I enjoyed The Killing Kind; it is well written and a much classier psychological thriller than most. In general this is not a genre I’m keen on but I made an exception for Jane Casey whose other work I have liked very much, and I’m glad I did.

It’s a good, if slightly well worn set-up: Ingrid Lewis is a barrister who has been stalked by a former client, the incredibly creepy and threatening John Webster whom she helped to be acquitted of another stalking offence. After a spell in prison, Webster is out and sinister things begin happening which she is convinced are his doing, but there isn’t any evidence to allow the police to act so she has to take things into her own hands…

So far, so familiar. However, Jane Casey is a really good writer who brilliantly conveys the oppressive fear of being stalked and who structures and paces her plot extremely well. Ingrid’s work as a barrister is also excellently portrayed (although it does seem to be rather forgotten in the second half of the book). There are some surprising revelations but the are very neatly and quite plausibly done, avoiding the clumsy Incredible Twists which usually annoy me badly in books of this kind. These aspects make this several cuts above the average and I became completely hooked for a long period.

It’s not perfect; I was happy to allow some implausibilities for the sake of a good story and Casey does manage the inevitable Intelligent Person Doing Very Foolish Things aspects of the story very well, but one or two incidents and the ending did stretch credibility a little too far for me. Nonetheless, I thought this was gripping, extremely well written and very enjoyable. Recommended.

(My thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC via NetGalley.)

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Great storyline, great characters and there was a lot of twists and turns along the way. This author is one of my favourites.

What a brilliant and expertly plotted book. At times it felt so tense I almost couldn't bear it, but of course I did and just had to find out what happened!

Jane Casey is one of my favourite authors and love the ‘Maeve Kerrigan’ series so when this book became available I jumped at it.

Another great read by this author, outstanding characters, good plot and so well paced. Excellent read from start to finish.

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.

This is one of those books that you won’t want to stop reading so don’t start it unless you are prepared to finish it in one sitting. This is twisty, gripping read that will keep you reading.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Killing Kind - Jane Casey.

A brilliant darkly malevolent stalker thriller.

Ingrid Lewis is a successful, young barrister. Three years she helped John Webster, the defendant on a stalking charge walk free, once cleared he promptly started stalking Ingrid.

John Webster was convicted and imprisoned on an unrelated charge, now he's out and Ingrid fears for her sanity and her life as she suspects the stalking is starting again.

So it begins, setting up a beautifully tense plot, the perfect blend of psychological suspense and tangible dark thriller crimes and accidents.

The characterisation is superb, Ingrid's rising fear and anxiety is emphatically and vibrantly captured, while the plot structure weaves in elements from the past to capture all of the characters current state of mind and motivation in the present moment. Ingrid's life as a barrister is portrayed in convincing and also opens up a rich seam of access to police contacts and characters who may carry grudges.

The plot builds leaving Ingrid terrified, not knowing who to trust or turn to, or where to run.

I really can't praise it enough, the characters, the plot, the tension, the twists and red herrings, dark and compulsive and simply brilliant.

A compelling and addictive read. The perfect 'gateway drug' read for readers who think they won't enjoy psychological or unconventional thrillers!

This is the first book by Jane Casey I have read but will definitely be buying and binge reading her other books very soon.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins.

An absolutely fantastic book. I seriously can't rate this book enough. I really liked the other two Jane Casey books I have read but I bloody loved this. Ita a total roller coster of a story with brilliant characters. It was dark, deceitful, gruesome and downright funny at times. Loved it. Cannot recommend enough xxxx

Barrister Ingrid Lewis once defended John Webster when he was accused of stalking, but then Webster turned his attention to Ingrid. She still lives in fear of him finding her again, until he colleague falls in front of a lorry. Now trusting Webster might be the only way for Ingrid to find out the truth.

5⭐- First thing I had to get over was missing Maeve and Josh as this is a standalone and not part of the Maeve Kerrigan series. Once those few seconds passed, I was sucked into this book and found it hard to put down (which I expect nothing less from Jane Casey)! Ingrid is very likeable and normalised character and the story is constantly on the move. A really great read to pick up when out in May!!!! Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollinsUK for the digital ARC!!

This book was amazing!
It was everything I could have wanted from a thriller.
I was gripped from the start, I mean really gripped (not the "gripped" that every recommendation for books claims these days)
Five stars from me.

Another superbly satisfying read from Jane Casey. John Webster (a nice literary nod by the author to the eponymous Jacobean dramatist and his Machiavellian characters) has been stalking barrister Ingrid Lewis for some time and on one rainy morning it seems that he has upped his intentions. However, it is Ingrid‘s colleague, Belinda Lewis, who is killed, a case of mistaken identity because she is using Ingrid’s striking umbrella. Has Webster miscalculated? Soon after, another acquaintance is murdered and Ingrid herself suffers several near misses.
Whilst there is no doubt that Ingrid is shaken, she is determined to use her intelligence and logic to counter Webster’s possible plans. How bizarre, then, when he turns up at her house to show her the hidden camera and recording device someone else has planted. Thanks goodness that policeman, Adam Nash, who is also tracking John Webster is prepared to take her concerns seriously.
This is an extremely absorbing read. Casey draws the reader in through several equally plausible narrative threads, testing the reader’s powers of deduction most effectively! She develops the characters vividly whether they are centre stage or merely a walk on part; Ingrid herself is a credible mix of brave and frightened, tough and vulnerable, wholly invested in her legal career but also self-aware enough to know that she is emotionally damaged. We root for her throughout whilst also acknowledging that Casey’s John Webster is a time bomb, ticking down.
Like many others, I love Jane Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan series: this standalone, ‘The Killing Kind’, is just as good! Highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

I read this in one sitting, I didn’t want to take my eyes away from Jane’s standalone novel. Ingrid Lewis is a barrister and used to dealing with less than happy clients. That is, however, until John Webster enters her life and refuses to leave, doing everything in his considerable power to ensure she’ll never forget him. But when one of her colleagues, someone whom she admired very much, is run down on a London road, Ingrid is positive that she was the intended victim. With Webster prominent in her life – and telling her that she really is in danger – Ingrid has to decide whether she’s right to listen to him or to get as far away as possible. It’s a chilling read; you get a real sense of how wound up Ingrid understandably is, especially when she’s trying to juggle actual work and a life outside her chambers. You’re never quite sure how it will turn out, which makes for the best thrillers, and the detail about the London law world is intricately, effectively described.

This is a deftly plotted thriller from Jane Casey and comes highly recommended. The novel's protagonist, Ingrid Lewis, is a London barrister and through one of her cases we are introduced to John Webster: a high functioning sociopath, who is a constant presence during the book. I had so many questions about him and he provides an additional thriller element of trust. There are two other male figures circling around Ingrid to mix up the drama and both add to the question of who can be trusted.
Casey has certainly plotted with panache! There are so many layers and via a narrative of mixed time frames, emails and court documents the reader needs to work hard to make the connections and work out where the story is taking you; to find out who is hiding behind their lies.
I must admit I had a strong suspicion about one of the culprits early on, so it was enjoyable tracking the clues to the dramatic conclusions and reveals.
I'd certainly recommend this book to thriller fans - it's intelligent, cleverly weaved and provides many doubts, twists and spins until the final reveal.
Despite not being the wanted 2021 release of the next book in Casey's fabulous Maeve Kerrigan series, I was content with this standalone whilst waiting. If you haven't read any of the Maeve Kerrigan crime reads you are absolutely missing out. It's an exceptional crime, thriller series and is highly recommended.
'The Killing Kind' gets a thumbs up from me. Addictive, satisfying and crafty.

I love the Maeve Kerrigan books so had mixed feelings about a standalone - excited for something new, worried (but not in a Misery type way) that this means a hiatus from Maeve and the disturbingly attractive despite everything Josh. I needn't have worried, I raced through The Killing Kind, staying up far too late to finish it.

Ingrid is a barrister. Clever, still young and a rising star she should have the world at her feet. Instead Ingrid lives her life in fear. Four years ago she successfully defended a man accused of stalking and in thanks he turned his attention to her resulting in catastrophic consequences. John Webster is far too clever to be caught for stalking, but Ingrid has had some respite while he is imprisoned for fraud. But the sentence is short and she knows he is free and will be coming for her once again. So when a colleague dies in what looks like a tragic accident, Ingrid is convinced that she was murdered, worse that she was targeted by accident, that the intended victim was Ingrid and Webster is stalking her once again and this time intends to finish what he has started.

As the body count mounts up, Ingrid doesn't know who to trust or where to turn when Webster tells her that yes, her life is in danger but far from being the perpetrator, he is the only person who can save her. Is Webster playing a very clever game or is he really on her side? And if he is telling the truth, what does it mean when she puts her safety in the hands of a sociopath who already destroyed her life once?

Tense, twisty and utterly absorbing The Killing Kind is a fantastic thriller. Clear your diary, you'll want to read this in one sitting.

What a surprising thriller! Is a stalker somebody that can ever be trusted? This was the question the readers will keep asking themselves as they fly through the pages of this book. A great read!

Jane Casey is the author of the hugely successful Maeve Kerrigan detective series, with the 'The Killing Kind' being her first stand along thriller. However, longstanding fans did not fear the absence of Kerrigan and Derwent from this novel as ‘The Killing Kind’, is a classic tale proving the truth behind the old adage of "keep your friends close and your enemies closer", and will appeal to fans, old and new alike.
Our protagonist is Ingrid Lewis, a barrister working in London and seemingly successful in her career. Of course, appearances and reality are two very different concepts. Ingrid spends her days attempting to keep to herself and forget about her past - four years earlier, she undertook a case to defend one John Webster. Ingrid was successful in her defence and would spend the next four years regretting her efforts. Webster made Ingrid and her then fiancee (Matt) the focus on his 'attentions', resulting in a fatal fire and almost destroying Ingrid's life. Now, following the sudden death of a colleague, Ingrid is suspicious that Webster is back and that she was the intended target.
There are numerous unexpected twists in the novel which ensured that my attention did not waiver and I gobbled up the book in one sitting. I was absorbed in the slow burning sense of fear, which Casey ramped up towards the finale as the numerous storylines were tied neatly together. There were also some excerpts from previous cases which served both as an explanation for past actions and also showed how Ingrid’s character has developed throughout the novel.
‘The Killing kind’, is an absolute triumph for Casey and a must read for Spring 2021.
Many thanks to Netgalley, and HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I'm a big fan of Jane Casey so I was looking forward to The Killing Kind.
And I wasn't disappointed! I hurtled through the book in 24 hours (always a good sign) I don't like to give away any of the story in a review so I won't touch on it other than to say there are twists up to the very last page. Hugely recommend!

A cracking read, as expected from Jane Casey – temporarily (I hope) stepping away from her excellent Maeve Kerrigan series to write a standalone thriller.

Barrister Ingrid Lewis’s life has been on the difficult side since a man she defended in a stalking case, John Webster, turned his unwelcome attentions to her. When a colleague dies in an apparent road accident, Ingrid worries she could be the intended victim. But that’s just the start…

I was a bit worried this was going to be another one of those stories with a creepily all-knowing stalker terrorising his unfortunate victim, but although Webster does more or less fit into that category – and he’s certainly an alarming character - there’s much more to the story than that. I was constantly wrong-footed, never sure where the story was going. It did get a bit complicated towards the end and I couldn’t entirely work out who’d done what, but that’s probably my own fault. It’s certainly fast paced and unsettling, with Ingrid – and the reader – never quite sure who she can trust.

The story is narrated by Ingrid, who’s a smart and likeable character, and I really enjoyed her voice. There’s also an interesting insight into the legal process and the potential impact on victims of being cross-examined in court.

An excellent, satisfying read which was hard to put down.

This book has been completely and utterly impossible to put down. I have been completely gripped, suspicious of all the characters involved and completely unable to predict where this book was going. This is well-written, completely addictive and all round a wonderful gem. I absolutely recommend this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am a huge fan of Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan novels and so was really looking forward to this stand alone novel. In The Killing Kind, Ingrid Lewis is a young barrister who believes she is being stalked by an ex client who she defended on a stalking charge. This is such a gripping, tightly plotted and well paced novel that I read over the course of a day, barely taking a breath. It is creepy and atmospheric and I loved the setting around the law courts. I felt that I was walking alongside Ingrid every step of the way which really added to the tension.
Highly recommended
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

This is an absolute blast!

Casey has stepped away (temporarily, I hope) from her Maeve Kerrigan/Josh Derwent series characters to give us a standalone that has some likenesses to her first book, The Missing, but which also stretches from the creepy to some very dark humour. Ingrid, the narrator, is a barrister with a smart voice and, in John Webster, we have a sociopath who is second only to Tom Ripley: cool, eminently sane, scarily unpredictable.

One of the twists is pretty clear from the outset to anyone who reads a lot in this genre but I didn't mind as the pleasure was in waiting for him/her to slip up and for Ingrid to catch on... It's a shame that Ingrid's day job gets forgotten about midway through the book as she more or less turns into a private investigator. And the final page revelation did make me groan a little - how many murderers can one book comfortably contain?!

But these are little nit-pickings and in no way spoilt my enjoyment - I was up half the night with this one and only stopped when my Kindle literally dropped from my hands! Another ludicrously gripping read from Casey.

ps. It's a shame that the title is so unimaginative - a quick search on Goodreads shows many many books with the exact same title.

#TheKillingKind #NetGalley
An excellent psychological thriller.
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.
I loved it from starting to ending.
Jane is back with a mind blowing thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advanced copy.