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Ingrid Skyberg FBI Thriller #1
Fresh Doubt
The second adventure in Eva Hudson’s enormously popular Ingrid Skyberg series.
Special Agent Ingrid Skyberg was the last person to see her best friend alive when they were fourteen. The haunting memories of that night shaped Ingrid’s life, driving her to become one of the toughest agents ever to join the FBI. Supremely fit, doggedly tenacious and virtually indestructible, Ingrid now works out of the US embassy in London.
Madison Faber, a brilliant psychology student at a prestigious London college, has discovered her friend’s body in a pool of blood. Now she’s in police custody being questioned for murder. Protesting her innocence, Faber fears the killer will target her next and persuades Ingrid to hunt him down. But the deeper Ingrid digs, the deadlier the case gets. And when she uncovers a sinister group operating within the psychology department, Ingrid is in far more danger than she realizes.
Up against the clock, and disobeying strict FBI protocols, Ingrid’s obsession to bring the killer to justice takes her far beyond the law. So far she may never get back.
Unlock the thrills and twists of this up-all-night crime thriller series, perfect for fans of gripping mysteries, strong female detectives and any reader who has ever wondered if there’s a female version of Jack Reacher. There is, and her name is Ingrid Skyberg.
PRAISE FOR EVA HUDSON
"I was immediately struck by the plotting savvy and grip-factor of Eva Hudson's writing – she is a natural storyteller" - Sophie Hannah
"In the tradition of all good thrillers, the plot rattles along at a fine pace. An intriguing mystery with many unexpected twists – not least of all the ending" - James Oswald
"Gripped me from the first page. Ingrid Skyberg is a brilliant character" - DS Butler
ABOUT EVA HUDSON
After years of enjoying thrillers and police procedurals by authors like Lee Child and Michael Connelly, Eva was inspired to write thrillers herself. In 2011 she won the inaugural Lucy Cavendish fiction prize for her first novel, The Loyal Servant, and never looked back.
Special Agent Ingrid Skyberg was the last person to see her best friend alive when they were fourteen. The haunting memories of that night shaped Ingrid’s life, driving her to become one of the toughest agents ever to join the FBI. Supremely fit, doggedly tenacious and virtually indestructible, Ingrid now works out of the US embassy in London.
Madison Faber, a brilliant psychology student at a prestigious London college, has discovered her friend’s body in a pool of blood. Now she’s in police custody being questioned for murder. Protesting her innocence, Faber fears the killer will target her next and persuades Ingrid to hunt him down. But the deeper Ingrid digs, the deadlier the case gets. And when she uncovers a sinister group operating within the psychology department, Ingrid is in far more danger than she realizes.
Up against the clock, and disobeying strict FBI protocols, Ingrid’s obsession to bring the killer to justice takes her far beyond the law. So far she may never get back.
Unlock the thrills and twists of this up-all-night crime thriller series, perfect for fans of gripping mysteries, strong female detectives and any reader who has ever wondered if there’s a female version of Jack Reacher. There is, and her name is Ingrid Skyberg.
PRAISE FOR EVA HUDSON
"I was immediately struck by the plotting savvy and grip-factor of Eva Hudson's writing – she is a natural storyteller" - Sophie Hannah
"In the tradition of all good thrillers, the plot rattles along at a fine pace. An intriguing mystery with many unexpected twists – not least of all the ending" - James Oswald
"Gripped me from the first page. Ingrid Skyberg is a brilliant character" - DS Butler
ABOUT EVA HUDSON
After years of enjoying thrillers and police procedurals by authors like Lee Child and Michael Connelly, Eva was inspired to write thrillers herself. In 2011 she won the inaugural Lucy Cavendish fiction prize for her first novel, The Loyal Servant, and never looked back.
364 pages, ebook
First published January 29, 2014
1291 people are currently reading
2298 people want to read
About the author
Eva Hudson
36 books100 followersEva Hudson was born and raised in south London. Before taking up writing seriously at the age of 43, Eva worked as a local government officer, singer, dotcom entrepreneur, portrait artist, web designer, project manager and content editor.
In 2011 her first novel, The Loyal Servant, won the inaugural Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize from Cambridge University. The book was also shortlisted for UK TV's People's Novelist Competition.
In 2013, Eva received a terminal cancer diagnosis and this spurred her on to write the book she always wanted to read, a female Jack Reacher adventure. She created Ingrid Skyberg, an FBI agent working out the US embassy in London who's tenacious, resilient and determined, qualities Eva herself had in abundance as she went through treatment. Before she died in 2015, Eva had published four Skyberg books. She also left an unfinished manuscript and notes for future adventures with her partner and editor Jo Monroe who continues to write the series.
For more information, visit evahudson.com and follow Eva on Twitter @Eva_Hudson.
In 2011 her first novel, The Loyal Servant, won the inaugural Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize from Cambridge University. The book was also shortlisted for UK TV's People's Novelist Competition.
In 2013, Eva received a terminal cancer diagnosis and this spurred her on to write the book she always wanted to read, a female Jack Reacher adventure. She created Ingrid Skyberg, an FBI agent working out the US embassy in London who's tenacious, resilient and determined, qualities Eva herself had in abundance as she went through treatment. Before she died in 2015, Eva had published four Skyberg books. She also left an unfinished manuscript and notes for future adventures with her partner and editor Jo Monroe who continues to write the series.
For more information, visit evahudson.com and follow Eva on Twitter @Eva_Hudson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
January 2, 2016
Published: 11/02/2014
Author: Eva Hudson
Recomended for: fans of thrillers
Edition: Kindle
I found this novel on the Kindle Store for free and so I thought I would give it a go
I thought this was a really good thriller book that was very well written by Eva Hudon, I love thriller books and this one didn't disappoint me, like alot of thrillers it was abit predicatable in places but it was still a very great read. It is obvious that Eva Hudson is a really great and talented author, the pace in the book is kept up throughout the novel, it did take me a little while to get into the story, but once I did I thought it was a very good thriller novels, if you can't get into this book i suggest you persist alittle longer.
Author: Eva Hudson
Recomended for: fans of thrillers
Edition: Kindle
I found this novel on the Kindle Store for free and so I thought I would give it a go
I thought this was a really good thriller book that was very well written by Eva Hudon, I love thriller books and this one didn't disappoint me, like alot of thrillers it was abit predicatable in places but it was still a very great read. It is obvious that Eva Hudson is a really great and talented author, the pace in the book is kept up throughout the novel, it did take me a little while to get into the story, but once I did I thought it was a very good thriller novels, if you can't get into this book i suggest you persist alittle longer.
February 10, 2025
I was pleasantly surprised at this book. My wife accidently ordered it on my kindle account, & it has sat there for some time. So finally read it & was caught up in how the author brought new facts into the plot & made me change my mind on who the good and bad guys where. I will read more of this author's books.
December 19, 2015
this book was kind of cartoonish to me. the main character is an FBI agent working at an embassy in london; she is upset that her security clearance is low, and seems to have little respect for or trust in her superiors. they bumble around, making vague threats and complicating things for the heroine, who for some reason always feels that she shouldn't share the information she has most recently uncovered until she has had time to digest it, because, of course, her superiors have brains like babies and cannot make their own deductions. a little spoiler about the resolution: absolutely not the behavior of an FBI agent who should be allowed to keep her job? she behaves like a teenager throughout most of the book, with emotional outbursts and authority issues, and I didn't feel like any research at all was done into any kind of FBI procedures, standards of behavior/making reports/investigation etc. for some reason, she has to be beaten up again and again, usually while trespassing in the middle of the night, so that we can keep hearing about how much her ribs hurt. a lot of the details are just silly. a lot of effort is made to suggest that there are major international coverups, but by the end of the story, it's never explained why governments would care to cover any of these crimes up?
the personal relationships in this book are also excessively weird and impossible to understand. she seems to hate her fiancee, ignoring his calls, dismissing him, and going on dates with someone who is appealing to her because he reminds her of someone she knew in high school??? the only thing she likes about him is his smile, which is the same as this dude, like, some development? character? chemistry? no? she's supposed to have a friendship with this one british police officer, so she never tells her anything or shares her feelings, but gets mad at her "friend" for behaving exactly the same way (and also thinks that her friend's hobbies, like antiquing, are stupid and boring). it was almost funny how unlikeable this main character is. there's an investigative reporter who's repeatedly called something like a boozy old hack (but exactly the same phrase multiple times, even saying it of herself), who, by the end of the book is revealed to be an award-winning journalist with a sense of adventure and a talent for digging up and manipulating all kinds of information; I feel like this book would have made more sense if it were about an investigative reporter in the first place.
so, actually, if you are in the mood for something kind of silly and cartoonish, this might be a fun book. not my cup of tea, that's all.
the personal relationships in this book are also excessively weird and impossible to understand. she seems to hate her fiancee, ignoring his calls, dismissing him, and going on dates with someone who is appealing to her because he reminds her of someone she knew in high school??? the only thing she likes about him is his smile, which is the same as this dude, like, some development? character? chemistry? no? she's supposed to have a friendship with this one british police officer, so she never tells her anything or shares her feelings, but gets mad at her "friend" for behaving exactly the same way (and also thinks that her friend's hobbies, like antiquing, are stupid and boring). it was almost funny how unlikeable this main character is. there's an investigative reporter who's repeatedly called something like a boozy old hack (but exactly the same phrase multiple times, even saying it of herself), who, by the end of the book is revealed to be an award-winning journalist with a sense of adventure and a talent for digging up and manipulating all kinds of information; I feel like this book would have made more sense if it were about an investigative reporter in the first place.
so, actually, if you are in the mood for something kind of silly and cartoonish, this might be a fun book. not my cup of tea, that's all.
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August 25, 2014I couldn't get into this story. The clichéd descriptions of secondary characters did little to endear me to the MC who was portrayed in ever more glowing terms. Mary Sue anyone?
Descriptions such as:
'red-faced businessman standing by the triple-glazed window, arms folded across the excess flesh of his belly, the fat undulating under his shirt like a (?) unwieldy plate of Jello fresh out of the mold. Diabetes and heart failure just waiting to happen. She couldn't judge his age due to the lack of wrinkles on his doughy face.
This is, of course, the top level businessman who has been entertaining a rent boy in his room.
Then we have:
a gawky, geeky teen ... shovelling his food, barely chewing it before each noisy gulp.
- who is a prospective PhD student - ?? He is a teenager? You need a Masters to do a PhD and he most certainly isn't a child prodigy. Anyone who is capable of doing a PhD while they are still a teenager would not be looking round a university. The universities would be looking for him!
And it goes on. The alcoholic reporter, the appalling and unnecessarily vicious 'over-the-top' description of the proprietor of Escort Angels a middle aged woman whose plastic surgery had left her face looking like an explosion in a latex foam factory. She'd been nipped, tucked and pumped up into a caricature of a human being. She pouted her enormous lips in complaint..... but what power she had left in her facial movements wasn't enough to move all that rubbery flesh.'
In the end I could not read any more. I had the feeling that the author was venting her wrath on a variety of people in her past. I hope I was wrong, but I could not find any 'real' characters in this story.
Descriptions such as:
'red-faced businessman standing by the triple-glazed window, arms folded across the excess flesh of his belly, the fat undulating under his shirt like a (?) unwieldy plate of Jello fresh out of the mold. Diabetes and heart failure just waiting to happen. She couldn't judge his age due to the lack of wrinkles on his doughy face.
This is, of course, the top level businessman who has been entertaining a rent boy in his room.
Then we have:
a gawky, geeky teen ... shovelling his food, barely chewing it before each noisy gulp.
- who is a prospective PhD student - ?? He is a teenager? You need a Masters to do a PhD and he most certainly isn't a child prodigy. Anyone who is capable of doing a PhD while they are still a teenager would not be looking round a university. The universities would be looking for him!
And it goes on. The alcoholic reporter, the appalling and unnecessarily vicious 'over-the-top' description of the proprietor of Escort Angels a middle aged woman whose plastic surgery had left her face looking like an explosion in a latex foam factory. She'd been nipped, tucked and pumped up into a caricature of a human being. She pouted her enormous lips in complaint..... but what power she had left in her facial movements wasn't enough to move all that rubbery flesh.'
In the end I could not read any more. I had the feeling that the author was venting her wrath on a variety of people in her past. I hope I was wrong, but I could not find any 'real' characters in this story.
May 26, 2018
FBI agent Ingrid Skyberg is tasked with looking into a potential murder case involving two young women from the US studying at a London university - one the victim, the other, her former roommate, a suspect in her suspicious death - on behalf of the US embassy. While both the Metropolitan Police and the embassy seem to want the case closed as quickly as possible, Ingrid believes there is more to Lauren Shelbourne's death than a tragic accident, and the further she investigates, the more secrets she unravels.
This series opener came with an intriguing premise, a tough and likable protagonist, and a number of interesting twists, but the many frustrating obstacles and endless obstruction Ingrid has to deal with during her investigation also make the book very frustrating for the reader and the ending seemed rushed, leaving various story threads dangling. (What's with all the secrecy at the embassy apart from the case of Ingrid's predecessor? Why the pressure to close the case so quickly, both from the police and the embassy? What about Brewster? What about the other psychology students involved in the research programme? Gimme some answers!)
This series opener came with an intriguing premise, a tough and likable protagonist, and a number of interesting twists, but the many frustrating obstacles and endless obstruction Ingrid has to deal with during her investigation also make the book very frustrating for the reader and the ending seemed rushed, leaving various story threads dangling. (What's with all the secrecy at the embassy apart from the case of Ingrid's predecessor? Why the pressure to close the case so quickly, both from the police and the embassy? What about Brewster? What about the other psychology students involved in the research programme? Gimme some answers!)
January 20, 2015
Blah
What an unimpressive,disappointing, and wishy washy book. The heroine is not convincing as an fbi agent she has no instinct, no imagination, and no detection skills. No wonder she didn't get more than a level two clearance. Another book that being free is still too expensive.
What an unimpressive,disappointing, and wishy washy book. The heroine is not convincing as an fbi agent she has no instinct, no imagination, and no detection skills. No wonder she didn't get more than a level two clearance. Another book that being free is still too expensive.
November 23, 2016
Oh dear....this isn't a patch on Run Girl which I gave 5*. What a disappointment. I can't really put my finger on what annoyed me about it, either, really...
I did see on Amazon that she uses American spelling for American characters and likewise for the English but then she writes traumatized for an English speaker !! It does make for some baffling reading the way she swaps about. I can see, by other reviews, that that's an oft-mentioned irritation in her stories.
I was also tired of hearing about Ingrid's level 2 clearance by the time I hit page 69. It was around the 4th time it had been referred to and I was cheesed off with her repeating it ad nauseum.
Such a shame as it had sounded a promising series. I do remember I hated The Loyal Servant too and was pleasantly surprised with Run Girl but it seems like perhaps that was a happy fluke.
I did see on Amazon that she uses American spelling for American characters and likewise for the English but then she writes traumatized for an English speaker !! It does make for some baffling reading the way she swaps about. I can see, by other reviews, that that's an oft-mentioned irritation in her stories.
I was also tired of hearing about Ingrid's level 2 clearance by the time I hit page 69. It was around the 4th time it had been referred to and I was cheesed off with her repeating it ad nauseum.
Such a shame as it had sounded a promising series. I do remember I hated The Loyal Servant too and was pleasantly surprised with Run Girl but it seems like perhaps that was a happy fluke.
December 23, 2015
Well, kept trying to read this, and I"m a decent reader, but I kept pausing between chapters, finding things to do, like laundry, cooking, and just anything other than reading.. Today I sat and tried to read, but the story couldn't keep me glued to finish it. At 42% I decided I could care less if I didn't know the rest of the story. I'm not a fan of the character of Ingrid. If she's supposed to be strong and independent, then have the balls to break up with the finance she apparently doesn't even like!
July 27, 2014
Well written
This was an interesting book. The characters were realistic and went through issues that people could relate too. The writer did a great job of tying the plots together and explaining how it flowed with the main story. There were surprises in the story that developed as you read but it just added to the story. The writer did not leave any questions unanswered and I would more than likely read the next book in this series.
This was an interesting book. The characters were realistic and went through issues that people could relate too. The writer did a great job of tying the plots together and explaining how it flowed with the main story. There were surprises in the story that developed as you read but it just added to the story. The writer did not leave any questions unanswered and I would more than likely read the next book in this series.
March 8, 2015
My two star review was generous. The novel was wordy (400+ pages telling a story that could have been told well in half the space and time). The characters were many and none particularly well developed. The heroine unbelievable in many ways.
June 14, 2015
Disappointed to give a bad review, as I'd really enjoyed Run Girl. Fresh Doubt just had WAY too much going on that didn't really progress the story or character development, so much that the book seemed to go on forever. In my opinion, a lot of it could (and should) have been edited out.
July 23, 2019
2.5 rounded up .Fresh Doubt by Eva Hudson is the beginning of a new series. THE PROTAGONIST, FBI agent Ingrid Skyberg, is assigned to work at the US embassy in London, safeguarding Americans while out of the USA.
She has a challenging and delicate position: working with British police to oversee investigations, and doing so as to not offend or overstep. However, her FBI tactical and investigative skills are superior and she tends to find the leads and solve the case.
The main character is round and well developed. However, the other characters are not. Her fiancé, also an FBI agent in the USA, is a phantom. Their relationship is a contradiction: engaged yet never communicating AT ALL. Weird. Her counterpart in England is “a friend” yet they have little interaction with one another. A journalist who is pivotal in helping Ingrid, then -POOF- vanishes for the remainder of the book. A student who is supplying drugs - what happens to him? How does he figure into anything? The antagonist is not well developed at all. The reader never discovers her motives.
The plot is interesting- a murder mystery, suicide, and a suicide attempt. Are they related? How so? Psychological experiments on a college campus involving drugs? Not going to happen. Yet, it does in this book. Many loose ends.
The tension builds through the first half, albeit somewhat slowly, then explodes for the remainder of the book. It is very hard to get into the book, yet it kept my interest after the 60% mark.
There are twists and turns, and the reader is kept guessing until the ending. Exciting climax! Satisfying denouement! A protagonist with an interesting, dark past. However, there are too many events that are never resolved.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
She has a challenging and delicate position: working with British police to oversee investigations, and doing so as to not offend or overstep. However, her FBI tactical and investigative skills are superior and she tends to find the leads and solve the case.
The main character is round and well developed. However, the other characters are not. Her fiancé, also an FBI agent in the USA, is a phantom. Their relationship is a contradiction: engaged yet never communicating AT ALL. Weird. Her counterpart in England is “a friend” yet they have little interaction with one another. A journalist who is pivotal in helping Ingrid, then -POOF- vanishes for the remainder of the book. A student who is supplying drugs - what happens to him? How does he figure into anything? The antagonist is not well developed at all. The reader never discovers her motives.
The plot is interesting- a murder mystery, suicide, and a suicide attempt. Are they related? How so? Psychological experiments on a college campus involving drugs? Not going to happen. Yet, it does in this book. Many loose ends.
The tension builds through the first half, albeit somewhat slowly, then explodes for the remainder of the book. It is very hard to get into the book, yet it kept my interest after the 60% mark.
There are twists and turns, and the reader is kept guessing until the ending. Exciting climax! Satisfying denouement! A protagonist with an interesting, dark past. However, there are too many events that are never resolved.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
April 21, 2019
I picked this up free on Amazon bookstore with low expectations. But this turned out to be a decent read. There are some moments of pure coincidence and a need to suspend reality. But overall Ms. Hudson crafts a believable character in Ingrid Skyberg. She is a female FBI agent attached to the US Embassy who has two cases to solve. The one that ends getting her major focus is that of the death of an American student at a prestigious university in London. Found by her former roommate and friend Madison Farber, Ingrid has to work with the Met and discover what happened. There are some issues with this setup. But if in the mood for some light reading, this works good. It is no worse that some more popular thriller novels, given its price.
December 24, 2014
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book “Fresh Doubt” Book 1 of a series by Eva Hudson
I purchased this book in the Kindle format through Amazon. I usually like to read a fast paced novel between more serious nonfiction books. This book fit the bill. It is fast paced and believable and it will keep you guessing. I did not like the ending but justice is served and you really can’t ask for more, in a crime thriller. As a retired FBI Agent, I thought the main character, Ingrid Skyberg assigned to the American Embassy in London was believable and not too over glamorous as a super hero. She is just a regular FBI Agent assigned to Embassy. In the real world, she would be titled an Assistant Legal Attaché or assistant LEGAT. I have known several ALATS and LEGATS (Legal Attaché’s assigned to the Embassy).
The story is about two unrelated issues she is assigned to report on (not investigate) one is the loss of a computer belonging to a rather depraved person of interest to the American Embassy; the other is the death of an American graduate student studying at a college in London. She is found dead in her London apartment and the heroine is assigned to liaise with the London Metro Police investigating this matter.
The plot is intriguing and well developed and held my interest, except for the ending. To the average reader it is a logical end but to an FBI agent, he/she would want a little more follow up on the consequences of Ingrid’s unauthorized involvement in the murder case.
I will keep my eye out for the follow-up novel as I did enjoy this book.
I did not know who Eva Hudson was until I finished the book and prepared to write this review.
I suspected she was British both because of her style and excellent geographical descriptions. As a note to the author, Any FBI Agent assigned to an embassy has the highest security clearances but for purposes of her story the compartmentalization of information was valid as part of this story. Also the keeping of a hand gun in a hotel safe rather than the embassy is a big no-no. Also, in London, I believe it would be prohibited for an agent to carry a gun on official business without very specific authorization.
I gave this book four stars out of five and would recommend it to my friends as fun reading.
I purchased this book in the Kindle format through Amazon. I usually like to read a fast paced novel between more serious nonfiction books. This book fit the bill. It is fast paced and believable and it will keep you guessing. I did not like the ending but justice is served and you really can’t ask for more, in a crime thriller. As a retired FBI Agent, I thought the main character, Ingrid Skyberg assigned to the American Embassy in London was believable and not too over glamorous as a super hero. She is just a regular FBI Agent assigned to Embassy. In the real world, she would be titled an Assistant Legal Attaché or assistant LEGAT. I have known several ALATS and LEGATS (Legal Attaché’s assigned to the Embassy).
The story is about two unrelated issues she is assigned to report on (not investigate) one is the loss of a computer belonging to a rather depraved person of interest to the American Embassy; the other is the death of an American graduate student studying at a college in London. She is found dead in her London apartment and the heroine is assigned to liaise with the London Metro Police investigating this matter.
The plot is intriguing and well developed and held my interest, except for the ending. To the average reader it is a logical end but to an FBI agent, he/she would want a little more follow up on the consequences of Ingrid’s unauthorized involvement in the murder case.
I will keep my eye out for the follow-up novel as I did enjoy this book.
I did not know who Eva Hudson was until I finished the book and prepared to write this review.
I suspected she was British both because of her style and excellent geographical descriptions. As a note to the author, Any FBI Agent assigned to an embassy has the highest security clearances but for purposes of her story the compartmentalization of information was valid as part of this story. Also the keeping of a hand gun in a hotel safe rather than the embassy is a big no-no. Also, in London, I believe it would be prohibited for an agent to carry a gun on official business without very specific authorization.
I gave this book four stars out of five and would recommend it to my friends as fun reading.
November 29, 2014
Never have i finished a book and thought 'so what the hell was the story about?" Before i read this.
I decided to download this book off Amazon as it was free, and I really did think it looked like it would be a good read. Frankly, i have just finished it and i'm clueless as to what actually happened, despite the fact that i read the book in complete silence, with no distractions.
The whole concept is good, but i found the 'american cop in London' thing a bit a) cliche and b) not as interesting as it could have been. The psychology behind the 'crime' seemed rushed, like the author picked the first un-ethical experiment they laid their hands on in an A-level psychology book and just went with it.
The characters were not easy to relate to and i thought that there were way too many of them to keep track of or understand their roles in the story.
I'm so glad this was free, if i had paid for this i would have been sorely disappointed.
I read a lot of psychological/ crime thrillers and never has one confused me as much as this one did! I'm baffled!
I decided to download this book off Amazon as it was free, and I really did think it looked like it would be a good read. Frankly, i have just finished it and i'm clueless as to what actually happened, despite the fact that i read the book in complete silence, with no distractions.
The whole concept is good, but i found the 'american cop in London' thing a bit a) cliche and b) not as interesting as it could have been. The psychology behind the 'crime' seemed rushed, like the author picked the first un-ethical experiment they laid their hands on in an A-level psychology book and just went with it.
The characters were not easy to relate to and i thought that there were way too many of them to keep track of or understand their roles in the story.
I'm so glad this was free, if i had paid for this i would have been sorely disappointed.
I read a lot of psychological/ crime thrillers and never has one confused me as much as this one did! I'm baffled!
November 27, 2014
It was good. Well written and her characters are pretty rich, if not somewhat cliche here and there. There was one issue I had: it was obviously written by an English person, which is great for London landmarks, but kind of broke the believability for me, just because Americans speak English very differently from other English speakers. It seems like it shouldn't be a big deal, and it probably shouldn't, but it kind of threw me off in my head. I sometimes forgot that the main character and a good portion of the supporting characters were supposed to be American. Regardless, I liked it, I thought it was very entertaining, and I am reading the next in the series. So, it clearly wasn't that much of a bother.
October 26, 2020
Ingrid Skyberg is an FBI agent transplanted to the US Embassy in England. Part of her job is watch over US citizens abroad so when a young student is found dead and her former roommate is arrested, Ingrid takes an interest in the case. Though the British police decides it's death by accident, Ingrid isn't so sure so she begins an investigation on her own, against the wishes of both the British police and her own embassy. In addition, she is ordered to investigate another case of a US business man whose hotel room was robbed after he hired an escort. Unfortunately the embassy gives her virtually no information about the man. So Ingrid must follow her own hunches and use her parkour skills to find out the truth.
May 12, 2015
Searching for the Truth
Special Agent Ingrid Skyberg was on assignment in London in a case of an American student that needed embassy protection. Her search of the crime scene showed nothing, but intuition led her to investigate the victim's background further. She went back to interview the roommate and the victim's classmates, only to find suspicions of more than what was being said.
Excellent story of hidden backgrounds and lies that led to suicides...or maybe something worse! Exciting and dangerous happenings keep you on edge to find the truth and if it confirmed Ingrid's suspicions.
Special Agent Ingrid Skyberg was on assignment in London in a case of an American student that needed embassy protection. Her search of the crime scene showed nothing, but intuition led her to investigate the victim's background further. She went back to interview the roommate and the victim's classmates, only to find suspicions of more than what was being said.
Excellent story of hidden backgrounds and lies that led to suicides...or maybe something worse! Exciting and dangerous happenings keep you on edge to find the truth and if it confirmed Ingrid's suspicions.
August 4, 2017
'Fresh Doubt' was definitely a psychological thriller. The story line was incredible. The creativity Eva Hudson writes with astounds me. I never guessed how the twists would turn out. The characters were an array of personalities. Ingrid is quite the detective of sorts. I liked how her mind worked things out. Sure, she got her butt handed to her a few times, but she kept going forward. I look forward to reading more. A great add to your tbr list.
March 7, 2015
Obsession, lies.
Two stories, one finally answered, but the other one without any solution to that case left unanswered. Post graduate work of students in London, and their work. Ingrid Skyberg, FBI agent gets too emotional to do her job, but the end at least gets one right.
Two stories, one finally answered, but the other one without any solution to that case left unanswered. Post graduate work of students in London, and their work. Ingrid Skyberg, FBI agent gets too emotional to do her job, but the end at least gets one right.
September 22, 2014
Interesting. But a bit slow and lengthy.
May 20, 2019
I got this as a e book for my i pad from net galley. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.
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April 7, 2023It was okay. That about sums it up as a whole... a just okay, mediocre-ish book.
I liked the ideas of the plot and what was going on but it just wasn't three dimensional enough. The actions and characters are in that not so good spot of being flat and not interesting enough.
SPOILERS
The idea of these weird, illegal psychological experiments going on, on top of mysterious drug related murders is fun. That sounds like a fun read but i never got enough. The execution is very underwhelming because we never go deep enough into the experiments. It seems like all the investigating just never hits the spot of being interesting enough and thorough. The same problems happen with the characters. Ingrid is a little stale and flat and we never get to know much about her. We get these little hints about her being neglected as a child, the disappearance/murder of a childhood friend, this fiancee she obviously hates and needs to breakup with but never go further into it. I would understand if that is being kept a little hidden to develop further down the line but you gotta make sure people like this book enough to want to continue, otherwise those things are just tiny dangling pieces that leaves the character super underdeveloped. Her relationships with the other characters are okay but just don't quite hit the mark either.
The book did drag a little and can be frustrating at times because the embassy that Ingrid works for just seem like assholes because they don't seem to believe her capable and hides everything and wants her to wrap up the murder case quick. I thought there was going to be something suspicious or more to them wanting it wrapped up so quickly but there wasn't. We never even got the second case solved with the guy that liked the escorts, that case was just thrown in the wind and we only learned that he had a bunch of forged passports in his possession. One of the more frustrating parts is that i felt ahead of the characters because like many other reviews mentioned, i guessed the killer pretty early. She not only acted strange and wishy-washy as soon as she came on the scene but she was also an unlikable character. It was hard to see why Ingrid was even rooting for her. How didn't she get super suspicious when Madison, very early in the book, bursts into the professor's office like she owns the place and knows him well shouting Why aren't you answering my calls?! We'll talk later! Like how Ingrid?! MAJOR TIP OFF RIGHT THERE!
Ingrid just didn't seem like a great detective just okay at best, like a rookie almost. I like that she somewhat went rogue-ish towards the end, and she's up to putting her self in rough situations and getting beat up but she doesn't come across as a great detective as she is trying to convince you that she is. It's also supposed to be believed that Ingrid doesn't catch Madison's lies and tricks because she let her emotions get to her based on an old friend being kidnapped/murdered but we never go into detail about that either. It's mentioned like 3 or 4 times but we just never get into it and so it's hard for readers to understand or connect to that emotion and understand why she tried to protect Madison. Since we don't it shows, once again, that she is not as capable as she thinks she is and adds to that stale personality.
I didn't care for the ending, it felt rushed and i wasn't a fan of how she got Madison. I know everything can't wrap up in a perfect little bow all the time and i have read about or seen on a show where the good side or the detectives can't legally get the bad guy on the right crime they did and have to find something else or another way to get them charged. I don't mind that i just don't care for the way it was done. Madison is just a shitty person and it didn't feel victorious enough and rushed. I also didn't like how even though Professor Young was gonna get time, Ingrid almost seemed like she was getting soft on him and he didn't deserve any softness.
Anyway, a mediocre start but i MAY be a tiny bit interested in reading the second book in the series at least if it was free like this one.
I liked the ideas of the plot and what was going on but it just wasn't three dimensional enough. The actions and characters are in that not so good spot of being flat and not interesting enough.
SPOILERS
The idea of these weird, illegal psychological experiments going on, on top of mysterious drug related murders is fun. That sounds like a fun read but i never got enough. The execution is very underwhelming because we never go deep enough into the experiments. It seems like all the investigating just never hits the spot of being interesting enough and thorough. The same problems happen with the characters. Ingrid is a little stale and flat and we never get to know much about her. We get these little hints about her being neglected as a child, the disappearance/murder of a childhood friend, this fiancee she obviously hates and needs to breakup with but never go further into it. I would understand if that is being kept a little hidden to develop further down the line but you gotta make sure people like this book enough to want to continue, otherwise those things are just tiny dangling pieces that leaves the character super underdeveloped. Her relationships with the other characters are okay but just don't quite hit the mark either.
The book did drag a little and can be frustrating at times because the embassy that Ingrid works for just seem like assholes because they don't seem to believe her capable and hides everything and wants her to wrap up the murder case quick. I thought there was going to be something suspicious or more to them wanting it wrapped up so quickly but there wasn't. We never even got the second case solved with the guy that liked the escorts, that case was just thrown in the wind and we only learned that he had a bunch of forged passports in his possession. One of the more frustrating parts is that i felt ahead of the characters because like many other reviews mentioned, i guessed the killer pretty early. She not only acted strange and wishy-washy as soon as she came on the scene but she was also an unlikable character. It was hard to see why Ingrid was even rooting for her. How didn't she get super suspicious when Madison, very early in the book, bursts into the professor's office like she owns the place and knows him well shouting Why aren't you answering my calls?! We'll talk later! Like how Ingrid?! MAJOR TIP OFF RIGHT THERE!
Ingrid just didn't seem like a great detective just okay at best, like a rookie almost. I like that she somewhat went rogue-ish towards the end, and she's up to putting her self in rough situations and getting beat up but she doesn't come across as a great detective as she is trying to convince you that she is. It's also supposed to be believed that Ingrid doesn't catch Madison's lies and tricks because she let her emotions get to her based on an old friend being kidnapped/murdered but we never go into detail about that either. It's mentioned like 3 or 4 times but we just never get into it and so it's hard for readers to understand or connect to that emotion and understand why she tried to protect Madison. Since we don't it shows, once again, that she is not as capable as she thinks she is and adds to that stale personality.
I didn't care for the ending, it felt rushed and i wasn't a fan of how she got Madison. I know everything can't wrap up in a perfect little bow all the time and i have read about or seen on a show where the good side or the detectives can't legally get the bad guy on the right crime they did and have to find something else or another way to get them charged. I don't mind that i just don't care for the way it was done. Madison is just a shitty person and it didn't feel victorious enough and rushed. I also didn't like how even though Professor Young was gonna get time, Ingrid almost seemed like she was getting soft on him and he didn't deserve any softness.
Anyway, a mediocre start but i MAY be a tiny bit interested in reading the second book in the series at least if it was free like this one.
February 14, 2022
A good read but very slow paced.
I quite enjoyed reading this book and feel it is worth the 4 stars I have given it, however it was not the most exciting and dynamic crime novel I have ever read. The character of Ingrid Skyberg is quite a strange FBI agent and at times I did feel that she was very annoying, although her tenacity at sticking with trying to solve the crime regardless of the attitude of everyone else around her certainly pays off. There were times when I got frustrated because she was convinced that she was correct in her assumptions and couldn’t see passed her gut feelings. Then surprisingly, just as I thought that she was never going to get there, she suddenly reassessed everything she had previously thought and started going after the one person who I was totally convinced was the murderer right from the start (I was right). Basically, this was one of those stories that pretty much gives itself away at the very beginning and the reader spends the whole novel knowing who the killer is but must go through the agony of the investigators getting it wrong until the very end. The ending itself was fairly high paced and rushed and then the story just finished once the arrest was made. This is quite strange as, under normal circumstances, there would be an epilogue of some kind to tie up the lose ends and lead the reader into wanting more. I also had a problem with was the fact that, although the author was born in the UK, she wrote the book from an American perspective using US spelling. Whilst I understood that the main character is American, I found it rather hard to understand why the book had been written this way and found it rather irritating. I shall probably read the next one but am not overly eager to get into it right now as nothing has inspired me to find out what might happen next.
I quite enjoyed reading this book and feel it is worth the 4 stars I have given it, however it was not the most exciting and dynamic crime novel I have ever read. The character of Ingrid Skyberg is quite a strange FBI agent and at times I did feel that she was very annoying, although her tenacity at sticking with trying to solve the crime regardless of the attitude of everyone else around her certainly pays off. There were times when I got frustrated because she was convinced that she was correct in her assumptions and couldn’t see passed her gut feelings. Then surprisingly, just as I thought that she was never going to get there, she suddenly reassessed everything she had previously thought and started going after the one person who I was totally convinced was the murderer right from the start (I was right). Basically, this was one of those stories that pretty much gives itself away at the very beginning and the reader spends the whole novel knowing who the killer is but must go through the agony of the investigators getting it wrong until the very end. The ending itself was fairly high paced and rushed and then the story just finished once the arrest was made. This is quite strange as, under normal circumstances, there would be an epilogue of some kind to tie up the lose ends and lead the reader into wanting more. I also had a problem with was the fact that, although the author was born in the UK, she wrote the book from an American perspective using US spelling. Whilst I understood that the main character is American, I found it rather hard to understand why the book had been written this way and found it rather irritating. I shall probably read the next one but am not overly eager to get into it right now as nothing has inspired me to find out what might happen next.
June 8, 2019
Fresh Doubt by author Eva Hudson is the first book in the Ingrid Skyberg Thriller series. I think this may be a newer release of the original. I have read the other books currently out which feature Ingrid Skyberg as an FBI liaison agent in the UK. I have enjoyed each of the books. Ingrid is a young agent who agrees to a temporary position at the US Embassy in London. Ingrid is very intelligent, ambitious, and obsessed with her fitness regime. I was surprised at how easily she accepted Madison Faber's hysterical version of events surrounding the death of a friend and fellow student. Although Ingrid sometimes misses a few cues or makes some mistakes, she is learning in this new role. During the investigation into the deaths of two students and along with an investigation about an arms dealers missing laptop, Ingrid uncovers unapproved experiments which have been performed on student volunteers. I shudder to think of all the bruises and injuries she sustains as she tries to pursue the truth and close these cases!
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 22, 2017
FBI agent Ingrid Skyberg has been working uneventfully at the US Embassy in London for four months, but her routine changes when an American university student dies under suspicious circumstances. Dissatisfied with the police’s quick closure to the investigation, Ingrid digs deeper, which lands her in trouble with the cops and her boss. The more questions Ingrid asks, the more she realizes that something sinister is happening at the Loriners’ campus.
Fresh Doubt is a well written mystery with interesting characters and subplots. Ingrid’s professional and personal life create a fully rounded character with a strong moral compass, until push comes to shove. Her quest for justice and her ambivalence about her fiancé back in the U.S., show us a torn and believable heroine.
The book is a little long, but the pacing still worked as new evidence and other twists were carefully revealed. Although an injured Ingrid places herself in danger, the reasons were plausible for the most part. This first book is a great start to what I’m sure is a highly successful series.
Fresh Doubt is a well written mystery with interesting characters and subplots. Ingrid’s professional and personal life create a fully rounded character with a strong moral compass, until push comes to shove. Her quest for justice and her ambivalence about her fiancé back in the U.S., show us a torn and believable heroine.
The book is a little long, but the pacing still worked as new evidence and other twists were carefully revealed. Although an injured Ingrid places herself in danger, the reasons were plausible for the most part. This first book is a great start to what I’m sure is a highly successful series.
December 5, 2021
Fresh Doubt by Eva Hudson 12/2/2021 Kindle
In a unique format for this series Ingrid Skybird is an FBI agent, assigned the US embassy in London, England, overseeing the investigations of American citizens who are some ways involvement in criminal cases. When United States student’s body is discovered by a distraught friend, Ingrid becomes involved, even though most think the death was an accident. Both students have connections to a psychology research project at the college they attended.
While the story line was interesting enough to hold the reader’s attention, the police work and detection skills left much to the imagination. The leader character’s job duties and purpose seemed a convenient fiction created to tell a story. She claimed to be engaged to marry, but her fiancé remained a ghost to the first addition of this series. Additionally, the book was far longer than necessary.
Given the price of this read, I didn’t waste a lot of money and I did finish reading it. Yes, I might try another and see if it improves but I can’t highly recommend it to others.
In a unique format for this series Ingrid Skybird is an FBI agent, assigned the US embassy in London, England, overseeing the investigations of American citizens who are some ways involvement in criminal cases. When United States student’s body is discovered by a distraught friend, Ingrid becomes involved, even though most think the death was an accident. Both students have connections to a psychology research project at the college they attended.
While the story line was interesting enough to hold the reader’s attention, the police work and detection skills left much to the imagination. The leader character’s job duties and purpose seemed a convenient fiction created to tell a story. She claimed to be engaged to marry, but her fiancé remained a ghost to the first addition of this series. Additionally, the book was far longer than necessary.
Given the price of this read, I didn’t waste a lot of money and I did finish reading it. Yes, I might try another and see if it improves but I can’t highly recommend it to others.
June 15, 2017
The technical aspects of the writing were good. The story was ok but felt disjointed in parts and a bit hokey at times. The main character did not ring true as an FBI agent and I felt like I wanted to shout at her to wake up at times as she seemed so gullible and slow to put things together. While the story had good pacing, many of the circumstances felt too convenient and I'm still wondering what was going on with a lot of things. What was the deal with Brewster? What was going on at the embassy and why would they hold back information while still expecting someone to solve a case. What was going on with the main police contact and what was the outcome of that? There were all these loose ends all over the place that felt underdeveloped and left to dangle. For me, I think the story would have worked a bit better if the main character was an inexperienced private investigator as that is what she seemed like as the story progressed.
May 7, 2022
FRESH DOUBT by Eva Hudson, book one of The Ingrid Skyberg Thrillers, is set in London.
Lauren Shelbourne, a young college student in London, is found dead by her roommate and friend Madison Faber. Initially ruled as an accidental overdose, FBI agent Ingrid Skyberg, assigned by the US Embassy, is convinced this is more than an accidental overdose. As she digs deeper, she enters a world of deadly mind games as she hunts for the killer.
Ingrid is driven by her past to keep digging, but the deeper she delves into the case, the more elaborate the lies become. When she uncovers a sinister experiment within the college psychology department, Ingrid is in far more danger than she realizes.
There is also a possible love interest with a Metropolitan Police detective—but Ingrid is engaged. I loved watching Ingrid waffle between her convenient engagement and the charming detective.
FRESH DOUBT is a suspenseful read that kept me up late turning pages. I recommend this book.
Lauren Shelbourne, a young college student in London, is found dead by her roommate and friend Madison Faber. Initially ruled as an accidental overdose, FBI agent Ingrid Skyberg, assigned by the US Embassy, is convinced this is more than an accidental overdose. As she digs deeper, she enters a world of deadly mind games as she hunts for the killer.
Ingrid is driven by her past to keep digging, but the deeper she delves into the case, the more elaborate the lies become. When she uncovers a sinister experiment within the college psychology department, Ingrid is in far more danger than she realizes.
There is also a possible love interest with a Metropolitan Police detective—but Ingrid is engaged. I loved watching Ingrid waffle between her convenient engagement and the charming detective.
FRESH DOUBT is a suspenseful read that kept me up late turning pages. I recommend this book.
November 4, 2025
Tough being FBI in London
It’s a tough life as an FBI agent working in London at the US Embassy.
No power. No weapons.
Nonetheless Ingrid doesn’t shy away from trying to do the right thing investigating to hopefully protect US citizens working in London.
She doesn’t cow tow to her friend who is a Met cop and not over happy that Ingrid is going against her wishes that she stops poking her nose where she doesn’t want it.
It’s a good story that has plenty of tension as well as twists and turns.
It’s also a good introduction to Ingrid Skyberg.
Worth reading.
It’s a tough life as an FBI agent working in London at the US Embassy.
No power. No weapons.
Nonetheless Ingrid doesn’t shy away from trying to do the right thing investigating to hopefully protect US citizens working in London.
She doesn’t cow tow to her friend who is a Met cop and not over happy that Ingrid is going against her wishes that she stops poking her nose where she doesn’t want it.
It’s a good story that has plenty of tension as well as twists and turns.
It’s also a good introduction to Ingrid Skyberg.
Worth reading.
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