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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.5
Finished reading: May 17th 2019
"He turned her from a confident, carefree, intelligent woman, into a shell. She felt like nothing. Like she was in someone else's body, skin, mindset."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Killer Reads in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Holy bat in hell, what a read! Now excuse me while I go pick my jaw off the floor... I already had a feeling I was going to enjoy this crime thriller by fellow book blogger and now debut author Noelle Holten, and my expectations were more than met. I literally cancelled all plans, settled down in my favorite reading chair and flew through Dead Inside in one sitting. It was simply brilliant! I loved that we not only have the typical detective (Maggie) to follow, but that we also have a probation officer (Lucy) in the spotlight. It definitely shows in the little details that Noelle worked as a senior probation officer herself for eighteen years, and it was fascinating to see a lesser explored angle being used in a crime thriller. The same goes for criminal psychologist Kate, who brings another refreshing angle to the investigation and it's these three women together that makes this story work so well. It's true we don't get to see all that much of Maggie yet, but I'm having a feeling we will be getting plenty of her in the sequel.
Dead Inside is all about domestic abuse and what effects it has on the victimis and those around them. Signs of abuse are often not easy to see and the victims often feel that the situation they are in is impossible to escape. Psychological abuse is still abuse and harder to discover for outsiders... As someone who has been in a toxic relationship in the past, I know how hard it can be to let go. Trigger warnings are in place for the mentioned abuse, rape, violence and alcoholism. Dead Inside shines a light on domestic abuse from the point of view of both victims and (in a less direct way) abusers. At the same time, we also have an active murder investigation going on with 'victims' who don't exactly arise sympathy. This angle alone is a very intriguing as it makes you wonder about right and wrong and if certain people just had it coming and karma came looking for them, or if even those dirtbags have rights... This story is lightning fast and isn't afraid to go dark and messy. There are various twists and turns involved in Dead Inside, and while I did see part of it coming, I definitely didn't guess the final reveal. And what a way to end the story! The whole Bill Raven case sounds fascinatingly disturbing... I already can't wait to read the sequel and Dead Inside hasn't even officially been published yet. Crime thriller fans, you have found a new title for your wishlist! Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this outstanding crime thriller debut.
bookedupgirl's review
4.0
I can’t believe this is Noelle’s first book – I just loved it! What I really liked, although the storyline centres around the police, specifically DC Maggie Jamieson, there is an equal focus around another key character: Lucy, a probation officer who oversees the probation of domestic abusers – whilst also being a victim herself. The book takes a really dark turn when some of Lucy’s parolees are found murdered, and the teams must work together in order to piece together the puzzle. This book was a real rollercoaster – it had it all; it was gruesome, emotional and twisted. There were many parts that were hard to read, and the book kept me gasping and wincing throughout. Noelle did a fantastic job at character development. I loved everyone and felt a strong connection with them all.
ljwrites85's review
3.0
So this is Noelle Holten debut novel, and wow, Dead Inside is some hard hitting stuff! A little warning before you read this book the main focus of the story is domestic abuse from the beatings to the more sinister psychological torment that victims endure but I felt it was handled with honesty and sensitivity.
I feel like this book is part police procedural, part psychological thriller, which are my two favourite genres. It is a multiple POV story, the main viewpoints are from DC Maggie Jamieson and probation officer Lucy.
Lucy is one of those characters who seems strong on the outside but on the inside she’s struggling. Her husband Patrick is abusive but she can’t bring herself to leave him. The irony of it is that she deals with men like him on a daily basis as part of her job as a probation officer.
Maggie has started a new job in the DAHU which stands for the domestic abuse and homicide unit it after being transferred. She’s dumped in at the deep end when a body shows up, tortured, that was on the police’s watch list as an abuser.
What I like is I feel there is room for Maggie’s character to grow and I look forward to getting to know her better as this series goes along.
My main issue was I felt the book was more focused on the domestic abuse aspect, which is admirable, I feel like it needs to be talked about and victims not stigmatised but as a woman it makes it no easier to read about other women suffering such horrible things.
Dead Inside is an insightful debut, that is faces some thorny issues head on and will send you on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout. The ending has left it open for a sequel which I’m looking forward to.
I feel like this book is part police procedural, part psychological thriller, which are my two favourite genres. It is a multiple POV story, the main viewpoints are from DC Maggie Jamieson and probation officer Lucy.
Lucy is one of those characters who seems strong on the outside but on the inside she’s struggling. Her husband Patrick is abusive but she can’t bring herself to leave him. The irony of it is that she deals with men like him on a daily basis as part of her job as a probation officer.
Maggie has started a new job in the DAHU which stands for the domestic abuse and homicide unit it after being transferred. She’s dumped in at the deep end when a body shows up, tortured, that was on the police’s watch list as an abuser.
What I like is I feel there is room for Maggie’s character to grow and I look forward to getting to know her better as this series goes along.
My main issue was I felt the book was more focused on the domestic abuse aspect, which is admirable, I feel like it needs to be talked about and victims not stigmatised but as a woman it makes it no easier to read about other women suffering such horrible things.
Dead Inside is an insightful debut, that is faces some thorny issues head on and will send you on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout. The ending has left it open for a sequel which I’m looking forward to.
hrkershaw's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
robinlovesreading's review
5.0
It is with bated breath that I attempt to write this review. As I was reading the pages of this book I felt like I was experiencing what I was reading, although nothing in this book has ever happened to me. However, for some reason, I was amazingly affected by Dead Inside. How an author, a debut author at that, could pen words that could tear my soul apart is one I am honored to read. I did have to take a break from reading for several hours. To say that this touched a cord with me is an understatement.
I find this book by Noelle Holten to have two primary characters. For starters, it is the first book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series, so she is the first. In addition, there is Lucy Sherwood, a probation officer who proved to be the catalyst for the story.
Lucy works with violent domestic abusers with hopes of keeping them in line and away from their former victims. She deals with some very rough men on a professional basis. However, it is what is happening in her private life that is a deep, dark and well-kept secret. Her marriage is not what it seems, so Lucy is forced to have two personas, and manages to live this life for quite a long time.
With regard to Maggie, she has begun a new job in a newly formed unit. After dealing with a gruesome murder case, working with domestic situations might be a bit easier for her to deal with. However, as she immediately begins her first case, it is that of a man violently murdered. In short order, other murders occur, and Maggie and her team have a difficult battle on their hands finding the killer before yet another person dies.
Meanwhile, things are happening with Lucy - and her awful husband Patrick - that begin to shed light on some awful scenarios. As mentioned, Lucy's home life was a secret. None of her colleagues were aware of the horrors she was experiencing. Ultimately, Lucy is faced with a murder charge. Has her job, and her personal life become too much? Has she finally cracked?
As mentioned, this story was intense. It was dark, haunting and heartbreaking. The fact remains that women experience the horrors of domestic violence each and every day. I applaud Ms. Holten for writing such an effective story. As the book ends, readers are left eagerly anticipating the next book.
Many thanks to Harper Impulse, Killer Reads and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
I find this book by Noelle Holten to have two primary characters. For starters, it is the first book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series, so she is the first. In addition, there is Lucy Sherwood, a probation officer who proved to be the catalyst for the story.
Lucy works with violent domestic abusers with hopes of keeping them in line and away from their former victims. She deals with some very rough men on a professional basis. However, it is what is happening in her private life that is a deep, dark and well-kept secret. Her marriage is not what it seems, so Lucy is forced to have two personas, and manages to live this life for quite a long time.
With regard to Maggie, she has begun a new job in a newly formed unit. After dealing with a gruesome murder case, working with domestic situations might be a bit easier for her to deal with. However, as she immediately begins her first case, it is that of a man violently murdered. In short order, other murders occur, and Maggie and her team have a difficult battle on their hands finding the killer before yet another person dies.
Meanwhile, things are happening with Lucy - and her awful husband Patrick - that begin to shed light on some awful scenarios. As mentioned, Lucy's home life was a secret. None of her colleagues were aware of the horrors she was experiencing. Ultimately, Lucy is faced with a murder charge. Has her job, and her personal life become too much? Has she finally cracked?
As mentioned, this story was intense. It was dark, haunting and heartbreaking. The fact remains that women experience the horrors of domestic violence each and every day. I applaud Ms. Holten for writing such an effective story. As the book ends, readers are left eagerly anticipating the next book.
Many thanks to Harper Impulse, Killer Reads and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
sarahs_bookish_life's review
5.0
Wow! Wow! Wow! I seriously can not believe that this is the authors debut novel!
This is the first book in the DC Maggie Jamieson crime series. What a way to start a series off! Whilst it is a series featuring Maggie and her team, the main character in this story is Lucy. Lucy’s character I loved. She works in probation, of which was a job I didn’t envy her whatsoever, dealing with some offenders that even prison would be to good for them to end up.
Due to the story line dealing with domestic abuse, some parts do make for uncomfortable reading but it also makes for a compelling read. What I really loved was getting to see the probation side of things as to often in a crime book we only ever get to see things from the side of the police which isn’t really a true reflection of what actually happens with these sort of crimes.
There is vast amount of characters and this just goes to show how talented the author is as not even once did I feel overwhelmed with how many there are and trying to remember their part in the story. Every one of them plays a very important role and I really hope to see some of them again throughout the series.
The story starts off with a prologue that grabbed me straight away. I knew from that point that this was going to be an emotional roller coaster ride of a read and I wasn’t wrong. It carries on flowing effortlessly so that I was totally wrapped up in what was happening in the story and totally oblivious to what was going on in the real world.
Dead Inside is an impressive debut that had me hooked from the first to the last page. It is a powerful and hard hitting story that shows the inside of the victims and abusers minds. It made me go through an array of emotions, though mainly anger at the abusers and sadness for what the victims were going through. This really is a great start to a brand spanking new series of which I am a huge fan of already. All the stars for this one and will be counting down the days until the next one is out.
This is the first book in the DC Maggie Jamieson crime series. What a way to start a series off! Whilst it is a series featuring Maggie and her team, the main character in this story is Lucy. Lucy’s character I loved. She works in probation, of which was a job I didn’t envy her whatsoever, dealing with some offenders that even prison would be to good for them to end up.
Due to the story line dealing with domestic abuse, some parts do make for uncomfortable reading but it also makes for a compelling read. What I really loved was getting to see the probation side of things as to often in a crime book we only ever get to see things from the side of the police which isn’t really a true reflection of what actually happens with these sort of crimes.
There is vast amount of characters and this just goes to show how talented the author is as not even once did I feel overwhelmed with how many there are and trying to remember their part in the story. Every one of them plays a very important role and I really hope to see some of them again throughout the series.
The story starts off with a prologue that grabbed me straight away. I knew from that point that this was going to be an emotional roller coaster ride of a read and I wasn’t wrong. It carries on flowing effortlessly so that I was totally wrapped up in what was happening in the story and totally oblivious to what was going on in the real world.
Dead Inside is an impressive debut that had me hooked from the first to the last page. It is a powerful and hard hitting story that shows the inside of the victims and abusers minds. It made me go through an array of emotions, though mainly anger at the abusers and sadness for what the victims were going through. This really is a great start to a brand spanking new series of which I am a huge fan of already. All the stars for this one and will be counting down the days until the next one is out.
karen_team_orange's review
4.0
This very quickly got me hooked despite the subject matter, some of which is difficult to read. I found myself reading the odd few pages at every opportunity and leaving jobs undone, that’s a sure sign of a well written and good book. Will definitely be reading the next in the series.
snazzybooks's review
5.0
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Dead Inside is a brilliantly crafted novel that's fast-paced, punchy and intriguing.
Although it features detectives and police, and various cases which were being investigated (violent abusive men who've been murdered - is there a link?), it feels to me like more of an intense mystery/ drama, rather than your usual crime novel. This is in part because the characters felt so well fleshed out and very convincing, so I could feel myself completely sucked into the story, finishing this in no time at all.
Dead Inside is an easy, quick read in terms of language, because the plot and writing flows so well, but the subject matter gets pretty dark and disturbing at times; obviously it centers around abuse and violence within relationships, so this is to be expected, but some parts made me feel SO angry and indignant for the women who were abused - particularly Lucy who I really liked - that I felt myself wanting to scream at the men within its pages. It takes some skilled writing to evoke such strong emotions, and I felt this demonstrated what a great writer Noelle is.
I can't believe this is a debut novel, as I enjoyed it so much and would happily read many more - so I'm already looking forward to book number 2! Addictive, compelling and definitely dark.
Dead Inside is a brilliantly crafted novel that's fast-paced, punchy and intriguing.
Although it features detectives and police, and various cases which were being investigated (violent abusive men who've been murdered - is there a link?), it feels to me like more of an intense mystery/ drama, rather than your usual crime novel. This is in part because the characters felt so well fleshed out and very convincing, so I could feel myself completely sucked into the story, finishing this in no time at all.
Dead Inside is an easy, quick read in terms of language, because the plot and writing flows so well, but the subject matter gets pretty dark and disturbing at times; obviously it centers around abuse and violence within relationships, so this is to be expected, but some parts made me feel SO angry and indignant for the women who were abused - particularly Lucy who I really liked - that I felt myself wanting to scream at the men within its pages. It takes some skilled writing to evoke such strong emotions, and I felt this demonstrated what a great writer Noelle is.
I can't believe this is a debut novel, as I enjoyed it so much and would happily read many more - so I'm already looking forward to book number 2! Addictive, compelling and definitely dark.
cheryl59's review
5.0
Wow what a fabulous debut novel. I really enjoyed this book, although the subject is quite a difficult one the author covered it well and the characters were very well drawn. I can’t wait for the next book.
13rebecca13's review
4.0
This is a great debut novel about domestic abuse. It's marketed as the first book in the Maggie Jamieson series but it really focuses on the story of Lucy, a probation officer whose husband is abusing her.
I knew quite early on some of what was going to come out but the ending took my by surprise and I really loved it. I have rated it 4 because to me, it felt like the story pottered along and I didn't feel a chase.
It's obvious that the author has a background as a probation officer as everything is explained really well. I am excited for the next book!
I knew quite early on some of what was going to come out but the ending took my by surprise and I really loved it. I have rated it 4 because to me, it felt like the story pottered along and I didn't feel a chase.
It's obvious that the author has a background as a probation officer as everything is explained really well. I am excited for the next book!