What a delightful book. It was different from what I usually read and that was what I needed. Highly recommend. Just a lovely book

A pretty good read. It held my attention for the most part. An entertaining read.

This is the first in a new series featuring Jim Bean a private investigator based in Las Vegas. Don’t think of slick, fancy offices with a suited and booted slick PI, think of a scruffy work space, no office to speak of let alone office or back-up staff. What Jim does have are a few friends and contacts he can call on. Actually don’t think of Jim Bean as Jim Bean – some time ago he decided to change his identity and that is what he chose. Make of that what you will. Jim (I suppose like all good detectives) has his own doubts and demons and enjoys the freedom he has to work or not work; to select cases or not; work for some clients or not. He is somewhat of a maverick figure living in the madness that is Las Vegas. Getting the picture?

Enter Sophie, a beautiful woman who engages Bean to track down her druggie brother, Daniel. Their mother is ill and he needs to be found. But all is not as it seems, Sophie has assumed the identity of Daniel’s sister and is in fact quite crazy and to put it plainly a serial killer.

The book is structured so that we have two points of view, Sophie and Jim’s which has the benefit of internal dialogue for both characters which leads the narrative. In some ways the plot is predictable inasmuch as it will always be; crime, investigation, chase, red-herrings, resolution but this is so much more than that. There are twists and turns enough to satisfy but it is the characters that win the day for this text. Jim isn’t such a complex character but the strength lies in the interaction between him and O (Oscar Olsen), Miller and Ely together with Annie (a cat). Clearly O and Ely know him well and subject him to a fair share of banter and teasing. I loved them. I particularly loved Daniel’s mother – a crazy character, wheel-chair and dementia included.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is light hearted crime fiction, it is far from that with Sophie’s demented, murderous spree, with plenty of gore. It is however, a great introduction to some great characters that I will look forward to meeting again.

May I introduce you to a new series, I certainly recommend it?

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Jim Bean is a Private Investigator in Las Vegas. He is hired to find an attractive young ladies brother... only he discovers too late that he is not her brother and that the lady is a serial killer! I really enjoyed this book.. it was definately a page turner and I needed to know what happens next. Thanks to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for an advance copy of this book to read and review

Thank you for the advanced copy! I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the PI. His character was built really well throughout the story. If you like a quick read, add this suspenseful one to your list.

Fantastic novel, well written on the whole. Intriguing plot that keeps you guessing. Characterisation could have been improved and there are occasions where the flow of the story could have been clearer. I will be recommending it to my book club.

Very gripping and intriguing novel! I was sucked in from the very start and had trouble putting it down! I'll definitely be reading more in this series!

I am giving this book 3.5 stars!
While I enjoyed 19 Souls I did found that it fell flat in places. The premise of the story is that Sophie hires a private investigator to find her brother, Daniel. As it turns out, Sophie is not really Daniel's brother, but an insane stalker. The story was good it just lacked in places and was kind of dull. Also, there were a lot of grammatical errors which bugged the grammar nazi in me.

I couldn't open this book on my Kobo, as the print was too small. I tried to send it to my Kindle several times and it didn't come. So I cannot comment on the story, as I didn't get to read it, although I would have loved to.

I liked the fact that the killer was a woman and that she was smart.
I loved the start of the book but at the end, I found it hard to believe the story.
Anyway I did enjoy reading the book, so it's a 3 stars for me

4.5/5 stars

J.D Allen's "19 Souls" is gripping, addictive, and INSANE (in the best way possible). In the same vein as the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling, Allen's shocking debut (seriously, I would never think this was a debut novel) sets the stage for us in Las Vegas, NV where protagonist Jim Bean holds a private investigation company. Jim is attractive in the subtle don't-give-a-damn kind of way, and meets with new client Sophie Ryan Evers about her missing brother. Sophie meets Jim to discuss the whereabouts of her missing brother as he has been disconnected from the family for a very long time due to drugs. Jim takes on the case and begins investigating, believing this will be a simple case to win and good money in his pocket. As time progresses, things quickly don't add up for him. Who really is Sophie, why does she desperately want to find someone who has purposely fell off the radar? *This is in the synopsis so I am not spoiling the story* Sophie is not Daniel's brother, but a woman so desperate to be with Daniel that her delusions have gotten the best of her. In her mind, they are meant to be together and she will stop at nothing to get her picture perfect fantasy. Ultimately the story ends up being crashed on it's head and completely steered in a twisty and riveting direction. The less you know, the better it will be - I promise.

I really loved the way J.D. Allen wrote the characters in "19 Souls". C'mon, there's a million other crime fiction books, why should this one be any different? Well... let me just tell you. The characters in "19 Souls" are flawed, personable, current, and relatable. Each character in this book has a backstory that is not quickly overlooked nor drawn out. I really started to fall in love with these characters - even Sophie! The way the book covers the perspective of a psychopath is done in such an interesting and respectful way that it kept getting me to turn to the next page, not even realizing that I just skipped dinner. I really see this series taking off, and I for one will be excited for the ride.

Thank you Net Galley for my advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was very unique and interesting. I also think the characters (even the bad one) were very enjoyable to see their thoughts and how they evolved through this journey.




SPOILERS BELOW***************************************





I really wish either the book would have been renamed or the last person would have died later. With this name of the book, it gave away the ending that she killed no more people.

I enjoyed this book, although the pace of the story for me was not as quick and thrilling as others. But it definately sets Jim Bean's persona and I think he is a great character. I feel that Sarah's identiy was unveiled too soon in the storyline and turned slightly predictable. Although I did read the whole book and found something just urged me to keep reading. I would still read the prequels. If you enjoy the Robert Caffrey series by Mo Hayder, you will enjoy this book!

I struggled a bit with the pacing of the book which means I couldn't give it more than 3 stars. An enjoyable read nonetheless.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. It is an interesting read and I was gladly enough to be able to read this through Netgalley for a review. Without saying any spoiler is tough, but when Sophie asks a private investigator to find her brother this book takes a great turn and gets better page by page. I would recommend this book to all thriller seekers out there you will not be disappointed.

I loved this book! I received an advanced copy for review and I couldn't finish it fast enough. It had characters you relate to. The plot was fast paced and a little disturbing. It's amazing that someone so unstable can blend in so well. I would definitely recommend!

The story is about a Pi investigating his clients brother however the twists and turns start there. Excellent read. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this book, I think the storyline was gripping and I didn't feel myself switching off or getting bored throughout the whole book👏🏼

So.. Jim bean is a PI and is hired by Cynthia to find her drug addicted brother, Dan. The action starts straight away in this book and within the first chapter or two you find out that the real Cynthia has been killed and a girl called Sophie is pretending to be her. Sophie is and always has been obsessed with Dan and it seems she finally had their happy ending all planned out.. she just needs to find him first!

I think the book includes really good insight on the minds of 'psychopaths' as half of it is from Sophie's POV. It really lets you get a feel of what it's like to be in her head!
I also like how there is definite humour in the book, some really good one liners 😂

All in all, really good book and I would definitely recommend it! 👌🏼💜

This thriller features a Kit Tolliver like serial killer with serious stalking issues and a hapless detective caught in her claws. But there was little that worked here, that felt believable, or fascinated me.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced readers copy of this book by a fairly new author. Unfortunately, this book was not to my taste and I cannot recommend it. There are a number of interesting ingredients including a stalking serial killer, a bumbling detective, and a dude ranch, but I did not find the writing to be compelling and did not like any of the character development,

For having never heard of the author or the book I have to say it was an enjoyable read. I'm not usually into this type of novel but, the author wove the story so well that you became a fan without realizing it till the end. Would definitely recommend this.