My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for these ARCs
📖📖
First of all, let me talk about our eponymous heroine. I don't like her and her intentions. She makes such a huge deal about what she does, but I felt like it was more about her than the kids. I also felt like she should have had a law enforcement background rather than being an ex-social worker. I felt like she was not equipped enough with abilities to carry out the acts.
📖📖
However, those criminals deserved what they got, if only they could get a stiffer punishment. This book really opened my eyes to the failings of the law, the law protects criminals more than they do children and it was really heartbreaking to read.
I'm all for innocent before proven guilty, but the law should be stricter if there are children involved.
While I would not advise anyone to practice what Lucy did, it was understandable, and my heart broke for what lucy went through.
📖📖
For the first in the series, I loved the mystery, but Lucy was annoying with her fixation on Justin. It made her lose focus on other suspects which was reckless of her. But I loved that everything got settled at the end. Get ready for the unexpected twist!
📖📖
I'll definitely be reading more of this series because I've come to like all the characters

I couldn't out this book down. It was such a compelling read that had me hooked right from the start and kept me guessing. I loved it.

A dark and twisted read. While I do enjoy a female vigilante, I did not find the story very plausible. As this is the first in the series, I will read the next book to see if it gets better, especially since I have enjoyed many of the author's other books.

Lucy Kendall is surveilling a possible target at a local bar. You see, Lucy is a private investigator with a difference as she dispenses her own justice on the paedophiles & rapists in her city. She slips drugs into their drinks & makes their deaths look like natural causes. This time, however, when she returns from the bathroom ready to hone in on her target, he is nowhere to be seen & in his place is a stranger who says he knows what she does & that he does the same thing. Lucy plays it cool & says she doesn't know what Chris is talking about but she's worried she's about to get caught.

When eight-year-old Kailey goes missing on the way home from school, Lucy realises that someone from her past lives in the neighbourhood, a young man named Justin, whom she met whilst working for the CPS several years ago & who was accused of a terrible crime when he was a boy. Is the past repeating itself? Unfortunately the man in charge of the investigation into Kailey's disappearance is the step-brother of Justin & he doesn't want Lucy near the case, but he doesn't have much choice when Kailey's mother hires Lucy pro-bono. As Lucy investigates the case she keeps running into Chris who seems to be tailing her. The more she talks to him, the more she knows he's lying about being a killer, but why as he doesn't seem to be about to turn her into the authorities? Kailey's case brings up some bad memories from Lucy's childhood - can she put them behind her in time to find the young girl alive?

First of all, the subject matter is going to make this a difficult book for some people to read, so please be aware that it deals with child abduction, paedophilia, & child abuse. The narrative is well-written though & even though some parts have graphic violence, I felt it was dealt with in an appropriate manner. The main character is definitely one that the reader roots for, she's kind of kick-ass, although I wish she would stop referring to herself as getting old/losing her looks because she is now over 30. Women have enough to deal with without doing the patriarchy's job for them. Overall I thought it was a gripping read with plenty of twists & turns. There's a little bit of possible future romance/spark between Lucy & Chris but nothing over the top at this stage. I plan on reading at least the next one in the series. 3.5 stars (rounded up).

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bookouture, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a young girl goes missing
another young girl is sexually assaulted
a paedophile is released into the community right across from the missing girl

lucy kendall private eye and murderer of paedophiles is looking for the young girl that is missing but her journey is about to be disrupted

can she keep ahead of the police and find the missing girl....time will tell

an interesting read and the first in the series and i must admit i thoroughly enjoyed reading this one... an interesting concept private eye and a vigilante...

looking forward to reading more of this series

4.5⭐

The Girl in the Pink Shoes kicks off Stacy Greens Lucy Kendall series brilliantly.

As Lucy is an unusual crime solver. Being that she works as a PI. But has a sideline as a serial killer (think Dexter, but less messy.) And a history before that working in child protection services.

So her life is complicated to say the least. But when she hears a young girl called Kailey has disappeared on her way home from school. Lucy is keen to help.

Only the detective in charge is no friend. In fact Lucy believes his brother Justin, who has recently been released from jail could be responsible. And she's determined to find the truth.

But Lucy also has a bigger problem. As her secret has been found out by a stranger. Who claims to be a serial killer and one who wants to join forces with her.

The question is, is he telling the truth? And can Lucy keep her secret safe, find Kailey and stop her latest target before time runs out?

And with intriguing characters and lots of twists. The Girl in the Pink Shoes was a cracking read. That I genuinely found hard to put down. But be warned this story does feature some heavy issues, including suicide, child molestation, sexual assault, rape and trafficking of minors.

Wow! What a ride this book was.

Lucy Kendall is a private investigator. Formerly, she worked for CPS. Oh, the other thing? She’s a serial killer. But, before you judge her, she only kills people who have hurt children and managed to evade justice.

She’s scouting out another victim of Lucy Kendall justice when a man introduces himself and tells her he knows what she is. He’s not going to go to the police, because he’s just like her. And he wants to work together.

Suddenly, Lucy’s perfectly crafted world comes crashing down as this mysterious man reveals he knows her dark secrets. Then, a perpetrator from her past reappears, just as a little girl - Kailey - goes missing. She was wearing pink shoes.

This book is an excellent story and I’m thoroughly looking forward to reading more featuring Lucy Kendall. She’s not your standard PI or the usual lead in a mystery/crime novel and that’s something I really enjoyed about her story. It takes you to a place where things aren’t exactly black and white, but justice is served one way or another. The twists did keep me on my toes, and I have to say I definitely didn’t see some of them coming!

A strong 4.5 stars, rounded up.

i thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this. despite the long(er than what i’m used to) chapters which i often use as milestones or cues to go to the toilet, i think what differentiate this book from other books that involve child exploitation is that, unlike many crime/thriller involving child exploitation, the book surrounds itself with the topic of child exploitation i.e., there were more than one case of child exploitation. whereas in other books, the entire length of the book may just be about one case that is child exploitation (if this makes sense).

on top of that, we get to see how Lucy Kendall operated. how she justified her actions, how she turned to doubt it, why she pushed as hard as she did (and sometimes past the scale of annoying), and also how she came to terms with one of the cases that had haunted her since her days with the CPS.

i cannot wait for the other titles to be re-released on 30 Jan to see how it will all pan out the series.

The Girl in the Pink Shoes is the first book in the Lucy Kendall series written by Stacy Green. Lucy is a private investigator who delivers her own justice to some of the lowest of the low. This book has many twists and turns as Lucy spends her days getting rid of the undesirables of the world. The book has several trigger warnings (child abuse, paedophilia) that may turn readers off but if you can get past that I would definitely recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series as well as Stacy's other series.

To begin, I found this book to be an addictive read and a page-turner. However, the book needs a trigger warning for molestation and crimes against children. If I would’ve had this knowledge beforehand, I wouldn’t have requested the ARC. On the other hand, I found this book to be very well written and a great mystery.

First things first!! A HUGE THANK YOU to netgally and bookouture for the copy of The Girl In The Pink Shoes by Stacy Green.
.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
Just....WOW! If I could write a review with just wow, it would be this book! Sleep was not coming to me last night and I finished this around 4am. This is the first of 4 in the Lucy Kendall series. Lucy, a former Child Protective Services worker, left her work behind to become a Private Investigator tracking lost and missing children. She also carries her own brand of deep seated trauma that leaves her hunting predators of the kid 'loving' kind. So when 8 year old Kailey goes missing, her first instinct is the newly released sex offender that was previously her charge as a CPS worker.
.
So for those needing a trigger warning ⚠️ this is it. While it did not go into excessive and gross detail, it was there.
.
Back to the book. As stated the book was kinda heavy in parts and I definitely teared up a bit. But knowing that ultimately the bad guy was going to get what's coming, made it worth it! This book was dark and gritty with near constant page turning drama that I craved. There were so many twists and "maybe it's this person," that I had to wrap my head around. Plus having her trusty cat "Mousecop," her reclusive hacker friend Kelly, and another few key players to help Lucy track down said creeps just ties it all up so perfect!
.
Again, HUGE thanks to netgally and bookouture for ARC copy for review. All opinions are mine alone.
*also added to Goodreads, however when tried to submit through the link below it was unable to recognize the isbn*

The Girl in the Pink Shoes is the first book of the Lucy Kendall Crime Thriller series.

Lucy Kendall is a child protective service worker turned Private Investigator. After working in a system she felt was broken Lucy decided that someone needs to lookout for the children from the monsters in the world. She feels partly responsible when bad things continue to happen to the children.

A young girl goes missing on the way home from school wearing the brand-new pink shoes her mother bought for her. Her mother is distraught with the news. Lucy hears about the missing girl and reaches out and offers her help free of charge to find the little girl.

Lucy has a rag tag group of people that are her eyes and ears to use while hunting for the abusers and to save the children.

There are many twists and turns from the past that connect to the present which makes this a thrilling read. The topic of children and abuse is terrible and not one I enjoy reading about. However, I felt like rooting for Lucy when she was taking care of business. Lucy is a complicated character and worth peeling back the layers to get to know her.

I was interested in this because I found the cover design eye-catching, and I was hoping for a good thriller.

This is the first in a series of books featuring Lucy Kendall as the protagonist, and I took an immediate liking to her. I liked the way she narrated and communicated with the reader, and I liked the way she expressed herself. It didn't take me too long to finish, but I was gripped and kept turning the pages. I think I would be interested in reading some more of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

The Girl in the Pink Shoes is book #1 that looks to be the first in a new series. Lucy is a private investigator unlike any other I have ever read about. There are many disturbing “actions” in this book which makes this very dark and twisty but I found myself glued to the pages.
Triggers - physical and mental abuse, rape among young, very young girls explained in detail throughout the book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review.

“I’m not a killer. Or a savior. I’m just one person trying to repair the broken scales of justice one jagged crack at a time.”

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Girl in the Pink Shoes’ by Stacy Green.

This is the first book in Green’s Lucy Kendall series of crime thrillers, originally published as ‘All Good Deeds’ in 2014. All four are being republished this January.

At the outset I will note that this novel is about child abduction and vigilante justice. When 8-year-old Kailey Richardson, clad in her brand new pink shoes, fails to arrive home from school it quickly becomes clear that someone has taken her.

While the police look for Kailey, private investigator Lucy Kendall offers her services to Jenna, Kailey’s desperate mother, pro bono. Having lost her own sister to the darkest evil, Lucy is determined to help find Kailey before it is too late.

In her ten years working for the CPS (Child Protective Services) in Philadelphia Lucy was deeply distressed at how many predators evaded justice. Now she has a sideline in ‘taking out the trash’. Yet are her extracurricular activities starting to attract attention? No further details to avoid spoilers.

I do appreciate that crime thrillers with themes of child abduction can be triggering for some readers. Then there’s the vigilante aspect. While it can make for cathartic reading, it’s not my favourite trope. Colour me Lawful Good….

Overall, while some aspects of this novel seemed improbable, once I started reading it was difficult to put down. As a result I plan to continue with the series combining reading with the audiobooks for an immersive experience.

This is the first book that I have read from this author and I am now already near the end of her next book in the series the first book was was that good. It tells the story of Lucy who was once a social worker but is now a private investigator trying to help young vulnerable and troubled children who have got into the hands of bad people. She has her own ways of dealing with these corrupt people when she finds them which doesn't involve the police.
I have nearly read book 2 and will have 2 more books to read in this series. Can't wait to see what else she gets up to.

Thank you to Stacy Green, Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. This book was so good. I devoured it in less than a day. It sucked you in from the start. Every parents worst nightmare, a child predator and the many layers of the flawed CPS system and children who have been through it. I cannot even put into words how much I enjoyed it. The author clearly had done research nothing seemed crazy far fetched justice was served in one way or another and I am anxiously waiting to read the next book in this series.

Another glimpse into the sordid world of pedophilia…….why do we keep looking? The stories are all horrific and beyond anyone’s belief except those who have experienced them. Are we all voyeurs?
   In this book there is a bizarre connection between several of the characters. Besides the fact they have all been sexually abused or were related to someone who was, there is a familial connection. Is this deviant behavior genetic? It’s interesting twist that keeps us reading.
   We also meet a PI vigilante who has decided to personally eliminate these deviants any chance she can. She has a little army of kinsmen who are willing to support her chief goal in life with their technical skills and connections. She is certainly a warrior for the cause.
   While the subject matter is very uncomfortable, it’s a reminder that there are bad people out there and we should remain vigilant.

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!

This book!

Just…..

I need to take a moment!

What a twisty, sadistic, vile storyline but an utterly riveting story I couldn’t stop listening to! This book was just wow! I think I have said that enough now! I had the ebook of this but when I heard there was an audiobook I had to listen instead. It’s the only thing that keeps me sane but yikes this book!

I haven’t read anything by Stacey before but I can tell you I will be reading more! This series is going to be explosive! It’s hard-hitting, shocking and so emotive! I was sickened by some of it and when Justin was recounting his story, I had to stop what I was doing and take a moment. A moment to listen to his story and to pick my jaw up off the ground. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Justice! That is a bit part of the book, justice for the children and the adults. Lucy is stepping on a thin line with where she now sits and the conflict in her was interesting to watch as she tries to figure out where she is to go from now on.

I CAN NOT WAIT for the next book! I will get it on audio as I LOVED the narrator. She did the book justice, she made me come back time and time again to find out what was happening in the case with Kailey and how Chris fitted into the story – NOT WHAT HOW I IMAGINED!

So many plotlines are woven, and when we come back to them next time, it’s going to cause some BIG ripples!!

Is it wrong to say, I can’t wait?

Seriously addictive!!

Talk about a great way to start a series, introducing Lucky Kendall, former CPS worker turned Private Investigator/Vigilante, tracking down the monstors who take the innocence of young.

This book introduces you to a great cast of characters, each with an incredible backstories that weave together for some great twists.

Thankfully I started reading this on a weekend when I could essentially read uninterruped because I did not want to put it down.

Available on Amazon Unlimited from Jan 30, 2023.