*4,5 stars*

Content warning: child abduction, paedophilia, and child abuse

I went into this one expecting a pretty standard thriller with a missing child novel. Oh boy was I surprised! So much more intriguing than I expected it to be with so many well thought-out and executed plot twists.

The first one was already in the first chapter so it’s not one I feel like I can’t share in my review. I had no clue our main character was doing a double job of being a private detective and disposer of paedophiles and (child) rapists. Her MO is slipping cyanide into their drinks or ‘accidentally’ spilling it on them in passing making their deaths look like natural causes due to a potential drug overdose.

"I'm not a killer. Or a saviour. I'm just one person trying to repair the broken scales of justice one jagged crack at the time."

On a certain night when she is honing in on a suspect, he disappears earlier than expected but in his stead is a random stranger who says he knows about her side business. This, of course, throws our main character Lucy off but she tries to play it cool whilst later on trying to investigate who this man is and how he knows about her. Not long after an eight year old girl goes missing on her way home from school. She lives with her mother in a neighbourhood close to a person involved in a CPS Lucy worked years ago when she was still a social worker (as a future social worker I loved learning this about her!) and who was accused of a heinous crime as a young boy. Lucy is afraid history might be repeating itself. To make matters worse, the officer in charge of the disappearance is the older brother of Lucy’s old CPS suspect AND the stranger from that one night keeps showing up during her investigation. Will she be able to find the girl – alive and well – with all these extra nuances at play?

The narrative is well-written, which is a must when writing about such sensitive topics. So please be aware of the content before reading it as it might be triggering to some! As a future social worker it was a bit disheartening to listen to all the flaws in the child protective services system in the US. I’m aware there are many flaws in the system in my own country and others, but it’s so sad to learn that so many children are let down across the globe. Hoping I can make a small difference when I graduate.

I absolutely loved our main character Lucy. She used to be a social worker, quit and became a private detective, and is basically a serial killer although she refuses to see herself that way. As someone with a psychology degree it loved this POV of someone who is basically a sociopath without realising or accepting it. The whole moral dilemma of whether what she does is right or wrong makes it so much more interesting.

About the audiobook: loved the narration done by Amelia Sciandra. I’d love for her to do the narrations of the other books.

I’ll definitely check out the next books in this series!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Stacy Green for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Lucy Kendall is no ordinary PI. She is a former CPD Social Worker and has seen horrible injustices done to children time and again. Now she is on her own, doing her own thing. In fact, more than being a PI, Lucy has become a vigilante. The victims she choose are pedophiles and she is eliminating them one by one. She chooses her victims carefully, and the justice she serves is more than deserved as far as she is concerned.



Having this first book in the four-book Lucy Kendall series gave me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in Lucy's story and to see a character different from any character in a story that I have read to-date. While she painfully recalled horrific things children experienced, when she discovers that a teen girl named Kailey has gone missing she has a dual purpose in mind. In her role as a PI, she is determined to find Kailey and to return her to her family. In her role as vigilante turned killer, she has picked her next victim



She takes no pleasure when it comes to killing, but feeling that she has no choice, she powers through. Her guilt is assuaged somewhat in the good she does when it comes to locating the missing. As things turn out, before Lucy can choose her next victim, something prevents her from following through. While at a bar where she thought she would do the deed she set out to do, she is approached by a stranger named Chris. He informs Lucy that he knows more about her that she would imagine, and Lucy knowing Chris will affect her future actions.



While it is more than apparent that this book is not for the weak of heart, I would be remiss if this review did not include trigger warnings. They are pedophilia, child abuse, suicide and murder. Stacy Green does a fabulous job at dealing with these sensitive issues in this book as well as the other three books in the series without being too graphic, and manages to handle each case and situation that Lucy faces with dignity and sensitivity. For a crime thriller that will keep you turning pages until the very end, and for a book that will not disappoint, The Girl With the Pink Shoes perfectly hits the mark. This first book leads right into the second book in the series, Little Lost Souls.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy the following combined series video review - https://youtu.be/9HRYyYWMtIY

When I read the description for this story I thought I have to read (or listen to) this, a mother's worst nightmare, her child disappearing. Once I got into the story I realized it was more about Lucy a vigilante or perhaps even a Dexter like character. She seems nice enough on the outside and her reasons for wanting to "catch" certain people is completely understandable, but her way of dealing with them.... well she just takes measures into her own hands and that was less understandable.

This story requires you to believe that people can and will get away with a lot either unnoticed by the police or ... well who knows? I found parts of this story to be really exciting and I definitely wanted Lucy to find the missing girl Kailey before it's too late and to see what would happen between Lucy and Chris, but I won't be looking for book 2 in this series.

Narrated by Amelia Sciandra ⭐⭐⭐
The narrators voice was nice. She sounded like the Actor Mira Sorvino.

Story by Stacy Green 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Unfortunately this story didn't grab me until the 50% mark.

The cover is very eye catching, I love a good vigilante/ Dexter like character but the first half of the story is dull and slow paced, the second half is alot better and picks up the speed.

This is my first time trying this author and while I wouldn't continue with this series, I would try this author again.

Lucy is where she is and does what she does based on her life experience. She is trying to make up for wrongs she has seen and experienced, which often take her to very dark places. When Kailey, an eight year old goes missing she is sure she knows who has taken her. Or does she? She promises Kaileys mother Jenna that she is going to find her little girl and bring her home. The author has crafted a smart, dark, very twisted story of depravity, but also of redemption. The ending was a surprise to me. Hopefully it will be to you as well. This was my first by this author, but will certainly not be the last.

This was much more interesting than I expected it to be! While I was definitely sure it was one I was going to enjoy, I was not planning to enjoy it as much as I did!

The story is one that we’ve all heard a few times - it’s a missing child mystery. The route this one takes is different than usual and makes it a unique story.

I received the audio through NetGalley and the narrator did a great job with it. The tone was set and continued throughout, which also kept the pacing up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Girl in the Pink Shoes By: Stacy Green
Narrated by Amelia Sciandra

The cover art and title for this book drew my attention, and when I read what it was about, I had to have it. The book starts out with a real “CSI/Law and Order vibe.
Lucy is a Social Worker turned Private Investigator, who has a penchant for poisoning child predators. She’s looking for a little girl named Kayley, who was kidnapped on her way home from school. Lucy is drawn to cases like this because of an event in her own childhood.
Having been a Social Worker during the time of a large crime ring bust that was focused on cases like Kayleys, Lucy met and worked with children involved, who are now adults involved in helping to solve Kayleys case.
It’s hard to give a good summary of the story, because it involves a lot of background for each character. There are so many plot twists, which make it hard to avoid spoilers because of the many people included in Lucy’s small world.
I found myself losing focus and becoming confused several times, due to too many unnecessary descriptions of environment, and too many characters “talking” at once.
I didn’t care for the narrator’s tone of the male roles at all; which there is a lot of. I found her to be aggressive and emotionally exaggerated when compared to how I think I would have read it out loud to myself. I think this book would make a really good mystery/drama/thriller movie. I am sure that I would have liked it better if I had read it instead of listening to it. However, I still would have been confused by all of the different male roles and remembering who was who.
I give the book 3 stars.

This is a dark and disturbing tale about a missing child and a so called vigilante trying to hunt down child abusers who joins the hunt for the monster who has taken this little girl. As she starts to question her motives and actions in these cases it’s a race against time to find this child before the unthinkable happens. This was a gripping audio.

I am really sorry but I only managed half an hour of this audiobook - it was my fault for not realising it was an American story and I just couldn't listen to the voice. That is such a rubbish reason for a review but my personal opinion - the bit I did listen to was just monotone.


Thank you for the chance to listen to this ARC

I haven’t read the first book but I was happy to know that they can be read as a stand-alone. The author does a great job of doing a recap of Kendall and her past to bring the reader up to speed.
The story can be difficult for some readers as it contains kidnapping, and human trafficking with children. So be sure to check for TW.

The narrator, Amelia Sciandra did a good job portraying Kendall and many of the male characters. She kept me engaged the entire time.
I liked seeing some of the police procedural. We got to see some when Kendall was working alongside the detectives and then see what she does as a PI. I liked seeing some character growth in Kendall towards the end.

If your a fan of taking justice in your own hands in books of course, then you’ll enjoy this series. I look forward to going back to the beginning.

⚠️Check the trigger warnings ⚠️

What if you were approached by a serial killer claiming to be just like you? Lucy is a former social worker, current private investigator and has added serial killer to her resume.

Lucy has made it her life goal to remove as many pedofiles from this earth as possible. With the help of her computer wiz friend Kelly (she’s like Wade from Kim Possible).

This was a bit of a slow burn and took me a while to get invested. Lucy has found out a young girl Kailey has gone missing. With Lucy’s knowledge of every bad person in the area she has made it her mission to rescue Kailey. She has teamed up with another serial killer to help her (wtf). The question is Chris like her? Truly? You’ll find out as they work together to find Kailey. Along with continually pissing off Detective Todd who also has an interesting connection with Lucy and Chris.

This book was interesting from the very beginning. It grabs the reader’s attention and keeps you compelled to read more to figure out who committed the crime. I was so into the story, once it was over I was disappointed because I wanted more. Realizing it’s a series, I will definitely read more from this author.

The story was about a young girl who didn’t make it home from school. An investigation is started to try to find her. A private investigator hears about the missing girl and places herself on the case. During the investigation, she discovers that a young predator she worked with a decade earlier when she worked at Child Protective Services, has been released from prison after serving time for abusing and killing a young girl. Currently, he lives directly across the street from the young missing girl. The private investigator is determined to find the missing girl and put an end to the predator from her past.

Really enjoyed this loved the characters & narration and plot look forward to more in this series highly recommended.

Happy Pub Day!

Lucy Kendall, is a CPS worker turned private Investigator. She lost her sister because of child abuse and now Lucy is determined to protect and save as many kids as possible. This pushes her to become a vigilante. During such a mission, she is approached by a man, wanting to work with her. While Lucy tries to figure out Chris Hale, eight year old Kailey Richardson goes missing and Lucy vows to find the little girl.

Stacey Green has written such a dark and delicate plot with nuance and sensitivity. Lucy's anguish and anger is understandable. It's not just the victim's life but also those of the family members that gets derailed. The author vividly captures the raw emotions, vulnerability and helplessness of those impacted by such crimes.

The large suspect pool and the truths that keep tumbling out every few pages, made it a fast paced thriller. The author kept the suspense surrounding the disappearance of the little girl, without giving away much. Lucy's trepidation is heightened with having to deal with the guilt of not doing more for Justin, having someone following her and someone threatening her with the truth. All this, makes it an intense plot. I liked Stacey's lucid writing.

The characters are complex and layered. This novel deeply ponders the concept of the abused becoming the abuser and that, it is a possibility but not a norm. Justin's truth was heartbreaking to read. With many twists and turns, this book was unpredictable and unputdownable. The book ends with a cliff hanger, a potential relationship for Lucy and more criminals on the loose. I am sure the next book in the series, will have more answers.

Overall, The Girl in the Pink Shoes is a taut and emotional roller coaster of a thriller. It is a hauntingly compelling read that I highly recommend.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse

Thank you @netgalley and @Bookouture for this advance audiobook.

guess after finishing this book I understand why it was previously published under a different title....people probably caught on to what a bad book it was and stopped buying it. This book totally turned me off. THe main character Lucy Kendall a very arrogant vigilante who has made it her life mission to kill off sex offenders (while I agree these type of people should be punished, so don't get me wrong there) Its not up to a amateur "do-gooder" to "exterminate" them. I really thought her approach to killing people was very uptight and the author tried to be funny in how Lucy would call it her "extra curricular" activities.
Lucy clearly was not stable enough mind to conduct a "fair" investigation, she literally imeediately gets one "perp" in her mind and doesn't see other blaring facts right in front of her face to consider other suspects.
I will not read another one of these Lucy Kendall books. The whole concept of the book was off putting.

Thank you net galley for this advanced copy read of this book. I was not influenced for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book. The theme of the plot sounds good in theory but the story falls flat and fails to keep the attention of the reader/listener. It doesn't help that the narrator of the audiobook lacks enthusiasm and is a bit monotone for the majority of the book. I was more interested in Chris Hale's character than I was in the main story as it was unfolding.

The Girl in the Pink Shoes by Stacy Green was an audiobook for me and was narrated by Amelia Sciandra. AS voice was perfect for the story and I definitely want to listen to the second installment of this series. It is a stand-alone if you’re wondering.
The book was engaging, conflicting and I couldn’t put it down. I was being torn in half about the crimes and yet compelled to see it to the end. The writing will push you to ask how you feel about humanity and the justice system. I definitely recommend this.
Thanks Bookouture Audio via NetGalley.

This is a gritty book that deals with unpleasant circumstances but it also has a really good serial killer that takes care of certain things her own way.
The worst nightmare of any parent has happened. Kailey Richardson, age eight, happily left her school in her brand new pink shoes and never made it back home. Somewhere between the school and her home someone took her.
Lucy Kendall, a private investigator, sees the smiling happy pictures on the missing fliers of Kailey and she knows that she will not be able to get a wink of sleep until that beautiful little girl is found. She lost her own sister to a very dark evil and she is determined to help find little Kailey before it’s too late.
Lucy begins to talk to Kailey’s friends and begins to see a very troublesome picture of the days before the little girls disappearance. Everything from the blue car idling in the street by the school to a very friendly man across the road has her bad feelings tingling. Jenna, Kailey’s mother, isn't telling Lucy everything and she knows it.
Lucy has made a promise to Jenna that she will exhaust every single outlet she can in order to find the girl. However, Lucy then finds out that Jenna herself has a connection to the main suspect in the disappearance. One that brings Lucy’s own past to the forefront in her mind, haunting her.Time is running out.
I’m leaving so much out of this review on purpose. It’s an insane book but in the most excellent of ways. There are things that happen in this book that you’ll never see coming. It’s not a happy book and deals with very heavy topics but it’s so well written and pulls you in from the first few lines.
I really enjoyed this. I listened to it on audio as I received a copy from NetGalley and it was fantastic. I’m not sure where the narrator is from but she nailed the Philly accent perfectly. It’s an accent that I once had but trained it out of myself :P She it it perfectly so there was a bit of authenticity to the sound.

4/5 ⭐️
This was so so so good!! I literally couldn’t stop listening to it! I needed to know what happens next! One of the better thrillers I’ve read this year.

This book was a great mix of mystery, thriller and something more. It really focussed on the wretchedness of people who take advantage of children. This book spoke on physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of children and how well (or not well) the judicial system works for those kids. Who is protected and what is done is the focus of the book. So, trigger warnings if you have a hard time hearing about or reading about abuse of children. But, the narrator is a victim by proxy herself, working with the system - so as a reader, I felt that it was raw and real.

The story starts out with our narrator, Lucy Kendall, setting out her story. Because of a hard past, Lucy decided to go into Child Protective Services. But, as she saw right away, her hands were mostly tied. The littlest voice was the least heard and she discovered another way to make wrongs right. She quit CPS and became a private investigator with a small broken bunch of others who thought like her. But, as a young girl goes missing across the street from a young man that she wasn’t able to put away while at CPS, Lucy goes into overdrive. She MUST find this little girl - who left for elementary school that day, wearing her brand new pink shoes and she will do ANYTHING to do it.

The major group of characters are all flawed and a bit broken, so as you read, you are never sure who to believe. Little by little, the author gives us the background in each story - both the public and private truth. The truth emerges as we go along and the race continues to find the missing girl. The right people must be caught and punished, no matter the cost.

I really enjoyed this author’s journey that she took us on. The narrator ended up fitting the character so well in the audio version and once I got into it, I just couldn’t stop until I knew the whole truth and nothing but the truth! Enjoy this re-release and get excited that there is a second!