Absolutely stunning read! I love this series and this didn’t disappoint it was full of suspense, it kept me guessing and had me glued to the book. I had a real hard time putting it down, each chapter got better and better sucking me in until I was frantically turning the pages as fast as I could possibly read. I can’t find anything negative to say about this book, the characters are great, the storyline was exciting and interesting and I cannot wait for the next book in the series! This book deserves a big fat 5 stars I loved it, words that spring to mind are intense, exciting, suspenseful and surprising. Excellent!

This is the fourth book in the series of four. I think quite a few of us will miss this series as Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane and their team have become characters we look forward to reading about. The story is mostly told from Alex’s point of view and begins with a young couple Matthew and Stacy breaking down on an isolated mountain road late at night. Matthew sets off to get help leaving Stacy in the car but next morning Stacy is found shot dead in the car and Matthew missing. King and Lane investigating got case find links to another missing man. When the bones of a third man are dug up, who went missing thirty years ago, they have to discover if these three cases are connected .
This is a compelling and gripping thriller and I was completely hooked from the first chapter. Fingers crossed there may be a fifth book in the series but if not I look forward to meeting new characters in a new series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book
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What can one say about this book.  It was a strong book with characters that I really care for.

The story was good and I still like the way the author tells the story. However this book just didn't stand up against the others in the series.  It was strong and was very good.  I just felt that something with the characters was missing.

It looks from this that it's the end of this series and I upset by that as I would love to see just what would come next for these people.

While not the ending that I would have wanted it was still a very good book.  I am looking forward to what is next from this author.

A Promise to the Dead is the fourth novel in the DI Alex King and DC Chloe Lane series, based in Pontypridd, and it's another cracking read from Ms Jenkins. The plot has several different threads to it, all very interesting, and the characters are fascinating; you feel strong emotions for both the protagonists and antagonists, which is not an easy feat to achieve. The chapters from the killers perspective always intrigue me, and it was well executed here. The plot is realistic and believable as it appears to mimic the amount of leg work the police have to do to solve crime in real life. It's by no means one of those books where the answers are served to detectives on a silver platter.

This is a thrilling and endlessly compelling story that moves at a brisk pace and has some unexpected developments throughout which kept me on my toes. One of the aspects I like most about this series is that Jenkins casts two women as the main protagonists. And what women they are. Strong, feisty, tenacious, admirable are only some of the adjectives that describe them. Frequently in detective fiction, we see either two males in a police partnership or a man and a woman; in fact, I can't name a single other series that has two female leads. They are two completely different people, chalk and cheese if you will, but quite often those are the best and most effective partnerships.

Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

A Promise To The Dead by Victoria Jenkins is the 4th in the Detectives King and Lane series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Series Background:  (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DI Alex King and her protégé DC Chloe Lane have become close friends, while working some horrendous crime scenes. Both have been dealing with personal issues, but together, and apart, they are working through them. Other members of the team include DC Dan Mason, a solid and reliable detective, and DC Jake Sullivan who has been annoying his boss lately with his careless comments and arrogant attitude.

My Synopsis:
Kieran Robinson has been missing for days. His mom is already grieving, his sister is angry, and his father hasn’t even bothered to return from work. Something is off.

Matthew Lewis, his car found on a mountain road, and the body of his girlfriend in the back seat. She was shot. He is missing,

The body of a young man is found during a building renovation, they find he was buried 30 or 40 years ago. He had been strangled, and his ring finger is missing.

The team is working on the cases of all of these young men. It is surprising when they start to find links, or maybe they are just reaching.

Jake, as normal, is getting himself in trouble with Alex, but this time may be his last.

Meanwhile, Alex is seriously considering a career change.




My Opinions:
I found this to be a very slow moving book…until I hit about 50%. Then it really picked up, and got interesting. (But that is a long time to wait).

The story is told by a few different characters, but mostly by Alex. There was also an unknown narrator who spoke through letters. That added another mystery to the plot. The plot was good, as was the writing.

I do think that some of the back-stories of the main characters should have been fleshed out. The author apparently thinks our memories are better than they are. For example, she repeatedly mentions the scars on Alex’s face, but not how she got them. I don’t remember. All that was needed was a line saying what happened. The same with what had happened to Chloe, although I remember some of that. I can’t imagine what a first-time reader would think…not everyone reads all the books in a series....and many of us read  a lot of other books in between.

Anyway, other than the above “misses”, the book was okay. I will read more in this series….if the author decides to continue.

This is a real nail biter and will have you hooked after the first few chapters.
The body of a woman is found in a car on a country lane, but where is the driver?
The search begins for Matthew, and Alex and the team have to try and find the killer before they strike again.
There is another man missing under mysterious circumstances but Alex and Chloe can’t work out the link.
Alongside this a body is found buried on a property that is being renovated but the death dates back over thirty years.
This is a clever thriller which had me trying to work out who the killer was, but I got it wrong!
The final few chapters will have you on the edge of your seat so brace yourself.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I've come to expect good things from a Victoria Jenkins book. She writes fast paced police procedural mysteries that I tend to consume in one setting. Her King and Lane books have become one of my favorites to read each year. In this outing, we start with a bang with a couple that are driving on a lone street in the dead of night. (Only bad things could happen in this scenario....right?) Well, they do. This starts off an investigation that spans to that night to 30 years ago. This will keep you guessing to the very end, which is what I love about this series. We will also learn some personal things in the life of Alex King, which will beg the question: will there be a 5 th book? or did I just read the last book in this series? I hope it isn't the last I'll see of King and Lane.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My high hopes may have led to my disappointment in this book. I loved that there were many story lines being put together. I hated the way they were tied up. It seemed to convenient and there were leaps that were never quite explained. The expendability that seemed to apply to some of the characters was disturbing, even more so for being masked as caring and liberal. This book was part of a series. I've read many books that were a few in to a series, but this one made reference to events that seemed important but didn't even get the briefest of evaluation.

I really enjoy this series and the characters and can't believe it is no more. I thought this book was a fitting end to the series and I look forward to other books by the author. As with her other books the author takes you on a journey where information is hinted at, dropped in, introduced leaving you wondering where the book will go next. Lots of characters (but not too many) with plenty of suspects. Definitely recommended.

Another book I've read without even reading the blurb. After reading previous books by this author there was no need to find out what the book was going to be about, and sometimes knowing you can rely on an author's writing makes the book much more interesting when starting it.
Victoria Jenkins has become another of those authors for me. I have enjoyed all her previous books that i've read and this one is another good read.
This is book 4 in the Detectives King and Lane series. My personal view is that these books really are best if read in order. That's only my view as many say they are fine reading as standalones, but not for me.
Back to the book, Once I got started with this book, I knew I was going to enjoy it, and I certainly did. It didn't take me long to get through it, a couple of cozy evening on the couch and I flew through it.
There certainly is plenty going on for you in this book. We open with a young woman being shot dead in her boyfriends car, yet her boyfriend is missing. Where has he gone, and what has he done?. When another man goes missing Chloe and Alex start to wonder if there is a link, this is where the story really gets you as you really need to know the who and why.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it's very well written and put together. The plot is brilliant and characters i've gotten to know have really come into their own. The ending of this book has really left me wondering what the author is going to do next, but whatever it is, i'm really looking forward to it.

Wow. Very intense. This is book 4 in this series. I have not read the other books but I was ok with that. You still got the feeling of the main characters and their relationships. I read this in 1 sitting as I could not put it down. A few dead bodies, a few missing people and someone is writing a letter to someone else but you don't know who they are. Matthew and Stacey were driving up a mountain when they run out of gas. Matthew goes to find help. Stacey ends up dead and Matthew is missing. If you like police crime books then you will need to read this.

This 4th book in the Detectives King and Lane series features another complicated murder case that forces the team to delve into some nefarious activity that happened over 30 years ago.

On a dark night, Matthew and Stacey are coming home -- intoxicated -- and decided to take the long route home. Bad decision. Matthew runs out of gas and leaves Stacey behind in the car while he goes to get help. When the police are called to the scene the next day, Stacey is dead from a gunshot and Matthew is missing. Of course he becomes the prime suspect. Now all the team has to do is find him!
Meanwhile, a body has been found in the garden of a local house that's undergoing some renovation. And still there's more: a local man has gone missing after a night out around Cardiff Bay. After some investigation, it becomes obvious that there must be some sort of link between these cases, but DI King is having a hard time putting it all together. And one member of her team is keeping a secret...
NO SPOILERS

This was a bit slow going and hard to get into for me. Not sure if that was because I was reading this while suffering through a blizzard and power failure, but I couldn't really fall under the spell of the story. I also had a difficult time remembering the characters from the only other book in this series that I've read (#3) and many times when references were made to past events, I had no clue what that was about. I don't think this works as a standalone for that reason and I wish I would have had more detail about the characters and their history. The scars on Lane's face? Coudn't remember how she got them. The other issues in King's personal life -- no recall. So, though it was an interesting police procedural, I didn't find it as compelling as I usually do.

The clues are pieced together, painstakingly, and the case is solved but it seemed to take a long time to get to the reason for it all. I'm sure it's just my own fault having a bad memory of the previous book, but I found it hard to connect to the characters and to get fully invested in their lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I know I really liked book #3 so I will definitely be eager to read the next in the series.

#A Promise To The Dead # Netgalley
Wow what a joy to read such a compulsive book. When Mathew went to find help and he went missing too, it’s a addictive book fast paced, really didn’t want to put it down. This is the first book I have read by Victoria Jenkins. How I have let this author slip through the net I will never know. I do know now. I will most definitely go to the first in this series with Alex. I appreciate some serious can be stand alone thrillers, but if I enjoy one that’s like this book 4 I just genuinely have to go to the beginning of the series. I will most definitely not let anymore books by this author slip through my net. I definitely recommend this book, and I am sure I will not be disappointed with the other first 3. Wow wow wow. Brilliant

Some authors follow one story line in their books, others choose a different path and throw two or even 3 in the mix. I like both styles. This story belongs in the latter category. 

It goes without a doubt that more story lines equals more characters and you might think it would become confusing. Fear not, everything was crystal clear. 

Well, let's say the characters were not confusing but the story certainly was a brainteaser. You had so much coming to you that you did not know if your head was facing forwards or backwards. Every time you had a culprit in mind, something in the story changed and you could throw you theory out of the window.

When everything comes together in the end, the only thing you can say is jeez Louise ...

A lot of police procedurals have an all male or a mixed duo playing the main parts. I find it very refreshing the author goes for a female twosome.

I hope we will soon be able to read part 5 ... 4 stars.

Thank you, Victoria Jenkins, Bookouture and Netgalley.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

A young girl Stacey is found shot to death in her boyfriend's car. Where is Matthew her boyfriend? Another local man Kieran is also missing. Is there a connection?

Our two Detectives Alex and Chloe once again are tasked with trying to solve the mystery but a spanner is thrown in the works when 30 year old bones are discovered under a patio.

I like the relationship between the two detectives and it is refreshing to have two strong female officers who are not pitted against each other. Although Chloe is more of a background figure in this and we have the introduction of a new officer DC Jake who gets off on the wrong foot.

I have a feeling this is the last in this series and whilst I will be sorry there has been strong character development and subsequent emotional growth especially with Alex.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of A Promise to the Dead, the fourth novel to feature Pontypridd based detectives DI Alex King and DC Chloe Lane.

When the team are called out to a murder they find Stacey shot to death in her boyfriend Matthew’s car and no sign of Matthew. The mystery of what happened to Matthew, victim or perpetrator?, divides their attention as they are also investigating the disappearance of Kieran Robinson. When thirty year old bones are found buried under a patio their workload seems overwhelming.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Promise to the Dead which has a good plot and likeable characters. The novel is told mostly from Alex’s point of view with timely switches to other characters when required. Mostly this works well but the self justifying letters from the unnamed killer to someone called Elise are for me a total waste of space. I rarely find the thoughts of fictional killers interesting or useful but I’m sure that other readers will find that they add to their understanding of the perpetrator. The plot itself is well conceived and executed with information coming in dribs and drabs as I imagine it does in real life. There are some good surprises rather than twists in it so it held my attention throughout.

I like the characterisation in the novel. Chloe Lane has a rather quiet time being relegated to Alex’s support and cheerleader as she battles with a life changing decision. Instead DC Jake Sullivan takes a more prominent if negative role, starting with a gaffe. I think the portrayal of the grieving families is well done as they run a gamut of emotions.

A Promise to the Dead is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

This was a complex, thrilling book; the fourth in the series featuring Alex King and Chloe Lane.

It is unusual to have two female detectives as the main characters in a book but it really works for this series. These two work together very well, even though they are quite different as people. I also enjoyed the secondary characters.

There were a LOT of threads interwoven in this book and sometimes I got a little lost but this author is clearly an expert storyteller and it all came good in the end. I like that there were two cases running concurrently so there was a lot of information to deal with for the detectives, definitely kept them on their toes!

I enjoyed this book very much.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

A young couple run out of petrol on a mountain road in the middle of the night. Matthew leaves Stacey safe in the car and goes looking for help. The following day Stacey is found dead and her boyfriend Matthew is missing.
This book had me hooked from the first page and read it in one sitting.
There are so many twists and turns in this book it was making me giddy. This is a compelling read and I had an endless list of suspects which were all wrong. As for the climax of this book I was shocked and it was EXPLOSIVE.
I have read this series from the start and this book can be read as a stand alone but I am sure you will want to read this explosive series from the start. In my opinion a must read. I loved it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.

This is book #4 of the Detectives King and Lane series. It can be read as a standalone, but to understand the back story I would recommend that the books are read in order.

This is not the first book I’ve read by this author, so I came into this book knowing the characters. Saying that, it’s been a while since I read the previous book Nobody’s Child, so it took a few chapters for me to remember the characters. The book starts off with a heart-thumping beginning where a young couple, Matthew and Stacey break down on a dark isolated Welsh mountain road. They’ve been for a night out but have left early due to an argument between themselves. Matthew leaves Stacey with the car to go and look for help, but when the car is found the next morning, Stacey is found dead in the car and Matthew is nowhere to be found.

As the story moved on, I began to remember Detective Inspector Alex King from the previous books. She is a tricky character to work out – sometimes you really like her and other times you hold your head in your hands and think “what is she doing!!!” But saying that, that doesn’t make her an unlikeable character, far from it! I love her! She obviously has a lot of personal issues which she is still working through, and I love how her ‘personal’ storyline works out by the end. She is though, one tough cookie and certainly doesn’t suffer fools gladly, although sometimes this doesn’t always work out well for her as it proves in this book. I also love her friend and colleague, Detective Constable Chloe Lane, who wants to be there for her friend, but she just never quite opens up enough to let Chloe in!

The storyline is fast paced and gripping. I was instantly hooked from the first chapter and as I was reading I was trying to work out what was going on and who the killer was. I usually manage to have a good go at working it out, but I really struggled with this one! I had plenty of suspects but just couldn’t pin down any real reasons as to why I thought it was them!! The storyline twisted and turned so much it had me running round in circles trying to work it out! Needless to say, I didn’t get it until it was revealed, so I had been kept in suspense all the way through the book!

I’m really disappointed that this looks like it may be the end of what has been a great series, but am really hoping that at some point in the future, Detective Inspector Alex King will be back! Until then, I will have to be happy with the thought that the author will come up with another great series to match this one. This book was definitely the best of the series and I would highly recommend not just to read this book, but to read the previous books as well!

I have not read any of the other books in this series but loved this! If your looking for an amazing who did it with lots of twists And two great woman detectives than this is it! I will definitely be looking for the others in this series.