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A Fighting Chance by Val Penny- book 2 in the Jane Renwick crime thriller series

I’ve been reading a fair bit of cozy crime from my TBR pile recently, so it was a welcome change to read Val Penny’s latest crime thriller in her Jane Renwick series as part of the Reading Between the Lines Book Blog Tour. You can find my review below..

#AFIGHTINGCHANCE

Blurb

In the second Jane Renwick Thriller by Val Penny, drug cartels collide as crime boss Connor O’Grady returns to Scotland to protect his turf from rival Peggy Cheney, newly released from prison.

DS Jane Renwick and DC Brian Harris are sent to Stirling, where Jane discovers two tragic deaths—a young man and a girl—raising suspicions of a single killer.

O’Grady denies involvement, but can a drug lord be trusted?
Set in Stirling and Gartcosh, this tense police procedural thrusts Jane into the heart of a deadly turf war.

Review

A Fighting Chance is the second book in this series. Having read the DI Hunter books by Val Penny, I was intrigued to see how this spin-off with DS Jane Renwick compared.

This is another tense police procedural that takes the reader on a deep dive into the dark underbelly of organised crime in Scotland. When two bodies are found, Jane Renwick is sent to Stirling with DC Brian Harris to investigate. There she meets all manner of shady and prejudiced characters. The author doesn’t shy away from the complex issues involved in drug cartels, turf wars and the recruitment of young people and ex-cons. At first, the use of the University staff and setting threw me a bit, having worked in one for years, but the character motives for getting involved soon became clear. It’s amazing how the lure of money, and plenty of it, can draw someone into crime, regardless of who they are.

There are new characters as well as a few familiar faces. This was a fairly fast-paced book with plenty of surprises and twists along the way and a good, satisfying ending. Without spoiling the read for others, there were also a few questions I couldn’t wait to find out the answers to, like who the child’s father was.

Overall, an enjoyable, suspenseful read that had me hooked from the start. An excellent follow on to the start of this series. I look forward to reading more.

About The Author

Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.

Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.

Links to Buy

PAPERBACK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighting-Chance-Jane-Renwick-Book/dp/1917611161

EBOOK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighting-Chance-Jane-Renwick-Book-ebook/dp/B0FHQ49SVJ

Website And Social Media Links

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Website – https://www.valpenny.com

Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Val-Penny/e/B07C4725TK

Author Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739

Author Twitter Page @valeriepenny

Author Instagram Page https://www.instagram.com/valerieepenny/

#READINGBETWEENTHELINES #BOOKBLOGTOUR