Another psychological thriller from Jane Casey. While I often steer away from books in the first person, the narrator was a credible storyteller…or was she? Lots of different plot twists, red herrings, and multiple characters who may or may night have been telling the truth. Maybe a few lapsed here and there re believe ability but overall a tour de force in mayhem, highly recommend

A few years ago, barrister Ingrid Lewis successfully defended her client, John Webster, against a stalking charge. In doing so, she allowed for a dangerous man to not only continue to freely roam the streets, but to divert his attention from his previous victim to stalking Ingrid herself. After a series of horrifying escalating incidents and John being put behind bars for an unrelated incident, Ingrid has begun to be able to move on and piece her life back together. But now John is out, and when she loans her distinctive umbrella to a coworker only to find out that coworker was run down in traffic while carrying it, Ingrid can’t help but wonder if this was a near miss and her stalker is back and more dangerous than ever.

Her spidey senses were tingling for a reason, and sure enough John shows back up in her life. However, he claims it’s to warn her that he’s not the one she should be afraid of. Stalking her, you see, has actually led him to realize there are other parties out there who are obsessed with Ingrid just as much as he is, but with much deadlier intentions. Who can Ingrid trust, and is it absolutely crazy, not to mention extremely dangerous, to take the word of a man who has terrorized and victimized her for years…?

There were some things I really liked about this book. The discussion of what it is like to be a barrister for the defense/defense attorney was fascinating, and it leaves the reader with a lot to ponder regarding what is legal, what is just, and what is right. I also thought, at least in the beginning, there was a great depiction of what it is like to be a stalking victim. Always basing your actions on what someone else’s agenda might be, wondering if an innocent question is actually someone pushing for information about you, never knowing who to trust. This also was very readable and I enjoyed the author’s writing style.

I have some qualms though… I couldn’t really tell if Ingrid was supposed to be gullible, traumatized, a victim of stockholm syndrome, or a strong character taking things into her own hands when others won’t listen or believe her. Obviously no one is so simple that they can be put into a neat little box, but her actions and thoughts were incongruous throughout the book. I also found one of the villains to be really obvious from early on, down to guessing what the anagram in their email stood for. It was in fact so clearly telegraphed I assumed the twist must be that this *wasn’t* the twist… It didn’t detract too much from my enjoyment because even though I expected it, there was a thrill in waiting for the other characters to catch up. What did end up detracting from my enjoyment was just how implausible things got toward the end. There’s suspending disbelief for entertainment value, and then there’s “you can’t be flipping serious”.

This was my first book from this author but many people, including those who didn’t love this one, have said wonderful things about the author’s previous books, especially the series involving Maeve Kerrigan. I plan to give Jane Casey another try and look forward to checking those out.

CW: Stalking, hard to read testimony in a rape trail, and for the animal lovers out there: the (off page but still upsetting) death of a pet.

Set to release in the US on September 21, 2021.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper360 for an advanced copy of this title for review.

I'm a huge fan of Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series. I try to save her books for when I want a sure thing and when I want to race through a book by an author I trust to tell a great story. I often don't manage to save these books long. So I'm sad to give this book a 2 star review, but that's the fair rating for me.

This book is a one-off, I think. It's about a London barrister named Ingrid who is trying to recover her life after a stalker destroys it. She's managed to get back to an even keel, but a horrible accident takes her right back to questioning everything, never feeling safe, feeling alone in her danger.

I just didn't take to Ingrid the way I have to Maeve. Maybe because Ingrid isn't given a chance to develop much personality before she's fighting for her life in a fight that few others believe is even happening.

There are three main men in Ingrid's life. One is John Webster (always referred to by both names, which was a bit annoying by the end of the book). He's Ingrid's past stalker. He's been in jail with a restraining order against him, but now he's out and Ingrid thinks he's up to his old tricks. Second, there's Adam Nash, a police officer that Ingrid turns to because he is familiar with John Webster. Finally, there's Mark, Ingrid's past fiance. Mark's not really in the picture for most of the book because of John Webster's past shenanigans.

Ingrid ends up turning to John Webster himself for help, even though she half-believes that he's responsible for all of the frightening things that are happening. Casey does the tiger-by-the-tail thing well with Josh Derwent and Maeve Kerrigan, but in this book it just makes Ingrid look kinda dumb. Why would you bring your stalker over to investigate your apartment for listening devices?? Why would you go with him to an abandoned housing area to investigate the crime that started the book? Ingrid-and-Webster are NOT a great team.

Some very questionable things happen, plot-wise. Some very questionable decisions by the police by the end. A rather dubious escape from certain death. Also, a cat is killed- not on the page, but it is discussed. I want to know these things so I thought you might want to know as well. This book honestly feels more like a film or miniseries treatment than a book.

Casey did a really good stalker subplot in the Kerrigan series. This one didn't work out nearly as well. I didn't enjoy being a part of Ingrid's life and I'm still not sure about how barristers and solicitors work.

I’ve been a big Jane Casey fan for a long time. Her detective Maeve Kerrigan series (or Maeve Kerrigan/Josh Derwent series for die-hard fans) is one of my favorite detective series of all time, and I hope she never stops writing them. That being said, I couldn’t have been more excited to come across Casey’s new standalone book, The Killing Kind, and the results were beyond what I could have hoped for.

Ingrid Lewis is a young barrister who just successfully defended her client, John Webster. His ex-lover, who had trouble articulating whether or not she was still in love with him, accused him of harassing, stalking, and manipulation. Was Webster a master manipulator, ensnaring his ex-lover in his web of deceit and emotional torture, or was he indeed innocent of accused crimes by a jilted lover? Ingrid quickly discovers the answer as she finds herself the next prey to Webster’s predatory nature.

Three years later, Ingrid Lewis is living alone, without the fiancé she had before John Webster unraveled her life, and in a state of wariness and unease. Her psyche regresses into outright paranoia when a colleague is run over by a lorry when crossing the street in the rain with Ingrid’s uncommon red umbrella. Ingrid is convinced this is the work of John Webster, recently released from prison after serving a sentence for an unrelated crime. But making a living as a barrister defending purported high-end criminals, the net of suspects is wider than Ingrid would like to admit.

Is John Webster on another mission to terrorize Ingrid, or has the world turned upside down, rendering Webster the only person capable of tracking down the true assassin? This question is what’s at the heart of what makes Casey’s novel so original and compelling. The author has a history of writing complex and flawed characters, heroes you love but curse for their decisions. Casey takes this psychological savvy a step further by crafting one of the darkest anti-heroes imaginable and succeeds in spades.

The Killing Kind is a refreshingly original mystery that bleeds tension and suspense. Whether you’re already a fan of Jane Casey, or this is your first foray into her work, this novel will not disappoint. This outstanding novel is the epitome of an addictive read that you will have to force yourself to slow down so you don’t finish it too soon.

The Killing Kind is the perfect creepy read! Stalker stories are both captivating and terrifying, and this is one of the best! I loved this book!

I love Jane Casey's stories and the characters in them. The barrister is being stalked and only her stalker can save her. Or so he says. Who can she believe. A great thriller!!! It keeps you on your toes and guessing. I give this book five stars.

Being paranoid all the time is no way to live. But what if you have good reason to be? Ingrid is a lawyer who has always felt a stalking case would come back to haunt her. That lingering fear comes homes to roost. The book has a clever twist, where the culprit becomes the accomplice, switching sides, or does he? The author weaves a story that swoops and dives with alacrity and will leave readers to feverishly pursue the truth until the final act,

Suspenseful, fun and overall a great read! Enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone looking for a good cat & mouse story!

A gripping standalone thriller from Jane Casey! I have always liked her works, and this newest one does not disappoint.

The focal character, Ingrid Lewis, is a very talented London barrister who successfully defended John Webster, a stalking, manipulative sociopath who seems to torment Ingrid at every turn. She blames Webster for a multitude of harassing and harmful situations in which she finds herself, including her breakup with her fiancé Mark and the burning down of her home. All the while, Webster claims that he is only protecting Ingrid because of how well she defended him, and that it is others who are actually out to get her.

After Ingrid’s colleague Belinda is run down in a traffic accident, Ingrid believes Belinda was murdered and that whoever did it thought that he/she was murdering Ingrid instead, a real case of mistaken identity. This incident increases Ingrid’s paranoia of Webster, but numerous later incidents cause Ingrid to rethink her position, so much so that she eventually enlists Webster’s help in protecting her. Did she make the mistake of her life?

This is a riveting psychological thriller and crime story, one which is extremely well-plotted and whose characters — particularly Ingrid and Webster — are nicely fleshed out as the novel progresses. Although I had figured out part of the ending’s big reveal, I surely did not figure out all of the complex components and did not see some of the twists and turns coming, which made this read an extremely satisfying one, indeed.

Who can you trust?

It’s natural that barrister Ingrid Lewis would not easily trust as she has been the prey of stalker John Webster since she defended him in a case years earlier. Before he was sent to jail in an unrelated case, she had received unwanted communications and gifts, been followed, been the subject of vicious gossip, her cat has been killed and, oh yes, her house was burned down. To make matters worse a young woman, who Ingrid believe was her fiancé’s girlfriend, died in the fire and Ingrid broke off the engagement. So now John is out of prison. What happens? Belinda Grey, a fellow barrister, borrows Ingrid’s umbrella on a rainy day. What follows is a convoluted psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the breathtaking conclusion.

The Killing Kind by Jane Casey is a tangled web of plots, suspects, truth, lies and pure terror. It’s a cat and mouse game designed to consume the reader. The Killing Kind also illustrates how women, in both their private and professional lives, are treated differently from men. Casey is the author of the Maeve Kerrigan series. I’d like to see more about Ingrid Lewis so I hope another series is in the works. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins and Jane Casey for this ARC.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

This book definitely went down some roads I did not expect it to go. Some of it’s very standard “legal” thriller type stuff but in the end it transcended the tropes and still felt fresh. Definitely well worth the read. Solid 4.

Despite its strong reviews, I just couldn't connect with The Killing Kind. The writing didn't pull me in, even though the plot was promising. I'm glad that a lot of readers really liked it, but it wasn't for me.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I’m hearing her series is awesome, but this one didn’t fully do it for me. It centers on barrister Ingrid, who has been stalked for years by a man named John she successfully defended in a trial. When a colleague is killed, Ingrid is certain that John is back and that the “accident” was really a case of mistaken identity, thus putting her life in danger.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this story, and I was surprised by a few of them. I was also fascinated by John’s character and enjoyed questioning how reliable he really was. What I didn’t love is that the book was long and became somewhat repetitive, and many of the decisions Ingrid made were completely irrational and didn’t jive with someone who was supposed to be both smart and in fear of her life.

Overall, this was just a decent read and I was mildly surprised at some of the things that happened, but that wasn’t enough for me to really love the book- I’d give it a 2.5. I’ll probably give the series written by this author a try since others have raved about it. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Killing Kind by Jane Casey is a gripping, unputdownable psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The story revolves around Ingrid, a barrister/lawyer whose colleague is the victim of a hit and run. Unfortunately, Ingrid believes that she was the intended target and that the driver is John Webster, a man who began stalking her after she defended him from a stalking charge. Then, Webster suddenly shows up in her life. But was Webster really the driver? Or if he trying to protect her from the real killer?

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 2 when the central conflict is introduced:

"This is hard to explain, but I have some concerns that maybe – if it was deliberate – maybe she wasn’t the intended target. Maybe it was supposed to be me.’
PC Buswell’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Why would you think that?’
‘The umbrella. I was carrying it on my way into court – it might have made someone think it was me. We were dressed similarly. Someone might have made a mistake.’
‘Someone?’ She looked baffled. ‘Who?’
‘I had a client a few years ago who … crossed the line. He became a major nuisance.’
‘In what way?’
‘He bothered me for a while, until he got bored.’ And I’ve been waiting for him to come back ever since."

After I read that excerpt, I knew I had to keep reading. The central conflict is so interesting, and I haven't read a thriller with this plot before. As the synopsis for the book reads, "Webster claims Ingrid is in danger – and that only he can protect her. Stalker or saviour? Murderer or protector?" This book is unputdownable. I had to keep reading to find out the truth. I ended up finishing this book within a day because I could not put it down.

One highlight of this book is that the protagonist is a lawyer. She knows her rights, and she's not afraid to bring down the wrath of the law when she catches Webster putting her personal information on the internet, sending sex toys to her boss, and frequently calling her. The legal documents interspersed in the chapters also looked authentic and made me realize that these terrifying situations happen in real life to many stalking victims. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of the thriller genre, then I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September!

The true delight in this book is in the cat and mouse game between our Main Character and a certain scarily dashing sociopath. The author does such a good job of building these two characters and you love both of them, even as you wonder if you really should!

While I did figure out one big reveal way too early, I still enjoyed the chase and definitely enjoyed the way everything panned out.

This was a book I definitely didn’t want to put down and I’ll happily read more from the author!

*ARC provided via Net Galley

From the publisher: He tells you you’re special… As a barrister, Ingrid Lewis is used to dealing with tricky clients, but no one has ever come close to John Webster. After Ingrid defended Webster against a stalking charge, he then turned on her – following her, ruining her relationship, even destroying her home. He tells you he wants to protect you… Now, Ingrid believes she has finally escaped his clutches. But when one of her colleagues is run down on a busy London road, Ingrid is sure she was the intended victim. And then Webster shows up at her door… But can you believe him? Webster claims Ingrid is in danger – and that only he can protect her. Stalker or saviour? Murderer or protector? The clock is ticking for Ingrid to decide. Because the killer is ready to strike again.

Jane Casey writes a police procedural series about a detective named Maeve Kerrigan that I love. I was disappointed when I found out that Casey’s new book would be a standalone, but I was not at all disappointed by the book itself. The Killing Kind by Jane Casey is the best psychological thriller I’ve read since Gone Girl. I’m a Law & Order fan, and Casey has been covering the police side of things; in this book she covers the courtroom side.

The narrator of The Killing Kind is a barrister named Ingrid Lewis, and she is the star around which three compelling men circle. John Webster, the man she successfully defended against a stalking charge, who then turned his attentions to Ingrid. Adam Nash, the intense cop who was unhappy that Ingrid got Webster off. Mark Orpen, Ingrid’s cheating ex-fiancé, who was as negatively affected by the aftermath of the Webster trial as Ingrid. Who can she trust? All of them? Any of them?

And what about Ingrid? Why do we keep finding out things about her that put her in a bad light? Is she a reliable narrator? Is she imagining some of the things that she says are happening? The people around her – her nosy neighbor, her best friend, that guy she keeps running into – are they innocent bystanders or Up to Something? Is Ingrid paranoid or in extreme danger?

Casey does a great job of drawing strong and believable characters and of ratcheting up the tension. I actually set the book aside a couple of times when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what happened next – but I did, so I picked it back up again.

I had to suspend my disbelief a bit. There are multiple “too stupid to live” moments, and one character’s ability to enter any home without leaving signs and to find out information about any person strained credulity. But Casey is an amazing writer and I let her sweep me along. I guessed some twists, but I definitely did not guess them all.

I read an advance reader copy of The Killing Kind from Netgalley. The novel is due out in print in the United States in September 2021 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library, but the ebook is already available through the Libby app. The library also owns the complete Maeve Kerrigan series. The first book in the series is The Burning.

When we first meet Ingrid Lewis in her late twenties in 2019, she has been a London barrister for the past seven years.

She justifies helping to get not guilty verdicts for less than savory defendants by explaining that “We separated ourselves from questions of morality because we had to. Everyone deserved a decent defence or justice couldn’t be done.” But Ingrid is perhaps a little too good at what she does, and relentless. She admits: “You weren’t there to get answers. You were there to coax your witness to give the evidence that made your case, or to goad them into saying something that demolished the prosecution’s case, depending on which side you were on.”

As the story develops, however, Ingrid begins to see that there are more important considerations than just winning or losing. Especially in cases involving women who have made accusations of abuse against men, the consequences of losing these “he said, she said” cases can be devastating, not only to the victims, but to the barristers who helped get their abusers off the hook.

To her horror, a number of people associated with a not guilty verdict she helped achieved are dying in curious “accidents,” and Ingrid has had a number of close escapes herself. She knows she is targeted but can’t prove it. Experiencing a problem common to many abused women, she finds that “I was all too familiar with trying to tell police officers about . . . ’unwanted attention’ . . . No one took you seriously until you were dead, and by then - from your point of view, anyway - it was too late.”

And in fact, the narrative is interspersed with email exchanges among people who clearly intend to harm Ingrid, but it is not apparent who these people are or why they are so intent on killing her.

She also has been openly harassed by John Webster, a client she actually helped get exonerated in 2016, but who became obsessed with Ingrid. She told the police that Webster “likes fear. He likes manipulating his targets. He was drawn to me because he wanted to see what it would take to break me. I was confident, I suppose, and . . . happy. He saw me as a challenge.”

He had been in prison for nine months for a fraud case. Ingrid had a restraining order on him but it recently expired. And now Ingrid sees him everywhere, both figuratively and literally. He comes close to destroying everything she ever had, even besides her peace of mind. She even lost her fiancé Mark Orpen, with whom she was madly in love, but we only find out how and why later in the book.

It seems there is only one member of the police who takes Ingrid’s fears seriously, Adam Nash. He positions himself as Ingrid’s protector, and she increasingly turns to him for both physical and emotional support as the tension ratchets up.

But readers don’t know who to trust any more than Ingrid does, or even if Ingrid’s account of what has been happening can be trusted. Meanwhile, the bodies keep piling up.

Evaluation: This psychological crime thriller is plenty tense and scary, with a cast of characters almost uniformly suspicious, and a continuing onslaught of twists and turns. Running underneath the story is also the disturbing theme of what happens to women who are targeted by men, and how easy it is for men to get away with what they do to them. If you have a strong stomach and don’t get easily triggered by abuse, this book will keep you turning the pages.

I liked this thriller because the narrator was smart and observant. I also liked that it always had me on my toes, guessing whom I could trust.

I knew The Killing Kind...... was going to be such a great book!
And I was beyond that!
I can't thank NetGalley, Harper Collins and Author for this fabulous, intriguing, phenomenal book!

The story is narrated by Ingrid, who’s a smart and a likeable character, and I really enjoyed her. She is wit smart and interesting herself!
This was a fantastic standalone novel from Casey....
A plot that is superb, all the characters were wonderfully drawn out and fascinating!
This was such an unpredictable read, and one I absolutely enjoyed reading!
Nothing I'd as it seems here. And you'll be guessing right until the very end!

Jane Casey's The Killing Kind is a standalone, not part of the Maeve Kerrigan series.
Four years earlier, barrister Ingrid Lewis defended John Webster on a stalking charge and was successful. It doesn't take long before Ingrid realizes that Webster was guilty and has turned his manipulative powers against her. A sociopath with an obsession is a dangerous thing, and eventually, Ingrid finds her relationship with her fiancé in tatters, her home burned down, and the realization that Webster may always be a threat.

Then, having had no problems from Webster recently, another set of circumstances puts Ingrid in danger, and Ingrid immediately assumes it is Webster again. This time, however, Webster appears to want to help.

Aside form the typical suspicion of various characters that is typical in this kind of psychological thriller, there is an unexpected revelation about 60% in that provides an unexpected turn of events--that makes you wonder about the narrator.

A page-turner that (as is usual with Jane Casey) kept me involved. Casey is a skilled writer who can keep the reader engaged and a little off balance, not certain of the guilty party, but pulled one way or another as motives or information becomes available.

I enjoyed this one; it was nice to have Casey try something a little different, and The Killing Kind is certainly twisty and suspenseful.

I do, however, want more of Maeve and Josh and hope Casey isn't tired of them!

NetGalley/Harper Collins Suspense. Sept. 21, 2021. Print length: 480 pages.