key to cracking both cases?

And then there's Philip, The Mansfield Estate's newest resident. He's lurking in the shadows, watching it all unfold. Or is he doing more than just watching?

Wow Roberta Kray has done it again what a page turner love the way it all ties in I also love the characters nothing better than a ganglamd crime set in London always look forward to a book by this author

A brilliant book. So many twists I was captured by the first chapter and couldn't put it down. Roberta kray knows how to write crime

Jen Byrne is on the run fleeing from her violent ex boyfriend as he’s now been released from prison. She has chosen this life of constantly looking over her shoulder.
Harry Lind local private investigator runs into Jem and knows there’s something she’s hiding but he’s trying to solve a 50 year old mystery as his aging client wants to know what happened to her daughter all those years ago.
There is also two kids in the estate that both Jem and Harry feel are being neglected and looking for their estranged father. They both have things going on but how can they all be connected.
Great book from the queen of gangland sagas. D
This was a book which was hard to put down.

What a brilliant read couldn't put this book down . It keeps you guessing right till the end about what happened to Christine. A must read looking forward to the next one.