"1 in 100 people are likely to commit a violent crime," - is the tagline of the book, which immediately caught my attention. Rorschach Test cover design is also intriguing! #1in100

I've never read Deborah O'Connor's work before and, although I do not usually indulge in thrillers, "The Dangerous Kind" proved to be a page-turner. The subject matter is one of the most harrowing, but the narrative is structured the way there are no nauseating and/or graphic descriptions - the matter will still make you uncomfortable and will give a lot of food for thought.

There are a lot of characters in "The Dangerous Kind" (admittedly, some more developed and dimensional than others), but the book does not feel crowded and all of the dramatis personae connect in an almost unexpected way in the end. O'Conner obviously thought through every tiny detail and it is a great joy to see puzzle pieces fit together.

An enjoyable mystery from start to finish (even though the PR advertising made me imagine "The Dangerous Kind" to contain a different story).

With many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book for free in exchange for a fair review.

The Dangerous Kind by Deborah O’Connor 🖤
Thanks @netgalley @deborahleighoconnor and @bonnierzaffreusa for my ARC Publication date 16th May 2019
‘What if the people we trust are the ones we should fear’?
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Wow! This was absolutely amazing. I am aware I say this a lot but this book was impossible to put down! Literally had it in my hand at all times, or I was thinking about it when I couldn’t read it.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This story is just layers upon layers of different characters Who seemingly don’t seem to be linked but come crashing together in one big finale. I absolutely loved it. Some parts were very dark and the subject matter quite difficult to read but it was written so well and was crucial to the overall story. Dark, harrowing and disturbing, mainly due to the fact it is set in modern times and potentially be true. Which is in itself terrifying. A highly recommended, exceptionally well written book xx

A great thriller with some great characters, that will keep you totally engaged in the story.

Jessamine is a radio presenter with the BBC and her programme looks into the crimes of the past. One day she is approached by a woman who’s best friend has gone missing and the police are convinced that it is a case of suicide but the best friend believes her friend was the victim of domestic abuse and wants Jessamine to investigate.

We also go back to the past where we learn about the troubled life of a young girl called Rowena. She lives in a care home and is being exploited by some unscrupulous individuals. How do the two stories link ? And what happened to Rowena ?

This story covers some very disturbing events but it truly is an addictive read. The more Jessamine uncovers that more you want to read to find out what really happened. This is a great thriller with a conclusion that I wasn’t expecting.

Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

This is a well written book
It's dark, sinister, disturbing and harrowing
how it all intertwined together is cleverly done
Be prepared to be reading all night

Thank you netgalley, Deborah O'Conner and Zaffre for allowing me to read and review this book.

Great book with lots of twists and turns. The connection with the different parts is really well written and makes for a good read

I enjoyed this novel and it was well paced and plotted - definitely kept me gripped! But I was hoping for a little bit more around the psychology of the sociopaths and psychopaths they say surround us.

This story is told in the past and present and we are introduced to multiple characters who do not seem connected in any way but as the book progresses they all link together brilliantly.
The main character, Jessamine is a BBC radio show presenter of a crime programme and is mother to Sarah, her teenage daughter who she adopted when she was two years old. Jessamine is approached by a young woman, Marnie who is a fan of the show and wants Jess to help find her friend Cassie who has gone missing and who feels that Marnie’s abusive husband could be involved. Alongside this runs the story of Rowena and her friends who are groomed and sexually exploited. Then there is the story of a young man Jitesh, who works with Jess, but is very shy and has troubled relationships.
This is a gripping, addictive and shocking read from the opening chapter and covers child exploitation , sexual abuse and child grooming but done in a sensitive way. A brilliant read, highly recommended
Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnies Zaffre for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Dangerous Kind is a strong psychological thriller that will have readers hooked from start to finish.

There is a flood of thrillers on the market at present but rarely do they have such a well constructed, compulsive story that is fused with allegory, which will make you question those around you; this does so with stunning precision and acute observation of humankind good and bad. Main character Jessamine is an observer of human behaviour and presenter of a radio series on Potentially Dangerous Persons which is a strategy that utilises hindsight to identify early signs of an individual's criminal behaviour and ability to perpetrate a crime. I found Jessamine very intriguing as she had an interest in the same things I do, so as a result, I found it impossible to stop reading despite wanting to savour such a superb novel.

It's a profound look at exploitation and sexual abuse which is deeply disturbing but done sensitively without sensationalising the story or monsters responsible and there are ample shocks and surprises to keep readers entertained. The Dangerous Kind makes for harrowing, hard-hitting and thought-provoking reading and will no doubt make you question more of the world around you. The characterisation is top-notch and the conclusion was satisfying and rather unexpected. Those with interest in thrilling stories, psychology, criminal behaviour and behaviour profiling will find much to enjoy here.

Many thanks to Zaffre for an ARC.

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy of The Dangerous Kind. I’m so glad I requested this. I was hooked from the minute I read it. When I request a book to review this is what I expect from a psychological thriller.
The plot of the book is so well written and the flow is fantastic. Bringing the past into the book allowed me to build my knowledge and understanding of the background of each character, which I love in a book. There are plenty of twists and turns that wind everything together to give us a surprising end.
If you like reading on the edge of your seat books and a book keeping you up till early hours of the morning, this is for you. I can’t wait to read more from Deborah O’Connor.

This is an excellent read. It is billed as an unsettling thriller which it is but I was hooked. Definitely a book to get in to.

I enjoyed My Husband's Son a while back so I was interested to see what the author would serve me up this time. I wasn't disappointed!
Jessamine is a radio host, presenting a series on PDPs - that's Potentially Dangerous Persons - using hindsight to see early signs of people's potential to commit heinous crimes. She also volunteers at a helpline. One day, she is approached by a woman who is at her wits end, worried about the disappearance of her friend, Cassie, and the lack of police interest in it. At first, she is reluctant to get involved but then she finds herself with a bunch of time on her hands as she slips up at work, so she starts to investigate the mystery behind the disappearance.
Rowena is a young girl in care who is manipulated into a sordid life. We hear about her life in flashback chapters interspersed throughout the book. It's a bit of a harrowing read but quite how this fits in with the rest of what is going on is unknown for a while.
As Jessamine delves deeper into the missing woman's life, things start to go dark quite quickly as the stones she turns soon start to threaten both her and her family...
It's hard to say much more about the specifics of the story contained herein without spoiling things for others so I'll leave that here. I will just say that some of the content is very dark and, at times, quite hard to read but everything included was pertinent to the story being told, and handled with sensitivity, rather than added for shock tactics.
Characterisation was excellent. It must be hard to write credible characters when there are so many secrets and lies flying about, especially when they are served up with some dark duplicitous behaviour but the author really did a great job here. I especially liked Jitesh and the part he played along with the reasons he does what he does. He's definitely a great asset with his special skills! I also warmed to Jessamine early on - her strength and tenacity shone through, and I especially loved her relationship with her daughter.
Despite the dark nature of the book I read pretty much straight through in just a couple of sittings. I really needed to get to the bottom of what was going on. What part Rowena was playing in the big picture. I was eager to see where we would eventually end up. Quite early on I gave up trying to second guess things and just acquiesced and went with the flow. And I have to admit that I really didn't think we were going there! But there we went and it worked.
All in all, a cracking, hard-hitting read that kept me engaged the whole way through, leaving me satisfied at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for a free review.

I am glad I requested this book, the synopsis had me hooked from the second I read it. For me, it was quite a unique story. An interesting story of abuse and manipulation I was hooked from the first chapter, the writing was brilliant.

If I had to describe The Dangerous Kind in three words they would be harrowing, disturbing and frightening in more or less equal measures. It’s pretty much what I would expect from a thriller set in today’s modern society. But wow, what stunning, well-thought-out masterpiece!

After having read The Dangerous Kind, I feel that I am completely indebted to Deborah O’Connor! This book has all the components that make a really fantastic story: from the mood and undercurrents to the very clever writing and the experience of love and friendship, not forgetting the feelings of hope, the fear, the utter desperation and failure.

The title of the book is derived from a police classification of a ‘Potentially Dangerous Person’ (PDP) who is someone that has not been convicted of an offence but whose behaviour indicates that they are likely to commit one.

Set during the winter-time and spanning a period of ten-plus years, the book is told from different time periods and aspects, the first one being Jessamine Gooch, as well as Rowena and also Jitesh. Deborah O’Connor has drawn a great character in Jessamine, a former journalist now working at the BBC and hosting a long-running true crime radio series, ‘Potentially Dangerous People’. In addition, she volunteers at a helpline for victims of domestic violence and is the mother of her teenage daughter, all the while trying to cope with the various difficulties she has going on in her life.

Equally noteworthy is Deborah O’Connor’s portrayal of Rowena. Her heartbreaking story is told as sensitively as possible but her vulnerability and the level of her abuse she suffered, though implicit, is nevertheless exceptionally sorrowful to read and plays a central role to the unfolding drama.

Jitesh’s character has also been brilliantly drawn by the author, Deborah. A student who has been given an unconditional offer to join Cambridge University, he has decided to take a year out and work as an IT intern. However, even as a young adult, he has already suffered many of life’s difficulties, although he possesses a moral strength that left me no choice but to feel an enormous amount of empathy with him.

There were instances where this was a very difficult read for me and it was a little like being on a roller-coaster, with someone shouting “Do you want to go faster?” However, it was extremely worthwhile even though many of the subjects touched upon are so abhorrent. 

Deborah O’Connor was very brave to write about such a disturbing and unsettling subject matter like child prostitution. She impressively managed to do so with great sensitivity, thus making the story a little more palatable than it could have been. The story-line was masterfully crafted and showed originality. The separate stories were so superbly interconnected, making the novel fantastically compelling, all culminating in a thrilling and fulfilling ending.

I cannot recommend this book enough and I feel so inspired enough by Deborah O’Connor’s writing ability to order another of her novels - ‘My Husband’s Son.’ 

Thanks to NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffire Publishing and the author, Deborah O’Connor, for my free ARC of The Dangerous Kind in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks also to Pigeonhole as I participated in their group read which was in stave format and was able to share my thoughts and comments with other readers.

#NetGalley #TheDangerousKind

My thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for an eARC via NetGalley of Deborah O’Conner’s ‘The Dangerous Kind’ in exchange for an honest review.

The title derives from a police classification of a ‘Potentially Dangerous Person’ (PDP) someone who has not been convicted of an offence but whose behaviour indicates that they are likely to commit one. Sounds a bit like‘Minority Report’.

Set during the winter of 2016 (days of the week and the weather match) it opens with a shocking scene that completely grabbed my attention. We then jump ahead two weeks to our main character, Jessamine Gooch. She is a former journalist now working at the BBC hosting a long-running true crime radio series, ‘Potentially Dangerous People’. In addition, she volunteers at a helpline for victims of domestic violence and is the mother of teenage Sarah.

One night after work Jessamine is approached by Marnie Clark who asks Jess to look into the disappearance of her friend, Cassie. The police do not seem interested but Marnie is concerned that Cassie’s abusive husband may be responsible.

Interspersed with Jess’ investigations are chapters narrated by 13-year old Rowena in 2002 onward. We learn how while in care she was groomed by an older man, Sunny, who then introduced her to a network of sordid parties where she and other minors are sexually exploited.

How all this ties together is slowly revealed along with other subplots including the potential dangers of the internet to vulnerable teenagers. I would term this as a character-driven thriller that certainly held my attention. In places it was harrowing and heartbreaking.

I felt that O’Conner approached the difficult subjects of exploitation and abuse with sensitivity and did not sensationalise while telling a powerful story that could easily be taken from a contemporary headline.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I wanted to read this book and it did not disappoint but it did not really blow me away either. Just a basic good read.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Dangerous Kind by Deborah O'Connor. The story whips along at a great pace and the characters are rounded and believable. Jessamine is fighting to keep her job at the BBC while bringing up her adopted daughter. But as an investigative journalist she can’t help being drawn in to find a missing woman. The story goes back and forth in time with Jessamine and Rowena, a girl from a care home who gets caught up with unsavoury characters and situations she can’t extricate herself from. The insight into the ‘parties’ makes uncomfortable reading, but O’Connor writes about the girls respectfully without judgement and each scenario rings true. You find yourself rooting for Rowena and her overpowering sense of injustice whilst caring for Jessamine and the relationship with her daughter. O’Connor brings the story to a full and satisfying close, something that is often lacking in novels of this genre.

This is a real thriller of a book. The subject matter brings us places we never want to go but it is written with insight, empathy and understanding. This is a gripping story with plenty of twists and turns and threads that wind themselves into the story in surprising ways. If you like reading at the edge of your seat and impatiently waiting to see where the story is going then this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, who gave me a free ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I got completely sucked into this book and read it all in one day. At first, it seems to set itself up as the first in a series of cold case investigation novels. However, it soon picks up the pace as a stand-alone thriller.

It's difficult to say any more without giving away the plot, but I enjoyed the multi-dimensional characters, shockingly-gritty themes and clever plot twists. I look forward to reading other books by Deborah O,Connor.

This book is hard for me to review. As, it is a subject The Dangerous Mind by Deborah O’Connor is a great gripping read, with great characters and intriguing plot but with a difficult subject of child grooming and prostitution. But it is also current to what is happening out there now. I found this an easy read and enjoyed reading it, but I was disappointed with the ending as it the story build up so much to have it full flat at the end. 4 stars from me.