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.

Jane is back, even more, cold and calculating than before. This new adventure is an entertaining one, the book is a fast read, dont want to give any details away, it is better to dive into it without knowing too much. I enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed Jane Doe. Recommended

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

You either think this book is totally about a sociopath, psychopath woman and then you doubt yourself. The beginning and the end were good, kept me on my toes, I did not know what to expect next.

We are looking at a woman who cannot "feel" emotion of any kind. The closest she comes is with her present partner but she is quite clinical about him too. Her dealings in her office are so brutal but the cleverness of no one realizing how brutal she is, is part of the fascination of this character.

On a search for a niece, who is a copy cat of herself and when she tries to "rescue" her from her present predicament, does she think that she is on a slippery slope and that the whole episode could ricochet on her in the future.



This was a strangely tense, strangely riveting read.

Our favorite sociopath, Jane, is back in Problem Child, Victoria Helen Stone’s second installment of the Jane Doe series! After reading the first book, Jane Doe, last year, I fell in love with Jane and her twisted mind. I couldn’t help but root for her, even though she is NOT a traditional heroine, and this book was no different. I’m always pulling for her to win!

Problem Child was even darker than Jane Doe, and did contain sex between adults and teenagers, so just a heads up for those of you who may want to skip it due to the content. That said, it was not graphic, but is more of a theme throughout the story. Personally, I love my fiction to be dark and twisted, so this book worked really well for me.

If you read and enjoyed Sharp Objects, I think you’ll like this one too. They aren’t the same plot-wise, but had some similarities with the characters, and you can see some parallels there. Problem Child had me hooked from the beginning, so I finished it quickly. The ending of this book set us up well for book three, and I can’t wait!

Overall, I rated this one 4 stars. I’d like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

After surviving a traumatic childhood Jane Doe has a successful job a a law firm and a steady and loving boyfriend.
Though she has a personality disorder, she is managing to live a mostly normal life.
When she finds out one of her nieces has gone missing, she doesn't care. But when she hears that the teenage girl Kayla might be like her, she is intrigued.
Jane decides to look for her, excited that she may have a mini me out there, if she can find her alive...
More talk and less action than the first book, but still a crazy, fun read. Looking forward to reading more about Jane, the almost lovable sociopath.
Second of the series, I don't feel this works well as a stand alone. The first book was five stars for me, a must read first!
Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the e=ARC via NetGalley.

This was a delightful follow-up to Jane Doe which I loved! Who knew an intelligent self-proclaimed sociopath could have such a great sense of humor (and compassion when she tries)! In this sequel, Jane learns her sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla has gone missing. Since her brother is in jail and Jane's parents are worthless "white trash," Jane decides to step in and help find her. Worried that Kayla is being sex-trafficked, Jane heads out of town to locate her. What she discovers is a naive but savvy girl who is hardened and willing to sell herself to anyone who has cash to keep her afloat. What follows is a gritty but interesting look at Jane's life and her attempts to save her niece whom she assesses as a sociopath like herself. I look forward to the sequel to this one as we learn how Kayla survives (as the ending has a nice twist)!

After reading Jane Doe, I had high hopes for Problem Child. While a lot of the same Jane-isms were available in TPC, there are bits that felt like the author lost the voice of Jane. I enjoyed this one, but it could have been a little shorter; some of the filler information was unnecessary to drive the plot forward.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

2.5 out of 5.0 stars

‘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.’

PROBLEM CHILD is the first book that I have read by Victoria Helen Stone and having not read JANE DOE: the first book in the series, and the synopsis a distant memory, I started to wonder what I got myself into by selecting this book.

When Jane learns that her sixteen-year-old niece, someone she vaguely remembers if at all, goes missing, her interests lie not in concern for her well-being, but that of intrigue when she’s told this young girl is exactly like her.

‘Everything about her is unremarkable, maybe even pitiful. Everything except the eyes. A dull green, they’re fixed on the camera […], But there’s no fear there, No sorrow. There’s nothing.’

I soon learned, as I eagerly turned the pages, Jane: the narrator, doesn’t conceal from the reader the type of person she is - a sociopath - she states it outright, which makes for an interesting and admittedly disturbing narrative, to say the least in the beginning.

It is Jane’s self-gratifying antics under the illusion of caring about her niece – while at the same time gaining hero status in the eyes of her employers – that does get tiresome after a while. However, this behavior is the very essence of her character, so the depiction of her in this particular situation fits perfectly, it just didn't work for me.

I made it to the seventy percent mark and decided to call it quits.

My curiosity to learn more about this character has me, admittedly, hovering my hand towards the buy button near the title JANE DOE, book one in the series - so we’ll see.

Maybe PROBLEM CHILD will get a second chance; I will most definitely keep you posted.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for loaning me an advance copy of PROBLEM CHILD exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely OBSESSED after reading Jane Doe last year. We have a main character who knows she's a sociopath and get to see how she navigates life using her inability to empathize or feel like a "normal" person to make her life work to her best advantage. Her inner monologue was a pleasure to read and I absolutely LOVED all the snarky. Jane is someone I would love to be friends with, as much as she can be friends with someone.


Here comes Problem Child - the second in a series. The thing about second in a series is that they unfortunately have the ability to not be as exciting as the first book, especially one like Jane Doe that just smacked my ass and yelled my name. This one felt a little more like a filler as we get to revisit Jane's past, learn more about her and set things up for the next book in the series with the addition of the equally, if not darker, Kayla.


Honestly, I did enjoy this entire ride. Some of the inner monologue still tickled me pink and I felt myself smirking right along with her. I did have some issue with the repetitiveness of Jane's constantly reminding the reader of why she was the way she was. It felt a tad bit overdone as her snarkiness sometimes crossed the line into unnecessary crudeness. Outside of that, I was happy to be back in Jane's world. Now we get to see some the makings of her seemingly multi-faceted personality as the unexpected happened and she just put herself in a situation she *thought* she was prepared for. How will she transverse her life now? I can't wait to find out - bring on book number three please!!

EXCERPT: My very first memory is being alone and scared at night when I was three or four. Lightning and thunder and wind knocking trash against the thin walls of our house. My brother was nine and already a bully. He told me our parents were never coming home and he was going to sell me to a man he met that day for fifty dollars. 'I got him up from twenty,' he sneered.

Nobody cared about us. We were the white trash of the neighbourhood, and family matters weren't anyone else's business in this part of the country. It's not like we were being beaten half to shit, and plenty of kids my brother's age were cooking and cleaning for younger siblings.

I wasn't dying. I wasn't even starving, really. I was just terrified and bereft. No call to involve the authorities in that.

That was back when I still felt fear. When I still cried. When I still needed love and safety. I can almost remember what that felt like, but not really. It's more like watching a movie of some pitiful little stranger.

I hate to remember that I used to need these people. They disgust me now, and that weak little girl disgusts me too.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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.

MY THOUGHTS: I am glad to see Jane back. I enjoyed this, my second encounter with her. You really don't want to piss Jane off....just ask Rob.

There are no shades of grey in Jane's life. She doesn't care. If you get in her way she will deal to you in the most fitting way she can think of. Usually one that makes her look good. She has her own sense and form of justice. I like her. I like her reasoning.

I'm sure that she's not meant to be funny, but at times she is. I laughed often during this read. Mostly at the justice she dealt out. And her one liners. And the lengths she will go to to get what she wants.

And now there's a 'mini-me' in her life. I can't wait to see where that scenario is going to take us. She has shocked Jane, and that is not easy to do. I think we have something special to look forward to.

👩‍👧🤠😱🤣

#ProblemChild #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Victoria Helen Stone is the nom de plume for USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dahl. After publishing more than twenty-five novels, she has taken a turn toward the darker side of genre fiction. Born and educated in the Midwest, she finished her first manuscript just after college. In 2016, the American Library Association awarded her the prestigious Reading List Award for outstanding genre fiction. Having escaped the plains of her youth, she now resides with her family in a small town high in the Rocky Mountains, where she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, and not skiing (too dangerous).

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

OMG!!!! I love stories of strong women....with a twist, or should I say twisted? Problem Child kicks off with a little background building, Jane Doe's background is not your normal, everyday childhood followed by a fairy tale life. Pretty much the opposite. But she survived. Now her family is asking her for help. The same family that could not be bothered to help her needs her specific skills to find a missing teenager. The story takes off with a bang and just keeps getting better as Victoria Helen Stone lets Jane tell the story in her twisted manner. An original take on a not so original plot that will keep you reading "just one more chapter" until everyone has cereal for dinner tonight!!!

i enjoyed this second book in the Jane Doe series - i like her character - she's snarky and funny - I can't say I liked this book as much as I did the first one but perhaps its just my present mood. I think i might enjoy another book featuring Jane and Kayla - I kind of like their dynamic together and I feel like Kayla will really be a force to be reckoned with! I'd say 3.5 stars for this one!

I love what gets Jane Doe’s emotions revving, her hate for the power plant and her fascination with wind turbines. I, too, feel they are an art form.

Yeah, maybe you could blame some of her sociopathy on her worthless parents, who wouldn’t give her the time of day unless they wanted something from her. Her brother was just as bad. In and out of prison, a bully to her when she was a child. No one was there when she needed someone, so she has no use for them. She can take care of herself.

Unfortunately, she feels she must return home. Her niece, Kayla, is missing. No one seems to care about her either, but after finding out everyone thought that Kayla was just like her, she felt she had to know. Was she a sociopath too? Could she be a mentor, teaching her how to navigate life and keep herself hidden, and maybe have someone to share her true self with?

Sociopaths are not capable of feeling love and loneliness, but Jane feels something. Something for her boyfriend, Luke. He knows she is different, doesn’t want the white picket fence, but could they have a ‘marriage’ of sorts? He accepts her for who she is and that counts for a lot. She wants to keep him. LOL I couldn’t help but laugh at that. Like he’s a puppy or something.

At least searching for Kayla, she could keep from getting bored. When she gets bored, she does things that could bring trouble down around her, and being a lawyer, she has a place where she is comfortable, sorta. Don’t cross her though. You won’t like Jane if you make her mad. She loves the hunt and she’ll play anyone who gets in her way.

As a monster myself, I’m not under any delusion about the kindness of strangers.

Just because she’s a sociopath, doesn’t mean she’s a serial killer.

Problem Child, for me, was eye opening and thought provoking. I know not all sociopaths are murderers, but with Jane, it is just as frightening. It makes me realize, even more, that we could be surrounded by them and never know it. Could it be your neighbor? Your coworker? Your friend? Your family? Your lover? You may look at everyone differently after reading Problem Child.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone.

This book was very enjoyable and even though I hadn’t read book one it still flowed well as a stand alone. It had a lot of drama and a good storyline and I like the authors writing style. The story fell a little short for me In the fact it was a slow build to discovery but I felt the last 20% moved very fast, just leaving the pacing of the story a little mismatched.

I would still definitely recommend

This second Jane Doe thriller is such fun. Who knew that a self-identified sociopath could be so entertaining to read about? Jane heads back to her desolate hometown after one of her brother's many exes reaches out to let her know about a niece who is missing... a niece who sounds a lot like Jane herself. Getting more of Jane's backstory and how she ended up where she is now was interesting, and watching Jane plot and toy with people is fascinating. Hoping for more!

Jane is BACK. The scope of this book felt different for sure, and I did like the fact that Jane was forced to return to her hometown in search of a wayward family member she suspects is just like her. Her character voice is so strong and distinct that I was kind of able to excuse the pieces of this that I enjoyed less than the last book. Part of me wishes that she and Kayla had gotten to interact sooner rather than later, but the end seemed like it was setting up a potential sequel and I’d be here for it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

By far my favourite thing about this series is Jane. She is such a breath of fresh air character! She knows her flaws, she knows her strengths, she knows other people and how they work, she's confident, successful, sassy, a survivor of sexual assault and a neglected childhood and my favourite of all, she knows how to exact revenge on those who deserve it.

Jane will not drop the ball on any aspect of her life. Her sociopathic mind combined with her tough upbringing have given her the strength, determination and drive to be at the absolute top of her game and she definitely deserves all she strives to achieve.

I love Jane's relationship with Luke. Jane and Luke know who they are, what they want and need from their relationship and they aren't afraid to ask. There are no mind games or trying to get the upper hand in the relationship. They're happy, have great sex (something which is of the highest importance to Jane!) and they support each other and their choices. Jane and Luke want each other badly and they want to be together. Their relationship is not picture perfect but it's unique and it makes them happy and it's also really cute!

I didn't enjoy Problem Child as much as Jane Doe #1 but it's still a really enjoyable book. Jane's journey to find her missing niece, a niece she doesn't even know, is her opportunity to have some time away from the next step of her relationship with Luke whilst trying to help out someone who she suspects to be just like her. She also finds the time to get her revenge on a work colleague who is brazenly taking the credit for all of Jane's hard work. We don't get to see a great deal of Kayla but her story feels even more tragic than Jane's. Problem Child is a good story and a great addition to the Jane Doe series and I hope lays the foundation for Jane Doe #3!

Highly recommended; a quick easy read with a phenomenal lead character!

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Helen Stone and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jane is back! She has a new job and a serious relationship. She's trying to live a more normal life, but she's still cold and calculating. When Jane discovers her niece is missing, she doesn't care. Then she learns her niece may be like her... a sociopath. This intrigues Jane, so she goes in search of her.

This is the second book in the Jane Doe series. I recommend starting with the first book, Jane Doe, before reading this one. The first book is better, plus it introduces Jane and more of her story. Problem Child can be read as a standalone though.

In Jane's work life, she's got a coworker trying to claim her work as his own. Obviously, she needs to straighten him out. In her love life, she's in a relationship with Luke, who's ready to take things to the next level. Even though Jane has a lot going on, she takes a trip to her hometown to locate her missing niece, Kayla. Jane wants to help Kayla because she reminds Jane of herself.

A fast-paced domestic thriller. Jane's not a likable character, but she is fun to read about. A gripping novel with dark humor, mystery, and revenge.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Like many of the other reviewers, this sociopathic Jane story didn't quite hold my attention like the first sociopathic Jane story. I loved the first one, and liked this one.

The first 25% of Problem Child was the best. Jane's interactions with her co-worker, Rob, reminded me so much of the first book, I was grinning like an idiot. After that, while we received tons of interesting information about Jane's formative years, it felt a little dry. Our wonderful, diabolic Jane seemed nearly mundane in book two.

Regardless, Victoria Helen Stone has a gold mine in this character. Jane is so. much. fun. Looking forward to book three!

Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Lately, I've had a keen interest in thrillers, especially psychological thrillers. While I had KU, I was able to read the first book in this series so I could get a feel for Jane and her life. I am so glad I read that book to understand Jane and her sociopathic behaviors. I never thought about someone that is a sociopath isn't always a lunatic or a killer. They just know how to manipulate the people around them to keep control of the situation.

In this book, Jane travels to Oklahoma, where her family resides, to find her niece that was reported missing. Normally, Jane wouldn't care about someone in her family, but she is intrigued by the fact that Kayla is supposedly just like her, another sociopath. The family may not realize that is what they are, but they do understand their similarities. Jane does some digging to find her niece. It helps to be familiar with the area and some of the people. It was fascinating to see the interaction with her mom and dad. Let's just say they aren't the nurturing types.

I enjoyed the interaction between Jane and Kayla. They have to learn to trust each other, or as much as they can, and maybe Kayla won't end up in a bad situation. There is a twist at the very end of the book that surprised me, and surprised even Jane. Now I have to know how things continue in the next book. Will Kayla turn over a new leaf or will she revert back to her old ways.

If you are in the mood for a good psychological thriller, then this is a series you want to pick up. We give it 5 paws up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Helen Stone and Lake Union Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to find out there was going to be another novel with Jane and her wild life! She is probably my all time favorite character because she is so different and I find her so hilarious. I find these novels so unique and I loved the relationship with Luke and how she handles all that comes with a long-term relationship. I loved the idea of another sociopath just like Jane and how action packed this novel was! I flew right through this in one sitting and couldn’t help but be upset that the next one isn’t out soon, especially after that ending!