The Profiler (Profile K) by Helen Fields is psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
 

My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Midnight Jones is a trained analyst who understands the human mind. She works for a big biotech company, in a division that analyzes data for companies who are looking to hire the most appropriate individuals, or for university applications.  She doesn't get along with her misogynistic boss, and there are a lot of company rules which she struggles with.   Midnight is the sole carer for her disabled sister, and sometimes struggles to get to work on time, and even though she works overtime, it is not acceptable.  But she tries.

When she attempts to analyze one of the data sets that is sent her way, Midnight is thrown for a loop.  This person seems to have no empathy, no concern for animal or human cruelty at all.  It comes up with being a "Profile K", which she has never heard of.  She is sure the data must be corrupt, so she goes over it again, and with the same result, this time watching the same videos that the applicant watched.  She is sickened with what is on her screen.  Taking it to her boss doesn't help, so she leaps up the chain, and gets a pat on the back, and a reminder that she can't discuss results with anyone.  Midnight can't afford to lose her job.

Midnight knows there's someone out there capable of murder, and when that happens, no one will believe her.  Unfortunately, he's going to be coming for Midnight.  She plans to find him first.


My Opinions:
This was soooo good.  I also loved that Dr. Connie Woolwine, a character from other books by this author, was a character in this book.

I loved Midnight, and her devotion to her sister.  She was also very devoted to finding the truth.  Absolutely a great character!  Jessica and Doris were just as likable. A couple who I started out liking turned out to be a disappointment.  I actually like when an author does that, as it makes the whole story a little more interesting.  Not that this story needed anything else.  There were a lot of twists.

The story looked at company ethics, and existing technology that "could" be used for nefarious means.  Scary thought!  It also looks at greed.

 Overall, this was a really good book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Helen Fields is one of my favorite mystery/thriller writers. Her writing style is suspenseful and twisty, always keeping you on the edge of your seat. I was expecting a lot from Profile K and she did not disappoint.

The story follows Midnight, who has the best name in any book I've ever read. Midnight was such a unique character with an interesting job. She read profiles for employers and businesses and she comes across a very unique profile that shouldn't happen. When her employers don't seem to want to do anything about it and weird things start happening, like her being moved to a different department, she knows something is up and she needs to figure it out.

What I really liked about this story, but I usually don't like, is that this story jumped storylines. It went from Midnight, over to the person behind Profile K, to another lady. It was done so well that I never got confused on who I was reading and really made the story more suspenseful and come together like a puzzle, each piece falling into place. Fields has a way to get you from the first chapter and really just tighten that grip over and over again. Profile K did that and I just had to know what the outcome was going to be.

The ending came up fast and I was pleasantly surprised at the ending. Maybe that is because I almost expected the worst case scenario ending, but I really liked how it ended and I didn't see it coming. I love that Fields can constantly surprise me. Midnight and other characters were very likable, which makes rooting for them easy and gave you something to hope for while reading. I was thoroughly invested.

As if there were any doubt, I will absolutely be reading more Helen Fields in the future. If you haven't read my other reviews of her books, just search them from the search in the top corner. I've read them all and they are all fantastic! Fields is one of the best in the Mystery/Suspense genre! Keep 'em coming!

Another excellent psychological thriller by Helen Fields, full of twists and turns. Highly recommended for all fans of this genre.

Midnight Jones works as an analyst at the UK offices of biotech company Necto that uses AI for psychometric testing to filter applicants for various companies, educational establishments and the military. The software measures the reactions of applicants to various images, with each being assigned a profile according to the readings. Midnight encounters an applicant with readings so far outside acceptable parameters that it sets off alarm bells. She is fobbed off by her superiors, and told to destroy the files, but she cannot ignore her gut instinct especially when a murder occurs nearby and the crime is very similar to the scenes on the test.
She carries on investigating, putting herself and others in danger, even going so far as to contact Connie Woolwine (a profiler from other books by this author) who helps her understand what she is dealing with. The story is told from several points of view, with some chapters simply headed ‘The Applicant’ letting us into the mind of the killer, though there are several possible candidates as to his identity. This ramps up the tension and sends the reader off down many false trails. Eventually, the various plot strands all start to come together and the connection becomes obvious.
The Profiler is Helen Fields doing what she does best. The writing is exceptional, the characters well drawn and believable, and the book is imbued with such a sense of forboding that I avoided reading it in bed at night – strictly daytime only. I am a big fan of this author’s books and look forward to her next one. Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC to review.

If you’re after dark, twisty, nail-biting suspense, then look no further, for Helen Fields delivers all of these in spades in this intense psychological thriller that showcases all her talents as one of the best exponents of the genre.

I was sucked straight into the premise, which involves female protagonist Midnight Jones stumbling across a terrifying test result while carrying out her duties at a biotech company that provides psychological profiling services. When the warning ‘Profile K’ flashes up on her screen, she thinks it must be an anomaly or a joke, for the candidate who completed this test exhibits all the markers of a killer. Then a woman’s body is found …

With superb plot development and a boldly drawn protagonist, who is determined to get to the truth no matter the risk to her own life, this is a gripping, intoxicating read, packed full of menace, intrigue and unnerving glimpses into futuristic technology. It’s Fields at her absolute best and a must read for all thriller fans.

Yes! She's done it again! After reading and loving the institution I was keen to read another by Helen Fields and she didn't disappoint.
Brutal from the very first chapter, this book had me gripped the whole way through. I loved that Connie (from the institution) plays a small part in this one too. This is a heart pounding, edge of your seat, hold your breath kinda ride that's not for the faint of heart. I'm hoping this isn't the last we see of some of these characters.

Profile K, Midnight realizes this isn’t just a rare occurrence—it’s a potentially dangerous one, especially after hearing about a violent murder nearby.

This book is a gripping blend of corporate greed, manipulation, and a ruthless killer. Be warned, the crime scene descriptions are quite graphic. Midnight is a compelling character, growing more uncertain about who she can trust as the story unfolds, with a couple of genuinely shocking twists along the way. Though I was hesitant to dive into the futuristic premise at first, I’m glad I did, especially given the author's previous work. Eye-opening, intense, and thoroughly enjoyable!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advanced reader copy of Profile K in exchange for my honest review.

This is definitely not your average serial killer story line! Lots of complexity and creativity.

Well done.

Thank you to AVON BOOKS for sending me a copy of this title ahead of its release. I’d not read a book by this author at the time, but after this, I’ll certainly be reading more. I loved this book. The first chapter was probably one of the most confronting and powerful openers I’ve read in a long time - I even read my husband a section of it! Midnight was a strong character, full of loyalty to her beautiful sister, and a huge amount of decency to not let her gut be ignored. This book took twists and turns and hearing the viewpoint of Midnight along with the killer himself helped to add to the mystery, which was awesome. Just when I thought I was loving it, along came Doris. I won’t say anymore about her, because for anyone who hasn’t read this yet, I’ll leave the introduction and impact Doris has on Midnight and her sister for you to discover. I just loved her.

This unfortunately was a DNF for me. While I loved the Luc Callanach series and found them gripping, this book totally felt flat to me. I'm completely in the minority, I know, but honestly it started off badly for me when I read the sibling characters were called "Midnight" and "Dawn". Yawn AND eye roll. Please just give characters regular names if you want a story to be taken seriously. From thereon it felt unrealistic and unbelievable. I gave it to 27% and found I just wasn't interested in knowing what happened so I stopped reading it.

Been a long time since a book gripped me. This changes the game. Well written. Fabulous characters. Suspense. Believable plot. Loved it.

Fields has been a thriller author ive seen a lot of trusted book friends raving about for a while, so i finally decided to give her a shot! <i>Profile K</i> was such a unique story, blending a serial killer thriller with an almost sci-fi type of element. both the story and the writing of the characters were really strong, and made for a great binge read.

Criminal Profiling for the A I Generation. Profile K is a gripping thriller, where you get frustrated alongside Midnight, as she tries to walk the tightrope of doing the right thing and not owning up to how you know you need to do it.

Premise of the book is so different and interesting from anything I've read. Very well executed and well written with good pacing. Highly recommend.

A very entertaining read from Helen Fields. I'm not sure I'm that keen on this background character we've seen before, but it's an interesting story.

Please bring back Luc and Ava !

BOOK REVIEW 📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#ProfileK by @helenfields_author @avonbooksuk

➡️for synopsis

Anything this author writes is gold. Even though I long for more books from the Perfect series, I must say I really enjoyed this one. The concept was intriguing, the characters had depth and the plot was addictive. I was delighted to see returning character Connie feature here and the hints as to where this could go in the future were very exciting!

With thanks to author #HelenFields #AvonBooks and @netgalley for allowing us to read this one early!

RELEASING: April 25th

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

Another fantastic book from Helen Fields. I love her writing style and all the characters in her books. Midnight Jones is a brilliant character, I felt instantly drawn to her and her life. The plot kept me intrigued and engaged and I thought the profiling elements really fun to read. Helen has a way of writing somewhat gory details, yet in a way the reader can't look away, I found myself staying up way to late because I honestly could not put the book down.

Midnight Jones works for Necto, a highly secretive company that specialises in the human brain, stumbles across a Profile K. I am pretty sure you can work out what K stands for. Midnight is also following the news after a girl was brutally murdered in her own home. And she is adamant these two things are linked.

I love this authors work, and I have read everything she's written so far. This story is no different. It has brutal crimes, and a serial killer on the run. All the characters were well written, and I especially loved the relationship between Midnight and her disabled twin sister, Dawn. I hope we see them both come back in a later story. It was great to see the return Connie Woolwine for a small part, as I also really enjoy her character. The story was really well written, with many twists and turns, and kept you on the edge of your seat until the very last sentence. Brilliant!!

Midnight Jones works for Necto, a neurotechnology company where she profiles applicants and collects data from their brain scans. Midnight comes across an abnormal scan, a person who lacks empathy or conscience. Someone that fits a sociopath profile, a profile they call Profile K. A profile they say that doesn’t exist.

Difficult to ignore, Midnight takes this to her bosses who tell her Profile K doesn’t exist but Midnight is not convinced especially when there’s a spate of murders. Midnight knows its Profile K and sets out to find out who this sadistic murderer is.

This book was brilliant and will have you sat at the edge of your seat. A tense dark psychological thriller that everyone should read!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

Midnight J works at Necto, a company that does psychological testing for employers; her job is to review the tests. Midnight comes across what she thinks must be an error as this applicant tests off the chart for psychopathy. Midnight watches the test and discovers it is not an error and that no matter how terrible the subject matters shown were, the applicant showed little to no emotion. Making this a profile K. When she goes to her supervisor he tells her she is wrong, there is no such thing. Midnight knows this is not true and when she tries to take it further up the ladder, she is sworn to secrecy, reminded of the NDA she signed and threatened with the loss of her job.
Midnight struggles with what to do when she realizes this applicant is a killer and if he hasn’t killed already, he soon will and wonders if the brutal killing the night before was his handywork.. As we follow Midnight as she tries to decide what to do, knowing that she must keep her twin sister, who has a mental disability, safe, I was on the edge of my seat. Will Midnight come forward and risk all to catch a killer, or will she get trapped by the killer herself.

I really enjoyed this book. The twists were fantastic and a great storyline that I had not read before. This author always writes a great thriller. I certainly hope to hear more from Midnight J.