STIFF COMPETITION
If you’ve ever wondered what Peaky Blinders would be like with sharper corsets, deadlier women, and a lot more fun, then Stiff Competition is the book you’ve been waiting for.
Set in 1912 Birmingham, this riotous, fast-paced crime novel follows Violet Hartley, the dangerously charming queen of seduction and crime, and her all-female gang, The Velvet Roses. From running a murderous brothel, to outmaneuvering rival gangs, to blackmailing the city’s most powerful men, Violet and her women don’t just survive in a world built for men—they own it.
With an unapologetically confident heroine, an infuriatingly attractive detective hell-bent on bringing her down (and failing spectacularly), and a plot as scandalous as it is strategic, this book is an absolute joyride of wit, seduction, and crime.
What Makes Stiff Competition Unmissable?
💋 A Femme Fatale Like No Other – Violet Hartley isn’t just smart—she’s ruthless, seductive, and untouchable. Whether she’s killing men in bed, outsmarting entire gangs, or breaking Inspector Whitmore’s brain one innuendo at a time, she is pure, irresistible chaos.
🎭 An Ensemble Cast to Die For – Pearl, Maggie, and Beatrice each bring something unique to the table: Pearl’s cutthroat attitude, Maggie’s sharp tongue, and Beatrice’s reluctant but glorious descent into crime. Every scene is bursting with personality.
🔥 Enemies-to-‘Oh No’ Romance – The battle of wits (and very obvious tension) between Violet and Inspector Whitmore is magnificently painful to watch unfold. He’s a by-the-book lawman, she’s a walking crime scene in red lipstick, and their interactions are so electric you can feel them smoldering through the pages.
🔪 Murder, Mayhem, and Manipulation – The level of scheming, seduction-based assassinations, and perfectly executed power plays in this book is truly artistic. These women don’t just commit crime—they make it look effortless.
😂 Laugh-Out-Loud Dark Humor – Every single scene is dripping in wit, sarcasm, and the kind of dangerously clever dialogue that makes you cackle out loud. If you love books that refuse to take themselves too seriously while still being brilliantly plotted, this is it.
Final Verdict:
If you love books where women don’t just survive in a man’s world, they thrive, dominate, and look stunning while doing it, Stiff Competition is an absolute must-read.
✔ Perfect For Fans Of:
✅ Peaky Blinders (but with more corsets and less whining from men)
✅ Killing Eve (if Villanelle decided to run a business instead of just murdering people)
✅ Sharp, scandalous, and strategic female-led crime fiction
💋 Final Rating: 5/5 – Dark, Hilarious, and Sinfully Entertaining.