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McBride Vendetta #2
Angel Dust
It's every parent's worst nightmare…
When Isabel's daughter, Lauren is snatched from outside her school, she suspects Jody McBride is behind the kidnapping. Yet the detective in charge of Lauren's case seems more interested in picking apart her statement, and investigating members of her family.
Can Isabel persuade the police to take her seriously, or will she have to take matters into her own hands? In order to save Lauren, she must take a stark look at her own relationships, and consider how well she really knows her daughter.
This sizzling psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Rachel Abbott, Mark Edwards, Nicci French, Sabine Durrant and C.L Taylor.
Get your copy now!
When Isabel's daughter, Lauren is snatched from outside her school, she suspects Jody McBride is behind the kidnapping. Yet the detective in charge of Lauren's case seems more interested in picking apart her statement, and investigating members of her family.
Can Isabel persuade the police to take her seriously, or will she have to take matters into her own hands? In order to save Lauren, she must take a stark look at her own relationships, and consider how well she really knows her daughter.
This sizzling psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Rachel Abbott, Mark Edwards, Nicci French, Sabine Durrant and C.L Taylor.
Get your copy now!
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2018
506 people are currently reading
530 people want to read
About the author
Lorna Dounaeva
53 books272 followersLorna Dounaeva is a politics graduate who worked for the British Home Office before turning to crime fiction. She writes dark domestic thrillers and is especially fond of female villains. She lives in the Orkney islands with her Ukrainian husband and his parents, three children, a crafty cat and a happy dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 25, 2021
Angel Dust starts off relatively strong, although a little bit fanciful. Unfortunately, whilst this was a fairly quick read I found it relied too heavily on those less realistic aspects and let itself down badly around half way through with the perspective change that really didn’t bring anything to the novel other than bulking it out significantly. I’ll admit, I also picked this up expecting it to be a standalone and it really, really isn’t. There’s a lot of background from the previous book that isn’t particularly well explained and I definitely felt like I’d missed some critical context.
Isobel is propelled into a nightmare when her daughter Lauren is kidnapped, apparently taken in front of her very eyes not far from the school. But Isobel has a history with the police and her report isn’t taken all too seriously; she was a prime suspect for a series of fires prior to Lauren’s birth and has logged twelve calls to the police already reporting her daughter missing. To make matters worse, the police officer who was working the arson case is now in charge of her daughters kidnapping case and he really doesn’t trust Isobel. He didn’t manage to pin the arsons on her, but he’s determined to prove that she had something to do with her daughters disappearance. It isn’t long before Isobel takes matters into her own hands… particularly as she has a keen suspicion about who is responsible for her daughters kidnapping.
For the first half of the novel, this somehow feels fast paced, even though it doesn’t actually go anywhere. There’s a lot of police interviews, a car chase and two parents wracking their brains for anything they can do to find their daughter. There were real issues with realism, but I could feel the anxiety and the suspense.. Then at around the half way point the perspective changes and it all fell apart. At least a quarter of the book is then from Lauren’s perspective and, honestly, it’s a pointless addition that adds nothing other than to the page count.
That alone would have been enough to drop this down to three stars. However, when combined with the very real issues with believability, my rating dropped further. It’s difficult to describe without spoilers, and I really hate spoilers. So, staying vague, I struggled with the timeline and whilst it ended up making sense, the ‘coincidental’ bit could have been cut and it would have made for a more streamlined and believable plot. The police investigation stretched credibility as I doubt an officer with a known prior bias against the family would be permitted to run the investigation and finally Isobel’s own investigation was at once both too long winded and too simple; things just seemed to fall into her lap and the way some of it does makes me question how the police didn’t have that relevant information in advance.
So, this was a quick and easy read that was fairly well written, but the sudden perspective shift and the serious glaring holes in believability let it down significantly which is a shame.
Isobel is propelled into a nightmare when her daughter Lauren is kidnapped, apparently taken in front of her very eyes not far from the school. But Isobel has a history with the police and her report isn’t taken all too seriously; she was a prime suspect for a series of fires prior to Lauren’s birth and has logged twelve calls to the police already reporting her daughter missing. To make matters worse, the police officer who was working the arson case is now in charge of her daughters kidnapping case and he really doesn’t trust Isobel. He didn’t manage to pin the arsons on her, but he’s determined to prove that she had something to do with her daughters disappearance. It isn’t long before Isobel takes matters into her own hands… particularly as she has a keen suspicion about who is responsible for her daughters kidnapping.
For the first half of the novel, this somehow feels fast paced, even though it doesn’t actually go anywhere. There’s a lot of police interviews, a car chase and two parents wracking their brains for anything they can do to find their daughter. There were real issues with realism, but I could feel the anxiety and the suspense.. Then at around the half way point the perspective changes and it all fell apart. At least a quarter of the book is then from Lauren’s perspective and, honestly, it’s a pointless addition that adds nothing other than to the page count.
That alone would have been enough to drop this down to three stars. However, when combined with the very real issues with believability, my rating dropped further. It’s difficult to describe without spoilers, and I really hate spoilers. So, staying vague, I struggled with the timeline and whilst it ended up making sense, the ‘coincidental’ bit could have been cut and it would have made for a more streamlined and believable plot. The police investigation stretched credibility as I doubt an officer with a known prior bias against the family would be permitted to run the investigation and finally Isobel’s own investigation was at once both too long winded and too simple; things just seemed to fall into her lap and the way some of it does makes me question how the police didn’t have that relevant information in advance.
So, this was a quick and easy read that was fairly well written, but the sudden perspective shift and the serious glaring holes in believability let it down significantly which is a shame.
June 4, 2021
I started this one with high hopes but it just didn’t work out that way. I couldn’t get into it and it definitely is not one of those books you can read as a stand-alone. It is best to read this series in order.
May 23, 2021
Suspenseful but disjointed
Had I realized that this wasn’t a “stand alone” book, I wouldn’t have ordered it. I assume there were events and situations in a previous book that would have made Angel Dust more understandable. As it was, I found the book disjointed and disappointing.
Had I realized that this wasn’t a “stand alone” book, I wouldn’t have ordered it. I assume there were events and situations in a previous book that would have made Angel Dust more understandable. As it was, I found the book disjointed and disappointing.
August 13, 2018
Ten years later, Deacon and Isabel are married with an 8-year-old daughter, Lauren. Having learned from their past, they are hypervigilant about fires. They practice fire drills. Isabel is a bit overprotective of Lauren, but she feels she has a good reason. But that makes Lauren a bit of a loaner, drawn to any bit of attention she receives. And that attention may just be their downfall. Angel Dust is intense and fast-paced, a great read!
June 5, 2021
Angel Dust is about the disappearance of Lauren. Lauren is an eight year old girl whose parents are strict keeping her on a short leash. Deacon and Isabel are overprotective parents who shelter their daughter from the evils of the world. At the same time they’ve reinforced the warnings of stranger danger.
Isabel and Deacon were obsessed with training Lauren about fire safety. Jody a character that was introduced in the previous book liked to set fires because of that Deacon and Isabel chose to practice fire drills.
When Isabel went to pick up Lauren from school she watched her daughter get in a white van. Isabel has had a few altercations with the police, as noted in book 1. Isabel’s in no hurry to seek help from the police so she gives chase to the van.
In America police investigations differ from London. In the UK a family liaison is assigned to a family. There job is to assist the investigation team, but she also offers support and to keep them informed. I like this police procedure except having them practically living in your home. It’s comforting knowing there is constant contact with the police. It seems invasive to have a family liaison get comfortable in your home helping themselves to your kitchen probing into your personal life.
The story’s written from Isabel’s perspective. Isabel is living every mother’s worse nightmare when she witnesses her daughter being kidnapped. A few chapters include Lauren’s perspective. I must say I wasn’t impressed with these scenes. The police investigation was lackluster not offering much in the form of police procedure. In fact, it was Isabel’s perseverance as a who-dunnit detective that solved the mystery.
Lorna Dounaeva is a quirky British crime writer. This is my first read by this author but her writing style doesn’t produce the type of voice that propels a story forward. It’s a tedious process of minute details of which I chose to skim thru. Angel Dust is book 2 in the McBride Vendetta series. In book 1 Jody and Alicia are introduced. Book 2 is ten years later. Trouble seems to follow Isabel. I’m at a disadvantage starting with book 2.
There are a few British words I’m unfamiliar with leading me to look them up. By no means did the verbiage take away from the flow of the story.
I wasn’t invested in this book from the beginning, but I trudged through it. By the sixty percent mark the story changed directions in a way that didn’t drive the story forward. The story heads off into different directions getting sidetracked with mindless unnecessary dialogue. The story was all over the place going from one topic to another.
I’m cover shopper. This cover was a show stopper. Even the title held an appeal. After reading the book and discovering how it acquired its name I found it didn’t suit the story. It had very little to do with the book. Sadly, as stunning as this cover is I wasn’t impressed with this story. The ending was anticlimactic with a continuous movement of themes from book 1. This is one of those never ending series where the author drags out the storyline creating unrealistic scenes for that cliffhanger ending.
Isabel and Deacon were obsessed with training Lauren about fire safety. Jody a character that was introduced in the previous book liked to set fires because of that Deacon and Isabel chose to practice fire drills.
When Isabel went to pick up Lauren from school she watched her daughter get in a white van. Isabel has had a few altercations with the police, as noted in book 1. Isabel’s in no hurry to seek help from the police so she gives chase to the van.
In America police investigations differ from London. In the UK a family liaison is assigned to a family. There job is to assist the investigation team, but she also offers support and to keep them informed. I like this police procedure except having them practically living in your home. It’s comforting knowing there is constant contact with the police. It seems invasive to have a family liaison get comfortable in your home helping themselves to your kitchen probing into your personal life.
The story’s written from Isabel’s perspective. Isabel is living every mother’s worse nightmare when she witnesses her daughter being kidnapped. A few chapters include Lauren’s perspective. I must say I wasn’t impressed with these scenes. The police investigation was lackluster not offering much in the form of police procedure. In fact, it was Isabel’s perseverance as a who-dunnit detective that solved the mystery.
Lorna Dounaeva is a quirky British crime writer. This is my first read by this author but her writing style doesn’t produce the type of voice that propels a story forward. It’s a tedious process of minute details of which I chose to skim thru. Angel Dust is book 2 in the McBride Vendetta series. In book 1 Jody and Alicia are introduced. Book 2 is ten years later. Trouble seems to follow Isabel. I’m at a disadvantage starting with book 2.
There are a few British words I’m unfamiliar with leading me to look them up. By no means did the verbiage take away from the flow of the story.
I wasn’t invested in this book from the beginning, but I trudged through it. By the sixty percent mark the story changed directions in a way that didn’t drive the story forward. The story heads off into different directions getting sidetracked with mindless unnecessary dialogue. The story was all over the place going from one topic to another.
I’m cover shopper. This cover was a show stopper. Even the title held an appeal. After reading the book and discovering how it acquired its name I found it didn’t suit the story. It had very little to do with the book. Sadly, as stunning as this cover is I wasn’t impressed with this story. The ending was anticlimactic with a continuous movement of themes from book 1. This is one of those never ending series where the author drags out the storyline creating unrealistic scenes for that cliffhanger ending.
July 14, 2019
It's every parent's worst nightmare…
When Isabel's daughter, Lauren is snatched from outside her school, she suspects Jody McBride is behind the kidnapping. Yet the detective in charge of Lauren's case seems more interested in picking apart her statement, and investigating members of her family.
Can Isabel persuade the police to take her seriously, or will she have to take matters into her own hands? In order to save Lauren, she must take a stark look at her own relationships, and consider how well she really knows her daughter.
This is the 2nd in series of The McBride Vendetta.
What a gripping read this was.
Every parents worst nightmare brought out in this wonderfully written story.
Characters have been created so well and you can feel the fear while reading.
Excellent story line and plot that kept me gripped til the end.
Must read the next one now!
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When Isabel's daughter, Lauren is snatched from outside her school, she suspects Jody McBride is behind the kidnapping. Yet the detective in charge of Lauren's case seems more interested in picking apart her statement, and investigating members of her family.
Can Isabel persuade the police to take her seriously, or will she have to take matters into her own hands? In order to save Lauren, she must take a stark look at her own relationships, and consider how well she really knows her daughter.
This is the 2nd in series of The McBride Vendetta.
What a gripping read this was.
Every parents worst nightmare brought out in this wonderfully written story.
Characters have been created so well and you can feel the fear while reading.
Excellent story line and plot that kept me gripped til the end.
Must read the next one now!
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 16, 2021
Even though this was the second book in a series, this novel could just as easily be a stand-alone. I wasn't feeling "left out" at any point in the story, which kept me turning pages at almost every point. The plot of the novel plays on every parent's worst fears but has several small twists and turns that make it a unique type of thriller. In several places the author has readers trying to guess if this is a kidnapping, a mother's overactive trauma response, or a plot in which the missing child is actually participating in. The story moves at a quick pace and draws the reader in with small clues being dropped throughout the various chapters. The story is written in a contemporary style, though some of the very British words and phrases might have Americans scratching their heads a bit. In the end, this story checked all of the boxes that make for what I look for in a suspense/thriller. Thumbs up!
May 16, 2021
Deacon & Isabella have a daughter Lauren. Isabella was a mom who sheltered her daughter alot. She went to get her from school one day and she was already gone. She looked over and seen her getting in a van. The traffic was horrible but she tried to follow the van without success. Erin was named their victim advocate for the family. Isabella had a record of calling the cops for a missing child like 12 times in recent years. They didnt have many leads and Isabella decided to do some searching on her own. At first they suspected her and maybe her brother . People beat him up for it. She felt the cops were doing nothing to help. Can she find her daughter herself. Who had her and why. Is it going to end well for Lauren - read it and find out.
July 20, 2019
A wonderfully written psychological thriller that had me sitting on the edge of my seat at times and held my attention throughout. This is an emotional and tense thriller about an eight-year-old girl being kidnapped and the mother not receiving the help she wants and feels she needs from the police department. If you love psychological thrillers then grab this one, I wasn’t able to put this book down till I head read it cover to cover, an absolutely brilliant book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 21, 2019
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Voracious Readers, in exchange for an honest review.
Angel Dust is the second book in the trilogy. The saga continues as Isabelle's daughter is taken from school. Once the police are made aware of the kidnapping, Isabelle is once again on the offensive with the police. Will she be able to get her daughter back while convincing the police she is not the guilty party?
I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and easy to follow. I have enjoyed this series thus far. If you like a mystery/thriller, you will enjoy this book.
Angel Dust is the second book in the trilogy. The saga continues as Isabelle's daughter is taken from school. Once the police are made aware of the kidnapping, Isabelle is once again on the offensive with the police. Will she be able to get her daughter back while convincing the police she is not the guilty party?
I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and easy to follow. I have enjoyed this series thus far. If you like a mystery/thriller, you will enjoy this book.
March 12, 2018
I felt like I was reading a book starting in the middle. It felt like the story started elsewhere. The back story would pop up but no explanation or information was given to provide clarity.
Lauren has disappeared and of course her parents are frantic to find her. There is antagonism between Lauren’s mom and the police which induced distrust between them.
I was given an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review .
July 26, 2019
This is a gripping thriller that had me on the edge of my seat throughout the book! I love the characters and the story is well-written. This author has a wonderful way of grabbing you early in the book and compelling you to keep reading! I hope there are more books by this author (I have read Fry and Cold Bath - all three are awesome thrillers).
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 23, 2021
A good story about Isabelle, her husband Deacon and daughter Lauren. This is the second book in this series and takes a while to get the backstory of Isabelle and her family’s aversion to fire, to being trapped inside their home, to two sisters from the past and why Isabelle is so protective of her family. Lots of suspense, manipulation, twists and turns and a promise to a crazy woman to keep the reader invested in this story.
July 20, 2019
If you have not read any of Lorna Dounaeva's books I do not know what you are waiting for. This series, The McBride Vendetta, is just amazing! You will feel the emotions of the characters in all aspects of the story. I enjoy her writing very much! I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Booksprout.
January 20, 2020
She is beside herself when her daughter is kidnapped from outside the school. She thinks she knows who is behind it but the police are more interested in picking apart her statement as well as her family. Will she investigate herself? Will she find her daughter? See if she will
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 26, 2021
Angel dust
Excellent read grips you from start when 8year old Lauren is kidnapped after a phone call to the school to say Lauren can walk home with her friend Sophia, when her mum goes to pick her up she is told about the phone call which was supposed to be her, she leaves the school in a panic state
Excellent read grips you from start when 8year old Lauren is kidnapped after a phone call to the school to say Lauren can walk home with her friend Sophia, when her mum goes to pick her up she is told about the phone call which was supposed to be her, she leaves the school in a panic state
July 21, 2019
Angel dust is a really great intense reading experience. This is a very intriguing story I just couldn't put it down until it was finished.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 12, 2021
This was an interesting book in a very weird way. There's definitely a dark side to it, but the writing is good and I kept reading it to get the answers, but never really was sure what happened with Jody and Alicia.
May 14, 2021
This one's an all nighter!
This book kept me up all night!! I just couldn't sleep until I finished the book. Realistic characters who are slightly flawed, just like the rest of us!!
This book kept me up all night!! I just couldn't sleep until I finished the book. Realistic characters who are slightly flawed, just like the rest of us!!
May 18, 2021
Intriguing
A very well written, interesting and emotive story. The characters are well thought out, flawed, interesting and could be your neighbours. A riveting read by a talented author.
A very well written, interesting and emotive story. The characters are well thought out, flawed, interesting and could be your neighbours. A riveting read by a talented author.
July 1, 2021
Angel Dust
It was a good book. I wish I would have read the book written before this one because I would have had a better idea on whatever the back story was, but I got the drift.
It was a good book. I wish I would have read the book written before this one because I would have had a better idea on whatever the back story was, but I got the drift.
June 10, 2019
I liked it. A story about child kidnapping in London. A gripping tale of a mother's worst nightmare.
Read
October 7, 2020Loved it from start to finish
May 20, 2021
Good Book
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author. A lot of twist and turns.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author. A lot of twist and turns.
May 20, 2021
This book was an excellent book, that held your interest until the very end.
June 1, 2021
Interesting read
Fast paced that keep you reading. You wouldn’t want to put it down until you are finish. The suspense is good
Fast paced that keep you reading. You wouldn’t want to put it down until you are finish. The suspense is good
June 6, 2021
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I like the style of writing and it has a good story.
June 8, 2021
I perhaps would have enjoyed this more if I had read book #1 first. I wouldn't say that this is a stand alone novel. This is a follow on from book #1 without any kind of recap included.
July 12, 2021
Kind of like the first episode of a TV series after a fantastic pilot, adequate but not a repeater.
July 25, 2021
Good read
Was exciting ..kept you in suspense.. Loved the characters as they came to life..an enjoyable read I would highly recommend
Was exciting ..kept you in suspense.. Loved the characters as they came to life..an enjoyable read I would highly recommend
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews