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namita101's review against another edition
3.0
Detective Jessica Daniel is the lead investigator of a case where the victim was found murdered in a locked house. Jessica and her team have no clues and are chasing dead ends when another body is found under the same circumstances. With a lot of pressure from the media and her supervisors Jessica is racing against time to find this Houdini serial killer before he claims another victim.
This is the first book in the Jessica Daniel series by Kerry Wilkinson and is off to a great start. It started a little slow for me but picked up pace in the middle with a nice twist at the end. Overall I would give it 3 ½ stars and would definitely read more in this series to see where the story goes
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
This is the first book in the Jessica Daniel series by Kerry Wilkinson and is off to a great start. It started a little slow for me but picked up pace in the middle with a nice twist at the end. Overall I would give it 3 ½ stars and would definitely read more in this series to see where the story goes
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
gaynorcaw's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Enjoyed this will read more in the series glad I started on book 1. Good story line left you guessing right until near the end.
dryan0's review against another edition
4.0
Detective Sargent Jessica Daniel is called to investigate a murder, and she quickly notices that there are no signs of a forced entry - all of the doors and windows are locked when she arrives, and no keys are missing.
When a second body is found killed in the same way, Jessica knows she's up against the clock and that she needs to crack the case before the killer strikes again. How are the victims connected, how is the killer able to get in and out of the house, and who is this journalist that seems to know more about the case than anyone else?
Bookouture does it again with another fast paced thriller! This is the first in a series of books about DS Jessica Daniel, a thirty-something woman trying to catch criminals and find her way in life. There are currently 11 books published in the series, and I'm excited to pick up the next book!
Jessica is a little rough around the edges, but she's endearing. I read the author's note at the end of the book about how many people in their early thirties are still growing up and finding themselves, and that we'll see Jessica's progress as we continue the series, so I'm excited to see how her character develops!
The murders themselves were really interesting - I was constantly trying to figure out how the killer was able to get in and out of the houses, and I enjoyed the reveal when all of the pieces fell together. I was able to correctly guess the killer about halfway through the book, but wasn't able to guess the motive and connections until they were revealed, so there were still some aspects of mystery there!
Overall, this was a really quick moving serial killer thriller that I'd recommend for fans of the thriller genre! The end of the book successfully wrapped up this story, while leaving enough open that the sequels will make sense. I'm excited to see what happens with Jessica and the reporter, Garry! The Killer Inside is out now, so go pick it up! Thank you so much to Netgalley, Bookouture, and Kerry Wilkinson for a copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.
When a second body is found killed in the same way, Jessica knows she's up against the clock and that she needs to crack the case before the killer strikes again. How are the victims connected, how is the killer able to get in and out of the house, and who is this journalist that seems to know more about the case than anyone else?
Bookouture does it again with another fast paced thriller! This is the first in a series of books about DS Jessica Daniel, a thirty-something woman trying to catch criminals and find her way in life. There are currently 11 books published in the series, and I'm excited to pick up the next book!
Jessica is a little rough around the edges, but she's endearing. I read the author's note at the end of the book about how many people in their early thirties are still growing up and finding themselves, and that we'll see Jessica's progress as we continue the series, so I'm excited to see how her character develops!
The murders themselves were really interesting - I was constantly trying to figure out how the killer was able to get in and out of the houses, and I enjoyed the reveal when all of the pieces fell together. I was able to correctly guess the killer about halfway through the book, but wasn't able to guess the motive and connections until they were revealed, so there were still some aspects of mystery there!
Overall, this was a really quick moving serial killer thriller that I'd recommend for fans of the thriller genre! The end of the book successfully wrapped up this story, while leaving enough open that the sequels will make sense. I'm excited to see what happens with Jessica and the reporter, Garry! The Killer Inside is out now, so go pick it up! Thank you so much to Netgalley, Bookouture, and Kerry Wilkinson for a copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.
klshann's review against another edition
3.0
A good police procedural book with likeable characters and a good storyline
The first half of the book spent a lot of time introducing the characters and not a lot on the plot, I felt this could have been better balanced
The first half of the book spent a lot of time introducing the characters and not a lot on the plot, I felt this could have been better balanced
ljr622's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. Recommended for lovers of British cozy mysteries. Jessica reminds me of Nancy Drew or Jessica (coincidence?) Fletcher of "Murder She Wrote". An imperfect young woman, with a down to earth personality, liked by her coworkers, with a normal life & friends. She dedicated to solving the mystery and yet is compassionate about the guilty, and those affected by crimes. It's a fast-paced, quick read with a believable cast of characters (other than 1 attorney I didn't dislike anyone). Jessica is a breath of fresh air - the writer shows us a heroine in a police procedural that doesn't come across as an emotionally damaged drunken slut (I apologize to all you lovers of The Girl on the Train). There's not a lot of descriptive writing of blood & gore violence (at least not from my viewpoint), I also don't recall any off color language. The plot gets an interesting twist at around 75%, and has a satisfying but fairly predictable ending leaving me in anticipation of beginning book 2 in the series (see below).
On the 10th I downloaded the 5 chapter sample. Devoured chapters 1 + 2, then ordered for my @AmazonKindle since is was (and still is as of today) on sale to for 99¢. Although the Jessica Daniel books have been a best sellers in the U.K. since 2011, this is America's introduction to the series thanks to the Publisher Bookouture.
I have since received an ARC of "Vigilante", book # 2 in the series courtesy of the Publisher Bookouture via NetGalley that I'll be reading, tweeting about & posting my review over the next few days, so I'm being conservative with my stars and giving this 4 stars for now; Kerry Wilkinson (the author) mentions in 'Letter from Kerry' at the end of "Killer Inside", that Jessica matures as the series evolves, this way I can give 5 stars after reading addition books.
On the 10th I downloaded the 5 chapter sample. Devoured chapters 1 + 2, then ordered for my @AmazonKindle since is was (and still is as of today) on sale to for 99¢. Although the Jessica Daniel books have been a best sellers in the U.K. since 2011, this is America's introduction to the series thanks to the Publisher Bookouture.
I have since received an ARC of "Vigilante", book # 2 in the series courtesy of the Publisher Bookouture via NetGalley that I'll be reading, tweeting about & posting my review over the next few days, so I'm being conservative with my stars and giving this 4 stars for now; Kerry Wilkinson (the author) mentions in 'Letter from Kerry' at the end of "Killer Inside", that Jessica matures as the series evolves, this way I can give 5 stars after reading addition books.
sevireene's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
raven88's review against another edition
4.0
I feel that I may have joined the Kerry Wilkinson party a little late, looking at the phenomenal success he has enjoyed from self publishing to major book deal, but better late than never! I fair raced through ‘Locked In’ the first DS Jessica Daniel investigation, an engaging police procedural set on the mean streets of Manchester and setting the scene for a series worthy of attention.
I think what I liked most about the book was the character of Jessica herself, as unlike many other crime authors, Wilkinson has made her wholly believable. She has no weird obsessions, no strange sexual attraction to her older boss, no addictive habits and apart from her, at times, hilarious angry outbursts as she doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and is portrayed as a decent, focused and determined, detective. Wilkinson seems to have a knack for identifying those elements of modern life that rankle the most, and through Jessica gets a chance to vent his spleen so to speak, through her blunt turn of phrase and tendency towards sarcasm. I really liked her interaction and sense of playfulness with her police colleague DC Dave Rowlands and nerdy reporter Garry Ashford (yes, the unconventional spelling and tweed jacket annoyed me as well!) and her steadfast refusal to conform to certain expectations of her in terms of wardrobe and updating her old and loved car, which is widely ridiculed amongst her colleagues. The characterisation of both Jessica and the other central players generally felt very natural, and the dialogue flowed easily throughout the book engaging us further with the characters.
The setting of inner city Manchester is well realised and the locations come across as authentic, highlighting the social and economic disparities of any large British city, rotating between the deprivation of some areas and the comfort of suburban communities. In terms of plot and narrative this was a steady enough police procedural, with the intriguing central premise of seemingly random murder victims discovered in completely locked abodes, leading to the utterly imaginative dubbing of the killer by the press as the ‘Houdini Srangler’. I thought that Wilkinson did as much as he could to conceal the killer’s identity for as long as physically possible given the natural revelations of the investigation, but for me alarm bells were ringing early and alas I was proved right with my Holmesian skills of detection- ha! But joking aside, if there was a slight blip in the plotting for me, I have in no way been deterred as I have since read the second book ‘Vigilante’ (which I also enjoyed) and am halfway through the third ‘The Woman In Black’ which is distinctly darker in tone, thus establishing the fact that I’m really quite keen on this series already. ‘Think of the Children’ is the latest addition and no doubt I will seek this one out as well. A good find, and a perfect series for those looking for a new take on the British police procedural.
I think what I liked most about the book was the character of Jessica herself, as unlike many other crime authors, Wilkinson has made her wholly believable. She has no weird obsessions, no strange sexual attraction to her older boss, no addictive habits and apart from her, at times, hilarious angry outbursts as she doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and is portrayed as a decent, focused and determined, detective. Wilkinson seems to have a knack for identifying those elements of modern life that rankle the most, and through Jessica gets a chance to vent his spleen so to speak, through her blunt turn of phrase and tendency towards sarcasm. I really liked her interaction and sense of playfulness with her police colleague DC Dave Rowlands and nerdy reporter Garry Ashford (yes, the unconventional spelling and tweed jacket annoyed me as well!) and her steadfast refusal to conform to certain expectations of her in terms of wardrobe and updating her old and loved car, which is widely ridiculed amongst her colleagues. The characterisation of both Jessica and the other central players generally felt very natural, and the dialogue flowed easily throughout the book engaging us further with the characters.
The setting of inner city Manchester is well realised and the locations come across as authentic, highlighting the social and economic disparities of any large British city, rotating between the deprivation of some areas and the comfort of suburban communities. In terms of plot and narrative this was a steady enough police procedural, with the intriguing central premise of seemingly random murder victims discovered in completely locked abodes, leading to the utterly imaginative dubbing of the killer by the press as the ‘Houdini Srangler’. I thought that Wilkinson did as much as he could to conceal the killer’s identity for as long as physically possible given the natural revelations of the investigation, but for me alarm bells were ringing early and alas I was proved right with my Holmesian skills of detection- ha! But joking aside, if there was a slight blip in the plotting for me, I have in no way been deterred as I have since read the second book ‘Vigilante’ (which I also enjoyed) and am halfway through the third ‘The Woman In Black’ which is distinctly darker in tone, thus establishing the fact that I’m really quite keen on this series already. ‘Think of the Children’ is the latest addition and no doubt I will seek this one out as well. A good find, and a perfect series for those looking for a new take on the British police procedural.
jaemac's review
3.0
I thought this was a good start for this series and I read it because I've agreed to read the author's latest mystery that is coming out soon. I wanted to get to know the main character, DI Jessica Daniel before I met her again in the later book. I have high hopes for this ongoing series as I've seen it has great ratings. I found it that the mystery dragged a little in the middle but in the last fifth of the book the mystery really got good. I found the author had an authentic voice and the reason the main crime happened was also believable. I look forward to reading the series further.
isobel_smit21's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
lisayates's review against another edition
5.0
OMG Amazing read!!
A few people recommended this book on a Facebook page I belong to and I'm so glad I decided to buy & read for myself. I literally could of read this book in a few hours if I had the time, I felt quite annoyed when I had to stop reading lol. This is an amazing read & I've not only discovered a new author but a fantastic new author & book series. Can't wait to start reading the next one!
If you've not read it.....do it now :)
A few people recommended this book on a Facebook page I belong to and I'm so glad I decided to buy & read for myself. I literally could of read this book in a few hours if I had the time, I felt quite annoyed when I had to stop reading lol. This is an amazing read & I've not only discovered a new author but a fantastic new author & book series. Can't wait to start reading the next one!
If you've not read it.....do it now :)