The Dangerous Kind by Deborah O'Connor is a tense and exciting book. The main character is tenacious to the point of getting a bit too personally involved in investigating historic wrong doings. At times, I felt there was too much going on and I was losing track just a bit but its undoubtably a thrilling read.

I started this book not really knowing what to expect but after the first two chapters I knew it was going to be a good read . Well it was more than a good read it was brilliant . A well deserved five star read for me .

I really enjoyed The Dangerous Kind: great settings, well-drawn characters, engaging and compulsive plot. I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a modern, fast-paced, intelligent thriller.

One of my favourite crime novels of the year so far (and I’ve read some great books already), The Dangerous Kind managed to be satisfyingly complex, twisty and surprising without letting it ‘get too Scooby Doo’ (something the author says agent Nicola Barr warned her against, and which I think sums up what turns me off in a crime novel perfectly!). It has just the right number of ‘wow’ moments whilst stopping short of being too over the top or unbelievable.

Set in London, this novel’s locations and settings feels very reminiscent of the capital and its darker undercurrents. I enjoyed reading about the parts of the city I live near and have visited many times, and the part that the BBC studios play in the novel is very topical thanks to the revelations of what we now know has taken place there. There are some truly disturbing parts that I felt very uncomfortable reading, but it all adds to the serious nature of the storyline and is unfortunately a reality. It made me so angry to read though; this part of the storyline really fired up an emotional response in me.

The characters in the novel are both bold and subtle; they cover such a cross-section of society and I really felt like I could know or have encountered someone like them in my personal life. It feels convincing and, although there are the usual coincidences that move the story along, it felt convincing – worryingly so. It took me a little while to properly get to grips with who each person is, as the book is told from multiple points of view, but it soon becomes clear. It’s a clever plot and is for me a testament to Deborah O’Connor’s brilliant writing.

I will be thinking about this book for a long time – it’s one to completely lose yourself in (despite those hard to read scenes) and relish the clever twists and connections. An absolutely brilliant read!

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

While this read did kept me hooked from beginning to end, I did find myself getting rather confused in places. Jassimine's, Rowena's and Jitish's stories were all individually written superbly but the overlap between the stories could of been written better in my opinion. I felt that the characters had the potential to be a bit better connected, as their meetings and connections seemed, at times, rather random. This doesn't apply to the whole book, just certain scenes.
Regardless I still would recommend this read! A twisty mysterious read that is a definite page-turner.

This is one crazy ride! This book has received so much hype especially round bloggers and twitter. It is so worth it, I love that it is using a radio show. This could make a fab audiobook.

Absolutly loved this book. It had me hooked from the first page. A sensitive and emotional plotline is threaded through the pages. Tackled with a sensitivity and gravity that while its an emotive subject it didn't overshadow the rest of the book. Never totally graphic a picture is partially painted and you get to fill in the blank parts of its landscape. Add that part of the plot, split the dialogue between various narrators , paint it in two time frames and you have a best seller. Everyone has something in their past to hide. Whether its a big or small thing the need to leave the past behind you can be overwhelming. This is the scenario that Jessamine uncovers when she starts to look into a missing persons case. As a radio presenter she's been looking into Potentially Dangerous People where she takes an historic crime and with the help of specialist try's to pinpoint clues as to why these things happen. The case of a missing woman sparks an interest in Jessamine that finds her intrigued and also shocked by the lack of police interest. As we are submerged within the story we are presented with various narrators whose stories run alongside each other in perfect symmetry. These lines flow along beautifully, never straying, never wavering or faltering. They take you on a journey into some deep dark secrets that many would kill to keep that way, and some do. Follow them along a perilous, fraught journey towards a resolution and for some peace.

I couldn’t get enough of this book- the last few chapters I literally whizzed through, in my desperation to find out what happened. Page by page things take crazier and darker turns. The main character felt so likeable and relatable, I really hope there will be a sequel.

Journalist Jessamine works hosts a radio show on ‘Potentially Dangerous People’, but when she is presented with a case to look into by a listener her life changes in ways she could not predict.

The Dangerous Kind should have been my kind of book. It’s dark and gritty with a lot of threads and characters in the build up to a crime thriller. However, I have to say it took me a few weeks to write a review on it after finishing it and I still don’t really know what to say – apart from the controversial pop culture reference towards the end that I was not expecting I just found it a little forgettable. The strands of the story also seemed to take far too long to come together – it was getting to near 80% of the book and I had no idea how everything was going to work out. Rowenna’s perspective is interesting and heart breaking but oddly seems too focussed on other aspects of her life than the one that ends up being most important – I understand the idea of a red herring but this was perhaps a little much. I love the idea of the ‘Potentially Dangerous Person’ angle – it reminded me of The Minority Report but felt it was too underused in the actual story.

Overall The Dangerous Kind is an interesting crime thriller but didn’t really excite me in the way other books in this genre have before. Thank you to NetGalley & Bonnier Zaffre for a chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Having read the author’s first book, My Husband’s Son, and thoroughly enjoying it I was very keen to read her second book. While I enjoyed book one it didn’t blow me away but it was good and I was excited to see what the author was going to do next.

I was right to be excited! The Dangerous Kind is a very impressive book and I was amazed by the jump from book one to book two, this book would not have been an easy book to write but it is solid in its writing, confident in its storytelling and brilliantly clever.

I loved the idea of the radio programme that the main character, Jessamine, works on where they look at a different crime each week. But when she agrees to look into a missing mother things start to go wrong for Jessamine.

There are a few threads to this story that slowly come together and some are really not easy to read. There is a fair amount about characters who are being sexually exploited as young teenagers, this is hard to think about and could be triggering to some.

It all comes together in the end and is very cleverly done but you can be fairly sure that the road will be bumpy and difficult and at times, heartbreaking.

The book does not make the BBC look good, highlighting their history of covering up for sexual predators who worked for them. It is hard reading and adds a sense of realism to the story.

Although hard to read at times I enjoyed reading The Dangerous Kind by Deborah O’Connor and I will definitely be reading her third book!

Found this book absolutely great! Will be posting full review on the blog very shortly. Catching up soon on all my reviews!

The Dangerous Kind is a sprawling, detailed novel of the darkness that lurks not just in dark alleys but also in fancy houses or famous corporations. Deborah O’Connor weaves together many elements that are unfortunate facts of modern life; revenge porn, stalking, social media bullying and worst of all exploitation of vulnerable children.

For some reason, I struggled with this book. It’s well written, I liked Jessamine & Jitesh and I think that the scenarios were covered sensitively and intelligently. But...I just couldn’t get into the story. I’m clearly in the minority as so many of the other reviews are glowing. Sometimes a book just doesn’t click with a reader.

“The Dangerous Kind” written by Deborah O’Connor is billed as ‘The Thriller of the Year’ and I can certainly agree with that bold statement. Having just finished reading it and being thoroughly entertained, I can wholeheartedly say that this book really made an impact on me and is without doubt in contention for my thriller of the year!
It was a little confusing at the beginning as to who all the characters were, as each chapter is told either through present day Jessamine, Sarah and Jidesh or Rowena back in 2003. Thankfully it didn’t take too long to work out how everyone fitted together and soon I was utterly gripped by the story and found it addictively absorbing.
The plot subject matter is rather harrowing but thankfully the author managed to convey the horrifics of child sexual exploitation without going into unnecessary explicit detail. You could certainly sense the palpable atmosphere of fear and trepidation from Rowena when she attended the ‘parties’ and I thought the author covered the situation as a whole, sympathetically and with professionalism.
It was also quite frightening to learn how easy it is to be hacked if someone knows how to and realising how simple it is to give away answers to password questions, really made me question my own online security.
The characterisation was second to none and every character was brought to life in vivid detail. I could easily picture each one perfectly and I totally connected with Jessamine and loved her determination to uncover an horrific truth. The side plot between Jessamine and her adopted daughter Sarah was a cracking story in itself and one that caught me out in its denouement. I liked how everything tied together in the end and I was on the edge of my seat with the exciting climax.
This is a story not just about the ‘Dangerous Kind’ - monsters who hide in plain sight but (as the author describes them in her acknowledgements) as incredibly courageous people who stand up to them. Basing the story loosely on horrific true life historical cases like the Rotherham child exploitation and “Operation Yewtree’ was impeccably clever and created a book that for me was fantastically entertaining and utterly compelling.
Just recommending “The Dangerous Kind” doesn’t do the book enough justice, you really do NEED to read this, it’s stunning, excellently written and expertly plotted and is a one that I will remember for a very long time!

5 stars and then some!

This was quite a harrowing book with some difficult topics to write about. However, i thought it was extremely well written and thought that the author tackled the issues well.

i found myself racing through the final few chapters to find out how it was going to end.

This was a gripping read and i am going to look out for more by the same author.

Jessamine finds herself on suspension and gets caught up in a missing person case. She soon finds herself caught up in wanting to know what happened to Cassie. As well as dealing with her own adopted daughter. Can she figure it all out and finally learn the truth about Cassie?

This was a really good nystery/ thriller. I love the use of modern day tech like podcasts. The story is told from multiple people which I really like as if adds more depth to the story. It jumps about a bit but I found it easy to follow. I enjoyed the story and the build up was good. I guessed some of the twists but found the ending really good. A great thriller.

Are you looking for a light and comfortable read?
Better pick something else than The Dangerous Kind.
But if you are ready for a stunning, raw, and relevant tale of monsters living among us, you’ve come to the right place!

Get ready for a dark opening, the door to a haunted house and some of the vilest atrocities.

Jessamine Gooch is a middle-age single mom with a brilliant career as a reporter and a radio show running on its eleventh year. Jessamine is a real gem throughout the novel and a wonderfully crafted character. Hot flushes plague her, her job gets on the line, she navigates teenagerhood with love and protectiveness. Every single detail about her made the book more real, more grounded, and helped me face the darkest layers of The Dangerous Kind.

Jessamine’s show is topical and absolutely relevant. I should know, I love all things true crime! I wished I could listen to Potentially Dangerous People! On it, Jessamine and a team of experts dissect crimes and the lives of those involved to try and discern patterns which would allow us to recognize and stop criminally-inclined people before they act. Isn’t it thrilling?

When she gets accosted in the street by a stranger hoping she can take a look at a missing person case, Jessamine doesn’t know she is standing on the edge of a tipping point in her life. From here, and through different points of view — in the present with our reporter, her daughter Sarah, and a young man called Jitesh, and in the past with a girl named Rowena, the novel quickly turns into a free fall to hell! Heavy subjects such as domestic violence and child abuse are tackled with tact, the author doesn’t shy away from using her brilliant prose to put words on the kind of abominations we can barely imagine. A flawed system and the holes in which victims can fall into absolutely broke my heart, and I was happy to share the burden with Jessamine. I use the word burden, but in a good way. Why silence it? Because staying blind to it make it disappear? It doesn’t, and Deborah O’Connor has the strength and skills to bring us vivid images, not just for the chilling edge it brings to the story, but as a way to cause a ripple.

I was so engrossed in the lives of the protagonists that each painful or taut scene just brought me closer to them. Money, status, social media, there is no theme the author can’t nail and add to her plot to make it thicker, richer, and darker.

I became addicted to the jumps in POVs, searching for a connection, looking for rays of hope. Goosebumps broke out on my arms when it dawned on me that indeed, the most dangerous ones can be the closest to us!
The Dangerous Kind is a thought-provoking novel I enjoyed tremendously, although ‘enjoy’ might not be the right word!!! Fans of journalistic investigations with twists galore will adore following Jessamine on her path to the truth as much as I did!

Our main character is Jessamine Gooch, a BBC Radio 4 journalist and previous newspaper journalist, she broadcasts a weekly popular radio show about past crimes and looks into how and if the perpetrators could have been stopped. She lives in a flat in London with her adopted daughter Sarah.

Jessamine is taking a walk around broadcasting house, to clear her head before she goes on air, when she is approached by a young woman. The woman tells Jessamine of her friend Cassie, who has recently and suddenly disappeared.  The police have had no joy in finding out what happened and thinks that she has either ran off or killed herself. The woman does not believe this for on second though, as Cassie has left behind a young son and she would never have done that. She asks Jessamine for her help as she has nowhere else to turn.

The opening of this book grabs your attention straight away.  The description of the cold snowy night and of the area around the BBC makes a great tense almost spooky atmosphere and the story is excellent at keeping that tension and suspense throughout.

Following something that happens at work Jessamine decides to contact the woman and tells her she will look into the case as far as she can.  We follow the story as we find out more and more about Cassie and watch as Jessamine gets deeper and deeper into what has happened.

There are a number of characters in the story, each with their own sub plot and the chapters are divided out between them. There are also flash backs to other characters some years previously.  This does mean there are a number of threads to the story but they flow well, are well explained and therefore doesn't make for any confusion.  As the book progresses the stories and characters all wonderfully twists and weave in and out of each other with a great finish and ending to the book.

This book was a fast moving thriller based around the unpleasant subject matter of child abuse and neglect.  It is however dealt with sensitively and is not graphic in its descriptions.  I loved all the characters and it spends long enough on each to allow the reader to get to know them and fill out their character but not too much that it slows down a great paced read.  I really liked Jessamine, an intelligent but down to earth woman who is very believable.  The sense of time, place and vulnerability of the victims are wonderfully written.

I hadn't read this author before but will now check out her previous novel as I enjoyed The Dangerous Kind very much. A gripping read full of suspense, great characters and twists that keep you guessing till the end.

The Dangerous Kind is published by Bonnier Zaffre and is OUT NOW!

I was asked to arrange the #blogtour for this book and thought I should read it myself as the reviews and responses were overwhelmingly excited and positive and as I had read and enjoyed Deborah’s first book My Husband’s Son back in 2016 (Click here for my review) I started The Dangerous Kind immediately.

The Dangerous Kind is a really well constructed, original and exciting thriller which I was immediately drawn into. The main character Jessamine was a breath of fresh air, a middle-age single mum, suffering with hot flushes, losing her job as a radio presenter and raising her moody teenage daughter whilst trying to investigate the disappearance of a young mother.

With two time lines The Dangerous Kind covers some tough and very uncomfortable topics (domestic violence, grooming and sexual exploitation), however this is dealt with sympathetically and whilst it is integral to the story line the scenes during the “trigger topics” are written with consideration and sensitivity.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tough, thought-provoking thriller with incredibly plausible characters and an intelligent plot. I would definitely recommend this to psychological thriller fans.

I failed miserably at getting this book finished prior to it’s release date, however a review is a review right? I didn’t know what to expect from this book, but I had already seen other book bloggers loving it on twitter so was intrigued. There were so many layers to this story but it was not at all difficult to follow. It’s written like all my favourite books are written; from many different perspectives. I always find that only the good writers can really nail this writing style and Deborah O’Connor is one of those. Lots of complex characters with interesting back stories and one big unravelling at the end. I look forward to adding more of O’Connor’s work to my TBR shelf. (As an aside, something I never comment on, but I love this book cover!)

Got to say first of all that the write up for the book and the title are only a minute part of the book!, the blurb promises a book on the ‘ 1 in a 100’ that the police/govt consider could carry out a serious crime but as yet haven’t, this to me was fascinating but unless I totally missed it after the first few chapters this is never mentioned again, which is odd, anyway...
The actual story is in fact very current and covers Jessamine Gooch ( yep ) a BBC radio journalist who uncovers, via various means, women who have been abused as youngsters via Asian grooming gangs, BBC employees and celebrities, emotive, hard going and it could have been distasteful, however there was nothing written in that way and in fact was upsetting/moving in the way it described the youngsters ‘meeting’ before one of these ‘parties’ and their communication with each other, it was tragic and insightful of the author, needed for the story BUT nothing else added that wasn’t ( hope that makes sense )
The story also has 2 major sub stories re Jessamines daughter who is adopted and a Cambridge student who sees something horrific, the consequences of which affect him drastically....it does all tie in, in a whirlwind of an ending where all makes sense...although may take you a few moments of pondering to join A to B and B to C ( it did me )
Somewhat apathetic characters but then you wouldn’t expect them to be gregarious after their pasts but Jessamine is robust and enthusiastic enough to keep it all moving on
Not a ‘feel good’ read but well written and covering very relevant issues that handled carefully have made a thriller of unsettling note!!
8/10 4 Stars