Book review:Ruthless by Cath Staincliffe. Cagney and Lacey hit the streets of Manchester in the much better, more charismatic, down to earth duo we've come to know and love as Scott and Bailey

Ruthless (book 3 in the Scott & Bailey series) was released in October last year and I've been saving it for a rainy day. Thank God it rained last week because I spent a pleasant few hours enjoying this book!  For those of you up to date on the TV series, Ruthless takes us back to just after Rachel's marriage to Sean (so by my reckoning Ruthless the book is one series behind the TV)


Arson, executions illegal drugs and deaths from 'Legal Highs' make this book so relevant and cutting edge.  Set in Manchester we can almost taste the despair of the poorer areas whilst exalting in the moors on the edge of the city.  Gritty and full of emotion Ruthless is a great read.  Rachel Bailey and Janet Scott are brilliant characters ably supported by equally strong support characters.  Whilst the storylines are strong and gripping  it's the intricacies of

Rachel and Janet's characters that really pull me in.  Both strong women, but in Ruthless the demands of their personal lives are nearly as bad as the demands of the job.  Both women in different ways are struggling to keep afloat; Janet with worries about her eldest daughter and a marriage that feels more of a chore than a love match, Rachel underwhelmed by her new marriage and feeling the strain of her mother being in her life again.  

The writing is fantastic, the story flows beautifully, linking the different sub plots seamlessly.  Recommended for Scott and Bailey fans, people who like strong female protagonists and anyone who enjoys a damn good police procedural!
Available on kindle £3.66 PB £3.85
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruthless-Scott-Bailey-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00HFALTYY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426514897&sr=1-1&keywords=ruthless+cath+staincliffe