The book is about Jane, who had to go searching for her missing niece, Kayla. She was not that care to Kayla, but people said they are so much alike. So there she was, searching her niece back to her hometown. The problem of Kayla, she was not that innocent. Jane got the information about her being a sex worker. And then she was missing, some people also searching for her. Her friend and family being questioned by a stranger. Seems like her niece was really a spiting image of her. 

I think I have this soft spot for an imperfect weird woman become a main character. And this Jane, our main character in this book is not that, at all. She claims herself a sociopath. It's not just weird, it's a whole new level of weird. 

As far as I'm concern, I'm not a fan of self diagnosis patient. I think all medics think so. So when the author introduced Jane to me and said that she is sociopath, I'm a little bemused by it. How could you diagnosed yourself, be so sure and label yourself sociopath is not really believable. 

Oh boy, how true the diagnosis is. 

Jane is quite a character! She is indeed that badass, tactical, smart, canny individual. I love this. She makes me giggling through the book. Her brain is really wild, so entertaining. She goes visiting her past alone is quite cool. And she always works to get what she wants. I am enjoying some of her love life too and I think she and Luke are cute as a button. 

The mystery itself is not really complicated, there is some plot hole and coincidence playing that brings us to ending but all is good. The main attraction in this book is Jane and Kayla. It gets pretty interesting when they two meet each other and share their similarities. The book consists lots of sex and vulgar images as well, some part of it because Kayla earns money from that and some part of it well, because of Jane. I guess the book shows us how sometimes woman is seen like a sex symbol. 

Being a sequel, this one is easy to dive in. I never read the first one, but I enjoy this thoroughly. And right now, I want to read the first book so bad (and of course the third one!) 

Thank you netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for accepting my request.

Jane is finally settling in with her life and a new boyfriend, Luke.  She is stirring things up at the office and avoiding emotional connections at home.  Out of the blue one of her brother’s baby mommas calls to inform her Kayla, her niece, is missing.  Jane finds out the girl is very much like herself, a little sociopath.  On a mission to find her relative Jane gets her jollies when she can and can’t avoid messing with people.  The first book, Jane Doe, was very dynamic and exciting with an edge.  This doesn’t quite get there but still intriguing in the world of Jane.  I find Jane interesting, she does the things we think about and lacks a filter when she speaks.  Hoping there will be a third, maybe just Kayla.  I received a copy through Netgalley.

I freaking LOVED Jane Doe when I read it and was so excited to get my hands on the sequel, Problem Child.  It was so much fun to be back in Jane’s mind.  This series is for you if you like darker thrillers & don’t mind language.  Problem Child almost lived up to the first book for me, I really enjoyed it and the ending made me smiiiile! I’ll read every book the author wants to write in this series about my favorite sociopath!

Oh my god I forgot how much I missed Jane! She is so witty and actually had me laughing out loud several times. This book is the second in a series that follows Jane, and while I don't think it's absolutely necessary to read the first book before this one, I highly recommend you do. This story is not as interesting as the first one, and the search to find her niece dragged on a bit too long. Also there was this weird obsession with wind turbines that I didn't really get... but I think it all worked out in the end. This is definitely the deceiving and manipulative Jane I've come to know and love. The ending had a major twist and was so perfectly set up for book #3 that I will be impatiently waiting for its release.

Hmmm....... Not sure what to say about this novel.  It took me a while to get into it.  It tells the story of woman with no feelings -a sociopath going to the rescue of her missing, neglected niece, who she's been told us just like her.  Jane likes this fact and does all she can go find Kayla.  Meanwhile, she pulls a fast one on one of her colleagues and gets him sacked.  Look out for the twist at the end!

I had been hearing about this title and author for quite some time and knew I had to take the plunge and read this book. I am not in the least bit disappointed that I made that decision. This author writes clearly and with emphasis. The plot was extremely well paced and I was already engrossed by page 5, which to me is extremely indicative of how the rest of the book will pan out. This was an exciting, well-written, and compulsive read. I'm so happy I read it! I would recommend this to both my customers and friends. Such a great read!

I did not realize this was a sequel. I would rather read the first book then get to this one. 
It started out so good but I put it aside until I can read the first book.

I love a good thriller and expect this one to be on my loved it list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for this copy.
Since I didn’t finish it I’ll give it a 5 stars. I will return to post my longer review later.

I’ve had Jane Doe on my shelf for a year and its moving up my priority list because I love Jane! I didn’t love Problem Child, the overall story line was a little ehh...but I loved Jane

Here it is - the sequel to Jane Doe is back and as confident and manipulative as ever. In this, we learn more about Jane's past and we meet her horrible family. And wind turbines. 

Just like in the first book, Jane is captivating - and I love the way we see inside her mind and experience her thought process. Well done by Author Stone. She thinks she is in control of everything, and the few times she is not, she quickly recovers, The book is most interesting when her competence shines,  but she does make a few mistakes.

Love this character, and can't wait to see what happens next in her life.

Jane's deeply troubled sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla, has vanished, and no one seems to care. Neither does Jane. Until she sees a picture of Kayla and recognizes herself in the young girl's eyes. It's the empty stare of a sociopath.

Jane knows what vengeful and desperate things Kayla is capable of. Only Jane can help her - by being drawn into Kayla’s dark world. And no one's more aware than Jane just how dangerous that can be.

Jane is back, even more, cold and calculating than before. This new adventure is an entertaining one, the book is a fast read, dont want to give any details away, it is better to dive into it without knowing too much. I enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed Jane Doe. Recommended  

Thanks to  Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

You either think this book is totally about a sociopath, psychopath woman and then you doubt yourself. The beginning and the end were good, kept me on my toes, I did not know what to expect next.

We are looking at a woman who cannot "feel" emotion of any kind. The closest she comes is with her present partner but she is quite clinical about him too. Her dealings in her office are so brutal but the cleverness of no one realizing how brutal she is, is part of the fascination of this character.

On a search for a niece, who is a copy cat of herself and when she tries to "rescue" her from her present predicament, does she think that she is on a slippery slope and that the whole episode could ricochet on her in the future.



This was a strangely tense, strangely riveting read.

Our favorite sociopath, Jane, is back in Problem Child, Victoria Helen Stone’s second installment of the Jane Doe series! After reading the first book, Jane Doe, last year, I fell in love with Jane and her twisted mind. I couldn’t help but root for her, even though she is NOT a traditional heroine, and this book was no different. I’m always pulling for her to win!

Problem Child was even darker than Jane Doe, and did contain sex between adults and teenagers, so just a heads up for those of you who may want to skip it due to the content. That said, it was not graphic, but is more of a theme throughout the story. Personally, I love my fiction to be dark and twisted, so this book worked really well for me.

If you read and enjoyed Sharp Objects, I think you’ll like this one too. They aren’t the same plot-wise, but had some similarities with the characters, and you can see some parallels there. Problem Child had me hooked from the beginning, so I finished it quickly. The ending of this book set us up well for book three, and I can’t wait!

Overall, I rated this one 4 stars. I’d like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

DNF at 74% 

As much as I tried to enjoy this one and to finish it, I just couldn't do it. I was excited to read the second volume and to see what other mischievous things will Jane do. But oh boy, was this one a pain in the ... back! 
For the most part I got Jane explaining me for thousands of times how and why she is a sociopath. It felt so much like she tried so damn hard to make me believe her, to convince me, shoving the obvious in my face like those teleshopping sellers. I get it Jane, you are a God damn sociopath! Move on!
And she did it. Until the next page... Where after deciding to give me a break she was debating if she loves?! Luke or not, or if she will cheat him or not. Pardon me, if she will have all she wants. You get my point if you read the book. 
Next on the list was her (not) so dear niece. SPOILER! After she (finally) finds her, this was the part where my glass got full. The reunion of two trashy sociopaths! Holly molly! I have read 74% of this book just so I can receive this?! Jane, the big ol' sociopath trying to see if her niece is smart or not?! Ok, maybe later she did or did not try something else too, but I wouldn't know because I have stopped reading! Because I wasn't enjoying it at all! Because I expected it to be better than the first book. And I have received... this... 
Shame... It was such a promising second volume...

After surviving a traumatic childhood Jane Doe has a successful job a a law firm and a steady and loving boyfriend.
Though she has a personality disorder, she is managing to live a mostly normal life.
When she finds out one of her nieces has gone missing, she doesn't care. But when she hears that the teenage girl Kayla might be like her, she is intrigued.
Jane decides to look for her, excited that she may have a mini me out there, if she can find her alive...
More talk and less action than the first book, but still a crazy, fun read. Looking forward to reading more about Jane, the almost lovable sociopath.
Second of the series, I don't feel this works well as a stand alone. The first book was five stars for me, a must read first!
Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the e=ARC via NetGalley.

This was a delightful follow-up to Jane Doe which I loved! Who knew an intelligent self-proclaimed sociopath could have such a great sense of humor (and compassion when she tries)! In this sequel, Jane learns her sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla has gone missing. Since her brother is in jail and Jane's parents are worthless "white trash," Jane decides to step in and help find her. Worried that Kayla is being sex-trafficked, Jane heads out of town to locate her. What she discovers is a naive but savvy girl who is hardened and willing to sell herself to anyone who has cash to keep her afloat. What follows is a gritty but interesting look at Jane's life and her attempts to save her niece whom she assesses as a sociopath like herself. I look forward to the sequel to this one as we learn how Kayla survives (as the ending has a nice twist)!

After reading Jane Doe, I had high hopes for Problem Child. While a lot of the same Jane-isms were available in TPC, there are bits that felt like the author lost the voice of Jane. I enjoyed this one, but it could have been a little shorter; some of the filler information was unnecessary to drive the plot forward. 


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

2.5 out of 5.0 stars

‘She’s cold, calculating, and can deceive with a smile. Jane Doe is back in the Amazon Charts bestselling series—and this time, she’s met her match.’

PROBLEM CHILD is the first book that I have read by Victoria Helen Stone and having not read JANE DOE: the first book in the series, and the synopsis a distant memory, I started to wonder what I got myself into by selecting this book.

When Jane learns that her sixteen-year-old niece, someone she vaguely remembers if at all, goes missing, her interests lie not in concern for her well-being, but that of intrigue when she’s told this young girl is exactly like her.

‘Everything about her is unremarkable, maybe even pitiful. Everything except the eyes. A dull green, they’re fixed on the camera […], But there’s no fear there, No sorrow. There’s nothing.’

I soon learned, as I eagerly turned the pages, Jane: the narrator, doesn’t conceal from the reader the type of person she is - a sociopath - she states it outright, which makes for an interesting and admittedly disturbing narrative, to say the least in the beginning.

It is Jane’s self-gratifying antics under the illusion of caring about her niece – while at the same time gaining hero status in the eyes of her employers – that does get tiresome after a while. However, this behavior is the very essence of her character, so the depiction of her in this particular situation fits perfectly, it just didn't work for me.

I made it to the seventy percent mark and decided to call it quits.

My curiosity to learn more about this character has me, admittedly, hovering my hand towards the buy button near the title JANE DOE, book one in the series - so we’ll see.

Maybe PROBLEM CHILD will get a second chance; I will most definitely keep you posted.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for loaning me an advance copy of PROBLEM CHILD exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely OBSESSED after reading Jane Doe last year.  We have a main character who knows she's a sociopath and get to see how she navigates life using her inability to empathize or feel like a "normal" person to make her life work to her best advantage.  Her inner monologue was a pleasure to read and I absolutely LOVED all the snarky.  Jane is someone I would love to be friends with, as much as she can be friends with someone.  


Here comes Problem Child - the second in a series.  The thing about second in a series is that they unfortunately have the ability to not be as exciting as the first book, especially one like Jane Doe that just smacked my ass and yelled my name.  This one felt a little more like a filler as we get to revisit Jane's past, learn more about her and set things up for the next book in the series with the addition of the equally, if not darker, Kayla.  


Honestly, I did enjoy this entire ride.  Some of the inner monologue still tickled me pink and I felt myself smirking right along with her.  I did have some issue with the repetitiveness of Jane's constantly reminding the reader of why she was the way she was. It felt a tad bit overdone as her snarkiness sometimes crossed the line into unnecessary crudeness. Outside of that, I was happy to be back in Jane's world.  Now we get to see some the makings of her seemingly multi-faceted personality as the unexpected happened and she just put herself in a situation she *thought* she was prepared for.  How will she transverse her life now? I can't wait to find out - bring on book number three please!!

EXCERPT: My very first memory is being alone and scared at night when I was three or four. Lightning and thunder and wind knocking trash against the thin walls of our house. My brother was nine and already a bully. He told me our parents were never coming home and he was going to sell me to a man he met that day for fifty dollars. 'I got him up from twenty,' he sneered.

Nobody cared about us. We were the white trash of the neighbourhood, and family matters weren't anyone else's business in this part of the country. It's not like we were being beaten half to shit, and plenty of kids my brother's age were cooking and cleaning for younger siblings.

I wasn't dying. I wasn't even starving, really. I was just terrified and bereft. No call to involve the authorities in that.

That was back when I still felt fear. When I still cried. When I still needed love and safety. I can almost remember what that felt like, but not really. It's more like watching a movie of some pitiful little stranger.

I hate to remember that I used to need these people. They disgust me now, and that weak little girl disgusts me too.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: She’s cold, calculating, and can deceive with a smile. Jane Doe is back in the Amazon Charts bestselling series - and this time she's met her match.

After a brutal childhood, Jane Doe has been permanently wired to look after herself and only herself. Now, looking next to normal, Jane has a lover and a job. But she hasn't lost her edge. It sharpens when she hears from her estranged family.

Jane's deeply troubled sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla, has vanished, and no one seems to care. Neither does Jane. Until she sees a picture of Kayla and recognizes herself in the young girl's eyes. It's the empty stare of a sociopath.

Jane knows what vengeful and desperate things Kayla is capable of. Only Jane can help her - by being drawn into Kayla’s dark world. And no one's more aware than Jane just how dangerous that can be.

MY THOUGHTS: I am glad to see Jane back. I enjoyed this, my second encounter with her. You really don't want to piss Jane off....just ask Rob.

There are no shades of grey in Jane's life. She doesn't care. If you get in her way she will deal to you in the most fitting way she can think of. Usually one that makes her look good. She has her own sense and form of justice. I like her. I like her reasoning.

I'm sure that she's not meant to be funny, but at times she is. I laughed often during this read. Mostly at the justice she dealt out. And her one liners. And the lengths she will go to to get what she wants.

And now there's a 'mini-me' in her life. I can't wait to see where that scenario is going to take us. She has shocked Jane, and that is not easy to do. I think we have something special to look forward to.

👩‍👧🤠😱🤣

#ProblemChild #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Victoria Helen Stone is the nom de plume for USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dahl. After publishing more than twenty-five novels, she has taken a turn toward the darker side of genre fiction. Born and educated in the Midwest, she finished her first manuscript just after college. In 2016, the American Library Association awarded her the prestigious Reading List Award for outstanding genre fiction. Having escaped the plains of her youth, she now resides with her family in a small town high in the Rocky Mountains, where she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, and not skiing (too dangerous).

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

OMG!!!!  I love stories of strong women....with a twist, or should I say twisted?  Problem Child kicks off with a little background building, Jane Doe's background is not your normal, everyday childhood followed by a fairy tale life.  Pretty much the opposite.  But she survived.  Now her family is asking her for help.  The same family that could not be bothered to help her needs her specific skills to find a missing teenager.  The story takes off with a bang and just keeps getting better as Victoria Helen Stone lets Jane tell the story in her twisted manner.  An original take on a not so original plot that will keep you reading "just one more chapter" until everyone has cereal for dinner tonight!!!