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A review by elvang
The Girls In The Water by Victoria Jenkins
3.0
Two detectives, DI Alex King and her partner and new recruit DC Chloe Lane investigate the brutal murder of a young woman found days after her death washed up on a riverbank. The evidence points to sadistic torture. When another woman goes missing the detectives discover that she and the original victim share one thing in common. Both attended the same support group. It is up to Alex and Chloe to hunt down this killer before more women become victims.
Okay, I promised myself I would stop reading books with the word “Girl” in the title. The thriller genre is filled with authors cashing in on the popularity of The Girl on the Train. The book addict in me saw this first book in a series published by Bookouture, my favourite publisher in this genre and I had to have a look.
Like all new series, time spent on worldbuilding and character development is expected. Alex King has been a DI for several years and is a capable investigator although she does spend a lot of time second guessing herself. Unlike many lead detectives, Alex is a team player and not a rogue officer out to solve her crimes on gallons of coffee and little sleep. She also has an unusual relationship with her ex-husband. DC Chloe Lane is an enigma. DI King believes her to be a brilliant young detective yet for the majority of the novel Chloe is distracted and detached, adding little to the ongoing investigation. She is all consumed with her own personal agenda, one which she reveals with reluctance to her boss. Getting to know the inner turmoil in our two lead detectives slows the progress of the murder investigation to a crawl. Few clues are dished out and interviews with suspects are some of the weakest scenes in the novel.
Patience by the reader is rewarded once the groundwork has been established. The reasons behind Chloe’s actions become clear and the murder investigation ends with a satisfying adrenalin rush. This case may not be as complex as other books in this genre but clues to solving the crime are there for the detectives (and readers) to uncover once they pull their collective heads out of the sand.
3 Stars for this debut novel and an author who shows a lot of potential. Looking forward to more books starring detectives King and Lane.
ARC received with thanks from Bookouture via NetGalley for review.
Okay, I promised myself I would stop reading books with the word “Girl” in the title. The thriller genre is filled with authors cashing in on the popularity of The Girl on the Train. The book addict in me saw this first book in a series published by Bookouture, my favourite publisher in this genre and I had to have a look.
Like all new series, time spent on worldbuilding and character development is expected. Alex King has been a DI for several years and is a capable investigator although she does spend a lot of time second guessing herself. Unlike many lead detectives, Alex is a team player and not a rogue officer out to solve her crimes on gallons of coffee and little sleep. She also has an unusual relationship with her ex-husband. DC Chloe Lane is an enigma. DI King believes her to be a brilliant young detective yet for the majority of the novel Chloe is distracted and detached, adding little to the ongoing investigation. She is all consumed with her own personal agenda, one which she reveals with reluctance to her boss. Getting to know the inner turmoil in our two lead detectives slows the progress of the murder investigation to a crawl. Few clues are dished out and interviews with suspects are some of the weakest scenes in the novel.
Patience by the reader is rewarded once the groundwork has been established. The reasons behind Chloe’s actions become clear and the murder investigation ends with a satisfying adrenalin rush. This case may not be as complex as other books in this genre but clues to solving the crime are there for the detectives (and readers) to uncover once they pull their collective heads out of the sand.
3 Stars for this debut novel and an author who shows a lot of potential. Looking forward to more books starring detectives King and Lane.
ARC received with thanks from Bookouture via NetGalley for review.