Ultimately an intriguing storyline but felt a little drawn out and didn’t hook me in immediately. Not sure if it was the audiobook format that detracted although the narrator was pleasant to listen to.

Quite enjoyed this book as it had lots of twists and turns and a story that unfolded to include the past
The Author has obviously expertise in the story line and it shows as when a man is murdered but the killer can't remember it the main character forensic psychologist Dr Jo McCready has seen this bizarre behaviour before,and is part of the team investigating the murder

Listened to as an audio book - the narrator did the different voices really well, which is normally a stumbling point for me. But I think I would have followed the story better with all of the different strands, if I’d read the paper/e book versions. Overall a decent enough story, though I wasn’t really on board with her actions towards blondie at the end.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review, apologies for the delay in providing this.

With thanks to the author, publishers Zaffre and Bonnier UK Audio, and NetGalley for providing me an audio version of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

An absorbing tale of high-society murder, racially-motivated attacks, and mind control!

In a change from the norm, Jo McCready, the female lead, is a forensic psychologist and profiler rather than a detective, which gives her an innate ability to assess the behaviour and mannerisms of people and go deep into their characters. This turns out to be invaluable tool, as she becomes embroiled in three distinct and apparently unconnected storylines that, as they develop, are eventually brought together in an explosive climax.

The author, a behavioural analyst and profiler in her own right, clearly knows what she is talking about, and gives the reader plenty of facts that help to make sense of what is happening in the story. Which is just as well, as some of the topics, particularly MK-Ultra, were almost too fantastic to believe, despite being rooted in fact. She uses them brilliantly though to tell a tale that is exciting, ever-changing, and never predictable.

This was quite a complicated plot to keep track of at times, and with a fairly large number of characters. Luckily, the narrator of the audiobook version was excellent, making the characters pop and easily identifiable throughout the telling of the story.

I was unaware until after reading this book that it was the second in a series, but happily, unlike some other series I have started in the middle, I never felt that this had a negative impact on my enjoyment of the story.

Book 2 in the Dr Jo McCready series. What a great read, a clever, unique storyline that has you gripped from the start ! Great series, looking forward to the next one!!

The narrator was good , made the characters personalities stand out and very easy to listen to.

This was the first book I've read by Lesley McEvoy, but it will not be the last.

I have to say that the author's note at the end is one of the most interesting I've ever seen - as this novel progressed, particularly in the final scenes, it became harder and harder to suspend my disbelief, and I suspect many other people will feel the same way. My advice would be definitely do not miss reading the author's note at the end, because in it McEvoy shares her research behind these hard-to-swallow events and reveals real life happenings much more incredible than her fiction! I'd also say do not read the author's note *until* the end - the publisher has put it there for a very good reason and you will spoil the plot if you read it before you read the novel. Just know as you scratch your head over some of the novel's events that the author's note is waiting for you, and however impossible McEvoy's plot seems, it actually is not, according to the research she shares.

Personally, I still found the scenes too OTT for my own taste. The appearance of one important character towards the end in a conveniently placed secret room and the way the forensic psychologist quizzed that character to ascertain how they had achieved things felt a bit forced to me. However, some people will love the drama of it, I am sure.

All in all, a great accompaniment to some admin work, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this audiobook. Read / listen to it if you can!

The Killing Song
by Lesley McEvoy ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Narrated by Clare Corbett ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have never heard of this author before but after listening to give I went to kindle and was super excited to see that this is part of a series which I've promptly purchased!!

The narration - A good solid performance by a very experienced narrator and an excellent choice for the subject matter and strong female leads. Demonstrated a great range of voices and handled French and South African accents well.

My Thoughts - The novel starts with a damaged and unusually vulnerable Dr. Jo McCready struggling both physically and emotionally from the last case she worked work on with the police, when she suffered a serious leg injury. She has made up her mind to take a break from assisting the police, but after a combination of subtle bullying and flattery she is persuaded to do a case review, of the death of Leo Fielding, by his parents.

Back investigating, she is asked by the police for her opinion on a very odd attack at a railway station that almost ended in a fatality. The attacker acted in a strange manner and was his intended attacker a Muslim hate preacher?

More problems are on the horizon as Dominique, a patient and friend of Jo, is going to be released from prison on licence. She runs an escort agency and was convicted of killing the son of prominent businessman Sir Neville Blackstone for his part in the gang rape and savage beating of her girlfriend at a ‘party’ she was supplying the girls for. Blackstone is determined to make her pay for destroying his heir and he has the wealth and contacts to make this happen whilst remaining at arms-length.

A fairly complex plot as these three strands are eventually drawn together into a cogent story. There is a lot to take in and keep on top of so there is no chance of the reader getting bored as there is plenty of incident, murder and jeopardy along the way. Expect subterfuge, false connections and an unexpected appearance in a devious finale where the facts are manipulated for the authorities. The author draws from her professional experience to provide a plausible storyline with MK Ultra embedded at its core, convincing enough to bring a sense of realism though ramped up in the name of entertainment. .

Central themes are loyalty, making difficult decisions and dealing with the aftermath of these.

There is some great dialogue and police banter along with several memorable phrases. Edge provides the black humour, the pick when stating that he only inflicts pain for the three ‘p’s; pain, practice and pleasure ‘and this will be pleasure’ and he is only the trained killer not the psychopath! The key one is when Blackstone remarks to Jo that he doesn’t fear her because she is too much of a ‘straight player’ which immediately asserts his power over her and diminishes her feeling of self. A form of psychological bullying from a man who has psychopathic traits himself. She is a professional with a governing body and a strong moral compass to control her and her actions. This is something she agonises over throughout as she pushes to the line of what is acceptable and eventually beyond. Like many deep thinking professionals she is vulnerable to overthinking issues, thereby making further problems, rather being incisive and decisive. It takes her long-time mentor to explain to her that sometimes this is necessary to produce the desired and just result.

The Killing Song is an action packed psychologically based crime thriller with an authentic feel to it.

I was allowed access to an audio review copy on Net Galley in exchange for a fair review. Thanks to the Author and Publisher for organising this.

An easy read, with a fast paced twisting turning plot. Our protagonist Dr. Jo Mccready is written beautifully but I must admit that on request I missed the fact it was the second in a series, I felt references to the first in the series passed me by or left me a bit confused. So I’d definitely recommend reading the first. That said i still really enjoyed the book. The storyline kept me gripped, and I enjoyed it enough that I will go back and read the first. I enjoyed the narration too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.

Wow!
What a brilliant audiobook! For some reason I had missed this on my list but not am I glad I spotted it’
The story is edge of the seat stuff! The characters are edgy and ever so slightly damaged but incredibly relatable.
The writing was done so well, that I could see Jo and Callum walking down the road at one point!
Fabulous stuff!
Definitely a new author on my list

I "read" this thriller as an audiobook, and I enjoyed it very much! The creepiness of the plot was very well rendered by the narrator, and I loved her accent. My first book by the author and definitely not my last one!
I received a complimentary audio version copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

I have read this book before but had forgotten enough to make listening to the audiobook a good experience. The narrator has a pleasant voice and read well, ensuring a good read.
The concept is an interesting one, playing with psychology and the possibilities of programming as a weaponised tool. Maybe a little far fetched, but who knows.
Quite a thrilling read with many intertwined threads.

When someone is viciously attacked at a train station, Forensic Psychologist Dr Jo McCready gets involved. It presents as a terror attack, but McCready believes she has seen similar behaviour before, in controversial psychological experiments.
Then we learn about a historic cold case and the web of lies gets bigger and bigger.

I hadn't realised that this was the second book in a series as I usually like to read in order. That being said, this worked absolutely fine as a standalone novel, although I now WANT to read the first one!

The book was wonderfully written and it was clear the author knew what she was talking about. The characters were complex and I felt invested in the story from early on.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

I had an audiobook version of this and enjoyed it. The narrator was great, the protagonist was interesting but I didn't thoroughly connect with case.

What a cracker of a story! I didn’t know until I finished the book that this is the second in a three part series. That said, it works incredibly well as a standalone and I’ve just bought the first book and can’t wait for the last one, due to be published in a couple of months.

Lesley McEvoy has a very original lead character in Jo, a medical psychologist and profiler. She’s dynamic but plausible and is gifted with insight and perspective that lets you see inside the mind of the killer. I loved her and although damaged, physically and mentally, she has depth and credibility. The plotting is intricate and complex and as soon as one thread is untangled, more appear. She’s asked to help parents find out who killed their son. The police are treating it as a cold case and aren’t actively investigating the death. The crime scene is horrific and at first sight, it looks as if it may be some kind of over energetic sex game gone wrong. Jo doesn’t buy in to this and although reluctant to take on the work, she’s intrigued.

The story becomes more and more entangled; she voices her concerns to Hamish, a police officer she’s friendly with and then passes an opinion on a stabbing at an underground station. The two events are unrelated…but is there a connection? The author moves in to a very intriguing premise as her investigations progress and to say more would be ‘spoiler alert’. It’s very original and takes the tension and pace to a whole new level, particularly in the closing chapters where all hell breaks loose.

Lesley McEvoy has clearly used her personal professional experience to inform many of the actions and characters. She’s a gifted writer with an eye for detail and I was with her every step of the way in this unsettling and highly rewarding romp. An interesting authors note may well provoke interest. Just brilliant; ; she’s nailed it.

There are mixed opinions about this book in relation to it being the second of a series. Personally i don't think that it matters if you haven't read the first instalment as this is very much a story in its own right.
I listened to the audio version whilst doing a decorating job and maybe because of that I didn't grasp all the twists and turns or really invest in the characters as I found them difficult to picture well. The gruesome first murder described put me off a little as I really didn't want the images in my mind so be warned if you don't enjoy graphic sexual torture descriptions! I'm not sure that I would listen to another like this but it will suit some readers.

***SPECTACULAR***
This author is simply AMAZING.... Her CV is pretty impressive already: Lesley McEvoy is a Behavioural Analyst / Profiler and Psychotherapist and has set up her own consultancy business and therapy practice. She has written and presented extensively around the world for over 25 years specialising in behavioural profiling and training, with a wide variety of organisations!!! How impressive is that?????
With that in mind, this original psychological murder mystery takes a creditable dimension which is fascinating to explore.
The narration aspect is absolutely beautifully delivered by Clare Corbett.
A pleasure to listen to and you get to learn quite a bit on the way, what is there to dislike???

Lesley McEvoy is a new author to me but I really liked the premise of this story & looked forward to starting to listen. I was not disappointed. The second in a series I did at times feel that I had missed parts of the two main characters’ back stories, but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the audiobook.
Lesley McEvoy does indeed know her stuff & writes an incredibly well-informed, gripping storyline that held my interest from beginning to end. I was so captured that I finished the audiobook in two days, helped along by Clare Corbett’s expert narration.
I really enjoyed this audiobook, have since bought the 1st in the series & also hope there are more books to come featuring Jo & Callum.

I listened to the audio version, and looked forward to returning to the story over a number of days. I haven’t listened/read the previous book, but the author does really well in giving you enough detail that you can easily follow the story. Honestly, to me it felt completely like a stand alone book. This is a fast paced crime thriller that brilliantly builds up the tension to an exciting climax. Thank you to Bonnier Audio UK and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I really felt like this author knew her stuff! She wrote well and with knowledge of the subject matter, I just felt like some parts were repetitive without needing to be (George her neighbour who died last year)
That said I did enjoy the storyline and it went at a good pace, if a little predictable in places,
Look forward to reading more by this author and have purchased another of their books already