Review scheduled to be published on my blog - 2nd May

From the get-go I am going to state – THIS IS NOT A NEGATIVE REVIEW (but it’s also not an overly positive review).

The writing was good.

The pacing was good.

There were lots of twists that kept me guessing.

The characters, well some of them were good, but they all made for a gripping read and in particular, I loved Jessamine.

BUT and it’s quite a big but…

I just didn’t love the book, but I also didn’t dislike it.

It was probably me, not the book.

Anyway…

Right at the beginning I did get a bit muddled with all the different characters and timelines and then again towards the end when all the twisty turns were coming left, right and centre. At times I had to re-read a bit until I figured out why… SPOILER… was happening.

Of all the POV’s I found Jessamine’s storyline was the one that I really wanted to stick with, I loved that she was an older woman with a load of real-life problems who held it all together and still pursued her gut instinct about the disappearance. She was my sort of character.

I would like to discuss the book blurb, and in this case, it was the book blurb and not me.

The book blurb doesn’t focus or elude to the very prominent theme of child abuse. The book deals with some very dark issues and some very dark and twisted people. It’s just not something I care to read about, especially when I wasn’t expecting too. At points, the story makes for a very uncomfortable and unsettling read, which isn’t what I usually want when I pick up a novel. If I hadn’t received the book for review, I might have DNF it somewhere near the beginning.

I have read other reviews for The dangerous kind by Deborah O’Connor that use the word – relevant. And yes, novels like these are relevant, just turn on the TV and watch the news. But I do think a little heads up in the book blurb should be standard.

But for some reason or another that I’m sure I haven’t explained well the book just didn’t quite work for me. I would never tell anyone not to pick it up because I’m sure it has the potential to do well and has a lot of positives. But for me it was just ok, it was maybe even good in parts, I just didn’t love it.

However.

After all of that, I am off to see what else Deborah O’Connor has written because I enjoyed her writing and I have a feeling I could be a fan of hers… only time and some more pages will tell.

And as a last thought.

I love, love, love the cover art.

The dangerous kind by Deborah O’Connor will be published on the 16th May 2019.

I received a copy of The dangerous kind by Deborah O’Connor from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Jessamine Gooch makes a living delving into the history of murderers for her radio show asking the question- could you have known what this person would do. One day she is approached by a woman concerned about the disappearance of her friend Cassie. The story that follows alternates between present and past and reveals a tangled web leading to the truth.

The subject matter of this book made it, at times, an uncomfortable read. The book was well written albeit a little predictable in places. I will definitely look out for other books by this author.

This book started off with a bang but then slowed to the point where I got somewhat bored. It had a great plot, but I felt it fell a bit short of the thriller genre. The writing itself was clean so I will read more from this author in the future.

I initially struggled with this book, felt too many characters had been thrown in, also taking into account, the book also goes back to the past as well, and then it all clicked and I couldn't put it down.

The book deals with the very relevant and sensitive subject of grooming, which it does brilliantly, if a little scarily but also there is a another thread running, where it looks like the lead character's daughter is also being groomed, but is everything as it seems......

Jessamine Gooch is a journalist who works for a radio station presenting a section called "Potentially Dangerous People", she has a chequered history with the producer, who she was having an affair with, and is also a single parent to a 14 year old daughter. She also volunteers on a domestic abuse hotline.

The story really begins when a fan approaches her while she is on a mid-air break, Marnie Clark is worried about her friend Cassie Scolari, who she thinks has an abusive husband.

There are many threads through the books, some are wrapped a little too neatly.

I did enjoy the book, was disturbing, and thought provoking.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for allowing me to read the book in return for an honest review

Recommended

Rather that the traditional police procedural or PI trying to track down a missing person, it is the journalist Jessamine Gooch who is approached for help in trying to find what happened to a young mother. She is a great character, going through the menopause, she is driven and refuses to become invisible just because she is getting older. When she gets the heads up that her long running radio show may be due a shake up she decides to take the case on as a way to liven up her shows content. As her circumstances change and she becomes more engrossed in the mystery, it is clear that her personal life has parallels with the case. Running alongside this mystery is the deeply distressing life of Rowena and her friends nearly twenty years earlier. This story has echos of Jimmy Saville's horrendous abuse and the way that she is treated brought to mind the way that the Rotherham girls were treated. It is very upsetting (although never gratuitous) and this might dissuade some readers.
The story is brought to a neat conclusion and it will be interesting to see if this is the start of a series featuring Jessamine and Jintesh (I'd like to know more about him)

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

#1in100people

We all recognise them. Those who exist just on the fringes of society. Who send prickles up the back of our necks. The charmers. The liars. The manipulators. Those who have the potential to go that one step too far. And then take another step.

I have read some gripping thrillers this month and this one is no exception. This had a good storyline and kept me entertained. It tackles some difficult topics and it was quite uncomfortable to read in places but it was written well and not overly explicit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date 16 May 2019.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 enjoyable stars

This was an easy to read who done it book. Told from different perspectives over different time periods, it hooks you in from the beginning.

It really does keep you guessing and the flashbacks and character point of view chapters are written well and aren’t confusing which I liked.

Only dropped that 5th star as the ending was a bit flat and a tad disappointing.

However I’ve a feeling this is going to be a very popular book and I’d definitely read another by the author.

A really enjoyable and gripping read, the story telling in this crime thriller is done extremely well.
It has likeable and appropriately unlikeable characters, a good original storyline, and a satisfying conclusive ending.
Worthy of 4 stars.

Deborah O’Connor focuses on the investigation of the stomach-churning crime of the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children in her latest novel. Linking events in 2002 with the present day, she builds a convincingly complex picture of the ramifications of such abuse on survivors of this crime as disgraced BBC presenter Jessamine Gooch delves into the disappearance of young mother Cassie Scolari, little knowing that, at the same time, Jessamine’s teenage daughter, Sarah, is caught up in an inappropriate on-line liaison.
As Jessamine slowly makes progress in her detective work, O’Connor also develops the 2002 story of Rowena, children’s home occupant and a victim of sexual grooming, in a parallel narrative. It’s not difficult to guess the links between the two eras but the plot does contain some more unexpected twists and turns towards the end of the story for those who like doing a little detective work of their own.
The author handles the horrors of grooming sensitively. Whilst it is clear how the children suffer, there is nothing gratuitous in the descriptions of the ‘parties’ they are driven to. The adult abusers are depicted as manipulative: charming and generous; cruel and heartless. It is not difficult to imagine how the children whom no one loves initially fall for their attention.
This novel has much to recommend it for those who enjoy reading about strong female characters – Jessamine is tenacious in her fight for the truth, honest about her own shortcomings and determined to overcome professional obstacles. As the story draws to a close, there are moments when the plot strands are a little too neatly pulled together but I am sure that many of O’Connor’s readers will forgive this in a novel that has such topical and thought-provoking themes.
My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre Publishing for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

gripping, thriller. after being sent this book in return for an honest review i was hooked. it grips you from the very beginning to the very end. it deals with disturbing content - grooming and paedophiles, but as we know it unfortunately happens in reality. it has so many twists and turns in it that you don't see coming! You feel for the characters in the book as you get to know them. Iwill be recommending it to my friends and can't wait for it to be published. thank you so much Bonnier Zaffre for giving m e the opportunity to read this book and of course to deborah o'connor for writing such an amazing crime thriller.

We are initially told of a scene which occurs between two unknown individuals who appear to know one another, their meeting ends in the most shocking way. From that point the storyline had 100% of my attention, I couldn't wait to see where this psychological thriller was going to take me.

The first known character we are introduced is Jessamine, who is a bbc radio show presenter of a segment concerning retrospectively, called 'Potentially Dangerous People' that delves in to the lives of convicted murderers and with the help of an ex - police officer and a criminologist discuss how their behaviour could have been avoided or if identified early on, could it have potentially prevented the crime from occurring. Jessamine is approached by a big fan of her show, Marnie Clark, who is seeking help to find her friend Cassie Scolari, who has gone missing, possibly at the hands of her physically abusive husband.

The storyline is written in both past and present tense; present day and 2002, where the we follow the life of Rowanda, whom is put into an awful situation by her partner and the person that she loves more than anyone in the world. Reading about her life tugs so hard at the heart strings, the position she was put in and her experiences are shockingly sad.

This whole read is the embodiment of a truly fantastic thriller! Usually i'm asleep by 11pm, 2am for two nights in a row I stayed up to devour this raw read. How I've not read Deborah's 'My Husband's Son' I do not know but it's going straight into my basket and onto my TBR pile. I'd like to know how many hours, days, months of planning went into The Dangerous Kind because it is perfect and engaging.

The storyline was like a train crash (in the best way!) that you just could not look away from... or in this case put down. It's based on a subject that should be brought to societies attention I feel, it's something that has the potential to happen to anybody and I think that brings in the emotional rawness of the read. It's eye opening to say the least.

The primary underlining theme of the storyline is sexual abuse of minors, and the behaviour that goes into such crimes, such as grooming. At parts of the read you can feel yourself getting chilly due to the complete heartbreak that is endured, not just by fictional characters but by real people. A hard hitting storyline!

Great characters, the flicking from past to present, as well as little details, such as family life, helps build both an image of the character in your head but it also tension builds to an extent because you just aren't aware where the hell the story is going! The twists will have you being able to hear your pulse in your ears as well as having your heart pounding!

In three words? Holy forking shirt! - Eleanor, The Good Place

A book that kept me hooked and in suspense in 2 time periods (sometimes with dual storylines the reader finds one strand more compelling than the other). Good characters and clever use of the 2 intertwined stories to present the world from the perspective of a young powerless girl and a professional older woman. Dark and sadly all to relevant, in each storyline you root for the women and fear for theirsafety and that of those they know and love. I couldn't put it down. Deborah O'Connor is a strong storyteller and I look forward to reading more by her in the future. Thanks to Netgalley and Binnies Zaffre for providing me with a free review copy.

The Dangerous Kind by Deborah O'Connor is a thriller that kept me engaged.
Jessamine is a reporter and a radio presenter who is approach by a woman asking her to look into the disappearance of her friend.
Cassie is a young girl living in care that gets in with the wrong sort of people.
A story of abuse, lies and manipulation.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really really good read. I like how the story switched back and forwards. Not difficult to follow, but kept you engaged. Very relevant to recent stories in the press which is, I assume, probably what gave the idea for the story. But with a good twist at the end, and not quite as expected. I thought it was going to end another way - for one part of the story. A very good read, very enjoyable and would recommend it.

The Dangerous Kind is a thriller for today's society.

Bleak, harrowing, startling, unsettling and downright frightening in places. It deals with areas that are uncomfortable and deeply worrying but it is a worthwhile and perhaps even essential read given that is so well written and plotted.

The characters are well drawn and you identify with them and I found myself enticed into a book which took hold of me and never let go.

The Dangerous Kind. Deborah O’Connor

Two stories, one in the present, one a from few years earlier, both on collision course for an explosive finale.

Jassmine Gooch is a radio journalist working for the BBC. She presents a late night radio show about Potentially Dangerous People. Well she does until she’s sacked for an outburst unbefitting of the BBC.

Jassmine had been approached several times by a woman who is concerned about a missing friend, a friend she feels is being let down by the police who do not appear to be taking her disappearance seriously.

With time on her hands Jasmine decides to look into the missing woman, Cassie Scolari, and stumbles across a juicy mystery that has her considering a new career.

Meanwhile the story that is taking place years before involves Rowena. A girl who is in the care of social services, but who has fallen for a man that grooms her and pimps her out at parties.

Rowena’s story is tragic, a 13 year old girl passed around like a sex toy, but somehow, she is a survivor. She becomes mature before her time and battles to survive.

Meanwhile in the present day Jasmine has decided to turn her investigation into a podcast with the help of a stuttering intern at the BBC. Jitesh is a great character who uses social media to stalk people. He could turn out to be one of the best characters going if this story is the spark for a series.

Between them Jasmine and Jitesh are moving ever closer to finding out what happened to Cassie in a thoroughly enjoyable and very believable story.

It’s hard to review this book without including spoilers.

Deborah O’Connor has found a great character in Jassmine Gooch. A single lady of a certain age that is struggling with the menopause, struggling after losing her job, and struggling with her relationship to her teenage daughter.

Jitesh, a student who has been given an unconditional offer to join Cambridge University, but decides to take a gap year and work as an IT intern at the BBC, is just as good a character. Bullied at school, and suffering from a stutter, he shows a moral strength that leaves the reader no choice but to feel an empathy with him.

The story is original and takes place over a ten year spell. It incorporates the problems that have been uncovered over the last few years about underprivileged children being groomed by certain elements of the community, and the illicit actions of a celebrity.

The story is very on point, up to date, and spine tingling in its reality.

I have no idea if Deborah O’Connor has any intensions of writing more books involving Jessamine and Jitesh but I hope she does.

I will be right at the front of the queue to buy the next instalment.

Pages: 448
Publishers: Zaffre
Publishing date: 16th May 2019

'The Dangerous Kind' refers to the people who hide in plain sight, those who mean us harm and whose patterns, if were able to recognise them, would alert us to the danger they represent.
Jessamine Gooch, ex newspaper journalist turned BBC Radio presenter, is a single parent of a teenage girl who volunteers answering phones at a local women's aid branch.
She presents a programme called 'Potentially Dangerous People', which looks back at historic crimes with the help of invited specialists in an attempt to find out any clues which could have prevented tragedies occurring.
Her show is hanging on by a thread, described as 'old and tired' so when a woman ,Marnie,approaches her, one snowy night as she is walking off a hot flush in the winter cold, and pleads for Jessamine to help her.
Marnie's friend , has gone missing, leaving behind a husband and small son and the police aren't very invested in finding her. Having researched Jess' background, she feels that Jess could be the one who brings Cassie home.
Interspersed with Jessamine's narrative is that of her daughter, Sarah, a sound engineer , Jitesh and flashbacks to a young girl called Rowena from the 90's/early 2000's..
Sarah is making unwise decisions on who she is talking to because her mother is too involved in her work, Jitesh is about to go to university but concerns about a fellow classmate are exacerbating his panic attacks, Jessamine is struggling to manage professionally and personally, and in the middle of this ,Rowena's history is the thread that ties them together, which becomes more obvious as the book progresses.
Uncomfortable truths that need to be frankly discussed-such as online security, social media access for teens, sexual abuse, bullying,domestic violence and grooming-without being graphic, monsters hiding in plain sight and the structures that allow such things to go unchecked , all of these things are brought into the light in 'The Dangerous Kind'.
Brutal, harrowing, mesmerising and unforgettable, reading 'The Dangerous Kind 'is an ultimately moving experience.
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for letting me read this novel in return for an honest review.

The Dangerous Kind is 2019’s Gone Girl but even better!

Told mainly from four different view points the story follows Jessamine, a radio presenter, her adopted daughter Sarah, Jitesh an intern at the BBC radio studios in present day London and Rowena in 2003.

Each with their own plot lines that slowly becomes ever increasingly entwined culminating into a finale worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster.

As Jessamine begins an unofficial investigation into missing woman Cassie, a suspected victim of domestic abuse, the trail begins to spiral into an even greater darkness taking her further and further down the proverbial rabbit hole.

As well as domestic abuse she uncovers some terrifyingly plausible crimes involving the exploitation of young people in care by people in authority, people in positions of trust, even a celebrity, how far they will go to keep their depravities secret and the effects it takes on victims, abusers and their families. It will instinctively bring to mind Rolf Harris and Jimmy Savile which makes this even more hard-hitting.

I have to say though, even though the storyline is centred around such horrific acts it is written and portrayed brilliantly, enough detail to bring the story and its characters to life without the need for graphic details. It is handled with an iron fist in a velvet glove and the writing style is so sublime the pages just keep on turning at a rate of knots.

And then of course – the obligatory plot twist and what a twist it is! As clichéd as that is it doesn’t take away the fact that this particular twist was an absolute stunner! I still can’t believe I didn’t see it coming or even where it came from! And just like that, it all makes perfect sense!

If you read one psychological thriller in 2019, my advice, make sure it is this one!

Now I will keep a keen eye out for the film that surely must follow!

The Dangerous Kind is set to be published on the 16 May 2019 in the UK.

Many thanks to the author Deborah O’Connor, publishers Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, independent review.

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2018/12/30/the-dangerous-kind-by-deborah-oconnor/

Utterly gripping. As the investigation into the missing person unfolds the seemingly separate Jitesh and Sarah's stories come together in a tense finale and the mystery is finally solved. I really enjoyed this book , the subjects of abuse , domestic violence and social media obsession covered have been explored in other media but the writing and characters were fresh and believable.

At first I was worried wd be too dark ,my job carry’s sometimes the darkness and when I read ,though live a thriller I avoid ones with too much graphic description of abuse
However after the initial and yes dark set up which paints it’s picture it doesn’t continuously go there .
It reminded me of so many headlines and sadly factually this does happen a lot more than we like to face .
I admired all the women really and felt for them a lot
The men ,well ,it was hard to find a good one in this novel so be warned .
I guessed just before but only just before what happened was revealed . I had no idea till that point as was well written so you got the threads linking bit by bit .
I liked the ending and it does throughout grip u with fear and dread for the girls involved ,I wouldn’t go there again as like I said I do avoid novels with this subject matter ,only due to my work life but is educational and true in a lot of ways and u can’t help but be moved and saddened by the reality’s some children face