Have any of you ever wondered what happens to children of serial killers? What kind of life do the survivors of a horrific crime lead? What it will be like to read a story lead completely by broken people - people who have been victimized one way or the other? Well, Stacy Green's "The Girl in the Pink Shoes" is an answer to all these questions.

The book opens with a murder-attempt by someone you won't exactly expect. And then the story kicks-off when the main female lead Lucy Kendall, previously working in CPS and currently a private investigator, hears the kidnapping of a little girl, who is the neighbour of a known sexual offender, and drafts herself to do everything to find the girl. In the course of her investigation, she happens to come across many people with whom she had been previously acquainted with during her CPS days and she has to struggle to find the right path towards the truth when her own preconceived ideas and judgements take her towards a completely different direction.

What follows next is a series of events so convoluted, complex and dark that sometimes it can actually disturb the readers brutally. In fact, I had to take breaks in between the reading to prevent being too overwhelmed by the darkness. The darkness is only offset by the many unexpected plot developments which keep the readers totally hooked into the story. There are a couple of twists occurring every few chapters or so; and the penultimate twist is something most people won't see coming.

I must say I absolutely loved the way author Stacy Green has laid out the various characters. The main female lead Lucy Kendall is quite a compelling person; she is a contradictory combination of compassion and fierce hate. We, as readers, might not always understand nor agree with her actions. But one can't help but feel for her most of the time. I also was very much intrigued by Lucy's more recent acquaintance Chris Hale; I have a feeling the author plans to do a lot with him and his circumstances. It's a very unique premise and I can't wait to see how his character is taken forward in the upcoming books.

In a nutshell, I had the most entertaining time reading this completely intriguing and engaging thriller. And can't wait to see where the 2nd book goes.

Trigger warning : Please be warned, the story features quite a lot of traumatic and horrific incidents which may be triggering.

Why have I not started to read this series before!

A fantastic read. Cannot wait to read the rest

5/5

I had so much fun reading this book! I really loved the main character and how she was. I did not expect it to be like this at all but it was amazing😍 all the side characters were really strong as well and I had no idea it was going to go the way it did

Stacy Green has been an author whose works I've looked forward to since I read the Nikki Hunt series. The Lucy Kendall series is another thrilling work. This first book is well thought of and well written.
Characters are well developed and the plot is riveting. With enough twists to keep the reader hooked, the book is an interesting read.

This is the debut novel in the new Lucy Kendall series. Kendall is a private investigator who used to work for child protection services. She also has a secret life, she ensures that child predators who have escaped justice pay the price at her hands. When a young girl goes missing, Kendall goes to any lengths necessary to find her. A fun read with plenty of twists and turns.

A girl in pink shoes.#NetGalley

When I started this book, it took me some time to get into it. However it never really got me engaged in the book. It was one of those books I could give it take. I hat to leave any book unfinished and no matter how painful it is to read. I normally try to persevere. I had a problem with keeping up with who was who. Maybe because I was finding this book hard going maybe I was not concentrating enough and missed bits that would nomsky grab me. I managed only just to finish it. It make such a lack of sense and no impression on me. That my memory is pretty much useless in this case. But would I recommend this book. No I would not. Now being truthful it might be a good book to others. But definitely not me. That’s not saying I am right it’s my own personal opinion and nothing more. I might have read this book at a different time and it may have changed my opinion . What I am saying is sometimes I will put a book down after the first couple of chapters. And go on to read something totally different. Eventually I will then pick a book I had put down. Suddenly asking myself why I put it down in the first place as it’s actually a brilliant book. Looking back I do honest believe it’s what I should have done with this one instead of pushing myself to read it

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book. I have read Stacy's Nikki Hunt series and absolutely love Stacy's writing style so when I heard that her Lucy Kendall series was being released I couldn't wait to jump in.

This book (and I presume series) deals with child abuse and paedophilia. This is a difficult topic for some to read and it must be even harder to write.

Lucy is a private detective with quite a varied background but all centring around children and child abuse. I can see why some might find Lucy a difficult one to warm to. At first, I was a bit unsure but as you progress through the story you really start to understand Lucy, her past and her motivations. I think Lucy is an excellent investigator with true determination.

I liked Lucy's little 'team' from her hacker to her man on the street Kenny G. A varied but extremely skilful group of contacts.

This was a tense and addictive story that I just struggled to put down. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

The Girl in the Pink Shoes was a book I wasn’t sure I would love. The subject is a rough one to dig into. However, the writing is fantastic and the book is so well done. The character of Lucy is well thought out, so rich, and much more relatable than I initially thought she would be. I can’t wait to continue on in this series and follow Lucy in the next book of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to get an advanced e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb for The Girl in the Pink Shoes really gripped me. Lucy is not your typical investigator which I loved, this storyline is not an easy one and may be a hard read for some with lots of tough topics covered. A page turner from the very start, this is a gipping, intense read that keeps you guessing. The main character is a force to be reckoned with and you'll end up on board with her totally unorthodox ways. A well written, fast paced book with great Characters many of whom you'll end up suspecting at one point or another. This is the first book in the Lucy Kendall series and I will definitely be continuing with the series.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. I usually love Stacy Green's work but I struggled with this one. I wasn't a huge fan of Lucy, however, there are so many great supporting characters. I loved getting to know them all. It is a tough subject and pretty dark in places. As for the plot, I suspected pretty much everyone and had no idea who the kidnapper was (let's be honest most of them were bad guys). I have to admit the twist was a shocker. Did not see that one coming. Overall it is an intriguing read that kept me guessing but the darkness was maybe a bit much for me. I am interested to see what happens next with Lucy though.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is such a heart wrenching mystery thriller that takes you on an emotional journey from the very first page. This is a strong start to what will be a series of books. Every character has at least some suspicions around them and is at least morally grey leaving you guessing until the very end - you truly feel the desperation a parent would feel if their child was missing. There is a lot of sensitive content in this book so it won't be for everyone but I loved reading about a strong female lead who is a private detective and a vigilante and during her investigation Lucy is also going on an emotional journey of her own. I'm really interested to see where this series will go and the emotional growth that Lucy will go through and her relationship with the other characters.

The Girl in the Pink Shoes Stacy Green Narrated by Amelia Sciandra was a brilliant psychological thriller book from start to finish. It was well written with great twists and turns that just had you gripped, especially as I wanted to find out what happened to the little girl in the pink shoes.

My baby girl. This morning she was so excited for school. I bought her new shoes last night. Pink, sparkly shoes. She loved them so much. She wore them for the first time today. And now she is gone…

It is every mother’s worst nightmare. Eight-year-old Kailey Richardson skips out of the school gates in her brand-new pink shoes and never makes it home. Between the school and the safety of her shiny red front door, someone has taken her.

Private Investigator Lucy Kendall sees the fliers of a smiling gap-toothed Kailey and knows she won’t be able to sleep until the little girl is found. Having lost her own sister to the darkest evil, she is determined to help find Kailey before it is too late.

WoW!!! This book was So Good!

The narrator Amelia Sciandra was excellent and made this book special.

I highly recommend this book. I loved it.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and especially Bookouture Audio for this brilliant audiobook in exchange for a review.

My baby girl. This morning she was so excited for school. I bought her new shoes last night. Pink, sparkly shoes. She loved them so much. She wore them for the first time today. And now she is gone…

It is every mother’s worst nightmare. Eight-year-old Kailey Richardson skips out of the school gates in her brand-new pink shoes and never makes it home. Between the school and the safety of her shiny red front door, someone has taken her.

Private Investigator Lucy Kendall sees the fliers of a smiling gap-toothed Kailey and knows she won’t be able to sleep until the little girl is found. Having lost her own sister to the darkest evil, she is determined to help find Kailey before it is too late.

As Lucy talks to Kailey’s friends, desperate to find out who has taken the happy little girl, she begins to form a worrying picture of the days before Kailey’s disappearance. The blue car idling in the street outside the school. The friendly man across the road. And Kailey’s mother, Jenna, hollow-eyed and jumpy, clutching Kailey’s teddy bear and not telling Lucy everything.

Lucy has promised Jenna she will do everything to find her daughter. But then she discovers Jenna has a connection to the prime suspect in Kailey’s disappearance… and one which brings Lucy’s past rushing back to haunt her. Time is running out to find Kailey, but will Lucy be able to save this innocent little girl before her own demons destroy her?

You won’t want to stop turning the pages of this unputdownable crime thriller. Fans of Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Kendra Elliot will be reading The Girl in the Pink Shoes late into the night.

This book was an ok read, very heart wrenching story and really brings out all your emotions. The stroy was good and easy to follow, and I enjoyed thre suspence and the twists as the book went on.

I love the author’s Nikki Hunt series and I jumped at the chance to read these. While the writing style is the same, these are a little darker with a few graphic scenes. If you are prone to triggers, I suggest looking those up. Lucy Kendall was a social worker who turned PI. After the horrors she’s seen as a social worker, she has a secret of her own. She has turned to vigilante justice for pedophiles that she’s deemed to have fallen through the cracks and remain free for one reason or another. Lucy is a strong dominant woman. And I really liked her a lot at the start. And I’ll never waiver on what a strong female character she is, but as I kept reading, my thoughts on her changed to more uncertainty whether I liked her. It made me think long and hard about vigilantism. And while my thoughts on Lucy may have waffled, I still needed to know who had taken the child.

It was harder for me to figure out who kidnapped Kailey, because all the characters are a little shady and has quite the evil side. There are also moments of redemption to offset all of the evil.

While this book is very different than the usual crime novels I read, I really did like it. I listened to the first book and then continued reading the series. Amelia Sciandra did a great job selling this tough material.

If you love crime novels and would like to try something a little darker, you should really check out this series.

Talk about twists and turns with a bunch of "didn't see that coming"! This story takes you on a ride. I went from happy to sad to mad to angry to heartbroken in the matter of a pages. This story is well written with great characters and villains. I will caution you, once you start this one you will want to finish it in one sitting. It is that good.

This probably isn't the most apt analogy, given that 'The Girl in the Pink Shoes' is not in any way a romance novel, but bear with me. Imagine if you will that you had gone into your favourite pub for a quiet drink. As you sat in a comfy armchair, with the drink in question on the table in front of you, you were hopeful of spending a pleasant time but otherwise had no particular expectations.

So when the man/woman of your dreams walked over and asked to share your table, you were thrilled. When you heard his/her voice for the first time it was all you could do not to look as overcome as you felt. And as conversation flowed easily and you discovered that you both shared some interests too, you began to feel weak at the knees with excitement.

That's a bit like how it felt to read the first two chapters of this book. The first two lines on their own are an effective hook. The main protagonist, Lucy Kendall is established, remarkably quickly as a fantastic character, being intriguing and yet somehow repulsive at the same time. And then, as the mysterious Chris was introduced, I realised I had physically tensed as I couldn't wait to see where the book was going to go.

Unfortunately, it's here that for me, the first problem arose. Because the book didn't really go the way I was hoping for. It becomes an investigation into the disappearance of a child, in which Lucy takes the role of a private investigator and manages to secure interviews with her suspects faster than the police can, by the simple expedient of being able to act on hunches without having to gather any evidence first. The police in question are suitably frustrated and yet surprisingly tolerant. There are one or two digressions that kept me entertained, but overall, by about half way through, the book had begun to feel a bit - this is a stronger word than I really want to use, but I can't think of a better one - a bit tiresome. I had begun to wonder how it could finish satisfactorily, never mind continue for what I knew to be a series containing a further three books.

But then. The first twist is revealed and from there, the revelations come thick and fast as the reader's mind is changed entirely - sometimes more than once - about almost all of the characters. Stacy Green probably also deserves credit for tackling some very difficult issues, including - trigger alert - kidnapping and child sex abuse in a way that is believable without being too hard-hitting. Actually, and maybe I'm just a bit weird in this way, I found myself wanting to be hit harder than I had been.

The ending, though, is superb. It managed to transport me right back to those fabulous opening chapters and have me thinking "actually, what if ...?" And I realised that I had been completely wrong in my critical thoughts at about the middle of the book. It concludes in such a way that there's easily mileage for the series to continue.

To sum up, then: 'The Girl in the Pink Shoes' isn't quite the book of my dreams that the opening chapters had me hoping for. But it's still a fine opening to a series, and I look forward to reading the next instalment.

My thanks to the author and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book, and to Bookouture for my inclusion on the blog tour. I will post my review on Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram and my personal blog.

I was confused by all the different parts of the story, it all came together in the end and was a good story, I struggled with the content due to the main story line. Good boon would read more from the author.

This is the first book in the Lucy Kendall series by author Stacy Green. Lucy Kendall is certainly a very interesting character that I feel sure will grow on me throughout the series. If I am completely honest I did struggle a little to get to grips with this one although I can tell by the many positive reviews that it’s probably me.

Lucy Kendall is a former CPS worker who is now a Private Investigator with an attitude. When eight-year-old Kailey Richardson goes missing following school Lucy Kendall knows she must find her. Lucy lost her own sister to evil and is determined to find Kailey before she also suffers. Lucy starts her investigations by talking to Kailey’s friends and begins to form a worrying picture of the days before Kailey’s disappearance. There are reports of a suspicious car outside the school, a friendly man hanging around and Lucy also feels Kailey’s mother, Jenna is not telling everything she knows.

With time running out for Kailey, Lucy discovers that Jenna has a connection to the prime suspect in her daughters disappearance. A connection that brings Lucy’s past rushing back to haunt her.

A good solid read and start to a series that I am sure I will get into.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I will start this with saying I normally hate vigilantes. I almost stopped reading because if this, but I am glad I didn’t. The main plot was interesting and left you needing to know the resolution. The side plots propelled the story. The unsolved mystery around several things was tantalizing. Lucy grew on me, mostly because her righteousness was not was conflicted. The different surprises thrown in kerosene you reading. I am also a fan of overarching plots that accompany single book plots.

This has a great premise, but the writing wasn’t really strong enough to keep me interested. I could tell this wouldn’t be more than a three star read if the ending was really good, but I’m not sure it would end things well, especially considering this is the start to a series.