This is a really good read. Fast paced and full of action. I did not guess who was carrying out the crimes. It totally shocked me. I thought that the book was really well written and I am definitely becoming a Chloe and Alex fan and I hope that there are more books to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a third book in a series and I love reading from book 1 on and I didn't get a chance to with this book. So I didn't feel as invested in the characters as I should have been. I am definitely going to be reading the previous 2. I loved this book. It went back and forth and had a ton of characters but in a good one. I loved the premise. There is a burned body and now we need to find out who did it and why? Is it murder? A suicide? An accident? These types of stories grip me from the beginning and this is no different. I may change my star rating once I read the previous 2 books. But, so far so good. I love this author. I'm sold.

Another fabulous installment in the King and Lane series. The book tore along at a great pace, and the story was excellent. I couldn't put the book down and cannot wait for the next one!

I was disappointed that I hadn’t read the first two books in the Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane series as I am sure I would have enjoyed this book even more than I did. A badly burnt and unidentifiable body is found in a former hospital fire. Detectives King and Lane have to work out whether the fire was started deliberately and why. Then another body turns up and they have to find the link between the murders. As well as trying to solve this case Alex appears to have a stalker. This is a gripping and thrilling crime novel with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you totally absorbed. A brilliant read, highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

It is the month of October, and a body, burnt beyond recognition, is found in an abandoned hospital. A Muslim shop has been destroyed by fire. Are these two crimes related? DI Alex King works feverishly to determine whether or not this could be possible. I have gotten to know Alex, and her partner DC Chloe Lane quite well in the previous two books in this series. Knowing Alex's dedication to her work goes a long way, especially in this book, as she is going through some serious personal trials.

Alex and Chloe, incredibly close since they began working together, are now in a strained relationship. But, being the professionals that they are, they work tirelessly hard to solve, not only the first two crimes, but other horrific crimes that occur in quick procession. Just as Alex realizes that there is indeed a link between the victims, someone from her past is intent on taking her life. At least, that is what she is fairly certain of.

This story is told from several perspectives, and this is done remarkably well. Each and every person is completely understandable, and, in some cases, elicited compassion. This led to making it utterly impossible to coming close to guessing whoever was responsible for all of the crimes being committed. What a fast-paced story. Boy did I get the chills more than once.

This book was incredible. Simply said. I could not put it down, except to take a brief break. I read the first 61% in less than a couple hours, and it took no time to finish the rest of the book. I cannot say enough how captivating this book was. From the brutal attacks, from the investigation, from what Alex was experiencing, from the characterization...well, it all worked amazingly well. I eagerly read all three books back-to-back and am incredibly impressed with the talented Victoria Jenkins. I am eagerly awaiting book 4 in this engaging series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have read and enjoyed both of Victoria Jenkins previous books in this series, but her third novel, Nobody’s Child really takes her writing up another level. This is definitely the best book yet in this series and I really enjoyed catching up with Alex King and Chloe Lane again. All three of her books can be read as standalones, but I would definitely recommend picking up the first two as well.

Victoria really had me gripped from the opening pages of this book. This time Alex and Chloe are investigating a suspicious death after a body is found in an old hospital after being torched. What isn’t clear at the beginning is if the victim was deliberately targeted or if his death was an unfortunate accident. But as the police begin to investigate, more crimes of a similar nature begin to take place. The police soon realise that they are facing a callous killer who they are certain will kill again.

There was a lot of suspense in this book. The story is told from different points of view, primarily from the detectives working on the case, but also from the families at the centre of the investigation. One family in particular really had me wondering if they were going to be connected to the crimes and Victoria injected a real sense of danger into her writing in the scenes they were featured. There were some clever reveals, which I wasn’t expecting, and Victoria delivered a really chilling ending. Towards the end she kept me on tenterhooks as I waited to find out what was going to happen to one of her characters. I’m not going to say any more here as I don’t want to spoil it.

This is shaping up to be a really excellent crime series that I am certainly keen to follow. Victoria always delivers a fast paced novel and each one has kept me gripped. Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the advance reading copy and to Noelle Holton for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC.
Counting the Dead (previously published as Nobody's Child) is the 3rd in the DI King and DS Lane series and the first one I read. It would probably be better to read the books in order, but I found it fine as a standalone as there is plenty of backstory.
There is an arsonist at work, with the first burnt body found in a dilapidated hospital. A fire destroys the store belonging to a Muslim family, an autistic boy is attacked and doused in petrol, but rescued by a passerby. The next victim, an elderly woman, is viciously beaten and her house set on fire. Are these cases related? King and Lane are frustrated, it's proving almost impossible to get a grip on the case. Plus, the 2 women, close colleagues and friends, end up at odds with each other, barely speaking, making for an uneasy atmosphere at the station. Neither of them appealed to me, I just couldn't connect with the characters.
The feel of the book is ominous and I found it fairly depressing. It would have been more enjoyable to have scenes of humorous back and forths between the policemen and women or even some gallows humour at the crime scenes. It is well written, but left me a little down, not really interested in reading the other 2 books. On the other hand, I believe many mystery fans will love the book, (as evidenced by the many good reviews) it just wasn't for me.

"Monsters come in all shapes and forms...sometimes there is no explanation for evil."

Arson and murder with no end to the list of possible suspects and the lingering question of how they are all related. It seems the perpetrator is attacking the vulnerable. The case is complicated and it's been very hard to get a real feel for any motive behind these senseless killings. I had my "ah-ha" moment just a bit before the revelations, but this was very cleverly written and I enjoyed the pace and details of the investigation.

Excellent police procedural featuring Detective Inspector Alex King and Detective Constable Chloe Lane working out of the area around the Rhondda valleys. Although this is the third in the series, this is the first one I have read -- much to my chagrin. I'm sorry to have missed the first two and hope to correct that at some point. I would love to know more about the main characters on the police team and all the backstory.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this e-book ARC to read and review. Note that this book was initially titled COUNTING THE DEAD.

Wow - this is a cracking novel! I have read Victoria Jenkins' previous novels and even though they contained a high level of suspense, I think that the author has totally blown the suspense level out of the window with her latest read. Personally, 'Nobody's Child' is the best book of the series so far.

Without giving too much away, this storyline is jam packed with intense moments, chilling characters, and an overall theme which will have you checking every single lock in your house, time and time again. And yes, I did do that! The slightest noise in my house made me jump out of my skin!

As weird as this sounds, the content of 'Nobody's Child' made me stop and think about how the youth of today have pretty much anything at their fingertips due to the growth in technology. Whatever they wish to know, Google will tell them the answers. Unfortunately that also means that people can become victims after being groomed via computer games they thought were safe, when in fact talking to like minded folk isn't always as it seems. It is incredibly scary as the adults using such technology for possible illegal activities, should know better. I thought that the author wrote about that particular topic incredibly well, even if it did put the fear of christ up me!

'Nobody's Child' is a fast paced, highly suspenseful read which made my jaw drop in shock. There were moments whilst reading this book where I found myself frozen to the spot, unable to digest the words that were jumping out at me, creating scary and vivid imagery in my mind. This is definitely an intense read, and you are in for a rollercoaster of a ride with every single page that you turn. Very well thought out, I hope we see more From Alex and Chloe!

4 Tense Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Another fabulous police procedural series with a couple strong female detectives... this is the third book in the series and I would recommend starting with book one, just so you get all the wonderful character development.... in this series you get two detectives for the price of one... Alex King and Chloe Lane.... this book focused on Alex more than Chloe and I have to admit I find Chloe a little more relatable... really do like the friendship between these women, although it was put to the test in this book....

A burned up body found in an abandoned hospital... The discovery of several more bodies... a hate crime... and somebody is after Alex herself.... this book was tense from prologue to the end.... A couple reveals that definitely caught me offguard.... this book will absolutely appeal to all you crime thriller lovers, it was filled with a lot of twists and turns...

Strongly recommend to fans of police procedurals with strong female detectives...

*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

The third outing for DI King and DC Lane. A burned body is discovered in a derelict hospital and our detectives are struggling to discover his identity. The same night a local shop is the target of an arson attack and the family are hostile to the police.

We are quickly introduced to a whole host of characters which actually became quite confusing in the beginning. It also deals with an array of contentious subjects including racism, spousal abuse, child neglect and poverty.

Once again Alex struggles with maintaining a balance between friendships and being the leader with her colleagues.

This was fast paced and although I did guess part of the mystery I was surprised by the ending. Another well written police procedural by Jenkins.

This is book three in the Detectives King and Lane series but reads well as a standalone. This is the first book I have read in this series and I will definitely be going back to read the rest of this series, reading this book alone has made me go buy the first two!

Nobody’s Child is well written, easy to read, fast paced and contains short chapters. It is thrilling, gripping and will have the reader totally hooked! I loved it. An unexpected outcome! A real page turner.

I must say alexs character is a strong, determined women who won’t stop until the crimes are solved even with her own life in danger. A bloody brilliant story. Cleverly written. I cannot wait to read the previous two by Victoria and wait for the fourth to arrive!

I’ve found another new brilliant author to devour… Very impressed. I would highly recommend Nobody’s Child to you all. I awarded a well deserved four stars

What a chilling prologue! Here’s me thinking I’m in for a police procedural featuring a serial killer, when I’m greeted with a terrifying opening! Totally gave me the goosebumps!

To start with, the story jumped around a bit setting the scene and introducing the characters but as I ticked off the chapters, the story settled down.

My mind was all over the shot trying to fathom out what was going on. And it’s no wonder with the amount of secrets Ms Jenkins has packed into this story. The more I read, I got hooked into the team and I was holding my breath as the story climaxed.

I’ve not read the previous King and Lane stories so reading this from a standalone perspective, it totally works as one. The author has put in enough that I didn’t feel I was missing out by joining the series three books in. But I have to say, I will be going back to start and reading The Girls In The Water and The First One To Die.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

The book was off the hook! There were so many stories going on in here with characters and crime all over the place. I was like WTF is going on? This is cray, cray.

And, I loved it.

The author wrote these side stories without letting you in on who the character is, so you can only guess, and guess, and then try to guess again. I know I was all over the place with my guesses (yeah they were mostly wrong).

The crimes are heinous and will give you the creeps. And the jaw dropping ending will have you going "No Way!!"

I love this series and can't wait for the next one!

Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This is the third book in the bestselling series featuring Detectives King and Lane. Continuing the third idea – it’s the third book that I have had the distinct pleasure of reading and reviewing and it’s the third book by Victoria Jenkins that I have absolutely, totally and utterly loved but more about that in a bit.
I just love the characters of Alex King and Chloe Lane. Both are feisty, courageous and determined young female police officers. They were living together but Chloe has recently moved out of Alex’s house and she has gone to live with her partner. The relationship is in its early stages but I couldn’t help but hope that things worked out and that Chloe had found her happy ever after ending that she so deserves. It took a little while for Chloe to get used to living with her colleague but eventually they got along like a house on fire (that isn’t a pun given the nature of the crimes featured in the book). Chloe is pleased to be able to spread her wings and move on with her life. Alex is pleased for Chloe but at the same time she can’t help but feel vulnerable as she is now living on her own. Alex’s uneasiness isn’t helped by the fact that she seems to have acquired her own stalker, who has been leaving personal messages on her front door. Both King & Lane are well liked and respected within their teams and the feeling of respect is mutual although Alex is unsure of one of the detective constables under her leadership. It’s taking her a while to suss him out. Both ladies work well together, as part of a team or on their own and using their own initiative.
Blimey oh riley I was literally hooked on reading this book from the moment I read the synopsis. The book starts off with a prologue that you are not going to forget in a hurry. The story hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. I had to ration myself as to how much of the book I read at any one time. I was enjoying reading the book, the story and the characters so much that I just wanted to keep reading on and on. The flip side of that is if you read as much as you want to, what are you going to do when you have finished reading a fabulous book? I know that doesn’t make sense to some but other bookworms will know exactly what I mean. I couldn’t keep to my ration as I have no willpower or patience so I binge read the book over a couple of days. This really worked in this case because I got a sense of the intensity and at times desperation of a police investigation. I really did feel as though I was a member of the investigating team and at times I found myself asking questions out loud but then I had to remind myself that it was fiction and I wasn’t a real police officer , no matter how many crime books I read or television series I might watch- boo! The quality of the writing in ‘Nobody’s Child’ is so good that I began to ‘live’ the story and I was picturing the action taking place right in front of me. The book seemed to come alive. Reading this book was much like being on a very unpredictable and occasionally scary rollercoaster ride with lots of twists and turns and moments that you don’t see coming and which when they happen, they hit you like a punch to the gut and leave you feeling breathless.
In conclusion I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED reading ‘Nobody’s Child’ and I would definitely recommend this author and her books to other readers. Victoria Jenkins is one hell of a writer and the series featuring Detectives King and Lane is one hell of a series. It’s safe to say that Victoria Jenkins has another winner on her hands. This series just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.

4☆ A Twisty Crime Thriller

Nobody's Child is the third book in the series. But my first book.
I do feel it best to read the previous books to get a feel for the characters.

I really enjoyed this pacy crime thriller.
My only gripe was that I found it a lil confusing with the amount of characters involved. Although they were necessary in order to join the dots.

When a body is found in a hospital fire. So badly burnt and unidentifiable. One has to wonder just who and why has this mystery person been burnt alive. Was it an accident or was it murder?

That is what detectives Alex and Chloe set out to discover!
What follows is a rollercoaster ride of danger and twists as the truth is uncovered.

Nobody's Child is a thrilling and gripping crime thriller. The Characters are multi layered and well written, although at times hard to follow, I didn't particularly connect with them.
There are plenty of twists and suspense to keep the reader turning pages.

Nobody’s Child by Victoria Jenkins is book 3 in the Detectives King & Lane. This is a series I've really enjoyed so far. I have just read book 1, 2 and 3 back to back. It was great doing so as I didn't have to wait for the next one each time, until I finished this beauty and now I have the 'I WANT THE NEXT BOOK syndrome.
This one really does have you on the edge of your seat. It's one of those books you can't put down.
Some fantastic twists and a brilliant story line. If you haven't read any of these books then I really do suggest you start now, and do what I've just done and read them back to back.
When a body is found in a burnt out former hospital it's down to Alex and Chloe to get working on the case, who is it, what was he/she doing there. Why did the fire start or more so who started the fire? It's no time at all that the case escalates and Alex and her team really do have their work cut out.
Alex is also battling her own issues, but can't let it stop her finding who this killer is. As always Alex throws her all into her case.
I've enjoyed getting to know Alex and Chloe over these 3 books, I do however feel there is still a lot we don't know about them and I really am looking forward to reading more and learning more about them as this series progresses. I can see this becoming one hell of damn good series, I feel there will be an awful lot of readers out there eagerly waiting for each instalment.
This really is a detective thriller that gets you hooked and keeps you their right up to the end.
​Easily the best one yet. LOVED IT!

Book 3 in the King and Lane series brings a badly burnt body which is found in an abandoned hospital. Detective Alex King is assigned to find the killer, which proves difficult when the body is hard to identify. When another body turns up, Alex begins to think the two deaths are related and they may have a serial killer on their hands. On a personal note, Alex finds her own safety under threat when she a case from the past comes back to haunt her.

This is the third book of the series and whilst it can be read as a standalone novel, it does make sense to read the other books in the series also to understand the past storylines. For information, this book is based in Wales.

I have only read the one of previous books in the series before this one (the first book somehow managed to slip past me – something I need to rectify!) and I have to admit initially I struggled to remember the characters. There were also a lot of different characters and it did take a little bit of concentrating remembering who they were and where they fitted into the story. But once I did that I found myself getting more and more hooked into the storyline and by the end I seriously could not put it down!

Alex King is a strange character to work out. She comes across as an excellent police officer, but she seems to be suffering from past events and this is having a knock on effect both at work and in her personal life. Chloe Lane, Alex’s Detective Constable, is Alex’s friend but even she seems to be receiving the sharp end of Alex’s tongue. Personally, I like the fact that Alex is a bit testier than she has previously been – no Detective ever gets anywhere being too nice!

The storyline ramps up a notch half way through the book and becomes a book that you just cannot put down. I had this book finished in just over a day as I just had to know what was happening! I did not have the first clue who was involved and the reveal towards the end came as a big surprise – I worked it out about 5 seconds after Alex had! The twists and turns were fantastic and kept the suspense building right through to the end. It is a gritty and disturbing storyline though, with some parts which may be upsetting to read. The story was well planned and thought out and left me wanting more by the end.

A great crime thriller, which ended in just the right place for the next one of the series. Can it be soon please!

Nobody’s Child by Victoria Jenkins another instalment in the Detectives King & Lane, Book No.3. I’ve read the first 2 books by Victoria and never thought the series could get any better but boy was I wrong, Nobody’s Child is even more a flawless thriller which will have you hanging off ever page, how do you do it Victoria…

Opening Nobody’s Child we are swamped with the horror and intense crime of the discovery of the body of a man burned to death in an old abandoned hospital, King has her work cut out for her trying to identify the man. Someone has to be missing him, someone must know who he is, identification is going to take time, time King may not have as another body is discovered, are there more to come, is there a serial killer on the loose.

The common denominator between each victim becomes imperative, finding the link, will it capture the killer, King and her team, trawl through many aspects, doubling back, coming full circle, the trail becomes a tangle of deception, lies and secrets.

Follow the path, turn here, turn there, look right, look left, the barricades building higher and higher, just when I think I’m at a loss and I don’t know which clue to follow a chink of light, a spark pulls me in a different direction and the chase begins again.

King has troubles of her own, is the past coming back, King tries to concentrate on the case but someone wants Alex, are they trying to harm Alex or worse still……

You know I’m actually still sitting here looking at the cover and I’m in awe at how captivating it is, its certainly true that a picture tells a thousand words, in Victoria’s case the cover tells the story of crime, suspense and also in a heinous way beauty, open the cover, turn the pages and find your words.

Okay there was no kiss and tell for Nobody’s Child its an absolute must to read yourself, go on grab yourself a copy, it could be reads as a standalone but why would you want to, grab the series and enjoy.

Thanks to Bookouture, Victoria Jenkins and Noelle Holten for the chance to read and review an advanced readers copy of Nobody’s Child. It is a pleasure to be part of the Blog Tour, thanks Noelle x.

absolutely loved this book! the storyline is great and is a excellent example of a police procedural novel.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.