The very first thing I feel it is worth mentioning is that J have not read any other books in this series, or well, any other book by Victoria Jenkins. However, this did not impact on my reading of the book. I was still able to connect with the characters and truly enjoy the book too. So if the fact that this is the fourth book in a series might stop you from picking it up – don’t! It’s a book that you should definitely read.

The book is incredibly intense as it follows the story of a serial killer who takes girls and murders them. As a reader you’re given a small slice of how they feel and think before these things happen to them, instantly increasing the intensity of the situation. Alongside that we follow DS King and DC Lane as they try to find the murderer and deal with other issues in their lives. Victoria Jenkins does a fantastic job of pulling the reader in and keeping them turning as other moments are thrown at thrm. You keep trying to work out where everything is leading.

As mentioned above, DS King and DC Lane are our two main protagonists in this book and they’re both fantastic to read. DS King was a strong detective and I really liked their friendship with each other too. Seeing how DC Lane detiorates at the beginning of the book due to her history being brought up for her. But they were both so strong and independent. Something that is great to read about in detective novels. I also really liked the way that Victoria Jenkins brought smaller side characters into the story and made them all believable. Which is exactly what we want.

So overall this is a book that I very much enjoyed. As a note it is quite graphic in places so if you’re not into that, you might want to skim those moments. But I thought it made the book that much more intense, pulling me further into the story. I quite quickly got sucked into this story and thought it was a really entertaining read. I simply had to know where it was all going and who the murderer behind the scenes was. So everything that you want in a detective thriller book so do give this book a read!

Two young men have gone missing and a young girl has been found shot at, in a car. Detective King and DC lane have their hands full without discovering another murder victim, from 30 year ago, uncovered accidentally.

An interesting book, but it did feel very complicated. It took me a while to understand (and remember) the various characters. Not helped by the fact that both Alex King and Chloe Lane have a background story which is not touched upon but referred to. So unless you've read the previous books, you are a bit lost, like I was.

All in all, a decent read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the review copy of this book.

Netgalley introduced me to Victoria Jenkins in A Promise to the Dead, the 4th and probably last of the Detective King and Lane novels. I can't wait to read the first three, and know that Ms. Jenkins will be adding to her hefty stack of written prose, in whatever form, and I will need to read them, as well.

Detective Inspector Alex King is pushing twenty years on the job in South Wales and considering a break. Detective Constable Chloe Lane, her partner of several years duration, knows only that Alex is troubled but not yet willing to share her worries. Not that there is time for personal problems - their crew is faced with the case of a murdered young woman, the forty years buried corpse of a young man uncovered as a patio is removed to accommodate a housing extension, and the
disappearances of two young men in Cardiff, of course not within range of any CCTV. In less than a week. Missing Matthew Lewis either murdered his girlfriend Stacey Cooper and disappeared, or was himself kidnapped or killed and his body removed from the scene. Kieran Robinson's cell phone was found in Cardiff Bay after a night of partying, just out of range of the last CCTV. Did he stumble into the water, or was he abducted? Clues are spare on the ground, and the long interred corpse has haunting similarities to the cases involving young fellows who disappeared just yesterday. Added to all that DC Jake Sullivan has put his foot in his mouth - again - and cannot seem to follow procedure no matter how many chances he is given. With a complaint against him by Kieran Robinson's sister Hannah, Jake has to be removed from the already overworked team.

Can it get any more complicated? You bet! This is a novel I can heartily recommend to friends and family. Victoria Jenkins is an author I will follow.

I received a free electronic copy of this excellent Wales police procedural from Netgalley, Victoria Jenkins, and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

A Gripping Crime Story

Crouched to the ground, he felt himself enveloped by the darkness that surrounded him.. There was something not right about this, not at this time of the night.

A Promise to the Dead is the fourth novel in the DI Alex King and DC Chloe Lane series but can also be read as a standalone mystery.

On a dark night, on a mountain road, a young couple, Matthew and Stacey, are on their way home from a night out. Their car breaks down and Matthew leaves to look for help. By the next morning, Stacey is found murdered in the car and Matthew is missing, presumed guilty of her murder. The police soon discover another local young man who is missing, and to the discovery of a body from 30 years ago. Are all the killings isolated cases or are they somehow connected? Will DI Alex King and DC Chloe Lane be able to uncover the truth?

As a police procedural, A Promise to the Dead has the most realistic depiction of a police investigation. There are no easy clues or coincidences but several dead ends and missing links. You experience the thrill of finding a missing clue or the frustration of facing yet another dead end. The story seems complicated at first, with more than one criminal investigation but it gets exciting as the pieces start falling together, like a jigsaw puzzle.

This is probably the first detective series, which casts two women detectives as the main protagonists. Both detectives portrayed as intelligent and strong and capable of handling every challenge thrown at them, which added a new dimension to the story. The first half is comparatively slower but if you remain patient, you will be rewarded in the end. The story moves at a real brisk pace in the second half and has many twists which makes it a real page turner. The partnership between King & Lane is effective but there is lot more focus on the entire team. Also there is not much focus on the personal lives of the detective duo (baring some parts). You do miss the back-stories at times, especially of the main characters. But maybe it’s kept at the minimum because it’s the fourth book of the series. The other characters including the minor ones, were crafted well. I sincerely hope this is not the final book of the series (as hinted in the story)

Overall, A Promise to the Dead is an gripping crime thriller that will have you hooked till the end.

Many thanks to the publishers Bookouture, the author Victoria Jenkins and NetGalley for the ARC.

A PROMISE TO THE DEAD is the fourth in the Detectives King and Lane series, and from what Victoria Jenkins said in her note at the end, it is the last (for now). She indicated that she may revisit the duo in the future. Hopefully the not too distant future because I love this series!

I have read the first book in this series - which I absolutely LOVED - and now the fourth, skipping the second and third which I WILL go back and read. When I read the first book I absolutely LOVED it and I loved how King and Lane interact and work well together. It was about time there was a series featuring a duo that worked well together, didn't bicker every five minutes and were not ball-breaking bitches which some leads are. I loved these two and I am sad to see their story come to an end...for now.

The story opens with a prologue set in 1981 with a nameless couple that make sense by the end of the book. It sets the scene and had me turning the pages to discover how this incident was linked to the present.

In the present day, Matthew and Stacey are returning home from a football match and gathering with friends. They spend much of the time arguing and loathe to heed his girlfriend's advice, Matthew takes the quiet mountain road to avoid the busy traffic, when their car runs out of fuel. I myself cannot see this happening. I mean who doesn't check their fuel gauge? I'm always checking mine, filling up when it reached half a tank! However, as the story goes, they run out of fuel. Matthew goes to find help leaving Stacey alone in the car. But something happens. Matthew sees something he shouldn't have. By the next morning Stacey is dead and Matthew is nowhere to be found.

DI King and DC Lane find themselves investigating and are soon overwhelmed by numerous other cases landing on their desks all at once.

It then becomes clear there are links to another local man, Keiran Robinson, who went missing just a few days prior. But interviewing his family is proving difficult as they stonewall the detectives with unhelpful remarks and jabs at their inadequate investigation. It also become clear they are hiding something. But what is it? And how does it relate to Keiran's disappearance? Or that of Matthew's or Stacey's murder?

Not long after, DI King gets the call that a body has been found in a backyard. Who could it be? Is it Matthew? Or is it Keiran? However once on the scene it becomes clear that the body is actually skeletal remains of someone who has been in the ground, under a patio, a lot longer than the other two men have been missing. So who is this latest body?

Then the killer reaches out to DI King, sending her first a finger and then an incriminating photo of one of the missing men and one of her team. Is someone on her team responsible for these killings?

A PROMISE TO THE DEAD is a thrilling, compelling and fast-paced read that promises and delivers a thrill-ride of exciting twists and turns throughout the story. The pace is brisk and the ending unexpected.

I love how the two lead detectives are female and firm fast friends. I love how they interact together and with other members of the team, as well as other characters.

I was a little puzzled as to the constant reference to DI King's scars, as having only read the first book and this one, I've no idea what has taken place beforehand to lead to such an injury to which they keep referring. I wish there was a slight reference to what actually caused the burns on her face as not everyone may remember what has taken place in previous books and some, like me, may read out of order or even stand alone. So just a small reminder would have sufficed for those who can't remember or have no idea.

Aside from that small flaw, I thoroughly enjoyed A PROMISE TO THE DEAD and I hope Victoria Jenkins revisits this pair of detectives again in the near future because they are by far the best duo I've come across.

Many thanks to #VictoriaJenkins, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #APromiseToTheDead in exchange for an honest review.

Reading the fourth book in the King and Lane series seemed somewhat bittersweet as I had a sinking feeling the series was coming to an end which would be a shame as I’ve enjoyed reading about these two characters.

Having said that, the crack duo and their team are once again chucked in at the deep end with a case, but with the latest development in Alex’s personal life, is her head in the right frame of mind to be fully focused on work? Chloe is kept in the dark for now with what’s happening, but the two friends always have each other’s backs, which is definitely a good thing when they don’t seem to be making any progress on the case then another man goes missing then a body is discovered under a patio.

There are so many characters and scenarios in this, there were brief moments when I was slightly confused, but then suddenly it all clicked together again.

Another feature of Victoria’s books I’ve enjoyed has been the setting, as it’s not often to have local areas and well known places appear in a story.

A Promise To The Dead really is an excellent book. Although it’s the last in the series, for now at least, it ended well, tying up loose ends but with a possibility of more to come.

I enjoyed the previous books in this series and was looking forward to reading this one. There are several different strands running through this story, and at times it was hard to see how they could come together and be resolved satisfactorily. As always, however, all finally becomes clear in a brilliant way.

As I got to the end I realised that for the duo of King and Lane, this may be the end. I hope the author allows us to follow the lives of them both in the future as I feel there is so much more to come.

Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy.

Victoria Jenkins.....You've done it again.............A Promise to the Dead is the fourth book in the Detectives King and Lane series and it was a cracker! and the best books out of this brilliant series.
This book had me gripped from the first few pages just like all her other books. You become apart of this series and its is gripping throughout and a roller coaster ride on what happens next.

***On a dark night, on a mountain road, a young couple, Matthew and Stacey, are on their way home from a night out. Their car breaks down and Matthew leaves to look for help. By the next morning, Stacey is found murdered in the car and Matthew is missing, presumed guilty of her murder. ***

Detective Alex King and her team are called to the scene to investigate.
Where is Matthew?
Did he murder Stacey?
Is he alive?
They then discover another body who was buried 30 years previous.

Are these murders linked?

I love the relationship between Detective King and Detective Lane they're just brilliant and great strong female characters in these books.

I highly recommend all Victoria Books However, this one was her Best so far. Just Brilliant x

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book.

Matthew and his girlfriend Stacey are driving along a dark and quiet mountain road when their car breaks down. Matthew goes to find help, leaving Stacey alone in the car. But by the next morning, Stacey is dead and Matthew is nowhere to be found.

But that is not all and the team is overwhelmed with various cases landing on their desks all at once. Because on top of Stacey’s murder and Matthew’s disappearance, there is another missing person and the discovery of a body under a patio. There are few clues, a bit of frustration and lots of dead-ends. I too couldn’t see the forest for the trees and Victoria Jenkins managed to keep me guessing until the end, as always. As I’ve come to expect, there is some seriously heartbreaking stuff in this storyline, which left me with a massive lump in my throat. True to form, Victoria Jenkins manages to to make the reader sympathise with just about every character you meet, and that includes the ones who are committing a crime.

A Promise to the Dead had me hooked from the first page. It had me flipping the pages faster and faster, sitting on the edge of my seat with my heartbeat racing from the nail-biting tension. This is yet another insanely addictive page-turner with various layers and threads that have no problem whatsoever holding your attention throughout.

Back when I picked up the first book in the Detectives King & Lane series, The Girls in the Water, I just knew I was in for something special. There was something about Victoria Jenkins’ writing, the incredible plotting and the absolutely fantastic main female characters that got my pulse racing. Every book since then just got better and better and now here we are, at what looks like it might be the last one. For now, at least.

If this is to be the end, what a way to go. I’ll miss Alex and Chloë but this entire series has been the most incredible ride and I’m thrilled to have been a part of it from the very beginning. I absolutely love this series and no matter what Victoria Jenkins tackles next, I’ll be first in line!

What a sinister opening prologue followed quickly by a chilling first chapter. If those two didn't get my attention, I really don't know what would??! What ensues is a dark police procedural which definitely shocked me as it reached its climax.
After that first chapter, I really wanted to know what had happened to Matthew. Was he dead, had he been kidnapped, was he in a ditch somewhere!?! Had he killed Stacey!?! Ms Jenkins kept me on tenterhooks as to that little reveal! But another young man vanishes - I knew this had to be linked (rare is a coincidence) but it was the why and the how that really stumped me!
I really like the pairing of Alex and Chloe. Chloe knows her boss and when to question her intentions and thinking. Alex is a hard-nosed but caring detective. Between the two of them with the two sidekicks of Dan and Jake, they're a team to be reckoned with even if Jake still has a lot to prove in Alex's eyes!
When I read Nobody's Child (book 3 in the series) last year, I promised myself that I would go back to the beginning and read the first two books in the series. Reading A Promise To The Dead has made me more determined to read them!!

A Promise to the Dead by Victoria Jenkins is the 4th book in the Detectives King and Lane mystery series, and my first book by this author. Matthew and Stacey, a young couple break down on a dark mountain road, Matthew walks to go to help and Stacey is murdered. Next a young man is reported missing and a body from thirty years earlier is found. This book has non stop action from beginning to end, I could not put it down. Wow, this book was good, with well developed plot and characters. I did not feel lost because I had not read the prior three books in the series. I will be reading more book by this author. I recommended this book for mystery lovers. 

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Police thriller with lots of sub stories which end up being connected. Good characters,story which moved along quickly and a somewhat happy ending.

I have really enjoyed this series. This book is really well written and the plot is really good. I liked the continuing story of the character. I was gripped from the start and read this book in one sitting. The small chapters add to the suspense and everything comes together at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

#ApromiseToTheDeadDetectivesKingAndLaneBook4 #NetGalley Another cracker in the DI King and DS Lane series. I have read the others but I think perfectly capable of being read as a standalone - although the many unexplained references to Chloe's past and Alex's injuries may have been annoying! As usual, plenty going on and lots of twists and turns to keep me interested. From the ending of this book and the authors own note, this appears to be the last in this series which is a shame but at least it ends on a high. Hopefully future books from Victoria Jenkins will be just as gripping!

It never rains but it pours…

Two young men missing, a woman murdered in cold blood, 30 year old human bones found buried under a patio.

Matthew and Stacey are returning home at night via a mountain road when they realize the car is out of gas. Matthew leaves Stacey in the car to get help. He never returns. The next day they find Stacey shot to death in the car.
Primarily the police assume halfheartedly that after an argument Matthew may have killed Stacey and run away. But with the reports of another young man missing, they are not so sure anymore.
Are the disappearances related to one another? Are there more men missing?
The detectives have their hands full as they embark on a journey which would take them 30 years back, right to the beginning, to the making of a murderer.
A promise to the Dead has a compelling and suspenseful plot, with well developed characters and unexpected twists and turns.

Thanks to the author, Bookouture and the NetGalley for an advanced copy.

People have died. People aren't telling DI King and DS Lane the truth. And, in a manner that I have always enjoyed, Ms. Jenkins also lets the reader into the mind of the killer. That always seems to make this series a bit richer. However, I did struggle with some of the connections that King and Lane made during the hunt for the killer. If only everything seemed to simple! But the story itself wasn't simple and the book makes for a great ride. With some of the outcomes during the story, one has to wonder what will happen in the next few books.

Holy cheeseballs - what a BELTER of a book!! 'A Promise to the Dead' had me hooked from the very beginning due to its highly gripping storyline thrilling teasers.

There isn't just one death in this book - there are multiple. It reminded me of the domino effect to be honest! If you were to just read the book and take the storyline at face value, it would be very easy to blame a character, or characters, who are right in front of you, for the demolition that has been caused. However, if you were to read between the lines after each eventuality occurred, would you still think the same? Would you still be confident that you had the correct person in the firing line?

My answer to that question, having read the book (obviously), is both yes and no. Why? Because one minute I was very confident by my own conclusion, yet the next minute thanks to the combination of red herrings and multiple uncertainties, I had absolutely no idea who to believe or what to think.

Victoria Jenkins has written a mind-blowing instalment in the 'Detective King and Lane' series, with 'A Promise to the Dead', in my opinion, being her best book yet. 

I LOVED being on the thrilling ride of uncertainty, and I loved how intense every single part of the book was. I was NOT expecting the conclusion in the slightest, and I will definitely hold my hands up and say that I totally didn't see it coming!

The thrill of the chase and the elements of suspense is what made 'A Promise to the Dead' a true gem of a read - I flipping loved it and cannot WAIT to read more from Victoria Jenkins.

I've become a huge fan of Victoria Jenkins books over the last couple of years and the latest novel in the King and Lane series, A Promise to the Dead, is another fantastic addition that once again had me hooked from the first page. This is a series that just keeps getting better and better.

The latest case that Chloe and Alex are investigating begins to make Alex think what she really wants, and she begins to start thinking about some important decisions which will have a huge impact on her life and her career. The case is another perplexing mystery for them to solve and it takes them back many years as they try to uncover the truth.

This was a book that I could not put down. Victoria's writing has that utterly addictive quality to it that you could very happily lose a few hours too. She opens the book with a very intriguing opening. The scene we are faced with is when a young man, Matthew, appears to have stumbled across something he shouldn't have, and it seems that someone else is determined to silence him. The next day, his girlfriend's body is found in their car, still in the same location where he left her, which is when Alex and Chloe arrive on the scene.

As the investigation gets underway, I really wanted to find out what happened on the night which the first chapter so brilliantly opens up with. It definitely lets you know that you are in for a treat. Victoria keeps the details hazy, so you are never quite sure how the rest of the book is going to pan out and what has really happened to Matthew.

The ending of this book has left me wondering how the series is going to progress from here. There was one scene in particular that left me shell-shocked, and there are some revelations that do make for a harrowing read, but I'm not going to go into any detail as to what happened here. You'll need to read the book to find out.

A Promise to the Dead is another stonking read from Victoria Jenkins if you haven't yet read her books, and if you're a fan of police procedurals, then you really should be reading them.

Oh No! The final chapter to this beautiful series. A Promise to the Dead is book four in the Detective King and Lane series. A gorgeous eye catching cover too. What a case to close on!

Will keep you guessing throughout, a real page turner with an unexpected, jaw dropping outcome… One I didn’t see coming. A tough case for the team to crack that goes back years. A brilliant read. Gripping. A wonderful ending. Going to miss these characters and the team!

A fast paced investigation/crime to sink your teeth into. Clever. Very clever. I loved it. Was hooked. Thrilling. A well deserved four stars from me and would highly recommend!

This book's opening is gripping. Imagine being slightly the worse for wear and running out of petrol ln a bleak mountain road. You set off for help leaving your drunken girlfriend in the car and are never seen again. Of course, I had to read on. Then another young man just disappears leaving the police wondering if they are dealing with missing persons or a serial killer. Eventually, a body does turn up but it is that of a young man who disappeared thirty years ago. I was intrigued to know how the cases were connected. I did have to keep clarifying in my mind whose story I was reading as they became blurred at times but like all good thrillers, this kept me turning the pages to the end.