This is a complex and multilayered psychological thriller that sometimes strays beyond the bounds of plausibility, particularly towards the end. It did make me question just how trustworthy anyone can be in actuality and this was quite disturbing. Overall it was an enjoyable and edgy page turner.

OMG without giving anything away this novel drags you in from the very first page and does not let up, deliciously dark and enticing and definitely worth reading.. I look forward to reading more from Jane Casey..

An absolutely cracking read ! Gripping from the first page to the last. Loads of twists and turns which kept you guessing right to the end ! This is a standalone but I would’ve loved it to be a series with the main two characters as their relationship changed so much throughout the book. Highly recommend

A good thriller, with lots of tension and twists to keep you guessing, a bit far fetched at times and the main character is not very likeable, though none of the characters are, enjoyable read though. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy

I was hooked from the first to the last page. This book was impossible to put down. Full of twists and turns, surprises and shocks. So many suspects which had me constantly changing my mind. A really clever whodunnit and so much more. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

A really great twisty thriller that keeps you gripped throughout. Impossible to put down.. Would thoroughly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this brilliant dark thriller.

My first thoughts on reading the synopsis was 'Wait, where's Maeve?'

My second thoughts were 'It's a Jane Casey novel, it's going to be stellar anyhow...'

My third thoughts after reading the first chapter 'She only gone and blew the bloody doors off! What the hell did I just read?!'

Let me tell you now, if you love the Maeve Kerrigan series then we can all go back and re-read them, lucky us, but even luckier, we get this searing indictment of what it actually means to be involved in the criminal justice system as well as seeing how it works-and what happens when it doesn't.

And it all comes down to whether or not we take the evidence of a woman's experiences seriously or not.

Ingrid is a compelling character-she has a job that she loves, it doesn't make her a great deal of money but she feels she is working hard and serving a bigger cause. You sense there is a back story, but at the beginning, you are just getting to know her when she is knocked, quite literally , off her feet.

Something she was involved in, as a barrister a few years earlier, resulted in a successful quashing of a stalking case. But then, the stalker came for her.

Is he back now that his restraining order has run its course?

And was it even him in the first place who was making Ingrid's life a pure hell?

Reading the transcripts, the interviews, the logging of all the harrassing behaviour, down in black and white is honestly terrifying because it looks so banal-multiple texts, ringing the phone at odd hours, a broken car mirror-and ultimately can be explained away.

But when you realise the absolute malevolence which someone would have to hold within themselves, day in and day out, in order to carry out such despicable actions that leave a woman on the edge of her sanity, then that is truly chilling.

And a part of you wonders, did she deserve it, becoming the object of his stalking -if indeed she is, I really want to avoid any spoilers in the hopes that people will pick up the newly released paperback of The Killing Kind-because she was so successful in her job .

Therein lies the rub-she does her job so well, that the woman accusing her client of stalking her, was tied up in knots by Ingrid's questioning. Believing the innocence or guilt of the client is not the issue-the arguing of the case in court has to be unequivocal , unemotional and legally correct.

But within that legal argument, there is the lack of manoeuvrability which comes with an emotional crime such as stalking. How can a man reduce a woman to absolute madness and walk away the victor? The pure wave of anger at the way in which this woman was made small, insignificant made this reader see red.

The way in which the story is told from Ingrid's first person narrative, and then third party reports and articles gives this thriller a very rounded feel and intensifies the  suspenseful nature of the story as Ingrid tries desperately to convince the police that the small act of lending a colleague an umbrella, led to death by mistaken identity.

You feel how she is trapped by the small acts of stalking which escalate to the point that she no longer feels safe in her own home. You are genuinely worried for her safety and are frustrated at the lack of understanding that those around her, within and without the law enforcement field , have towards the situation as it escalates to a deadly level.

It is the mark of a consummate professional that Jane Casey can out you inside this perilous perspective and  not use it as exploitative , or self aggrandising fiction. She doesn't need to, the evidence is plain on the page and the underlying sadness of Ingrid's situation is clearly evident on the pages of newspapers and the social media headlines.

We keep saying 'this can never happen again' but until we start listening, really listening to what people are saying when they are being harrassed and stalked, then nothing will really change. We will still say , 'what were they thinking when they did x, y or z' rather than asking how we can stop the aggressors being able to do x, y and z, then we will never be able to admit there is a huge problem in the social and legal and judicial fields when  it comes to stalking.

A brilliant novel that will have you trying to remember to breathe whilst you are reading it, and cursing every loo break, every phone call that pulls you away from Ingrid, Jane Casey has done it again. A masterful novel which comes highly recommended, but be warned, this is a one stop till you finish it read!

As a fan of Jane Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan series, I was thrilled to read her first stand-alone novel, The Killing Kind.

The story centres around Ingrid - a defence lawyer - who we quickly discover is coping with trauma from being stalked and repeatedly threatened by a former client, John Webster.

Through flashbacks, we gradually learn what Ingrid has been through and what led her to be living alone in a sparse flat, constantly preparing herself to run.

John Webster has been in jail for fraud - but now he is free again. When Ingrid’s colleague and friend Belinda is killed in a shocking accident, whilst carrying Ingrid’s umbrella, she can’t help but wonder if it really was an accident- and if John may be out to hurt her again.

What follows is an immense story of suspense, fear, and confusion over who to trust. Ingrid confides in a policeman who understands Webster’s past and wants to see him locked up as much as she does - which leads her to luring in Webster, using his stalking expertise to try and work out who is threatening her, how and why - but how can she trust that he’s not the one behind it all? It’s a risk she has to take to keep herself and others safe.

The Killing Kind was absolutely gripping throughout - I just couldn’t put it down! The characters were fantastic - Ingrid is strong, clever, quick-thinking; and Webster is both scary and charming, sometimes very witty - it is genuinely impossible to work out whether or not you would trust him.

I was kept on my toes right until the very end, with some exciting twists and turns to the story that were very enjoyable.

Another stunner from Jane Casey!

Wow! I really didn't know where I was going with this book, there are so many twists and red herrings thrown in it was only when I got to the end and everything was tied up that every thing came together.
It is a very well written, intelligent and cleverly put together book with a great cast of characters and a unique plot.
I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a game of cat and mouse.

Oooh this is so close to being a legal thriller, but not quite. Jane Casey is a barrister who's dealt with many tricky cases, including one of her own clients - John Webster - turning into a stalker.

One day a colleague of hers is killed, knocked down by a bus. Jane is convinced she was the intended victim and that John might be back. But there's no real evidence and she ends up with DC Adam Nash being the only one left who's willing to look into what's happening.

Soon enough, bodies and tension begin to build up. John reappears - but this time he says Jane can trust him, and if she can't then she might end up dead too. What is Jane to do?

There's lots of twists and turns in this tale, as you might expect, and the tension ratchets up nicely during the course of the book. Jane does make a few dubious decisions (and it nearly heads to ridiculous a couple of times), but she's under a lot of pressure and doesn't really have anyone in her life she can trust. An enjoyable read.

3.5 rounded up to 4

EXCERPT: I knew so little about Vicki.

What I did know was that it wasn't the first violent death that had befallen someone near me, and that the detectives needed to know that. Once again, I had to try to convince police officers to take me seriously - to treat me as a potential victim rather than a witness, or even a suspect.

Once again I had the feeling that someone I liked had died, and that it should have been me. I told them about Belinda, stumbling through the story while their eyebrows edged upwards in polite bafflement.

When I had finished, I was absolutely exhausted.

'Can I go now?'

'We still have a few more questions.' Jennifer Gold was writing a note to herself slowly, concentrating.

'I've told you everything I know.'

'We just need to go through it all again.' She looked up with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. 'After all, it's not the first time someone's died in your home, is it?'

ABOUT 'THE KILLING KIND': He tells you you’re special…
As a barrister, Ingrid Lewis is used to dealing with tricky clients, but no one has ever come close to John Webster. After Ingrid defended Webster against a stalking charge, he then turned on her – following her, ruining her relationship, even destroying her home.

He tells you he wants to protect you…
Now, Ingrid believes she has finally escaped his clutches. But when one of her colleagues is run down on a busy London road, Ingrid is sure she was the intended victim. And then Webster shows up at her door…

But can you believe him?
Webster claims Ingrid is in danger – and that only he can protect her. Stalker or saviour? Murderer or protector? The clock is ticking for Ingrid to decide. Because the killer is ready to strike again.

MY THOUGHTS: Don't read The Killing Kind by Jane Casey if you're of a nervous disposition or prone to paranoia. It will have you looking over your shoulder, wondering . . . waiting.

The Killing Kind is my first novel by Jane Casey. It won't be my last. Just thinking about this breathtakingly brilliant novel has my heart beating faster, my breath catching, fingertips tingling.

It's the sort of novel that keeps the reader totally off balance, never knowing who to believe, who to trust. Is Ingrid paranoid, or is she truly in danger? I wondered, as no doubt Jane Casey intended me to do.

I am going to say no more about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away. But believe me, it is intense, action packed, twisty and entirely plausible.

My advice? Just prepare to feel the fear, and read this. A true psychological thriller.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.8

I: @janecaseyauthor @harpercollinsuk

T: @JaneCaseyAuthor @HarperCollinsUK

#contemporaryfiction #crime #mystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense

THE AUTHOR: Jane Casey, a former editor, is married to a criminal barrister who ensures her writing is realistic and as accurate as possible. Born in Dublin, Jane now lives in southwest London with her husband and two children.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Killing Kind by Jane Casey 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 is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

A brilliantly written and plotted story by Jane Cassey. A fantastic thriller that kept my interest throughout. A highly recommended psychological thriller!

I love the Maeve Kerrigan series so I was really pleased to be given this book as an ARC from Netgalley.
This book really kept me guessing the whole way through, I think I suspected just about every character at some point through the book. I sort of had an inkling of what might happen towards the end but even then there managed to be more twists that I just didn't see coming. It was interesting to read a book from the lawyer's perspective this time, there's always the age old question of is everyone entitled to a good defence and I think the author addresses that really well in this book.

I loved every second of this! It's so cleverly written and has your head spinning trying to keep up and figure out what's going on. The characters are just so perfectly written and I was completely invested in finding out just what was going on. Its not a book you can (or will want to) read whilst doing something else, you will be completely engrossed. It has a really good pace and just sets such a suspenseful tone that it leaves you questioning everything and everyone. I love the fact that there's no massive plot holes at the end, but there's also no stupid easy endings thrown in just to tie things up. The characters are also unique and not cliched which was a refreshing change aswell. This is a book which has clealry been meticulously researched, plotted out and then written. Just amazing all round really

I have read all of the books written by Jane Casey and this one was equally as good as the rest. It kept me gripped from the start, the pace was excellent.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review. I will be putting this on Amazon too.

How is that some authors can get you hooked from the very beginning of the story? This was another by Jane Casey that I couldn't put down. Lots of twists and turns, great characters, parts that had you scratching your head and a great twist in the tail. Wonderful way to finish 2021!

I loved this, and couldn't put it down until I'd finished. A story so full of twists and turns, it will not disappoint! I like this author and always look forward to the latest book.

I’ve read a few books by Jane Casey and enjoyed every one. But this is by far the best I’ve read so far, this exciting and intense thriller had me on the edge of my seat. 5/5 a brilliant read.

Wow!! this book was readers gift! Fast paced, great story, characters well developed and BEST OF ALL I could NOT put it down! Loved

This novel is a psychological thriller, which sees barrister Ingrid Lewis battling to be free the grasps of a stalker, a dangerous sociopath who she previously represented in a trial.

Both a gripping and scary read from Jane Casey, you can really see how easily a psychopath could interject into your life and you having little control on getting rid of them.