Jane, our favorite sociopath from Jane Doe, has company!

Baby shark, doo doo ...
Mama shark, doo doo ...

When Jane finds out that her sixteen-year-old niece Kayla has disappeared, at first Jane's all, why should I care?

But then Jane hears that Kayla is a coldhearted, distant person - just like Jane herself - and sees a picture of Kayla with the empty look of a sociopath in her eyes. And suddenly Jane is interested.

So Jane takes off from her boyfriend Luke (who's stressing Jane out with his talk of moving in together) and from her law firm (where she's been busily bringing about the downfall of a particularly obnoxious young partner) and travels to her childhood town to see if she can find a missing young girl who might just need what Jane has to offer.

3.66 stars, mostly because the middle part got too slow-paced, when Jane's visiting her completely dysfunctional family and wandering around town looking for clues and possibly a little action. She gets this rather odd fascination with wind turbines that eventually leads her to some insights into her relationship with Luke and her own psyche. That subplot took too long for too little payoff.

But the story picked up nicely in the final third, with a memorable ending. And Jane comes up with gems like this:
What he doesn’t know is that his testicles don’t imbue him with immortality, and I could easily get out a gun while he’s fumbling with the button of his pants. I could kill him and leave his body in the dirt where no one would spot it from the highway. Like he’s a woman. Like he’s one of a million dead women.

Why did he have a drink with her if he didn’t want it? Why did he let her into his truck? Why did he go off with her if he wanted to say no? What did he expect to happen? You really have to be smarter if you don’t want to get murdered by strange women.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3013612553

I love Jane. This was a good book where the ending leaves open the possibility of a whole slew of books of Jane. I know this is book 2 in the series so what I'm saying is I see this turning into a series like Stephanie Plum or Kate Burkholder. Jane can do. I have 100% faith in her.

In this book Jane is still trying to sabotage her co-worker, Rob, when she gets a call that will change her path in life. Ultimately the phone call makes her come to terms with a lot of things as she investigates what happened to her niece.

Our favorite self-proclaimed sociopath, Jane, is back. But this time, she's not out for revenge. Jane is currently as settled down as she'll ever be in Minneapolis, working as a lawyer and nearly living with her boyfriend, Luke. Out of the blue she gets a call from an estranged family member, notifying her that her niece, Kayla, is missing. And usually Jane would stay out of those types of family matters, but she gets the hunch that Kayla is a sociopath like herself.

So Jane goes back to her hometown where she had a rather rough childhood. She takes it upon herself to discover what happened to Kayla. And this is how Jane the sociopath turns into Jane the amateur detective. But once she finds Kayla, she may not like what she discovers about her long lost niece.

Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone is the second book in the Jane Doe series. Jane Doe was one of my favorite thrillers of 2018 and I couldn't get enough of our main character, Jane. I thought Jane Doe worked so well as a standalone novel, so this sequel had rather big shoes to fill. Unfortunately, I think this book suffered from "middle book" syndrome. It was super drawn out, slow and boring. I wasn't engaged in the story and I think a lot of the fluff could've been omitted. The first 25% and the last 5% were interesting and kept me engaged, but the remaining 70% was a snooze fest. The end of the book sets us up pretty well for a third installment in this series, and I am intrigued enough to want to read it. 3/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Victoria Helen Stone for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh Jane Doe, where did you go?! I was expecting a bit more from Problem Child after it's predecessor in the series, Jane Doe, knocked my socks off last year. Jane Doe is the best friend you'd love and be terribly frightened to have - shes one fantastic sociopath you root for. Problem Child just didn't have that spark that Jane Doe had in the first novel. That spark had unfortunately be burnt out with me flipping the pages wandering when something was going to happen. I think the third in the series will be the second novel I was hoping for.

Once again, Jane has won my heart. While I felt the book dragged a bit in the middle, the beginning and ending sections were more than enough to make up for it. A lot of the middle section was her telling the reader again and again how sociopathic she is. I honestly couldn't tell if the author was trying to imply that she is in denial about having feelings (I hope this is not the case)? But it did get tiresome after the first few repetitions.
Luckily, Jane is at her best when she is plotting and enacting revenge on jerkface dudes, which made the beginning and end of the book much more fun to read. Based on the revelation at the end, I am crossing my fingers for a third Jane (or Jane & Kayla?) book.

Wow! Jane Doe is the ultimate bad ass! She is so manipulative and crazy but you can’t help but rooting for her because she doesn’t take any mans bull crap! I wish I hate a friend like Jane Doe lol.

This “Jane” didn’t do it for me, sadly. I was a bit disappointed. I just felt Jane wasn’t being the “Jane” I recall from the first book - and I really felt Jane’s explanations regarding her sociopath behavior (every chapter just about) weren’t necessary. Anyone walking into this book blind would easily catch on that Jane is a psychopath. Plot wasn’t very interesting either. I have to agree with another reviewer - about 25% in I couldn’t wait for it to finish.

Thank you Lake Union and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.

When a high powered lawyer finds out her niece is missing, she dismisses it. She has no regard for the family of her past and has long since cut them off completely. However, when she is told that this young girl Kayla is similar to her, her interest is awakened. Could this young girl have the emotionless life of Jane? She heads off on a mission to find her and hopefully another person just like herself.

I found this novel absolutely riveting. It is so interesting to see the world through the eyes of a sociopath and the reasons she decided to do or not do certain things. The manipulation and the complete emotionless life she leads is completely the opposite of a lot of novels high on emotion.

Definitely recommend this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jane is a sociopath and a lawyer who is great at getting revenge. When she finds out her niece is missing she sets out on trip back to her hometown in Oklahoma to find her, believing she too is a sociopath.

3.5 stars.

I absolutely loved Jane the first time around in Jane Doe. I loved every step she took to get revenge on the snaky guy that caused her best friend to commit suicide. This book just wasn’t as good for me. I totally agree with other reviewers that said the middle of this book was too drawn out. We get a real look into Jane’s childhood and that honestly became boring. I think I enjoyed the side plot where she got revenge on her co worker more than anything else. This book gave me the same feeling as when I read Hidden Bodies after reading and LOVING You. Just not as good. But it does seem to be setting up for the next installment, which I will surely read.

Thank you for letting me read/review this new 'Jane Doe' book because I absolutely loved the first in the series. Jane is a closet sociopath with almost zero emotions or feelings but she seriously makes it work on paper. This is a book good but it was just not as good as the first one. You will drop your jaw and say "Wow she's off her cracker" and you will laugh your ass off in various parts of the book. I was almost crying when she was hanging out with the wind terbine manager because of her behavior. I was actually hoping for a bit more on him because there were so many possibilities to get him to squirm but she didn't.
The only thing that really annoyed me was her odd obsession like interest in the wind mills/terbines. It was just a bit strange for someone like Jane.
Now on to Kayla....she has definite story lines to come in the next book to see how her progression as a sociopath with her Auntie Jane is coming along but as we find out in the end of the story she is much more than Jane expected in the teenager and it seems that even her final revelation gave Jane pause and shock which isn't normal for her. I can't wait to see what is to come with these characters.

3.5 stars

Jane is back, and she is colder and scary calculating than ever before. At times I was cheering her on, and other times, I was cringing with the length she went with her deception.

I started off fascinated and couldn't wait to find out more about Jane's niece and I was turning those pages as fast as I could till the very last page. I loved that last paragraph and what a way to end the book. However, I felt a bit let down as I think I missed the plot of the story here and didn't get much more out of Jane other than just how mean she is. It was entertaining at times but didn't feel like a developed plot. So after sharing some thoughts with my friends, I think we are in store for a fascinating character to come. I just wished it didn't feel like it took a whole book to set that up.

Traveling Friends/ Sister group read.

I received a copy from the publisher from NetGalley

I'M JUST SO HAPPY to have receive the opportunity to read the sequence of JANE DOE that my heart can take it!

I remember that when I ended the book i thought to myself: i can see a sequence happening, and be a interesting and moving story about a woman dealing with her sociopath and helping people in her own way. I didn't know that we would have a sequence until i saw in net galley and I COULD explode of happiness.

The book isn't what i was expecting, but IT'S BETTER. Jane is back and she is on fire. I loved ALL THE PLOTS, they're so in point to present not only her way to see life, but how she acts and deal with everything. This book isn't about Jane trying to save her niece's life, but is about HER as a person, as a sociopath, as someone trying to find a place in the world as who she is and present to us, readers, how is this world to her, how she feels (or better not feel), how she pretend to be like us, how she see us. IT'S INCREDIBLE. All the perspective, her POV, her way to walk around untouched.

THE END it's A MUST. I was kind of expecting this turn of events, but somehow, the way that Victoria gave to us, made me feel like i "was expecting for that, BUT OMG THIS REALLY HAPPENED LIKE THAT?????" The turn gave me chills. AND WE CAN EXPECT A THIRD BOOK???? YES????? RIGHT????

Thank you to Victoria Helen Stone, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

When I first stumbled across the sociopath character of Jane in JANE DOE I thought I had hit the book jackpot – not only was she an interesting person who stood out from all the other protagonists in the huge sea of thriller out there, but she was also kick-ass, funny and ruthless. I was totally in awe of her determination to right a wrong done to her friend, going to extreme lengths to get revenge. Sociopath or not, I thought she also had a soft and fuzzy side, which she hid under the somewhat pragmatic view of herself as a cold-hearted, abnormal person who could not feel the same emotions as others. In short, I absolutely adored her, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second book in the series.

Now, after having delved into the ARC of PROBLEM CHILD with a gusto reserved for my most anticipated new releases, and finishing it way too long before publication (sometimes I just cannot resist those temptations), I've been sitting with it for a while and I'm still not sure about it. Often I find that I love the first part of a book and then feel let down by the end. Here it was the opposite. For the first 3/4 of the book I found Jane somewhat mean-spirited, sarcastic (which I normally enjoy but sometimes she crossed a line into plain rudeness), crass and a bit of a bully. Where was the soft side she showed us in Jane Doe, even if only in her feelings of affections for her cat? Sometimes I felt that the author was trying too hard to show Jane’s sociopath side, pushing it a bit over the line into unlikeable character territory for me. The interactions with her unlikeable family members were utterly depressing, as was her background story, and I would have preferred not to learn all that much about it. The story initially moved along very slowly for me, and I didn’t feel fully invested as Jane goes in search of her niece. What exactly were her motivations? Boredom? The thrill of the chase? Certainly not love for her long lost relative, she makes that very clear from the start. I was gutted that I didn’t love the book as much as I had anticipated.

All that changed at around the 3/4 mark. Suddenly it all got very interesting! I can’t really say any more without giving away spoilers, but now there was the potential for Jane to kick butt again and get her own back with some nasty people (with the help from an unexpected ally). And then came the ending - uh-oh! Now Jane has a problem. I really wished that all this had come up earlier in the book rather than the filler story I had slogged through with little emotional involvement. Now I was fully invested again I wanted more! Talk about a bookish cliff hanger!

I guess I will just have to wait for Jane Doe #3 to come out to get exactly what I had hoped for in this one. It certainly has a great premise to make a great read, and I will be lining up to get my hands on it as soon as it comes out. So even if Jane did not deliver all the goods in this book for me, she set the scene for the series to continue with a bang! I very much look forward to finding out how this will pan out – and I have a feeling that Jane may have bitten off a bit more than she can chew. Watching this space with anticipation.

This book is the love child of JANE DOE and Robert B. Parker’s EARLY AUTUMN. It has all the twisty psychological turns of the first book and the procedural beats of the latter. And the kid that’s taken on board as a result..

But this is a JANE DOE kid. So. If you’ve read the first book, you’ll have an idea.

It’s amazing. I can’t review any further without spoiling.

I was given an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

normally I try to read and review my Netgalley books close to their publication date, but with this book I could not wait. Jane Doe, released in 2018 is one of the best books I've ever read and Problem Child is also known as Jane Doe 2. Jane is back and badder and madder than ever. I loved it. I read this over one weekend. Problem Child is dark, shocking and insanely funny, the same as it's predecessor. The story is engaging and mysterious and narrated by Jane which is awesome. Highly recommend both of these books. Fingers crossed there will be a third xxx

*Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

<b>2 stars</b>

<i>Problem Child</i> did not surpass or even come close to the same level as <i>Jane Doe.</i> I kept waiting for the crafty thrills and the smooth, sharp-witted Jane I got in its predecessor... instead, I got a very bland, unnecessary story which followed Jane again, this time on the search for her missing, and potentially sociopathic, niece.

The book started off strong but quickly turned lousy. I was looking forward to seeing what Jane was going to do next, but I kept getting bombarded with Jane reiterating how "sick" she is and how "evil" all men are, apart from her bf of course and I got fed up with it. Every character that Jane interacts with is horrible and they all seem to be either a molester, abuser, criminal or a cheater. No part of the book made me want to keep reading or see what the outcome would be, which is disappointing because of how much I enjoyed the first one. I don't remember Jane being so annoying in the first book but I grew to really dislike her in this one and I have no interest in following her journey anymore.

Problem Child is just as vulgar and insane as the first book. I missed our deranged psychopath protagonist.
Jane is such an unforgettable character; she is unique with a dark sense of humour. I loved her character development in this book. However, the storyline for the sequel didn't excite me as much as "Jane Doe" did. I found the plot quite tedious. But the ending - Wowza! It was a great read, overall. Great yet disturbing and deliciously entertaining!

Kudos to the author. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for sending an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out in March 2020 so mark your calendar, folks!

Where to find me?
Instagram: @iqrareads
Goodreads: iqrareadsbooks

Victoria Helen Stone knocks it out of the park again with Problem Child (Jane Doe 2)!!!
I loved reading "Jane Doe" last year, the female sociopath, who decides to go on a vendetta mission to avenge the death of her best friend, by bringing down the guy who drove her friend to kill herself in the most subtle way possible. This author has an uncanny ability to really get inside of her characters heads shines a light on the differences between people.
In this book, Jane is at the top of her game, underhandedly giving her colleague a much need kick in the pants, but also shows a somewhat compassionate side when her 16 year old niece goes missing and nobody around her hometown seems to care. Jane makes it her mission to teach some child predators a lesson they will never forget.
Sometimes I think Jane appeared more than a little mean-spirited, especially with unwitting strangers whom she seemingly stalked for pleasure, but overall, this was a fun, satisfying read. I loved the dialogue and wish I could think of sharp things to say like that at certain times!

One of my favorite fictional sociopaths is back and she's got a challenge. There was less focus on Jane things and more focus on what I think is building a story arc to carry into a third novel, which I'm totally cool with. I like the writing and still like Jane despite her sociopathy.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I became a psychotic delusional fan of Victoria Helen Stone after she released the the impeccable mystery/thriller, Jane Doe in the summer of 2018. Since then, I've picked up any book I can find by her—including her last book, romantic suspense novel, False Step. Every single thing that I've picked up from this author has been a complete treasure for me. Stone's writing is marvelous and her cunning portrayal of the character of Jane in her Jane Doe series is perfection.

Problem Child is the sequel to her (soon-to-be a television series) mystery/thriller, Jane Doe. Jane's still up to her old tricks, but it's hard to keep a sociopath still! As Jane succeeds at her law firm, she gets a call from someone very unexpected—a family member. She has been disconnected from her family for years as an defense mechanism due to her brutal upbringing. Jane receives a call that one of her nieces, sixteen-year old Kayla, has been missing. Jane does not feel or understand emotion, but she is triggered when she finds similarities between Kayla and herself—is Kayla a sociopath too? Jane's intrigued and ready to find out. Will Jane be able to find Kayla and prime her to suit her needs? Time will only tell.

Problem Child is in the same dark, comedic tone that it's predecessor was and it's definitely just as thrilling. This book is definitely more political with Jane's asides and commentaries throughout the novel, but I agree 100% with what she says so I'm good with it! Without giving away any spoilers, this book will have some divisiveness between fans of the series due to the way the story is portrayed this time around, but I am fully onboard with this book completely and I'm ready for the discussions! The second book in a series is often times difficult to craft, because the author has to connect it with the their anticipated third novel, but still have it written in a way so newcomers can try to follow along. I really enjoyed following Jane's dive into her family life this time around, especially while navigating the mystery behind her niece's disappearance. The book is very easy to breeze through—I finished within the day!

The last quarter of the book really sets the tone of what I believe will be an amazing and epic third novel. Problem Child is further proof that I will read anything that Victoria Helen Stone writes—and 2020 ain't ready for Jane!