"You never know what you're going to find when you start messing around with the past."

Jessie Tucker is a survivor. Twelve years ago, she was attacked and left for dead in Central Park. She eventually recovered from her horrific injuries and went on to become a crime reporter for the NEW YORK TRIBUNE. The perpetrator was caught, sentenced to prison and died in a knife attack there. She's learning to let go of the past when another woman is found in the park, this one murdered in a scarily similar fashion and is identified as a campaign aid to a local senator, Frank Landsdale. Jessie can't help but think that the events that follow aren't the makings of an incredible story, so she begins her own investigation into the death of Margaret Kincaid using her own experience to heighten the story. Little does she know what her dogged, in depth pursuit of the truth will reveal. NO SPOILERS.

Well, this was certainly a book that begs to be read in a single sitting. It was quite intense with twists around every corner! I enjoyed the narrative and really found myself able to relate to the character of Jessie Tucker. Yeah, she goes of half-cocked and is nosing into everyone's business, but her aim is to figure out what happened to Margaret Kincaid as well as to end her curiosity about her own near death experience. There are plausible suspects around every corner and the shocks just keep on coming as Jessie does her thing. I enjoyed this and am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series as this was the debut. I liked the writing style and the complicated plot. It was a bit different to my usual detective novels and I relished the change of point of view. More please.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

Jessie Tucker was brutally attacked 12 years ago and was left for dead in Central Park. In the present day, Jessie is now a crime reporter who gets assigned to a brutal murder of a young woman in Central Park that is eerily familiar. As Jessie dives into the case that the cops have deemed closed she learns things are not as they seem. Jessie quickly begins to see there may be a connection between her past and her present but what is she willing to risk to find out the truth.

For a debut novel, the author does an excellent job at character development. Further editing may have provided a better pace to the story as by the end I was flying through the chapters to find out the truth. Overall this book will be enjoyed by fans of Law and Order and it will shock readers when the ending is revealed.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping and full of suspense, this one grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let you go. There is much to love about this first book in a new series. Jesse Tucker is a complex and intriguing character that takes the term dogged to a new level. There are so many shocking moments and twists that I couldn't put it down. I had to read it straight through. It was worth the loss of sleep. This is a thriller that lives up to the genre. The interesting cast of characters are a bonus. I can't wait for the next book. This is an author not to be missed.

Readers, watch out for this author as the next big thing! “Girl Walking Alone” by Dana Perry is going to be the next bestselling murder mystery with “girl” in the title. It is as good as the best in the crime genre. I am glad that the sub-title, “a Jessie Tucker mystery” indicates more to come; I plan to read the series.

Dana Perry’s voice grabbed my attention from the start. It is a voice that makes you want to keep reading the novel. One page leads easily onto the next as you are keen to learn about Jessie Tucker’s life, present and past. There are minor quibbles that the reader has to reread several times the gruesome, near-fatal attack on Jessie 12 years prior. One hopes that subsequent books of the series will gloss over this matter. As this was an advance copy, there are a couple of typos that should be removed in the final edit.

What I was further pleasantly surprised about were the twists, turns and new revelations that kept coming. Like Agatha Christie’s mysteries, the eye of suspicion falls on a pleasantly wide cast of characters. Dana Perry isn’t shy about quickly exploiting the breadcrumb-clue trail she has left for the reader who isn’t left in the abyss some writers drop their readers into as they wait for the author to pick up the clue/s again.

Jessie Tucker, once a media sensation for making a miracle recovery following a brutal attack in Central Park, New York City, has become a successful crime journalist. Jessie had identified her assailant who was convicted and later killed in prison. As in the case of her assault, in the new murder investigation, the NYC detectives investigate, quickly solve and close the case file.

Reporting on what starts out as the supposedly random murder of Margaret Kincaid in Central Park, Jessie is startled by the similarities to her own attack in Central Park more than a decade ago. This and the increasing flashbacks plunge Jessie into heightened feelings of insecurity. Having been lulled into a false state of security thinking she was out harm’s way from her attacker, Jessie now suspects the cases are linked and the murderer – now a serial offender – is still at large. This propels her to reopen her own investigation. The powers that be in her management, politics and most importantly, the police, however, think the links between the recent murder and her case are only in Jessie’s mind.

As Jessie plunges into exploring the question marks, more mysteries pile up quick and fast. Is this a sexually-motivated attack? If so, why was the woman not raped? To find answers, Jessie travels from New York City to Kettering, Ohio, and Santa Barbara, California. Jessie even visits Hearst Castle in San Simeon which I visited a couple of weeks ago, which brought back happy memories.

Framing a crime around sexual politics is timely in these days of the Me-Too movement. However, this novel carries far greater complexity than that. It delves into the NYC mayoralty, USA senate and national politics, the police in their various precincts, the US-led 1991 Gulf War in Iraq, war veterans, the media and even a case of mistaken/ false identity. This all makes for a meaty mystery and a satisfying, page-turning read.

Jessie Tucker’s character is nuanced and relatable. The victim’s brother, Logan Kincaid arrives in NYC to seek out Jessie, and makes an interesting character himself. “Girl Walking Alone” is an excellent crime procedural, well-paced with a good author’s voice. Dana Perry will become a big name in crime writing.

Thank-you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Dana Perry for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Girl Walking Alone in exchange for an honest review.

This review also appears in Netgalley and https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/2019/11/girl-walking-alone-by-dana-perry.html and https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3043524377

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller! So many levels of intrigue. It is tense and filled wirh carefully layered secrets. The final reveal of the killer is chilling and complex. Loved the characters.

Jessie Tucker is likeable and easy to relate to. Her toughness and drive to claim her life back was extraordinary and her desire to uncover the truth is just as tenacious. I found this to be an excellent beginning for a new series.

The story drew me in from the very beginning and I could not put it down. Lots of wonderfully intense emotions in this book! I highly recommend it! I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
I recommend this book to anyone who love a well written psychological drama.

This is the first book in a new series, and I can't wait to read some more!! The killings were very personal to our main character, Jessie, and it made for entertaining reading. Highly recommended.

An original main character can be found in Jessie Tucker,a common story with lots of twists which builds to an exciting and unexpected ending. Looking forward to the next one.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

A well paced crime mystery with good character development and interesting twists and turns. Politics, blackmail and murder provide a page turning read. This is the first in the series and I look forward to reading more.

I really enjoyed this book. There is a lot of action and a lot of suspects which makes a great story. I really liked the writing style and the setting. I hope that there are more books about Jessie to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Jessie Tucker was attacked and left for dead in Central Park twelve years ago.. Since then she has recovered and become a reporter for a New York paper turning her life successfully around. When another woman is found dead in Central Park Jessie starts having memory flashbacks and doubts start to surface whether the man found guilty of the attack on her really committed the attack.
Jessie starts to investigate the death of the woman which has many similarities to the attack on her can she find the murderer?

Dana Perry's Girl Walking Alone is a fascinating read... I thoroughly enjoyed this book -- and at times, had difficulty putting it down. Jessie Tucker survived a serious trauma and is now a newspaper reporter. She learns about a case and tenaciously dives into the story... and the more she learns, the more similarities she finds with her own case. As she's still trying to heal and establish relationships of her own, she's challenged with who she can actually trust. There are so many satisfying twists and turns throughout the novel... Make sure this book is on your reading list! I cannot wait to see where Dana Perry takes Jessie next, both in her adventures and as she works on developing and healing her relationships.

OMG what a fantastic book!! I'm so excited for the next book in the series!! This is the story of Jessie Tucker. A New York journalist. Jessie was beaten and left for dead in Central Park. She recovers and 12 years later, learns the truth about what really happened that night. How does a U.S. Senator play in the story? That's the question throughout this thrill ride page turner! This series is definitely going to be a must for me. A 5 star thrilling page turner with a shocking turn of events!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for this ARC

This is the author’s first book and my first impressions are she has set the bar high here. The book way exceeded my expectations and I felt this was a very good and thrilling read. The main character is a reporter who was attacked and left for dead some years before, and is a likeable, feisty, strong lady. She reports on a murder that is eerily similar to her own attack, and with more murders following she begins to doubt the police investigations and relentlessly pursues other leads in her search for the truth. She also relooks at her own attack and finds more questions than answers. The book had lots of twists and turns and a great plot line and for nearly three quarters of the book I thought I knew who the killer was and was wrong. The reveal(s) towards the end really shocked me and I never saw them coming! It was a book that showed that people and appearances are not as they seem, and be careful who you trust. I thought the book flowed very well, it was superbly written and grabbed my attention right from the start and kept it all the way through. I will definitely want to read a second book with this character and would recommend this book.

A very complicated and fascinating mystery by Ms. Perry. Jessie Tucker, a reporter for the New York Tribune, was assaulted and left for dead twelve years ago in Central Park. Her strength and determination led to the amazing recovery from her many injuries. When she covers the story of a woman found dead in Central Park, similar to her case, she opens an investigation that continues to expand with each new piece of evidence. Jessie is extremely good at her job and soon she is covering multiple stories that reach to some of most influential people in New York. Will she be able to prove why this young woman was murdered and who killed her? Will she begin to question the similarities from her own case from years ago? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

I got a free advance readers’ copy in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine being brutally attacked and left for dead. That in itself is extremely traumatic. But then imagine choosing to become a crime reporter after that only to encounter a crime scene which eerily matches yours.

In Girl Walking Alone, Jessie Tucker has survived what many women dread. A random encounter with a monster. Twelve years later, she is mostly whole again with a slight limp being the only reminder of that night. The man charged with atacking her, Darryl Jackson, was jailed and ended up being killed in prison. She is one of the top crime journalists because she writes from the victim’s perspective. She gets a call from the editor about a new story, the murder of Margaret Kincaid, a senator’s aide. However, as details emerge, Jessie is convinced that Margaret’s attack was too similar to hers to be a coincidence. Police have already killed the main suspect in Margaret’s case but Jessie is convinced that they got the wrong guy. With many of her close friends and associates convinced she’s gone mad, she decides that she is going to get to the bottom of these two mysteries once and for all.

The story was intense and well written. I found myself engrossed quite quickly in this book especially as more surprises emerged. Some of the twists were predictable but the main ones were not. However, I was able to guess one of them before it was fully revealed.

I was instantly able to like Jessie. I admired her strength and determination especially after her attack. The fact that she refused to use her cane even when she needed to was a further sign of how strong-willed she was.

This book is going to be the first in a series and I can honestly say that based on this, I can’t wait for future instalments. There are some characters in this book that I would really like to follow up on and see how their relationships with Jessie were changed.

I did have a few issues though:

When Margaret’s brother, Logan, met Jessie for the first time, they started talking about her attack. Why would he bluntly ask if she was raped? I felt like that was an odd first conversation to have.
Jessie mentioned the strange dreams she was having to her doctors and all they told her was that time heals all wounds. Why wasn’t some form of counseling suggested? After the trauma she endured, she would have been suffering from an extreme case of PTSD
Jessie and her very close friend, Ellen, were discussing something. Ellen started wondering if Jessie was going crazy until Jessie made an intellectual joke. Ellen then decides that Jessie cannot possibly be crazy. Is it that people with mental issues cannot be intellectuals?

The book was a pretty good read, though. There were some sex scenes which were a bit graphic but no obscenities. There was also a lot of extramarital affairs discussed in this book as well as some mention of child abuse which may be disturbing to some readers. Like I said before, this seems like a start of an excellent series.

Anyone who enjoys crime solving stories would love this book. Lots of twist and turns to keep readers on their toes as crime reporter Jessie seeks to solve a crime that becomes very personal. Loved the suspense! Will be hard to wait on the next book in this new series.Highly recommend!

I have read a number of good crime & suspense novels this year. Girl Walking Alone is another very good read. It has a good story which keeps up the pace, the central character has depth and the narration is very personal & makes an impact.

Jessie Tucker is a successful reporter. As she covers the story of Margaret Kincaid’s murder in Central Park, the memories of past horrors she has gone through come rushing back. Jessie was assaulted many years back at night and her recovery was considered a near miracle. NY police investigates the case and Jessie identifies her assailant who later dies in prison. The nature of the crimes is yet very similar. Police quickly moves to identify a suspect and considers the case solved, but Jessie feels there are loose ends.
Jessie’s investigation suggests that this is a very involved story involving politicians and there are echoes from the past including incidents during the Gulf War.

The story moves quickly and has a number of good twists and turns. A very relaxing read. Certainly recommended.

My rating: 4.5 / 5.

Not a bad debut novel. I found some sections to be slow moving and there weren't any real "aha" moments but overall, a decent read and not a bad start to a new series. I'm interested to see how the character(s) and the writing develop in the next book.

Thank you #negalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

Wow...this book was extremely unexpected. I didn't expect much from this book but I was wrong. From beginning to end, every page was a thrill ride. I was hooked right from the start. If this is the debut novel, I can't wait to read more.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. This story was crafted in such a way that kept the reader trying to put the pieces together just as quickly as Jessie . If you enjoy a puzzle piece mystery that slowly comes together that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the perfect story for you.
Jessie Tucker was a victim of an attack 12 yrs ago that resulted in a long round to recovery and a change in career. Now Jessie is a reporter, living in a different apartment and a daily exercise routine required to continue her physical recovery.

When there is a killing in the park very similar to Jessie’s she can’t help but be drawn to the murder. Who killed Margaret Kincaid? Was U.S. Senator Frank Lansdale involved? As Jessie digs deeper in the story who can She trust? Can Margaret’s murder and her attack be connected although they are 12 yr apart?

I was given an advanced copy to read for an honest review!