This book covers a new case for Jack and her team, the mysterious deaths of a number of young women and also runs alongside the court case of a rape prosecution from the previous novel.
I don't think this prevents the book reading well as a standalone but reading in order certainly would lend more depth to the characters and the background of the rape trial.
The procedural elements of the book were excellently written but I struggled a bit with the disparity between Jack as a professional detective and the way the character is portrayed through her private life- it seems too polar to me to really sit well, particularly as a character development.
That said it is an good book with great pacing and reveals of key information and I look forward to Jack returning with a new case in the future!

When teenager Leia collapses & dies in the street an autopsy is automatically called for. However the autopsy leaves more questions than answers. Leia's body reveals numerous scars from previous surgeries but the reason for them seems far from clear. When Jack Kent meets Leia's mother she is staggered by the amount of medical records she has for her daughter. Leia was premature, did her mother enjoy the attention then & continue to call for more. Leia was home-schooled, they had moved often & she seemed to have no life apart from her mother. When another girl dies in similar circumstances & connected to the same doctor Jack is convinced they are connected.

This was a good police procedural. Along with the secondary story of a rape trial kept the attention. I did find Jack's love life a bit much, not because she's bisexual, but because she seems to behave like a teenager which seems to jar with the rest of her character. Nevertheless I'll be looking out for the next in the series. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Oh what a thrilling, heart breaking, beautifully written book! Loved this one so much. Very highly recommend.

I loved this second book featuring jack and her team.

I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a detective novel

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for this arc

4 stars

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

"Broken Girls"
By Nicky Downes.

The Synopsis:

"When teenager Leia Thompson drops dead in a shopping mall of apparent natural causes, Detective Jacqueline ‘Jack’ Kent is the only one convinced something isn’t right. Why was Leia at the mall alone? Why are there scars – old and new – all over her body?

When another girl dies in similar circumstances, the only thing that seems to connect the victims is their youth and frail health – and Leia’s estranged father. He emerges as their prime suspect until the girls’ autopsy reports come back with sinister similarities, and Jack’s attention turns to the doctors who treated them."

My Review:

I want to send a huge Thank You to @netgalley
and @stormbooks_co for giving me this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for my honest review.

The book's cover said this book was "A totally gripping and unputdownable crime thriller." And it was a completely accurate description!

I LOVED this book! It was definitely unputdownable -- I read it cover to cover this evening. It kept my interest, the host of characters and interwoven plotlines were all fascinating, and I loved reading a book with a strong, kick-ass female lead detective. It wasn't until the very end that I realized who the villain was -- and I enjoyed all the twists and turns into then. The main storyline gave me Gypsy Rose vibes -- and I loved every minute of it.

This is apparently the second book in a series, but it didn't matter. I was able to dive right in without missing a beat. And now I am excited to go back and read the first book about Detective Jack Kent!

A fantastic read and one I highly recommend! It came out February 6th -- get yourself a copy!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨. (4.5 Stars)

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This is the second book in this series and a first for me. It

Two teenage girls with complex medical needs are dead and DI Jack Kent is tasked with investigating their deaths but something doesn't add up, there are alot of parallels to the girls medical history and Jacks suspects there more to these deaths than meets the eye.

There is also an active court case playing alongside the main investigate which was told in book one.

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me I enjoyed the investigative sections of the book, felt the climbing was random as I didn't feel it added anything and the writing about her relationships just odd.

DI Jack Kent responds to a report of a dead body, a young girl who has died walking from a shopping area. At first they believe the cause is heart stoppage. Upon further examination of her body, they discover multiple surgery scars and when doing the autopsy are shocked to discover many of these surgeries were unnecessary. I enjoyed this book, the characters and their interactions. Did this girl die of natural causes or was she murdered!?

When a teenager drops dead for no apparent reason, Jack is convinced something is wrong. Medical professionals say she died of a heart attack, but why would any teen be dropping dead of natural causes? Searching for answers, Jack uncovers a bigger mystery, one that leads to more victims, and puts her own life in danger.

This was an interesting read. I don't really care for the character of Jack, but the mystery was interesting enough for me to keep reading. I love a good strong mystery, but Jack's character is annoying.

Decent read.

A pretty good book. Not as exciting as I'd hoped but, an interesting read. I found the pace a little slow and plodding at times. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Teenager Leia Thompson's wish to have a day like a "normal" teen, shopping without her mom at the mall, becomes her last when she suddenly drops dead. While initially tagged as "natural causes," DI Jack (Jacqueline) Kent becomes suspicious after a multitude of scars are found all over Leia's body from seemingly unnecessary procedures.

Following her gut, Jack and she begins to suspect the mother of intentionally harming her daughter. Then, another similar death is discovered which complicates the case. So many similarities, yet nothing that seems to make sense or be directly connected.

.Buckle up while Jack and her team work to find the truth. While this is second in a series, you can pick this up without having read the first.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the complimentary ARC copy!

Rounded up from 4.5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brief synopsis:
DI Jack Kent is back with another gripping case. A teenage girl mysteriously drops dead while out shopping alone. Despite having an extensive medical history and having undergone many previous surgeries, nothing can explain Leias sudden demise. Jack and her team follow the clues and trying to determine who is responsible, if there even is someone to blame...
Jack while feeling pressure from her superior to make an arrest or hand over the case to another department, is also confronted with obstacles in her personal life and her next big climb which is quickly approaching, making it harder to clear her mind. Will Jack and her team be able to find the cause of this suspicious death or will Leias death be ruled out as not suspicious?
Parallel to DI Kent's case, Nadia is facing troubles of her own in her first big case going to trial, will Steven Jacobs be prosecuted for raping Sara or will it be tossed aside due to his arrogance, charm and political connections?

I really enjoyed this second book in the DI Jack Kent series. Devoured it in one day (something I rarely do). I loved it even more than the first book Silent Fall. The LGBTQI+ representation is refreshing and so is the representation of Nadia being Muslim, wearing a hijab and swearing on the Quran, I haven't read a character like hers before (aside from the previous book).

Great read! Easy and addictive 👌🏼

Worth noting some of the trigger warnings for this book: murder, rape, death, self harm, mental health, domestic abuse, drug overdose. Also if you don't like lesbian or trans representation , this book is not for you.

This is an entertaining and gripping series and this second installment is even better than the first.
Well plotted, heartbreaking at times, it kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another brilliant book in Detective Jack Kent series. A book that is very hard to put down once you start.

Detective Jaqueline ‘Jack’ Kent is a world-renowned climber and a determined detective who is mourning the death of her climbing partner, and love interest, in a mountain avalanche. The sudden death of a teenage girl requires Jack to bring all she must solve this mystery. The deceased lived a sheltered life with her mother and a sequence of doctors treating "phantom" pain and illnesses. When Jack learns from the autopsy that most of the surgeries the girl endured were unnecessary, she starts to suspect the mother of having Munchausen by proxy syndrome and causing her daughter's death. However, other clues lead her in different directions. The sudden death of a second young girl with a similar medical history intensifies the hunt for the perpetrator. It's an exciting chase paired with insights into Jack's personal life and mountain climbing career. I look forward to the next book.

So I hadn't realised this was the second in a series but honestly it read very well as a standalone.

We follow DI Jack Kent as she's called to the sudden death of a 15year old girl who has mysterious surgical scarring and an isolated childhood.

This was a fast paced multifaceted thriller with a secondary sub-plot I stayed up late to read it and I think I'll be adding DI Kent to my must read series!

The ending was a bit rushed but tied up the loose-ends which I much prefer, even in a series.

The second book in the Detective ‘Jack’ Kent series by Nicky Downes. This is a fast paced crime thriller, with some interesting themes running through it. The plot line is clever and the story has plenty of twists to keep you guessing.
The main characters are likeable and I found the story easy to read and follow. Although this is the second book, it works well as a standalone novel and can be enjoyed without reading the first.

A dizzying medical mystery juxtaposed against an infuriating assault trial, a muddled cast of characters, and a twist that defies logic: even some these things would have been forgivable if the structure and style hadn’t left so much to be desired. Ultimately a book that started out with an interesting premise and an intriguing main character that just didn’t deliver.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

The second DI Jack Kent book was a joy to read and read in a day. Author Nicky Downes has found a fascinating story to tell describing how those we thought we could trust in the medical profession perhaps do not deserve our trust. Plans for more mountaineering adventures are touched on and we witness Jack's slowly developing romance with Emily. Looking forward to Jack's next adventure. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

An enjoyable crime thriller with unexpected events. The story is riddled with uncertainty as the 'natural' death of two young girls unfolds. Jack is up against the clock as her boss wants the cases closed, but Jack feels there's more to it and doggedly digs her heels in to get to the truth.

Although I haven’t read the first book in the series, this still reads well as a standalone book. With lots of twists and turns, Jack eventually solves the mystery. I liked the way the hard work of her team was acknowledged, and the research that uncovered the doctor scam….unsettling when you think about it. Jack's hobby of climbing and her personal life was interesting and the mystery note in relation to her father makes me want to read more about her. Nadia also has potential to be an intriguing character in any sequels. All in all, an engrossing read, many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC to freely review.