A creepy, tension-filled game of cat and mouse, "The Killing Kind" is a standalone psychological thriller by bestselling crime writer Jane Casey. The book is the story of Ingrid Lewis, a young barrister in London. After successfully defending her client John Webster against a stalking charge, she finds herself his next target. It's a designation that nearly ruins her life until he's finally arrested. Thinking she's finally free of him, she's terrified when he reappears a few years later, seemingly more lethal than before. People Ingrid knows are being murdered, and she's convinced John Webster is the killer -- and she his sole intended victim.

Insisting he's innocent this time around, John Webster warns Ingrid that her life is in danger, and he's the only person she can trust to save her. Knowing he's manipulative and a liar, Ingrid resists trusting him instead of those closest to her, even when he proves to her that she should. But as the tension builds and the murderer breathes down Ingrid's neck, she must make a decision. Trusting John Webster might get her killed. However, refusing to trust him might do the same.

Jane Casey does a brilliant job of creating the characters of Ingrid and John. They alone will compel you to keep reading. Naturally, they drive the story forward, but they’re also so well developed that it’s impossible not to become invested in their outcomes. Ingrid, as the protagonist, is intelligent, strong, and able to keep her wits about her despite everything that’s happening in her life. Her desperation and fear are palpable at times, but she still manages to hold it together to keep herself alive.

As for John Webster, there isn’t a creepier antagonist. Although he’s charming and charismatic, there’s also no doubt that he’s dark, twisted, and manipulative — and could be a threat to Ingrid’s life. However, as scary as he is in some of his encounters with her, there’s nothing he does that can’t be explained away as harmless or a misjudgment. It’s hard to tell if he wants to save Ingrid from another character in the book or if he’s playing games with her with the intention of killing her in the end.

“The Killing Kind” was the first book I’ve read by Jane Casey. When I picked it up, I was ready to sink into an intense, mind-blowing story based on the hype surrounding it on Amazon and other bookish sites. Sad to say, that never happened. While I liked the story and admired Jane Casey’s writing style, I didn’t love it as a psychological thriller. Although there were little twists and turns throughout the book, it was missing that first huge twist that either shows the narrator is a liar — or a character or situation isn’t what it seems. As is, “The Killing Kind” read more as a crime fiction novel and would have been better categorized as such. I would have had different expectations going into it. Perhaps I would have liked it more than I did.

One of the best stalker books I’ve ever read, so scary! Ingrid defends John Webster and wins the case that allows him freedom after being accused of stalking and “breaking” a poor woman with alleged mental problems. Unfortunately, Ingrid becomes his next victim. But there are other sinister characters at work and John may be her only hope or is he the one to be afraid of? This story is so well written starting with startling action in the beginning and lots of twists and turns along the way. I did feel like it got a little long in the middle but would definitely read this author again. Thank you Netgalley, Harper 360 and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Available now

Wonderful thriller that will keep you on your toes throughout the whole book. I was riveted from start to finish with this one.

This was a slow burn for me, but I actually ended up really liking the book.

Ingrid Lewis is a barrister who thinks she's been stalked by a former client who has spent the past few years stalking her and causing her to lose everything from relationships to jobs. Now, one of her coworkers got run over by a car, and Ingrid believes the attack was meant for her and not her friend. Ingrid is in danger, but John Webster insists he's not the one terrorizing her. All Ingrid knows is that the threats are getting too close.

I actually enjoyed the plot of this book and found it engaging. At first, I thought that many of the details in the first few chapters could have been skipped completely, but some of them become important as the story unfolds. The plot is told from alternate timelines. The first one focuses on Ingrid's efforts to keep John Webster out of jail from a stalking charge while the current timeline explores Ingrid's life after her coworker's accident.

The story escalates every time a development is introduced in the plot, and while the pace is slow at first, it becomes more and more engaging. I found the book truly fascinating in the end.

Would you believe your stalker who says that only he can save you from imminent danger? Ha!!! As if!

Yet this is what happens to Ingrid Lewis when her stalker, John Lewis shows up at her door. Intriguing, suspenseful and crazy, this is one that will have you gripping the pages of your kindle, swiping for dear life.

Thanks to Harper Collins for the arc.

I wish I could say I loved this one more than I did. The premise sounded amazing and I had seen such great reviews encouraging me to pick this one up. Unfortunately I just did not connect with the lead character. Also I just happened to read another book prior to this one and the storyline was so close that I had trouble differentiating between the two.

There so many fabulous reviews for this book. Perhaps just bad timing for me?🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360.

The description on the cover perfectly described this book - it is definitely tense and definitely thrilling! Lots of twists that keep me interested until the last page.

Wow. I think this is the best Jane Casey novel I have read. At times it’s so tense your breathing slows to match that of the characters especially Ingrid

Ingrid Lewis is a barrister that is no stranger to challenging clients. Her world is gradually turned upside down when one of these clients begin to infiltrate every nuance of her life. The tension rises as danger follows her in this game of cat and mouse. This thriller had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down! Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for my copy.

I wanted this book to be better than it was. There was a lot of promise and a lot of good plot ideas, but they kind of just fell a little flat to me. Plus, I couldn't believe the lock situation. No one in that line of work, who believes they have a stalker, pays so little attention to their lock situation.

A fantastic thriller with unexpected twists and a cast of characters that leaves you questioning just who you can trust. Ingrid Lewis is a barrister, crime doesn't shock her, and little used to scare her, at least until John Lewis set his sights on her. With increasing paranoia, Ingrid begins to investigate the deaths the police can't seem to connect to her, but she knows they must be. While constantly looking over her should, Ingrid revisits the cases she worked on, connecting the dots. She fails to think like a criminal though, she doesn't see what they see on the rainy streets, in the dark apartments, in the cluster of humans focused on getting to work each day. Jane Casey takes readers into the dark, dark belly of crime and despair as Ingrid struggles to figure out just who wants her dead, why they might, and the lengths they'll go to achieve it.

Here to admit I loved John Webster, he's so good and so bad and Ingrid plays right into his hands. He's such a key character in this novel and while I enjoyed reading from Ingrid's unexpecting view point, I would have loved John's perspective occasionally. His motives are fascinating to me. Ingrid, however, certainly has a love/hate thing with him and I have a love/hate thing with her. She's so smart, but not street smart at all and it's very apparent as you turn the pages of this crime thriller. There's also a whole list of other character names to remember and while I appreciated every single thing they brought to the table, it sure was a lot to remember. The Killing Kind is lengthy and filled with detail, that admittedly, begins to weigh down the read. The amount of detail and plot lends itself to plot holes and Casey suffered that in a few places. This is one where I had to stop myself from skimming and in the end it was worth it, I was totally surprised by the last few chapters.

If you love crime thrillers, The Killing Kind is sure to be a winner. It's dark, a bit gruesome, and filled with all the facts of legal work. Plus, it isn't at all the same as other thrillers out right now and the freshness of it felt so good to read. Jane Casey was a new to me author with this book, but I'll be reading her others now.

Jane Casey knows how to write a story that makes you wish you could suspend time so you can ignore everyday tasks and just finish the damn thing! Ingrid, a British Barrister who defends clients in court, unintentionally crosses paths with a master manipulator John Webster, who becomes obsessed with her after she secures his acquittal. Meanwhile, Ingrid is living a good life, with a fiancé named Mark and the career she loves. Suddenly, seemingly unrelated incidents, (read accidents) happen to people close to Ingrid. If like mr you keep seeing the cover pop up in your social media feeds, the cover featuring a red umbrella, is everywhere. With good reason, the story is harrowing and you can almost imagine the suspected stalking (no one can prove its Webster) happening to you or someone you love. The characters were well developed and fleshed out and the suspense and revelations just keep coming. Highly recommended and I hope we see a follow up novel with Ingrid.

This new book by Casey is a nonstop roller coaster ride to the very end. Ingrid is a British barrister for whom a past case throws her life into a state of chaos. After successfully defending a stalker, Ingrid becomes his new object of obsession. Always one step ahead of the police and with an alibi, Webster moves in and out of her life with ease. When people connected to Ingrid's life start dying unexplained deaths, she think he is to blame, but that would be too easy. Ingrid investigates the deaths and finds it hard to know whom she can trust. Casey does a good job of slowly revealing clues to the answers Ingrid seeks.

London Barrister Ingrid Lewis is afraid for her life. She believes she is being stalked by an ex-client, John Webster. They have a tumultuous relationship.

She originally defended him against a stalking charge, and then he turned his attention to stalking her, he followed her everywhere. He ruined her relationship, even burned down her home.

As he has recently been released from prison and one of her colleagues is killed in a hit and run accident, Ingrid is fearful that her life is in danger.

And then he shows up at her door. He has something to say ... but can she believe anything that comes out of his mouth?

Is he still stalking her? Is he a murderer .. or her protector? She needs to decide .. because the danger has now significantly closer.

The suspense is intense and consuming and starts on the very first page. The plot is intriguing with twists and turns that lead to an unexpected conclusion. There are many characters with multi-layered personalities ... and not all of them know how to tell the truth.

Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

A stand alone for Jane Casey was. Quick read with enoughtwists and turns to keep the pages turning in one day. I liked the character development and the build up of tension. Casey is at the top of her game.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

This was a fun and mostly entertaining, if overly long, British crime thriller. we follow barrister Ingrid who believes that a stalker she defended several years ago has come back into her life. The story takes lots of turns and borders on being convoluted at times because there are so many puzzle pieces to put together as several of Ingrid‘s past cases produce new suspects and it feels like we are constantly being introduced to new characters.
I did feel like the book was decently paced, however about 2/3 of the way through I did start feeling its almost 500-page length a little bit. I know this author has a decent sized backlist so I would be interested in checking out another one of her books, maybe a shorter one next time.

The Killing Kind was a suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. It's actually a pretty thick book - my copy was 470 pages but I flew through it. It's one of those reads that you don't want to set down because you just want to see what is going to happen next. One of the things that I enjoyed the most about this book was that you didn't know who to trust. Ingrid previously had a stalker - John Webster - who it seems like may be coming back into her life. And as the summary above states - he is stating that he can help her because it does look like someone is trying to hurt or kill her. Could it be John that is trying to insert himself into her life again or who is trying to cause her harm? Or could it be someone else trying to hurt her possibly related to her job as she works in criminal defense. Who can she trust? Is there anyone? These questions swirled around constantly in my head while I was reading this book. It really helped to up the level of tension and suspense that was present throughout this book. I was so caught up in this book that I just didn't want to set this book down. I especially was intrigued by John Webster's character and what his motivations were. This book won't be for everyone though - it deals with some difficult subject matter that won't be for every reader. I will include content warnings below for the major ones but if you have specific questions just let me know. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am eager to read more by this author!

Read this book if you enjoy suspenseful, page turning reads that you don't want to set down. I've read one of this author's book so far (book one in a long running series of hers) and this was a great reminder that I need to get back to that series. This book would be a great place to start if you don't want to begin a long running series and want to give her a try with a standalone instead. Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: A book that I just couldn't stop reading!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher as part of a TLC book tour. Honest thoughts are my own.

Content Warnings: Rape (this is on page somewhat so be warned that this could be triggering for some readers), suicide, stalking

Can you believe him when he tells you he will protect you? Can you believe him when he tells you that you are special? Is he believable?

Ingrid is a barrister who is used to dealing with dangerous and "tricky" characters. John Webster takes the cake! She defends him and then to show his thanks he begins stalking her, harming her relationships, trying to destroy her reputation and even destroying her home. Sounds like a real winner, doesn't her? You have no idea!

Then one day her co-worker is run down an a busy London street. The plot thickens. It gets even thicker when Webster shows up and tells her that she is in danger. Should she believe him????

This books goes back and forth in time from past to present and vice versa. We are privy to how Webster has tried to manipulate, and destroy Ingrid's life We are shown how being stalked and the stress of Webster trying to destroy her life has on her. Webster is an interesting character as well. He's devious, creepy, manipulative, and sinister. Should she believe him when he tells her that while he was stalking her, he learned that there are others interested in her as well? hmmm

Jane Casey can write and I have enjoyed many books in her Maeve Kerrigan Series but I didn't enjoy this one as much as I had hoped. Perhaps my hopes were too high, I'm not sure. Although I enjoyed this book with it's twists and turns, I still wasn't entirely wowed by it. But, Casey is a wonderful writer and I will continue to seek out her books. This was a one off for me.

Others are enjoying this more than I did, so please seek out their reviews as well.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you….. This book was a great read that keep me on my toes every step of the way. I highly recommend!

I was really excited to get an advanced copy of this book, The Killing Kind, by Jane Casey. I’ve never read any of her books, but they seem to be right up my alley, in terms of mystery/thrillers. Whenever you get/win a book that is just so…. YOU… it’s time to celebrate!

The Killing Kind tells the story of Ingrid, a barrister in the London court system. She’s used to dealing with yucky (and sometimes guilty) criminals, but none was as horrible as John Webster. Ingrid had successfully defended John against a stalking charge, but he ended up turning on her, stalking HER and attempting to intentionally ruin her life (relationships, work, etc.) John was convicted of those stalking charges, but now is out of prison. When strange and horrible things begin to happen, Ingrid can’t help but wonder if John Webster is back to his old tricks.

Overall, I loved this book! Ingrid was a great leading lady, one who you could relate to. She was in no ways perfect. Torn between two loves, scared for her life, she doesn’t always make the best decision. That, though, is what I think makes her more human and relatable. John Webster is a truly creepy character, and you never quite know which side of the truth he is falling on at any given moment. He and Ingrid have many interactions, and the dynamics between the two characters are truly delightful! I also enjoyed the correspondences between the perpetrators interspersed between chapters, breaking the story up a little bit.
The only slight negative I had were that sometimes I felt like the author didn’t make us privy to the big twists that occurred. This is a little hard to explain, but sometimes Ingrid would figure things out, and then “tell” the reader what she figured out. It wasn’t as if twists were happening first hand. Ingrid would tell another character what she had figured out (sometimes a big twist!) and then explain how she had figured it out, after the fact. It just didn’t have quite as big of a “punch” so to speak, as when twists happen in “real time”. That was my only real complaint, though.

Overall, The Killing Kind rated 4 of 5 stars, in my book. I would love to read more books by Jane Casey, and overall really enjoyed her writing style and the twisty style of her book. This is perfect for fall and winter reading, and it hits store shelves on September 21, 2021!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.