Wow! I really enjoyed this book and felt like I was in it with the characters! I loved "getting to know" the characters and their interplay with each other and how it was like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon going on in the story! This is not my first book by this author but I do think it's the best and most well-written one! I am going to need to read some more books by her!

#TheGirlinthePinkShoes
#NetGalley

This was my first Stacy Green's book. This is the first book in the A Lucy Kendall Crime Thriller Series. This is a great start to the series. The characters are well developed. Lucy, a former social worker, and now a private investigator, is an enigmatic character, strong, and determined. The supporting characters are intriguing. The storyline is complex, dark, and enthralling. The plot is well crafted, suspenseful, and captivating. Amelia Sciandra did an amazing job bringing this story to life. Looking forward to more in the series. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, a Bookouture Audio production, for an honest review.

First of all I want to say there’s major TW’s for ab*se, r*pe, neglect, p*dos, su*cide & m*rder so read with caution if any of those could be triggering for you.

This follows Lucy who’s a social worker turned private investigator, her one purpose to help kids who fall victims of abuse & making sure justice is served. A little girl has just been abducted on her way home from school, but things soon start to be unearthed and this case links to 2 major cases from the start of her career. And while she’s caught up trying to find out who to trust & fighting with the police, she knows the poor girl is trapped somewhere scared out of her mind & being hurt in ways she doesn’t deserve. She will stop at nothing to save her, even if that means risking her own life & lifestyle. I did predict most of the plot twists in the book, but the final major one I didn’t see coming at all. But just because I saw them coming doesn’t mean it ruined the story, I didn’t find myself getting bored at any point.

The characters in this were VERY complex & well fleshed out, many of which also morally grey. You didn’t exactly know where you stood with any of them or who you could trust, but you felt so sorry for them for all the suffering they were subjected to as children. And as someone who’s got personal experience of some of the themes mentioned, I can say that their trauma responses & views of CPS are accurate. I particularly appreciated the focus on amnesia as I find that’s a part of ptsd that’s often ignored, instead focusing on memories & flashbacks.

So yeah, I think this was a very well written story & I highly recommend! I’ll definitely be continuing this series!

Ohhh for all of you that are fans of morally gray characters, do I have a cast for you! TW: child abuse, sexual abuse, and murder. This is the first in a series and I immediately started scrolling to find where I can get the next one. Characters that struggle with the right thing to do and are morally gray always seem more real to me, because life is a struggle. Things aren’t black and white, and I love books that show that.

Lucy was a social worker before she got frustrated with the justice system. She quit and is now a private detective tracking down child predators. Now a girl is missing and it links back to one of her very first cases as a social worker. She can do things the law can’t, and all that matters is saving that little girl.

I really enjoyed The Girl In The Pink Shoes by Stacy Green. I was surprised to learn it was published several years ago. I guess this is just the first time it is being released as an audiobook. I hope the whole Lucy Kendall series becomes available on audio because I am dying to know how things turn out for this vigilante private detective. I have to admit, I am not comfortable with Lucy's belief system. She believes that the system is flawed and so to keep children safe, she kills pedophiles on her own. I am not sad about her victims, but the idea of individuals playing God makes me nervous. I have never met an infallible human being, therefore I can't imagine anyone making judgements about whether another human being should live or die being completely infallible. In this first book alone, we learn that with regard to one accused pedophile, she was wrong about his guilt. So the morality of the lead character was a struggle for me, though I did find myself rooting for her throughout the book. The central mystery of the novel was addictive, too. I was surprised and satisfied with the outcome of that story. In addition, I started questioning everyone's character's inherent evil. Oh my word! Anyone has the potential to be hiding a seriously warped side and this novel will make you ponder that.

Good book and I am glad it was a limited series so I can potentially stick with the characters until the end as I don't think I would love the protagonist across more books than a very few.

After losing her sister when she was a child, private detective Lucy Kendall has dedicated her life to protecting children from dangerous predators like the one who destroyed her sisters life. When she starts to see missing posters for young Kaley Richardson, she cannot stay away from the case.
The girl in the pink shoes is a rerelease of a novel published in 2014. The plot reminded me of an early 2000s Lifetime movie. I didn’t enjoy the narration, her accent and interpretation of the main character just really irritated me. Elements of the story such as the twists and the connections between the characters were too far fetched for me. Unfortunately this novel just didn’t work for me.

A young girl goes missing and private investigator Lucy Kendall takes up the case.
Lucy reveals that she takes a vigilante approach to paedophiles and gives details about how she deals with these criminals. I am obviously not condemning the actions of these people, but nobody has the right to take the law into their own hands. Due to this, I never ever took a liking to Lucy and found the whole novel to be very downbeat and depressing. A novel for me needs light and shade, along with at least one character you can empathise with and root for, I never found this in this audio book.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a well written, descriptive novel, the subject matter is certainly gritty and I’m sure many people will love it.
It took a little while for me to get acclimatised to the narrator’s voice, but she did an excellent job.
I almost felt that the author was unleashing an anger, do give this a try though if you are a fan of hard-hitting crime drama, it just wasn’t a book for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This is the first book I have read by this author and the first in a series. This was a dark and gritty story that might not be for everyone. The twists and turns in it are wonderful and I thought this was an excellent book. I listened to the audiobook and really liked the narrator. There are another 3 in the series and I am definitely keen to read them all. Great bunch of characters that I hope recur in the others.

Be sure to read trigger warnings before reading this book.

A Private investigator Lucy Kendall who happens to be a former CPS worker she's a flier about a missing eight year old girl. After seeing so much evil in the world and also losing her own sister she is determined to help find the girl. She has her own suspicions on who she believes in responsible and finds herself interfering in the police investigation and getting caught several times.

Lucy also happens to have an interesting side hussle. One day she is outed by a random stranger who seems to be fascinated with her. Lucy and this stranger end up working together to solve this case and find the missing girl.
Will they be able to solve the case and find her before it's too late?

“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 Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Girl in the Pink Shoes’ by Stacy Green. The audiobook is narrated by Amelia Sciandra.

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….

With respect to the audiobook, Amelia Sciandra is quite new to audiobook narration though is narrating all four of the Lucy Kendall audiobooks. She is an American actor based in London with an impressive CV including writer, director, and educator. Given that the novel is set in the USA it was appropriate to have a narrator with an American accent. Her voice is warm and very pleasant to listen to.

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.

I listened to this on audio and was totally captured by the story. It’s a hard subject matter dealing with child abuse and paedophilia but the author doesn’t flinch away from what clearly happens in real life. Will definitely read more by the author

2.5 and rounding up.

I didn't hate this but there were a few things that kept me from liking it more. Our main character is basically Dexter but for child rapists. I liked Lucy enough, but I had some problems with the insane stunts she would pull in the name of her own personal brand of "justice". The whole scheme requires you to suspend disbelief just a bit more than I usually like to do, There were a decent chunk of people who know about her "line of work" who are just... okay with it? Not to mention the fact that the lead detective on the investigation has a brother who was considered a suspect? I thought there was just a lot going on and too many "coincidences" for this to all work out the way it did. The "twist" at the end also felt like they were just setting up for the next book.

The thing that bothered me most however was definitely a personal issue, but I was pretty icked out by the somewhat-specific descriptions of child sexual abuse. Obviously that's a major part of the story but it bothered me more than I thought it would. It wasn't too explicit or detailed but it was enough that I found it upsetting and it would keep me from reading future books from this series. Again this is definitely a me thing, but it made me depressed and upset and that's not what I'm looking for when I'm reading. Everybody has certain things they just don't like to read about and I guess children getting abused is one of mine.

This also contributed to the weird overall tone of the book: it felt like every time they got closer to cracking the case or found some kind of good evidence, we would be happy for a moment but then remember that Everyone is Bad and Lucy still needs to focus on all the nasty criminals out there. Which I guess is true, but the back and forth also kept me from enjoying it as much as I could have.

I'm not sure if I loved the narrator of the audiobook but she really did hone in on the Philly accent...she sounded just like my husband's stepmom.

Overall it was a quick, pretty generic thriller that I'm sure some people will like but I probably won't continue the series for this one.

Thank you Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Previously published as All Good Deeds. Lucy is such a likable character out for justice. A great female vigilante!
You know what she does is wrong but it’s for good reason - keeping bad guys from doing more bad things. She has a heart of gold, coming from her own messed up childhood with a loss due to a predator. So now she won’t stop until she finds the sweet girl who’s the latest victim. All with a great supporting cast of characters to make sure Kailey is found. I love this first book in A Lucy Kendall Crime Thriller series and can’t wait to read the next one, Little Lost Souls.


Thank you, Stacy Green, Bookouture Audio & NetGalley for my early copy to listen to and narrated by Amelia Sciandra, who did a wonderful job!

When the law and the justice system fail the innocents, Lucy is determined to "take out the trash" herself.

This book hooks me in from the very first page. A very strong start to a series!

Eight-year-old Kailey Richardson has gone missing and PI Lucy Kendall thinks she knows who the predator is. A decade ago when Lucy was with Philadelphia Child Protective Services, she was unable to prevent a tragedy that involved then a young predator. The man is back on the street. The past has come back to haunt her yet again.

A compelling, dark, and gritty story that's filled with intrigue and suspense. Might not be for everyone with the subject of child abuse, pedophilia, and sex trafficking. I plan to continue reading this series, although at first, it feels like another missing person, but Lucy, Todd - detective, and Chris Hale - paramedic make a good story. I hope they are recurring characters.

An excellent audiobook narration by Amelia Sciandra. This title was previously released as "All Good Deeds."

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 plot lines 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?

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Girl in the Pink Shoes
Stacy Green

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I have so much to say about this book....but having gone back to the blurb to check what has been pre-fed - I literally can't say anything that won't be a spoiler 😱

So - basically, I loved this book!

Right at the start we meet Lucy our narrator.
We learn a little about who she is and what she does. She's a private investigator whose past holds tragedy.
As we go through the book we learn more and more...

A little girl, Kailey, has gone missing. Lucy cannot resist getting involved - but without being hired, she's close to getting into trouble with the police who are actually dealing with the case.

I've definitely not done this a book justice in that small recap - there is so much more going on and each little strand of the plot spreads out from Lucy and the small group of characters.
Each storyline full of excitement and mystery in its own right and gripped me throughout.

Every time I thought I was close to understanding the plot and where we were heading, Stacy throws in a twist and we head off in another direction, we also start to see some of the stories overlapping and connecting.

Even knowing this, when we reach a conclusion, I was totally shocked by what followed.

I loved the writing style of this - totally grabbed my attention from the first page and held me there - I couldn't wait to get some time to carry on reading - I had to find out what was going on.

There was something very unique about this story (and it's characters) which really drew me in and for this reason I will have to grab the next in the series to see what happens next - I'm really hoping we see a couple of them back again!

(So sorry to be vague - but so many spoilers at risk!)

My thanks to Bookouture Audio and Net Galley for this arc to listen to.

Lucy Kendall is a vigilante, a child protection officer, and a serial killer who helps solve this disappearance of missing 8 year old Kaylee while she walked home from school.

Fast paced engaging narrator, but some dark subject matters. Not bad.

This was a really fast-paced thriller and so hard to put down. It kept me guessing until the end! The twists & turns in this book were really well done!

The girl in the pink shoes is way darker than I usually read for mystery novels. Lucy Kendall is a PI but also a vigilante murderer who tracks child molesters and does away with them with as much distance as she can.

This story has her trying to help find Kailey, an 8 year old girl who goes missing on her way home from school. Stacy Green manages to keep us on the edge of our seat and guessing the whole way for who could have taken Kailey. The twist and turns the story keeps taking are shocking and make the reader rethink everything they think they already know. I am looking forward to the next few books in the Lucy Kendal series.

Amelia Sciandra is an amazing cast for the narrator with the book being written as if from within Lucy’s mind. Amelia manages to bring the character to life through her voice and plays well as a messed up young woman who is trying to do right in the world in her own way.

Readers definitely need a trigger warning about suicide, child molestation and murder before reading this book. However if you enjoy a good mystery that gets under your skin in a creepy thriller way, pick up this book and enjoy.

Private Investigator Lucy Kendall is trying to find out what happen to 8 year Kailey who went to school but has now disappeared. Lucy also has her own personal vendetta campaign trying to rid the town of sex offenders using a specific method. Lucy has very strong feelings to wards sex offenders after her sister took her own life after being attacked by one of her mums boyfriends.
Lucy encounters Chris, a like minded vigilante. The pair are conducting their own investigation despite police involvement. Together they strive to find Kailey before it’s too late.
A really good read, the start of a compelling series. Can’t wait to see what Lucy does next. You can sympathise with the underlying cause to her actions.