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Detectives King and Lane #2
The First One To Die
Four friends. A house full of secrets. And a killer picking them off one by one...
'She tried to break her fall, twisting desperately, but there was nothing to catch hold of, nothing with which she could stop herself. Her single scream cut through the night air.'
One hot summer night, a young woman falls from a rooftop to her death. Detective Alex King is called to the quiet terraced street.
The victim, Keira North, was twenty, happy and carefree. It seems like an accident, but there’s broken glass on the carpet, and witnesses overheard an argument. Could someone have wanted her dead?
Keira’s friends don’t seem as helpful as Alex would expect and the post-mortem reveals that Keira was hiding a she was five months pregnant. Alex’s team soon finds that all of Keira's closest friends have secrets that someone might kill to keep.
As Alex realises Keira might be just the first victim on a list, her leads take her a bit too close to home. With her own demons to fight, can Alex catch the killer, before someone else dies?
The First One to Die is a heart-stopping and shocking detective thriller that will have you gripped until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Angela Marsons, and Val McDermid.
'She tried to break her fall, twisting desperately, but there was nothing to catch hold of, nothing with which she could stop herself. Her single scream cut through the night air.'
One hot summer night, a young woman falls from a rooftop to her death. Detective Alex King is called to the quiet terraced street.
The victim, Keira North, was twenty, happy and carefree. It seems like an accident, but there’s broken glass on the carpet, and witnesses overheard an argument. Could someone have wanted her dead?
Keira’s friends don’t seem as helpful as Alex would expect and the post-mortem reveals that Keira was hiding a she was five months pregnant. Alex’s team soon finds that all of Keira's closest friends have secrets that someone might kill to keep.
As Alex realises Keira might be just the first victim on a list, her leads take her a bit too close to home. With her own demons to fight, can Alex catch the killer, before someone else dies?
The First One to Die is a heart-stopping and shocking detective thriller that will have you gripped until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Angela Marsons, and Val McDermid.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2017
1133 people are currently reading
1020 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Jenkins
25 books353 followersVictoria Jenkins is a Welsh author who has made a name for herself writing the highly popular Detective King and Lane series of novels. The first novel in the series was “The Girls In The Water” that Jenkins first published in 2017, to much critical acclaim and popularity among crime fiction fans.
The series of novels features Detective Constable Chloe Lane and Detective Inspector Alex King, who are the lead investigative characters that solve some mysterious murders in their hometown.
Jenkins lives with her husband and daughter in South Wales, where her series of crime novels featuring Detectives King and Lane is based.
The series of novels features Detective Constable Chloe Lane and Detective Inspector Alex King, who are the lead investigative characters that solve some mysterious murders in their hometown.
Jenkins lives with her husband and daughter in South Wales, where her series of crime novels featuring Detectives King and Lane is based.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
November 10, 2017
I was drawn to this book as the blurb compares the author to Patricia Gibney and Angela Marsons, two of my favorite mystery writers. And the comparison is apt.
This is an interesting mystery told from multiple points of view. Delicious writing:
“The sound of her scream has stayed with me. It replays in my brain, disturbing yet somehow satisfying. It sounds like helplessness. Like despair. It sounds exactly like the things I have felt but kept locked inside for all this time. I have transferred my pain to someone else, and it feels good to finally be rid of it.”
Jenkins does a great job of capturing the grief of those left behind. Her description of Keira’s parents rang especially true.
I really found myself appreciating Alex, especially what she was going through with her mother. Alex is a lot younger than me, but we are both dealing with aging parents and I totally understood her emotions.
This is the second in a series of which I haven’t read the first. At times I felt I was missing some of the background of the two detectives, but not enough to put me off enjoying the story.
This is a fast paced, well conceived story. One of those books you are loathe to put down. I didn’t see the ending coming at all. I will definitely seek out the first book in the series along with others to come.
My thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.
This is an interesting mystery told from multiple points of view. Delicious writing:
“The sound of her scream has stayed with me. It replays in my brain, disturbing yet somehow satisfying. It sounds like helplessness. Like despair. It sounds exactly like the things I have felt but kept locked inside for all this time. I have transferred my pain to someone else, and it feels good to finally be rid of it.”
Jenkins does a great job of capturing the grief of those left behind. Her description of Keira’s parents rang especially true.
I really found myself appreciating Alex, especially what she was going through with her mother. Alex is a lot younger than me, but we are both dealing with aging parents and I totally understood her emotions.
This is the second in a series of which I haven’t read the first. At times I felt I was missing some of the background of the two detectives, but not enough to put me off enjoying the story.
This is a fast paced, well conceived story. One of those books you are loathe to put down. I didn’t see the ending coming at all. I will definitely seek out the first book in the series along with others to come.
My thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.
January 15, 2018
EXCERPT: She felt him behind her, then everything happened so quickly. A hand touched her back for the briefest of moments before a firm shove sent her flailing from the ledge. She tried to break her fall,twisting desperately through the air, but there was nothing to catch hold of, nothing with which she could stop herself.
A single scream cut through the night air.
THE BLURB: Four friends. A house full of secrets. And a killer picking them off one by one...
She tried to break her fall, twisting desperately, but there was nothing to catch hold of, nothing with which she could stop herself. Her single scream cut through the night air.
Keira North falls to her death at a party. It initially seems like an accident, but Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane suspect foul play: they are convinced they are dealing with a murder.
When the detectives start to investigate, they soon find that all of Keira's closest friends have secrets that someone might kill to keep.
And as Alex and Chloe are fighting their own demons and struggling to stay on top of the case, Keira’s killer is circling the group of friends, who one by one find that their lives are in danger…
The First One to Die is a heart-stopping and shocking detective thriller that will have you gripped until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Angela Marsons, and Val McDermid.
MY THOUGHTS: I just loved the plot, although as I was reading, I felt that it went a little overboard in places. However, once all was revealed, it made perfect sense. There are plenty of twists and turns, and no shortage of suspects. There is a good balance between the investigative story and the characters private lives.
So, I can hear you thinking, why only 3 stars? I liked this book, but I didn't love it or even like it greatly. I didn't find it anywhere near heart-stopping, nor was it shocking. And no, I wasn't gripped. It was an adequate read, but that was all.
I found the writing mostly flat. Occasionally there would be a brief flirting with suspense, but it wasn’t maintained. Also it seemed that large tracts of text were repeated, like the author didn't want you to forget certain things about the characters. And in these places, I skimmed. And the characters? I felt nothing for any of them. I just could not get involved in this read.
Would I read more from this series? Probably not.
Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The First One to Die by Victoria Jenkins. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. So if you enjoyed the excerpt and like the sound of the blurb, please go ahead and read The First One to Die, and be sure to let me know how you feel about it. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
A single scream cut through the night air.
THE BLURB: Four friends. A house full of secrets. And a killer picking them off one by one...
She tried to break her fall, twisting desperately, but there was nothing to catch hold of, nothing with which she could stop herself. Her single scream cut through the night air.
Keira North falls to her death at a party. It initially seems like an accident, but Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane suspect foul play: they are convinced they are dealing with a murder.
When the detectives start to investigate, they soon find that all of Keira's closest friends have secrets that someone might kill to keep.
And as Alex and Chloe are fighting their own demons and struggling to stay on top of the case, Keira’s killer is circling the group of friends, who one by one find that their lives are in danger…
The First One to Die is a heart-stopping and shocking detective thriller that will have you gripped until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Angela Marsons, and Val McDermid.
MY THOUGHTS: I just loved the plot, although as I was reading, I felt that it went a little overboard in places. However, once all was revealed, it made perfect sense. There are plenty of twists and turns, and no shortage of suspects. There is a good balance between the investigative story and the characters private lives.
So, I can hear you thinking, why only 3 stars? I liked this book, but I didn't love it or even like it greatly. I didn't find it anywhere near heart-stopping, nor was it shocking. And no, I wasn't gripped. It was an adequate read, but that was all.
I found the writing mostly flat. Occasionally there would be a brief flirting with suspense, but it wasn’t maintained. Also it seemed that large tracts of text were repeated, like the author didn't want you to forget certain things about the characters. And in these places, I skimmed. And the characters? I felt nothing for any of them. I just could not get involved in this read.
Would I read more from this series? Probably not.
Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The First One to Die by Victoria Jenkins. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. So if you enjoyed the excerpt and like the sound of the blurb, please go ahead and read The First One to Die, and be sure to let me know how you feel about it. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
November 2, 2017
Four things I gravitate toward when I have a spare 15 or 20 minutes: Playing word puzzles on my smartphone, seeing what my family and friends are up to on Facebook, looking for a snack in the kitchen cupboard and polishing off another chapter or two of whatever book I'm reading. Accordingly, one of the ways I know I'm loving the book I'm reading is when the other three options go by the boards.
That certainly was the case here - so besides being a little hungry, I'm now faced with major catching up to do on my phone and Facebook.
This is the second book featuring South Wales detective partners Alex King and Chloe Lane, and I admit I didn't read the first, (The Girls in the Water). No matter; at no time did I notice any "holes" that made me wonder what had gone on before. As this one begins, Chloe is bunking with Alex and contemplating a more permanent hookup with another department detective. Alex's mostly estranged mother has taken a turn for the worse health-wise, and a young woman named Keira North took a fatal fall from an open window during a party. The latter looks like an accident, but to Alex and Chloe, it doesn't pass the smell test.
As they begin to investigate, they quickly learn that four of Keira's housemate friends may not be as innocent as they appear. And then - just when they start to think they're on the right track - another one bites the dust. Yet another cog hits the wheel when a young woman ends up in the hospital following an overdose; that case, too, lands squarely in the laps of Alex and Chloe.
Could it be that someone is trying to wipe out all of Keira's housemates one by one? If so, why - and perhaps more important, who? And while no one thinks the murders and overdose cases are connected, the way things are going, anything is possible. The result is that Alex and Chloe are led in many directions, providing twists, turns and surprises for readers as well.
All in all, this is a very well-written book with interesting characters - and a series I've put on my must-read list going forward. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.
That certainly was the case here - so besides being a little hungry, I'm now faced with major catching up to do on my phone and Facebook.
This is the second book featuring South Wales detective partners Alex King and Chloe Lane, and I admit I didn't read the first, (The Girls in the Water). No matter; at no time did I notice any "holes" that made me wonder what had gone on before. As this one begins, Chloe is bunking with Alex and contemplating a more permanent hookup with another department detective. Alex's mostly estranged mother has taken a turn for the worse health-wise, and a young woman named Keira North took a fatal fall from an open window during a party. The latter looks like an accident, but to Alex and Chloe, it doesn't pass the smell test.
As they begin to investigate, they quickly learn that four of Keira's housemate friends may not be as innocent as they appear. And then - just when they start to think they're on the right track - another one bites the dust. Yet another cog hits the wheel when a young woman ends up in the hospital following an overdose; that case, too, lands squarely in the laps of Alex and Chloe.
Could it be that someone is trying to wipe out all of Keira's housemates one by one? If so, why - and perhaps more important, who? And while no one thinks the murders and overdose cases are connected, the way things are going, anything is possible. The result is that Alex and Chloe are led in many directions, providing twists, turns and surprises for readers as well.
All in all, this is a very well-written book with interesting characters - and a series I've put on my must-read list going forward. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.
October 19, 2017
The First One to Die by Victoria Jenkins is even better than her first King & Lane book, The Girls in the Water.
First things first, how AMAZING is the cover? I wanted to read The Girls in the Water, but my TBR was so big that I was afraid I couldn’t squeeze it in. I’d seen fantastic reviews for it, but I didn’t want to overextend myself on how many reviews I owed already.
But how in the world did Victoria Jenkins know how much I loved roses? When the cover reveal was shown for The First One to Die, I HAD to read it. So I dropped what I was doing and read The Girls in the Water. I wanted to be ready for when The First One to Die was available. A testament to how cover design is a potent marketing tool.
But now the book...
But now the book. Keira North, a beautiful college student with her whole life ahead of her. Sddenly, at a party, she falls from the roof of her college housing. She and her roommates called the roof their “balcony.” They’d been up there hundreds of times; the ledge was wide, and her likelihood of falling was pretty slim.
And so the detectives are called in. Welcome back to Alex King and Chloe Lane. One of my favorite police procedural duos. I love women in a man-dominated world.
Meanwhile, Alex and Chloe have another case come their way. The case of drug use gone sour. A teenage girl has landed in a coma in the hospital after she and her friend tried drugs at a club where they were dancing.
As both cases unfold, there may or may not be a link to them. That’s for Alex, Chloe, and their team to figure out. As their first case begins to unfurl itself, they find themselves digging deeper into a web of lies, deceit, jealousy, and anger.
There are betrayals, murder, some mental health issues, some real friendships, and some not-so-true friendships. If you like a book with a little bit of everything, I’m handing it to you on a platter.
I enjoyed learning a little more of Alex’s background, and there were quite a few twists that kept launching me forward. Then that one twist... it had me re-reading the end of the last chapter several times to wrap my brain around what had happened. I love those kinds of twists.
Five rosey stars to the twisty, crazy book with the beautifully haunting cover. I can’t wait for more Victoria Jenkins books to come!
First things first, how AMAZING is the cover? I wanted to read The Girls in the Water, but my TBR was so big that I was afraid I couldn’t squeeze it in. I’d seen fantastic reviews for it, but I didn’t want to overextend myself on how many reviews I owed already.
But how in the world did Victoria Jenkins know how much I loved roses? When the cover reveal was shown for The First One to Die, I HAD to read it. So I dropped what I was doing and read The Girls in the Water. I wanted to be ready for when The First One to Die was available. A testament to how cover design is a potent marketing tool.
But now the book...
But now the book. Keira North, a beautiful college student with her whole life ahead of her. Sddenly, at a party, she falls from the roof of her college housing. She and her roommates called the roof their “balcony.” They’d been up there hundreds of times; the ledge was wide, and her likelihood of falling was pretty slim.
And so the detectives are called in. Welcome back to Alex King and Chloe Lane. One of my favorite police procedural duos. I love women in a man-dominated world.
Meanwhile, Alex and Chloe have another case come their way. The case of drug use gone sour. A teenage girl has landed in a coma in the hospital after she and her friend tried drugs at a club where they were dancing.
As both cases unfold, there may or may not be a link to them. That’s for Alex, Chloe, and their team to figure out. As their first case begins to unfurl itself, they find themselves digging deeper into a web of lies, deceit, jealousy, and anger.
There are betrayals, murder, some mental health issues, some real friendships, and some not-so-true friendships. If you like a book with a little bit of everything, I’m handing it to you on a platter.
I enjoyed learning a little more of Alex’s background, and there were quite a few twists that kept launching me forward. Then that one twist... it had me re-reading the end of the last chapter several times to wrap my brain around what had happened. I love those kinds of twists.
Five rosey stars to the twisty, crazy book with the beautifully haunting cover. I can’t wait for more Victoria Jenkins books to come!
August 15, 2020
I liked this, but didn’t love it. I really loved book 1 it started out really good this series but I didn’t feel this story was up to par.
It danced around suspense and wasn’t as gripping.
Some things were over the top however it did sorta make sense eventually although my brain was concentrating on the fact of the negative so I had to push it to fully “get” why it was written a little OTT.
I’m glad I read it.
It wasn’t so bad I had to put it down, just more like it wasn’t exciting me like I expected it too.
Maybe after reading book 1 my expectations were too high.
It danced around suspense and wasn’t as gripping.
Some things were over the top however it did sorta make sense eventually although my brain was concentrating on the fact of the negative so I had to push it to fully “get” why it was written a little OTT.
I’m glad I read it.
It wasn’t so bad I had to put it down, just more like it wasn’t exciting me like I expected it too.
Maybe after reading book 1 my expectations were too high.
October 23, 2017
The First One to Die is the second book in this series. I enjoyed it more than the first. I had intended to have an early night tonight but I just could put this book down. 4 housemates with secrets.. 4 housemates who are being picked off one by one. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and review
January 23, 2018
After finishing The Girls in the Water I immediately started reading The First One to Die and read 50% in one sitting until 2.30am because I became gripped to the story instantly. The plot here was fantastic and I’ve spent the morning reading the other 50% in a single sitting too.
I really liked Alex and Chloe in the first book and couldn’t wait to read about them again. We find out here that Alex’s mother is in a home with dementia. Whilst others have pointed out that it helped them to understand Alex more, I just rolled my eyes at the fact that this was yet another fictional detective with a parent in a nursing home. Honestly I feel like I know these places inside out we’ve spent that much time in them with loads of fictional detectives. It’s boring, it’s repetitive and it’s a cliche. I understood Alex more through her life experience and through her reaction (and reasons for that reaction) to the murder of one of the girls in this story. The storyline with her mother I felt was unnecessary.
Chloe was another favourite character of mine in the first book and here we see her attempting to move on with her life and career after the events of that book. One line in particular stayed with me and it was ‘One day I will be an old lady, she thought. If she was lucky enough to make it there, she didn’t want to spend her old age consumed with regret for all the things she hadn’t done’. I felt that was a really nice and relatable line that made me think about the things that I don’t do for one reason or another and how I don’t want those regrets when I am older either. I enjoy the friendship between this pairing and it’s not often we see two female detectives leading a crime novel.
The strongest element of this book though has to be the story. Victoria Jenkins has written a truly addictive and extremely twisted tale here. What starts off as the supposed accidental death of a girl at a house party soon escalates into so much more. This is one of those stories where I’d love to get into the mind of the author or find out their planning process. With so many twists, so many revelations and so many different strands to the story, I am in awe of how it was all put together. I don’t even want to talk too much about the characters or the plot except to say that some of them are incredibly hateful. My brain was also constantly working throughout in an attempt to work out who may have been responsible, I wasn’t even close! Whereas I finished book one excited to move straight on to book two, book three isn’t yet published and so the impatient wait for that book begins. Until then I highly recommend this series to crime fans.
I really liked Alex and Chloe in the first book and couldn’t wait to read about them again. We find out here that Alex’s mother is in a home with dementia. Whilst others have pointed out that it helped them to understand Alex more, I just rolled my eyes at the fact that this was yet another fictional detective with a parent in a nursing home. Honestly I feel like I know these places inside out we’ve spent that much time in them with loads of fictional detectives. It’s boring, it’s repetitive and it’s a cliche. I understood Alex more through her life experience and through her reaction (and reasons for that reaction) to the murder of one of the girls in this story. The storyline with her mother I felt was unnecessary.
Chloe was another favourite character of mine in the first book and here we see her attempting to move on with her life and career after the events of that book. One line in particular stayed with me and it was ‘One day I will be an old lady, she thought. If she was lucky enough to make it there, she didn’t want to spend her old age consumed with regret for all the things she hadn’t done’. I felt that was a really nice and relatable line that made me think about the things that I don’t do for one reason or another and how I don’t want those regrets when I am older either. I enjoy the friendship between this pairing and it’s not often we see two female detectives leading a crime novel.
The strongest element of this book though has to be the story. Victoria Jenkins has written a truly addictive and extremely twisted tale here. What starts off as the supposed accidental death of a girl at a house party soon escalates into so much more. This is one of those stories where I’d love to get into the mind of the author or find out their planning process. With so many twists, so many revelations and so many different strands to the story, I am in awe of how it was all put together. I don’t even want to talk too much about the characters or the plot except to say that some of them are incredibly hateful. My brain was also constantly working throughout in an attempt to work out who may have been responsible, I wasn’t even close! Whereas I finished book one excited to move straight on to book two, book three isn’t yet published and so the impatient wait for that book begins. Until then I highly recommend this series to crime fans.
April 23, 2019
A young college student falls to her death from a rooftop. An accident? Was she pushed? Picked up and tossed?
DI Alex King and DC Chloe Lane are called to investigate. Interviewing her housemates, they find that the victim was well-liked, had no enemies ... but someone did hear her arguing with someone a few minutes before she went off the roof.
Postmortem examination reveals that she was 5 months pregnant ... but who was the father? Alex’s team soon finds that all of her closest friends have secrets that someone might kill to keep.
She was only the first to die.
Although second in a series, this one is easily read as a stand alone. The characters are finely drawn and credible. Alex has some issues that she's dealing with, but maintaining her professionalism to find a killer. There are several plot changing twists and turns that keep the reader engaged and rapidly reading each page to the surprising ending.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
DI Alex King and DC Chloe Lane are called to investigate. Interviewing her housemates, they find that the victim was well-liked, had no enemies ... but someone did hear her arguing with someone a few minutes before she went off the roof.
Postmortem examination reveals that she was 5 months pregnant ... but who was the father? Alex’s team soon finds that all of her closest friends have secrets that someone might kill to keep.
She was only the first to die.
Although second in a series, this one is easily read as a stand alone. The characters are finely drawn and credible. Alex has some issues that she's dealing with, but maintaining her professionalism to find a killer. There are several plot changing twists and turns that keep the reader engaged and rapidly reading each page to the surprising ending.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
January 12, 2018
4.5/5
This is the second in a series following the dynamic duo of Alex and Chloe, I really enjoyed the first book The Girls in the Water and was eager to catch up with them again. I think one of the things that I love the most about this series is the fact that you have two strong women working as partners, it’s unique and I’m all about the girl power! I also enjoyed diving deeper into their personal lives and finding out more about what motivates them and seeing what Alex in particular is dealing with in her personal life was heartbreaking and really helped to explain some of her behavior.
The case they’re working is certainly intriguing, a group of friends seem to be harboring plenty of secrets and the further Alex and Chloe investigate, the more darkness they uncover. Though the list of suspects is on the smaller side I still couldn’t pin down a culprit, Jenkins definitely plotted this one well and kept me guessing and then second guessing over and over again. I found this to be set at a quicker pace than the previous book and I’m always down for a high speed, exciting story and this surely delivered.
Villa was an amazing narrator, her nuances for expressing various emotions or different characters was outstanding. I’m always enraptured by listening to someone with an accent and I swear Bookouture has the BEST narrators around, every single one of their audiobooks has a fantastic narrator as well as a fantastic story, so if you’re a fan of audiobooks I can highly recommend them!
This is the second in a series following the dynamic duo of Alex and Chloe, I really enjoyed the first book The Girls in the Water and was eager to catch up with them again. I think one of the things that I love the most about this series is the fact that you have two strong women working as partners, it’s unique and I’m all about the girl power! I also enjoyed diving deeper into their personal lives and finding out more about what motivates them and seeing what Alex in particular is dealing with in her personal life was heartbreaking and really helped to explain some of her behavior.
The case they’re working is certainly intriguing, a group of friends seem to be harboring plenty of secrets and the further Alex and Chloe investigate, the more darkness they uncover. Though the list of suspects is on the smaller side I still couldn’t pin down a culprit, Jenkins definitely plotted this one well and kept me guessing and then second guessing over and over again. I found this to be set at a quicker pace than the previous book and I’m always down for a high speed, exciting story and this surely delivered.
Villa was an amazing narrator, her nuances for expressing various emotions or different characters was outstanding. I’m always enraptured by listening to someone with an accent and I swear Bookouture has the BEST narrators around, every single one of their audiobooks has a fantastic narrator as well as a fantastic story, so if you’re a fan of audiobooks I can highly recommend them!
July 28, 2018
A good, well written and easily flowing crime thriller, set In South Wales (always love the Welsh settings, as a proud Welsh woman!)
This is the second book by this author that I’ve read, but the first in this particular series.
It alternated well between the characters and was gripping enough that I read it in one sitting on a lazy, wet Saturday morning.
It would be a perfect holiday read.
4 stars.
This is the second book by this author that I’ve read, but the first in this particular series.
It alternated well between the characters and was gripping enough that I read it in one sitting on a lazy, wet Saturday morning.
It would be a perfect holiday read.
4 stars.
January 11, 2018
This was a great second book in the King/Lane series! I felt this one was a bit more grittier than the first one. It starts off by the prologue that someone is going to be stabbed but we don’t know who that person is. If that’s not enough to get you hooked, there’s so many twists that you’ll be up all night trying to figure it out! We also see a more personal side to the two detectives which was nice. Really enjoyed the mystery portion of the story—it was very well done! Can’t wait to read more from this series.
*Thank you the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*Thank you the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 22, 2019
THE FIRST ONE TO DIE is the second detective/crime thriller book in the Detective King and Lane Series by Victoria Jenkins. The series of novels features Detective Constable Chloe Lane and Detective Inspector Alex King, who are the lead investigative characters that solve some mysterious murders in their hometown.
The Detective King and Lane series of novels include:
The Girls in The Water (Book1)
The First One To Die (Book2)
Nobody’s Child (Book3)
A Promise to the Dead (Book4)
This is the review of The First One To Die (Book 2). Her books keep getting better!
Four friends. A house full of secrets. And a killer picking them off one by one...
Keira North, a young college student falls to her death at a party. An accident? Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane suspect foul play, they are dealing with a murder.
When the detectives start to investigate, they soon find that all of Keira's closest friends have secrets…enough to kill.
Keira’s killer is stalking the group of friends, and picking them off one by one.
The First One to Die is a fast-paced detective thriller with believable characters that bring it to life. A very enjoyable read.
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture via Netgalley for my digital copy.
The Detective King and Lane series of novels include:
The Girls in The Water (Book1)
The First One To Die (Book2)
Nobody’s Child (Book3)
A Promise to the Dead (Book4)
This is the review of The First One To Die (Book 2). Her books keep getting better!
Four friends. A house full of secrets. And a killer picking them off one by one...
Keira North, a young college student falls to her death at a party. An accident? Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane suspect foul play, they are dealing with a murder.
When the detectives start to investigate, they soon find that all of Keira's closest friends have secrets…enough to kill.
Keira’s killer is stalking the group of friends, and picking them off one by one.
The First One to Die is a fast-paced detective thriller with believable characters that bring it to life. A very enjoyable read.
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture via Netgalley for my digital copy.
November 16, 2017
Well, now! Where to start?! I was blown away by the first instalment in this series “The Girls in the Water” a few months ago, which was incredible, but this one is even better! I have no idea how Victoria Jenkins managed that but she did.
Keira North falls to her death at a party. The general consensus seems to be it was an unfortunate accident but Detective Alex King isn’t convinced. Keira’s housemates all seem to be hiding secrets and it doesn’t look like any of them can be trusted. Meanwhile Detective Chloe Lane is investigating the case of a girl who ends up in a coma after taking drugs at another party.
It is just such a humongous pleasure to see this team of fabulous, yet flawed, ladies again. A lot has changed for Chloe over the past six months, which you’ll have to discover for yourself. Alex is struggling with personal issues that for me hit a bit close too home and almost made me reach for the tissues. I absolutely love the way Victoria Jenkins is able to maintain this balance between the professional and personal lives of these detectives. It adds such a layer of realism because you do sometimes take your work home with you but you also sometimes takes your personal problems to work with you.
As for the investigation, cor! Utterly gripping with twists and turns galore, it had me glued to the pages. After one too many times of trying to figure out what was going on and failing horrendously, I gave up and let Victoria Jenkins take me on this wild ride and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Nothing is what it seems!
This is an absolutely fantastic series and The First One To Die is such a thrilling read. With a masterfully crafted plot, fabulous characters and a multi-layered, intricate investigation, I dare you not to get hooked! I can’t wait for book three!
Keira North falls to her death at a party. The general consensus seems to be it was an unfortunate accident but Detective Alex King isn’t convinced. Keira’s housemates all seem to be hiding secrets and it doesn’t look like any of them can be trusted. Meanwhile Detective Chloe Lane is investigating the case of a girl who ends up in a coma after taking drugs at another party.
It is just such a humongous pleasure to see this team of fabulous, yet flawed, ladies again. A lot has changed for Chloe over the past six months, which you’ll have to discover for yourself. Alex is struggling with personal issues that for me hit a bit close too home and almost made me reach for the tissues. I absolutely love the way Victoria Jenkins is able to maintain this balance between the professional and personal lives of these detectives. It adds such a layer of realism because you do sometimes take your work home with you but you also sometimes takes your personal problems to work with you.
As for the investigation, cor! Utterly gripping with twists and turns galore, it had me glued to the pages. After one too many times of trying to figure out what was going on and failing horrendously, I gave up and let Victoria Jenkins take me on this wild ride and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Nothing is what it seems!
This is an absolutely fantastic series and The First One To Die is such a thrilling read. With a masterfully crafted plot, fabulous characters and a multi-layered, intricate investigation, I dare you not to get hooked! I can’t wait for book three!
November 21, 2017
3.5 stars
This is the second book in the series but the first one I have read. I probably should have read the first one as the two main characters, Alex and Chloe, are detectives with Cardiff, Wales police department and live together. I didn't quite get their relationship but apparently they had both been in bad situations so they were living together while they reassessed their lives. They both have issues that were a little vague to me.
Still it didn't take away from the story of a young university woman, Keira, who fell off her bedroom ledge to her death. It was originally assumed to be a suicide but Alex thinks its murder. Keira lives with three other students, Leah, Tom and Jamie, and they are all pieces of work in their own ways. There is another story lines about selling drugs to minors that hospitalize them and it leads to the roommates. There are more murders, attacks, and affairs with an university professor that keep the story dancing along.
The story takes some twists and turns that kept me reading. I liked pretending I could pronounce the names of the towns in Wales but it's simply not true. What was missing in this book, to me, is the characters never fully came to life for me. I never got vested in any of them. They need to be fleshed out more especially the two main ones.
Still it's a decent story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what's going to happen next. I just think it needs more character development.
Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.
This is the second book in the series but the first one I have read. I probably should have read the first one as the two main characters, Alex and Chloe, are detectives with Cardiff, Wales police department and live together. I didn't quite get their relationship but apparently they had both been in bad situations so they were living together while they reassessed their lives. They both have issues that were a little vague to me.
Still it didn't take away from the story of a young university woman, Keira, who fell off her bedroom ledge to her death. It was originally assumed to be a suicide but Alex thinks its murder. Keira lives with three other students, Leah, Tom and Jamie, and they are all pieces of work in their own ways. There is another story lines about selling drugs to minors that hospitalize them and it leads to the roommates. There are more murders, attacks, and affairs with an university professor that keep the story dancing along.
The story takes some twists and turns that kept me reading. I liked pretending I could pronounce the names of the towns in Wales but it's simply not true. What was missing in this book, to me, is the characters never fully came to life for me. I never got vested in any of them. They need to be fleshed out more especially the two main ones.
Still it's a decent story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what's going to happen next. I just think it needs more character development.
Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.
April 5, 2018
This is the second book in the series but I didn't read the first (which I probably should have haha). Our two main characters, Alex and Chloe, are detectives with Cardiff, Wales police department and live together.
The story takes some twists and turns that kept me reading for the most part. I feel like there are so many detective series books out there but this one unfortunately was missing substance for me. I feel like the characterization could have been more in depth. I wasn't that impressed due to all of the typical detective series I have read..
I don't think I would continue with this series... it's nothing that I was overall invested in.
Thank you to Netgalley and bookouture for the arc.
The story takes some twists and turns that kept me reading for the most part. I feel like there are so many detective series books out there but this one unfortunately was missing substance for me. I feel like the characterization could have been more in depth. I wasn't that impressed due to all of the typical detective series I have read..
I don't think I would continue with this series... it's nothing that I was overall invested in.
Thank you to Netgalley and bookouture for the arc.
September 30, 2017
I absolutely LOVED this author's debut featuring Detectives King and Lane and this one - well this one's even better, One of the best crime novels I have read - and I read many. I raced through this book, reading it in a breath-taking, heart-pounding rush. The author is so very skilled, the pace never lets down and it is a thrilling roller coaster of a story. I cannot wait for this author's next book. She is my new favourite!
November 20, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book, the 2nd book in the new series starring Alex King and Chloe Lane. It is nice to read this one after book 1, however, it works well as a standalone also.
There are a lot of suspects in Keira's death and the list of murders and suspects keeps on growing. Just when you think someone is "definitely" the killer, it turns out they are not. The author deftly weaves all the strands of this story together in a coherent way, which is appreciated when you are reading a police procedural. This was a very well written book and I was happy to continue reading the story of these two police officers, as different as they are from each other. There was also a poignant part about the relationship that Alex had with her mum, which I could really relate to as well.
Looking forward to the next one in the series :)
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.
There are a lot of suspects in Keira's death and the list of murders and suspects keeps on growing. Just when you think someone is "definitely" the killer, it turns out they are not. The author deftly weaves all the strands of this story together in a coherent way, which is appreciated when you are reading a police procedural. This was a very well written book and I was happy to continue reading the story of these two police officers, as different as they are from each other. There was also a poignant part about the relationship that Alex had with her mum, which I could really relate to as well.
Looking forward to the next one in the series :)
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.
September 16, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The First One to Die, the second in the series of Detectives King and Lane police procedurals set in South Wales.
There is a student party raging in Keira North's lodgings when she is pushed to her death from her bedroom window. When DI Alex King gets to the scene most of the evidence has been destroyed by inept first responders. All she is left with is the gut feeling that it was murder and not an accident but Superintendent Harry Blake isn't so sure and wants her to concentrate on finding whoever sold 16 year old Amy Barker the party smarty that put her in a coma.
I enjoyed The First One to Die. It is a good mix of investigation, characters with secrets, the detectives' personal life and a good twist at the end. Keira shared a house with 3 other people so they all come under the spotlight initially. Alex and her bagman, Chloe Lane, have a hard time trying to sort out fact from fiction in their accounts and uncover their secrets. As 2 of them are not particularly likeable, awful would probably be a better description, it is satisfying to see them come undone. As is the norm nowadays there are italicised chapters of the perpetrator's thoughts. I don't normally like them but they aren't many and aren't overly intrusive and I can only admire Ms Jenkins's skill in misdirection as I jumped to conclusions about their voice. It's extremely well done.
The plotting is great. There are plenty of twists and turns which kept me glued to the pages wondering what would come next.
I really like the non police characters in the novel who are extremely well drawn in their selfishness and disregard for others. It seems to be a me generation. I'm not so sure about the protagonists Alex and Chloe as I don't feel Ms Jenkins has quite hit her stride with them. There is plenty of information about them and their lives but no real emotion.
The First One to Die is a good, engrossing read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
There is a student party raging in Keira North's lodgings when she is pushed to her death from her bedroom window. When DI Alex King gets to the scene most of the evidence has been destroyed by inept first responders. All she is left with is the gut feeling that it was murder and not an accident but Superintendent Harry Blake isn't so sure and wants her to concentrate on finding whoever sold 16 year old Amy Barker the party smarty that put her in a coma.
I enjoyed The First One to Die. It is a good mix of investigation, characters with secrets, the detectives' personal life and a good twist at the end. Keira shared a house with 3 other people so they all come under the spotlight initially. Alex and her bagman, Chloe Lane, have a hard time trying to sort out fact from fiction in their accounts and uncover their secrets. As 2 of them are not particularly likeable, awful would probably be a better description, it is satisfying to see them come undone. As is the norm nowadays there are italicised chapters of the perpetrator's thoughts. I don't normally like them but they aren't many and aren't overly intrusive and I can only admire Ms Jenkins's skill in misdirection as I jumped to conclusions about their voice. It's extremely well done.
The plotting is great. There are plenty of twists and turns which kept me glued to the pages wondering what would come next.
I really like the non police characters in the novel who are extremely well drawn in their selfishness and disregard for others. It seems to be a me generation. I'm not so sure about the protagonists Alex and Chloe as I don't feel Ms Jenkins has quite hit her stride with them. There is plenty of information about them and their lives but no real emotion.
The First One to Die is a good, engrossing read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
November 25, 2018
Acest al doilea volum al seriei King si Lane nu mi-a placut la fel de mult ca primul, desi imi place Victoria Jenkins ca stil. Probabil momentul ales nu a fost cel potrivit.
Mi-a placut intriga. Patru prieteni studenti impart o casa, dau petreceri, leaga diferite relatii si, in aparenta, au vieti bune. Totul pana cand intr-o noapte, la o petrecere, una dintre ei, Keira, este impinsa de la etaj si astfel ucisa. Un accident la prima vedere, apoi o crima risca sa dezgroape secrete despre fiecare in parte. Insa de aici lucrurile nu au mai mers in directia imaginata de mine. As fi vrut ceva mai complex si mai complicat, poate chiar o intriga in plus, pentru ca romanul a devenit monoton pe la jumatate. Inca de atunci intuiam despre ce e vorba, imi lipsea doar vinovatul. A fost mai mult o drama decat roman politist, iar munca detectivilor nu mi-a parut prea grea, caci lucrurile s-au rezolvat de la sine cumva, iar personajele au fost destul de slabe ca si caracter. Nu mi-a placut de nimeni in mod special, iar personajului negativ i-a lipsit inteligenta. Cu siguranta nu e printre preferatele mele.:)
Mi-a placut intriga. Patru prieteni studenti impart o casa, dau petreceri, leaga diferite relatii si, in aparenta, au vieti bune. Totul pana cand intr-o noapte, la o petrecere, una dintre ei, Keira, este impinsa de la etaj si astfel ucisa. Un accident la prima vedere, apoi o crima risca sa dezgroape secrete despre fiecare in parte. Insa de aici lucrurile nu au mai mers in directia imaginata de mine. As fi vrut ceva mai complex si mai complicat, poate chiar o intriga in plus, pentru ca romanul a devenit monoton pe la jumatate. Inca de atunci intuiam despre ce e vorba, imi lipsea doar vinovatul. A fost mai mult o drama decat roman politist, iar munca detectivilor nu mi-a parut prea grea, caci lucrurile s-au rezolvat de la sine cumva, iar personajele au fost destul de slabe ca si caracter. Nu mi-a placut de nimeni in mod special, iar personajului negativ i-a lipsit inteligenta. Cu siguranta nu e printre preferatele mele.:)
November 17, 2017
I’m beginning to think the covers of Victoria’s books alone should speak for themselves. This one is every bit as delightful as the previous book, The Girls in the Water which I read and enjoyed. So it was great to catch up with the female duo King and Lane in The First One To Die. We had a lot of detailed background on these two detectives in the first story so I would recommend reading that to achieve a greater understanding.
This time it is slightly more focused on the crime rather than family issues although they are still covered. I like the balance here and fairly flew through the pages. The First One To Die has all the makings of a brilliant slasher ‘movie’ as soon as a body appears you know you are going to have the secrets, lies, false leads etc and the author has a knack of keeping the reader guessing.
If you like unravelling mysteries that are tense and gritty look no further.
Another fabulous offering in this series and I’m sure book three will ramp up another notch.
Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for my copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
This time it is slightly more focused on the crime rather than family issues although they are still covered. I like the balance here and fairly flew through the pages. The First One To Die has all the makings of a brilliant slasher ‘movie’ as soon as a body appears you know you are going to have the secrets, lies, false leads etc and the author has a knack of keeping the reader guessing.
If you like unravelling mysteries that are tense and gritty look no further.
Another fabulous offering in this series and I’m sure book three will ramp up another notch.
Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for my copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
November 15, 2017
All of my reviews can be found at: https://hookedfrompageoneblog.wordpre...
I’m delighted to be taking part in The First One To Die blog tour today, the second book in Victoria Jenkins Detectives King and Lane series.
Victoria Jenkins Detectives King and Lane series is fast becoming one of my favourites. I loved the first book The Girls in the Water and The First One To Die is even better. If you’re a fan of Angela Marsons and Robert Bryndza, you have to read Victoria Jenkins.
At the beginning of the book Keira North falls to her death at a house party. DI Alex King is convinced that someone pushed her intentionally and she is put under pressure to find evidence that Kiera’s death wasn’t an accident, her boss is keen to put the resources they have to better use so Alex has to work quickly. But soon the body count begins to rise and DI King realises that Kiera’s housemates haven’t been entirely truthful with her. What has been going on in that house? What secrets have they been hiding?
Victoria Jenkins writing is hugely addictive. The characters and the plot kept me glued to the page as I attempted to work out who was responsible for Kiera’s death. There are plenty of different layers in this book for Alex and Chloe to get to the bottom of. As Alex tries to find the evidence to support her theory that Kiera was murdered, Chloe is investigating another case where a girl has ended up in a coma after taking drugs at a separate party. And the cases soon collide. There were plenty of twists and turns and the final chapters of the book had me racing towards the end.
We also hear a lot more about Alex’s personal life in this book; the first novel focuses on Chloe and her back story so it was fascinating to get to know Alex a little better. Although this book can be read as a standalone I would recommend starting with The Girls in the Water to fully appreciate the character development.
This is another brilliant book by Victoria Jenkins and I’m already excited to read her next one, I’m hoping that there are more books featuring Alex and Chloe to come. Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book to read and to Noelle Holton for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.
I’m delighted to be taking part in The First One To Die blog tour today, the second book in Victoria Jenkins Detectives King and Lane series.
Victoria Jenkins Detectives King and Lane series is fast becoming one of my favourites. I loved the first book The Girls in the Water and The First One To Die is even better. If you’re a fan of Angela Marsons and Robert Bryndza, you have to read Victoria Jenkins.
At the beginning of the book Keira North falls to her death at a house party. DI Alex King is convinced that someone pushed her intentionally and she is put under pressure to find evidence that Kiera’s death wasn’t an accident, her boss is keen to put the resources they have to better use so Alex has to work quickly. But soon the body count begins to rise and DI King realises that Kiera’s housemates haven’t been entirely truthful with her. What has been going on in that house? What secrets have they been hiding?
Victoria Jenkins writing is hugely addictive. The characters and the plot kept me glued to the page as I attempted to work out who was responsible for Kiera’s death. There are plenty of different layers in this book for Alex and Chloe to get to the bottom of. As Alex tries to find the evidence to support her theory that Kiera was murdered, Chloe is investigating another case where a girl has ended up in a coma after taking drugs at a separate party. And the cases soon collide. There were plenty of twists and turns and the final chapters of the book had me racing towards the end.
We also hear a lot more about Alex’s personal life in this book; the first novel focuses on Chloe and her back story so it was fascinating to get to know Alex a little better. Although this book can be read as a standalone I would recommend starting with The Girls in the Water to fully appreciate the character development.
This is another brilliant book by Victoria Jenkins and I’m already excited to read her next one, I’m hoping that there are more books featuring Alex and Chloe to come. Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book to read and to Noelle Holton for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.
November 8, 2017
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
When I read the first book in this series I criticized the constant repetition in the book but felt the writer was very talented. This book is vastly improved in that aspect and therefore more enjoyable.
Four housemates share a house and in the midst of a party one of them is pushed to her death. All the housemates have their secrets and Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane are called in to investigate. Initially everyone thinks the victim slipped and it is a tragic accident. However Alex is following her instincts and probes more much to the consternation of her boss. I really enjoy the growing relationship between these two women. It is great to have an all female team who are well rounded personalities and are friends as well as colleagues.
There are some pretty unlikeable characters in this book and it really held my interest. Plenty of twists and turns and realistic scenarios. I am looking forward to the next instalment as I think Victoria Jenkins is getting into her stride.
When I read the first book in this series I criticized the constant repetition in the book but felt the writer was very talented. This book is vastly improved in that aspect and therefore more enjoyable.
Four housemates share a house and in the midst of a party one of them is pushed to her death. All the housemates have their secrets and Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane are called in to investigate. Initially everyone thinks the victim slipped and it is a tragic accident. However Alex is following her instincts and probes more much to the consternation of her boss. I really enjoy the growing relationship between these two women. It is great to have an all female team who are well rounded personalities and are friends as well as colleagues.
There are some pretty unlikeable characters in this book and it really held my interest. Plenty of twists and turns and realistic scenarios. I am looking forward to the next instalment as I think Victoria Jenkins is getting into her stride.
December 31, 2017
Detective Alex King is called out to the scene of a young girl who is dead. Keira North is twenty years old and looks like she fell from the roof top. But there are signs inside that she was not alone and witnesses overheard her arguing with someone. Was this an accident, or murder? Keira was also five months pregnant. Her friends are not as forth coming as one would think they would be. Are they hiding something as well? This is a very well written story of murder and suspense. It is the second book in a series. Now I have to read the first one. I would like to thank Net Galley for a copy of this story. The review is voluntarily done and is my own unbiased opinion.
October 22, 2017
The First One to Die is the second instalment in the Detectives King and Lane series. It’s a great follow up to The Girls In the Water but can be read as a stand alone.
This book features four friends, a house full of secrets and a killer picking them off one by one. The first death initially seems like and accident but Detectives King and Lane suspect foul play, then more bodies begin turning up. King and Lane begin investigating, but they are also fighting their own demons, will this impact on the case?
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a gritty police thriller that entertained me from the beginning.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.
This book features four friends, a house full of secrets and a killer picking them off one by one. The first death initially seems like and accident but Detectives King and Lane suspect foul play, then more bodies begin turning up. King and Lane begin investigating, but they are also fighting their own demons, will this impact on the case?
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a gritty police thriller that entertained me from the beginning.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.
September 22, 2017
4 and 1 / 2 stars
A college student named Keira North and her boyfriend, Tom Stoddard, have an argument. He storms out leaving her sitting in the second story window. Someone comes in and pushes her out of the window.
DI Alex King responds to the call at 2:20 a.m. The call originally came in just before midnight and the two responding police officers sent everyone at the party home, except the surviving three housemates, Tom, Leah and Jamie. Alex despairs of witnesses lost and evidence obscured.
The next morning her partner and roommate DC Chloe Lane greets her at the station and apologizes for not being at the scene with Alex. The first person they interview is Tom Stoddard. Following the interview with overly casual and twitchy Tom, Alex and Chloe suspect there was more to Keira’s death and an accident.
Alex feels there is something off about Tom, but can’t put her finger on it. As the investigation continues, another young girl is in the ICU of the hospital for having taken ecstasy at a club. Her friend does a runner when she sees the police. Her mother is more stable and more honest than Keira’s mother. Now the team has two cases on the go.
Keira turns out to be five months pregnant and from her internet searches, she knew it. She had no alcohol in her system when she died. These facts line up with the murder side of the ledger.
The young girl in ICU is named Amy. When her friend identifies a suspect as the one who sold Amy the pills of ecstasy, he is arrested. Alex and Chloe still believe that Tom Stoddard is responsible for Keira’s death and do not want to see him get away. Then Leah is hit by a car – on purpose. She is in the hospital in a coma, but in stable condition. Then Tom Stoddard is murdered – stabbed to death in his own kitchen.
This book is very well written and plotted. It read linearly and with no wasted words. It was very interesting and engaging. The suspense started immediately with Keira’s death and continued at a fast pace throughout the balance of the novel. We learned sufficient information about the main characters’ backgrounds so as to fill them out as persons, but not so much that it intruded on the story line. I truly enjoyed this book and will certainly look into Victoria Jenkins’ other books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read and enjoy.
A college student named Keira North and her boyfriend, Tom Stoddard, have an argument. He storms out leaving her sitting in the second story window. Someone comes in and pushes her out of the window.
DI Alex King responds to the call at 2:20 a.m. The call originally came in just before midnight and the two responding police officers sent everyone at the party home, except the surviving three housemates, Tom, Leah and Jamie. Alex despairs of witnesses lost and evidence obscured.
The next morning her partner and roommate DC Chloe Lane greets her at the station and apologizes for not being at the scene with Alex. The first person they interview is Tom Stoddard. Following the interview with overly casual and twitchy Tom, Alex and Chloe suspect there was more to Keira’s death and an accident.
Alex feels there is something off about Tom, but can’t put her finger on it. As the investigation continues, another young girl is in the ICU of the hospital for having taken ecstasy at a club. Her friend does a runner when she sees the police. Her mother is more stable and more honest than Keira’s mother. Now the team has two cases on the go.
Keira turns out to be five months pregnant and from her internet searches, she knew it. She had no alcohol in her system when she died. These facts line up with the murder side of the ledger.
The young girl in ICU is named Amy. When her friend identifies a suspect as the one who sold Amy the pills of ecstasy, he is arrested. Alex and Chloe still believe that Tom Stoddard is responsible for Keira’s death and do not want to see him get away. Then Leah is hit by a car – on purpose. She is in the hospital in a coma, but in stable condition. Then Tom Stoddard is murdered – stabbed to death in his own kitchen.
This book is very well written and plotted. It read linearly and with no wasted words. It was very interesting and engaging. The suspense started immediately with Keira’s death and continued at a fast pace throughout the balance of the novel. We learned sufficient information about the main characters’ backgrounds so as to fill them out as persons, but not so much that it intruded on the story line. I truly enjoyed this book and will certainly look into Victoria Jenkins’ other books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read and enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2017
A college student falls to her death during a party. Despite a heavily mismanaged crime scene, Detectives Alex and Chloe quickly realize that Keira's death is not an accident. What they aren't prepared for is for Keira's roommates to be targeted next ...
Strengths:
I really liked the introspective nature of both detectives, and their strong friendship. Chloe is even temporarily living with Alex. I haven't read the first book in this series, but it's hinted that past events have traumatized Chloe, and her friendship with Alex is a stabilizing force. It's nice to see this in a detective novel, and it's quite rare to have two female detectives as protagonists.
I also thought that the plot resolved itself well. There are some twists I wasn't expecting, and all loose ends were tidied.
Weaknesses:
Most of the suspects were reprehensible. They almost felt one-dimensional. I did appreciate that the detectives tried, fleetingly, to find empathy for these individuals, because I couldn't do it. I also felt that their motives were quite weak and self-serving - although I suppose that's the point.
An unstoppable detective novel has a pace that refuses to let you put it down, no matter what else you have going on. Here, I wish the tension and pacing was more demanding. I read this at a leisurely pace, the way I might literary fiction.
*Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC*
Strengths:
I really liked the introspective nature of both detectives, and their strong friendship. Chloe is even temporarily living with Alex. I haven't read the first book in this series, but it's hinted that past events have traumatized Chloe, and her friendship with Alex is a stabilizing force. It's nice to see this in a detective novel, and it's quite rare to have two female detectives as protagonists.
I also thought that the plot resolved itself well. There are some twists I wasn't expecting, and all loose ends were tidied.
Weaknesses:
Most of the suspects were reprehensible. They almost felt one-dimensional. I did appreciate that the detectives tried, fleetingly, to find empathy for these individuals, because I couldn't do it. I also felt that their motives were quite weak and self-serving - although I suppose that's the point.
An unstoppable detective novel has a pace that refuses to let you put it down, no matter what else you have going on. Here, I wish the tension and pacing was more demanding. I read this at a leisurely pace, the way I might literary fiction.
*Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC*
September 26, 2017
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The First One to Die by Victoria Jenkins. What a fab follow up to The Girls in the Water. I can't wait for more King & Lane books!
The story follows four house mates sharing a flat, one turns up dead - did she fall or was she pushed off the balcony? What follows is a brilliant story with twists and turns that keep you hooked! The ending was fabulous!!
I love Victoria Jenkins, her writing style is enthralling and her short snappy chapters keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more! I look forward to the future of King & Lane!!
The story follows four house mates sharing a flat, one turns up dead - did she fall or was she pushed off the balcony? What follows is a brilliant story with twists and turns that keep you hooked! The ending was fabulous!!
I love Victoria Jenkins, her writing style is enthralling and her short snappy chapters keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more! I look forward to the future of King & Lane!!
January 5, 2018
4.5 stars.
What a cracking book. This was better than the first King and Lane mystery. Keira North falls to her death from the second floor of a group house during a party. The powers that be are prepared to write it off as an accident and wrap it up quickly but Alex King isn't so sure. She and her sidekick Chloe keep quietly digging away. Then another of the housemates dies of an overdose. Another accident? Suicide? Or something altogether more sinister? Again Alex suspects foul play but is having a devilish time proving it. Her bosses want it all wrapped up.
As Alex and Chloe keep digging they find that the housemates all have secrets and all is not as it seems. The plot thickens and twist abound. Another death and you are scratching your head wondering what the actual heck is going on. And that's where we'll leave it. This was a really enjoyable twisty story and I hope that Ms Jenkins keeps them coming.
What a cracking book. This was better than the first King and Lane mystery. Keira North falls to her death from the second floor of a group house during a party. The powers that be are prepared to write it off as an accident and wrap it up quickly but Alex King isn't so sure. She and her sidekick Chloe keep quietly digging away. Then another of the housemates dies of an overdose. Another accident? Suicide? Or something altogether more sinister? Again Alex suspects foul play but is having a devilish time proving it. Her bosses want it all wrapped up.
As Alex and Chloe keep digging they find that the housemates all have secrets and all is not as it seems. The plot thickens and twist abound. Another death and you are scratching your head wondering what the actual heck is going on. And that's where we'll leave it. This was a really enjoyable twisty story and I hope that Ms Jenkins keeps them coming.
October 30, 2017
Having read and reviewed and liked 'The Girls in the Water', the debut novel and first in the series, I was keen to read this book too.
This book opens with a brief and punchy prologue.
I like the way Victoria Jenkins has managed to develop the characters of the detectives (Alex King and Chloe Lane) in this second book. She has also managed to create a novel which has pace and a real sense of geographical authenticity.
It is difficult to say too much about the plot without spoiling the story. Suffice to say there are shoals of red herrings before we learn who was to blame for the murders which happen along the way.
I look forward to the next book in the series!
My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this novel in return for this review.
This book opens with a brief and punchy prologue.
I like the way Victoria Jenkins has managed to develop the characters of the detectives (Alex King and Chloe Lane) in this second book. She has also managed to create a novel which has pace and a real sense of geographical authenticity.
It is difficult to say too much about the plot without spoiling the story. Suffice to say there are shoals of red herrings before we learn who was to blame for the murders which happen along the way.
I look forward to the next book in the series!
My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this novel in return for this review.
November 11, 2017
This is the first book in this series that I’ve read and I really enjoyed it.
Both Detectives have their own problems but you get a real sense that they’re there for each other both at home and at work.
The first death is a shock to everyone and the victims housemates each seem to have something to hide.
There’s quite a lot for Detectives King and Lane to work through and the killer came as a real surprise for me.
This is a gripping crime book and I’d recommend it to all crime fiction readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me a copy to read and review.
Both Detectives have their own problems but you get a real sense that they’re there for each other both at home and at work.
The first death is a shock to everyone and the victims housemates each seem to have something to hide.
There’s quite a lot for Detectives King and Lane to work through and the killer came as a real surprise for me.
This is a gripping crime book and I’d recommend it to all crime fiction readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me a copy to read and review.
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