PROBLEM CHILD
A Jane Doe Thriller
by
Victoria Helen Stone
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Date of Publication: March 24, 2020
Number of Pages: 265
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She’s cold, calculating, and can deceive with a smile. Jane Doe is back in the Amazon Charts bestselling series—and this time she’s met her match.
After a brutal childhood, Jane Doe has been permanently wired to look after herself and only herself. Now, looking next to normal, Jane has a lover and a job. But she hasn’t lost her edge. It sharpens when she hears from her estranged family.
Jane’s deeply troubled sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla, has vanished, and no one seems to care. Neither does Jane. Until she sees a picture of Kayla and recognizes herself in the young girl’s eyes. It’s the empty stare of a sociopath. Jane knows what vengeful and desperate things Kayla is capable of. Only Jane can help her—by being drawn into Kayla’s dark world. And no one’s more aware than Jane just how dangerous that can be.
After a brutal childhood, Jane Doe has been permanently wired to look after herself and only herself. Now, looking next to normal, Jane has a lover and a job. But she hasn’t lost her edge. It sharpens when she hears from her estranged family.
Jane’s deeply troubled sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla, has vanished, and no one seems to care. Neither does Jane. Until she sees a picture of Kayla and recognizes herself in the young girl’s eyes. It’s the empty stare of a sociopath. Jane knows what vengeful and desperate things Kayla is capable of. Only Jane can help her—by being drawn into Kayla’s dark world. And no one’s more aware than Jane just how dangerous that can be.
Everyone’s favorite sociopath is back in this second installment, and she may have just met her match! It’s definitely recommended that you start with JANE DOE, the first book, simply to understand her behavior and motivations. Jane is unapologetic about who she is and lacks any expression of emotion, making her the perfect character to wade through with in a thriller. You’ll want her in your life, but just remember, you better be on her side or get out of the way!
Traveling back to her hometown in a search for her missing niece, Jane revisits the people and places that essentially made her who she is today. Her drive to succeed is as much about survival as it is proving everyone wrong for the horrible behavior that was inflicted upon her. She freely admits that her life could have gone in a completely different direction; however, she made it a point to learn how to play the system in order to get ahead and leave them all behind. They will never be held accountable for what they have done, but Jane’s memory is long and watching them beg for her help now is a thrilling part of her game.
It was incredibly fascinating to watch Jane’s interactions with various characters across the story. She has a way of manipulating connections to her benefit, while having such an interesting outlook on how the world works. She’s spent a lifetime studying people in order to appear like everyone else, so it only takes a minute to flip the situation to her favor without the other person ever being the wiser. The twist adds a clever moment to make Jane consider whether she really has it all figured out as much as she prides herself to believe. I can’t wait to find out where this will go next!
The author doesn’t shy away from difficult topics of discussion, especially when it came to sexual exploitation or gratification. The tension is fantastically built because there is always this sense of dread that something awful is brewing in the background. Jane’s reflections throughout the story on misogyny are absolutely profound, especially for female readers who will strongly identify with a lot of what is said.
Overall, this is a fast-paced, entertaining, and page-turning story that will have you holding your breath for its unexpected and jaw-dropping conclusion!
I received a copy of this book for free. This is my honest and thoughtful review.
Victoria Helen Stone, formerly writing as USA Today bestselling novelist Victoria Dahl, is originally from the Midwest but now writes from an upstairs office high in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. After a career in romance that included the American Library Association’s prestigious Reading List Award, she turned toward the darker side of fiction and has written the critically acclaimed novels, Evelyn, After; Half Past; and False Step. Her Amazon Charts bestselling thriller Jane Doe has been optioned by Sony Television.
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Many thanks again to Great Escapes Book Tours and the author! It was a pleasure reading, reviewing, and hosting! And be sure to check out the other stops on the tour for more opinions and author extras!
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 17 – fundinmental – REVIEW
March 17 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 18 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW
March 18 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW – unable to post.
March 19 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW
March 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
March 21 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
March 22 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
March 22 – This Is My Truth Now – SPOTLIGHT
March 23 – That’s What She’s Reading – REVIEW
March 23 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
That's What She's Reading 