This was absolutely outstanding. It was brilliantly written with so many twists and turns. Every time I thought I'd figured it out I was wrong.
Victoria has the ability to bring her characters to life. Not just quirky but also very relatable.
I can't wait to see what Victoria does next.

A great, thrilling read, which will keep you entertained throughout. A good one sitting read, get the nibbles ready, close the door, and read!

2.5* --> 3*

As someone who reads a lot of crime fiction, I think I’m getting to that point where I’m being far too picky about the books I pick up.

Case in point, Snakes and Ladders. This is the third instalment in the Ziba MacKenzie series, a fact I was completely unaware of at the time of requesting a review copy. For the most part, I think I got away with that as the author offers up quite a bit of information from the previous books to come to grips with Ziba’s character overall. And yet, not enough for me to get a good feel for her, to even warm to her or root for her. I didn’t particularly like her though I couldn’t quite put my finger on the why.

Dubbed as “Psycho meets The Silence of the Lambs”, the bar of expectations was raised to a level I don’t think this book ever achieved. Not by a long shot. For that the serial killers (yes, there are two) weren’t nearly terrifying enough. Or at all. Sure one of them manages to get into Ziba’s head but really, kind of been there, done that and the mind games failed to enthral me.

It’s obvious Ziba is distracted. It’s mentioned enough times too. She’s making it incredibly easy for Sange to manipulate her. Quite frankly, she should probably have removed herself from this investigation but okay, it’s fiction. Still, for some big renowned profiler, I thought she was often incredibly naive and stupid. It seems to me that there are things happening right under her nose that she doesn’t pick up on at all and it really started to annoy me. Also annoying, Ziba’s constant inner snark about a colleague.

It’s not all bad. There’s a nice pace to the story, the writing is good. I thought I knew quite early on who the active serial killer was but turns out I was wrong. I don’t know if there’s another addition to the series but there’s definitely enough there to do so. Some loose threads that need tying up. I’m sure the readers who were with this series from the start will enjoy this one a whole lot more than I did. From ratings I’ve seen I’m definitely in the minority with my opinion. But like I said at the start, I’m very picky and I personally think there are far more better crime fiction series out there. Entertaining, yes. But for me not really compelling, not suspenseful enough and definitely missing the thrill.

Fabulous plot which I could not put down. Brilliant characters, and twists and turns. Highly recommend to other fans of this genre!!

I've really enjoyed the Ziba books and this was no exception. Full of the usual tension and Ziba is a great character, as always. Can't wait for the next one!

I was completely unaware when I first started this book that it is a part of a series until about the 20% mark. That being said, I still really enjoyed this. The author did a really good job recapping some things that happened in previous books so I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything.

This honestly ticked all the boxes for me when it comes to a murder mystery:
Clever plot twists
Deranged murderer
Cryptic codes
Genius villain
A story arc happening with the lead detective 🕵️‍♀️

I was intrigued with this book from start to finish and the short chapters made it even more engaging and made it seem more fast paced.

I loved Dr. Vernon Sange, he is the perfect evil mastermind who simultaneously admire and wanna punch in the face.

I need to read the other books ASAP because I need more Ziba and Sange in my life.


~Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is my first book that I have read from this author and I really enjoyed it. I like the plot of the storyline and the way it was told. I found the characters very relatable.

Many thanks to netgalley and Victoria Selman for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I didn't realise that this was book 3 in the series and, while I'm not sure I like Ziba all that much, I am keen to read books 1 and 2 of the series. It feels like I need to grow with Ziba to get along with her. That being said it wasn't too much of a problem not to like Ziba as there was quite a bit going on in the book. It would have benefitted from some tighter editing as some of the sections were a lot slower than others. I'd like to start at book 1 and re-read book 3 after book 2 because I think I might enjoy the book more the second time around.

A thoroughly enjoyable read with a brilliant storyline!

A cat and mouse game from the beginning to the end with a brilliant twist or 2.

Here and there I got a bit frustrated with Zhang, She is a well-trained profiler who has worked on so many well-known cases but she gets suckered by Vernon Sange. On the other side, it shows what a conniving character he is!  I did figure out most of the twists but most people won't see them coming.

Highly entertaining!  Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the  copy in exchange for my honest opinion

i loved the use of horror and mystery elements as I was a big fan of Silence of the lambs, this was a really good read.

A gripping and intense read that I loved and would.highly recommend. This book had me hooked from the very beginning.

Wow…Snakes and Ladders was the dog’s testicles for sure! Billed as psycho meets Silence of the lambs, never was I going to refuse a match up like that! Although this book is one that you should go completely blind into. It was very Silence of the lambs, but it far exceeded my expectations. Do you want a book that will give you blunt force trauma by its sheer brilliant narrative and its impending threat that just constantly lurks around every corner. If you only read one crime series this year, make it this one!

Victoria Selman translates such equivocal storytelling onto the page with such ease. She gives the reader a snapshot of her powerful imagination. Snakes and Ladders is essentially a power to be reckoned with. She pushes us to our emotional limits, squeezes us to accept humanities flaws and highlights society’s cracks.

Snakes and Ladders will hook you immediately. The setting, the storytelling and the characterisation will do a blinder on you! I do love a good crime fiction novel but very few have been able to suck me into the storyline quite like this. Add in the intensity of two serial killers and the flawed character of a highly successful criminal profiler and it eagerly ticks all the boxes for a hugely addictive crime novel. All it takes is one taste of the story buried underneath and you will be gone.

Snakes and Ladders is one of those books that are so incredibly difficult to review. The story is so intelligent and compelling, but I don’t want to give anything away that may spoil the story. Ziba Mackenzie is an extremely strong protagonist. I think ultimately this is the reason I loved the story so much. The flowed around her, she strengthened it, but she had her flaws and for that, she was relatable – we can all see parts of ourselves within her character. Her personality felt like an echo resonating out with the pages. Her role within the investigation was as a freelance criminal profiler. I enjoyed this angle and it made an intriguing change from the usual detective or police viewpoint. She delved into the investigation with vigour and I was intrigued about the personal connection she seemed to have with one of the serial killers, Vernon Sange. He’s still behind bars but somehow, he’s still able to pull the shots. He’s intimidating and creepily intelligent. He’s for sure a dead ringer for Hannibal Lector. He gave me chills!

Our other serial killer, The Pink Rose Killer is the focus of this investigation, but it is no less devastating. How does Vernon Sange know so much about him? Are they in contact? Will he give a name? can they stop him before he claims his next victim? We get insight into the killers past with flashback chapters and it really nails home just how much the past can have a firm grip on our present and future.

Snakes and Ladders has cemented Victoria Selman as an exciting crime writer to watch. Twist follows twist at such a breakneck speed. Cancel all your plans. Turn your phone off, lock the doors and get comfy…you won’t be going anywhere until the final page is closed.

Really really good. I enjoyed this book and would definately read more by the same author. 4 stars from me

Started out great. Then the main character kept making stupid and purely emotional choices/mistakes! If she's really that educated, please explain how she can be so dumb? Not for me - the main character became too frustrating.

The third in the crime series featuring the enigmatic criminal profiler Ziba Mackenzie. It is a dark and unrelenting cat and mouse story between Ziba and an imprisoned serial killer. An absorbing novel of good versus true evil.

This called to me as initially it brought the epic Silence of the Lambs to mind. That's a tough path to follow and I must admit Victoria Selman did a fairly good job of writing her own story in this murder profiler investigation. It's part of a series, a fact of which I wasn't aware before I began reading, but I enjoyed the book never the less. It was an easy read and kept me engrossed throughout. I was so eager to discover the identity of the pink rose killer that I stayed awake until the early hours of the morning to reach the end. I didn't find this story to be predictable at all and I found the twists really fitting and they were totally unexpected. This was a great read and I look forward to reading more from Victoria Selman in the future as I'm sure there will be many.

Snakes and Ladders is the third installment in the Ziba MacKenzie series by Victoria Selman. Vernon Sange, a serial killer refuses to talk to anyone but Ziba, and she feels she must go see him in prison, since there are murders being committed that he seems to know about, and may be controlling from inside the prison. Fans of the Ziba MacKenzie series know that Ziba has her own psychological struggles and must work through them as well as do her job and get to the bottom of these new murders. Apparently a new serial killer, most likely acquainted with Sange, is murdering and taking a body part from each of the bodies.

Selman is obviously well-versed on the subject of serial killing, and it makes the story believable because the actions of Sange and other suspects seem to fit with readers’ expectations. The novel starts out with plenty of suspense, and the suspense builds throughout. Ziba is likeable and relatable since she is not a super hero and has personal flaws. Selman’s characters are well-developed which adds to the enjoyment, and she weaves a story that is unique and puzzling. The dénouement is surprising and unexpected, and the scenarios seem real. Since the story takes place in London, and the characters are English there is a certain charm, which adds to the appeal of this and other Ziba MacKenzie novels.

All told, this is a great series and will keep the interest of readers.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Another fantastic ziba read, I love this charecter loads, a brilliant gripping read from start to finish

I haven't read the previous books in this series but I certainly will now. Really great story. Highly recommend.

When I read the tagline "Psycho meets Silence of the Lambs" I knew I just HAD to read this book! And wow...what can I say? It simply is...WOW!

SNAKES AND LADDERS is the third in the Ziba MacKenzie series, although I didn't know it at the time, but it reads well as a standalone. It was THAT good. There is enough background given throughout to ensure you don't miss out on anything. But be warned...once you start, you won't be able to stop and from there on in you then have a burning desire to get your hands on the other two books in the series and devour them in much the same way.

Ziba MacKenzie, who lost her husband Duncan in a shooting two years ago, is a profiler who specialises in serial killers on secondment to the FBI teaching at Quantico when she is called back to London to assist on a murder case. But not just any murder case. Someone is killing young homeless girls, mutilating their bodies and leaving behind various seemingly random items along with a single pink rose, earning him the moniker of the Pink Rose Killer. And word has reached Scotland Yard that there is to be another murder in two days' time.

While Scotland Yard has any number of profilers on their books able to assist police in their investigation, only Ziba can help. From his prison cell hundreds of miles from London, Vernon Sange (formerly Dr) holds the key to this latest mystery and he will help police on one condition - that he will only speak to Ziba.

Vernon Sange is a psychopath. But a very clever psychopath. Like Ziba, he profiles people, charms them, befriends them and even seduces them...to lure them into his trap. In his former life he was a successful university Don at Oxford, a doctor of philosophy, a lecturer, a teacher, a master, a murderer. It was Ziba's profile that lead police to him and an anonymous tip that sealed his fate during his trial. Now in his prison cell he is awaiting extradition to the US where he faces the death penalty.

Sange claims to know the identity of the PRK, and when and where the murders will take place. Ziba does not want to meet with Sange but knows, at this stage, police are out of options. And being so close to the next murder, if Sange knows anything and will only talk to her then she must see him and extricate any information she can from him. But that is easier said that done. Sange is a master. Ziba knows that as soon as he walks in Sange will be watching her. Looking for any reaction, even a flicker, that he can use to manipulate her. But Ziba resolves to give nothing away; she refuses to be played by him. But can she stop her subconscious from reacting? And can she outsmart Sange and get what she needs, never to return again?

But one thing is for sure...you can't outsmart a psychopath!

Faced with a deadly countdown, Ziba must get the answers needed to help catch the killer before he kills again. But for all his talk in her visit with him, does Sange actually ever tell her anything of use? At first, Ziba isn't so sure. But then she begins to piece some aspects together while others remain a mystery...earning her yet another long drive to the prison to see Sange once again.

While these visits are paramount to the investigation, Ziba dreads them...because Sange appears to read her effortlessly and he always wants something in return. His game is he will give her something if she gives him something first. But can she elude his mind games and figure out the clues on her own? And save the man she secretly loves?

Meanwhile in her private life, Ziba continues to grieve the loss of her husband two years ago. Although she misses Duncan, her friendship with his best friend journalist Jack Wolfe has grown into something more although she would never put Jack's life on the line by saying so. But somehow Sange knows even if Jack doesn't. And now Jack is in danger.

How does Sange know how she feels about Jack Wolfe? And why is Jack the only journalist the PRK writes to? While it is clearly Jack he sends these letters to, who is "O.D." to whom he addresses within them? And the code at the end of each letter...what do they mean? Is Sange involved more than they know?

So many questions throughout will have your head spinning that you won't want to put it down! As the truth begins to emerge piece by piece, it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems. Everything is smoke and mirrors. Mind games at its best!

SNAKES AND LADDERS is a well-crafted, well-plotted, brilliantly told murder mystery thriller that had me turning pages long into the night! I loved the short snappy chapters that kept the pace moving at a break-neck speed throughout.

I absolutely loved the dry wit peppered throughout the story. Ziba's thoughts on Fingerling as he sneered his comments at her had me chuckling on more than one occasion. Her passing thoughts on the weather even. If it didn't thrill, it made me laugh. Everything I love in a book.

Every character in the story is well developed and each has their part to play. None of them are insignificant or surplus to the tale. Victoria Selman has weaved each them into her web seamlessly leaving nothing to chance. Even one of the most likable characters with whom Ziba connected to wasn't by chance. And when that final plot twist came at the end, it was both shocking and brilliant!

While I haven't read the first two in the series, unaware at the time of requesting that this was a third installment, SNAKES AND LADDERS is everything I love in a thriller - fast paced, twisty, compelling, intriguing, witty and utterly unputdownable.

While it's always best to start a series from the beginning, I don't think it's essential to enjoy SNAKES AND LADDERS, as it flows seamlessly throughout with enough background given to know what is going on. I know I enjoyed it immensely without reading the first two...but let it be known, I have now added the first two to my collection and look forward to sneaking them into my reading list sometime soon. I suspect this is going to be one of my favourite series. Criminal Minds meets Psycho meets Silence of the Lambs .

That brilliant ending has me longing for the fourth installment now with that twist of a cliffhanger that leaves us wondering where the story goes from here...and that dawn of realisation that hit Ziba as she heard the news...I wasn't surprised, but she most definitely was. In the end, that final piece suddenly made sense to me and left me wanting more. Hands down brilliant!

Bring on book #4!!

I would like to thank #VictoriaSelman, #NetGalley and #AmazonPublishingUK for an ARC of #SnakesAndLadders in exchange for an honest review.