The amazing Esther hits the ground every day. She keeps the story going, kept me interested and the pages flipping. The book is interesting and held my attention. Well worth my time reading this one.

A thriller that drew me in from the first chapter and kept me captivated until the end. Despite being the second in the Detective Esther Penman series, this was my first read from J K Flynn and I was easily able to get to grips with the main protagonist. Estranged from her mother and recently having buried her after a battle with cancer just whilst they were trying to get to know one another again, it is safe to say that Esther has her own issues and troubles. The opening chapter gives the detailed struggle and murder of the victim, who works for a pharmaceutical company and is illegally attempting to sell the cure for cancer. The hunt is on, not only for the killer, but for the briefcase and its priceless stolen contents. Esther faces some tough challenges, but also finds some peace and happiness. #vengeance #jkflynn #netgalley

DI Esther Penman is back in the 2nd instalment to this fantastic new series. Still reeling from the death of her mother, Esther is trying to throw herself back in to work - and she finds herself investigating the murder of a medical company sales executive who’s body was found in an alley. It soon becomes apparent that there is more to this than meets the eye when it becomes apparent that there’s a link to a new wonder drug worth millions, and then a stockbroker from London is reported missing - what is the link? Easter has a lot on her plate, she is still looking over her shoulder after getting involved in one of the biggest drug dealers in the city, can she ever escape?

I absolutely loved this book! It’s such a great series! We see more sides to Esther this time, as she comes to terms with losing her mother, trying to stay on the waggon as well as making a discovery about her father. The story has me hooked from the first page, and I can’t wait to see what Esther gets up to next time! Brilliant story, really well written!

My first foray into this series - and I do like Esther Penman!

Detective Sergeant Esther Penman's latestcase begins when the body of a sales executive is discovered in an alleyway. The very beginning of the investigation shows that there are links to a missing stockbroker in the capital, and with the deceased employed by a pharmaceutical firm about to launch a new product worth billions, there is certainly a strong probability of murder . . .

Esther has a very logical mind and, encouraged by her immediate boss, she is a very capable detective and it was a delight to follow her train of thought. I had my own thoughts on who did what to whom but this isn't a straightforward thriller; there are twists and turns all the way through and I was gratified to find out 'whodunnit'. The working relationship between Jared and Esther is a delight to read about, and I quickly took to both of them. Definitely a series I would like to follow and, who knows, I may even get the chance to read the first in this series. A very enjoyable crime thriller I'm happy to recommend and give 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I haven't read the first book in this series but that didn't hamper my enjoyment at all. The main character, Esther Penman, is the troubled police protagonist that we are familiar with however her troubles are not a central part of the story - more, they give her depth and realness. They also helped me to connect with and care about her so that was very well handled by J.K. Flynn. Adding those personal elements also gave an opportunity to highlight the casual sexism and difficulties faced by a female in a male-dominated profession without it needing to be overt preaching.
The story itself is brilliant, it weaves around the cast of characters with great pacing. You know they are all going to be connected in some way, but the revelations are rationed out to keep you interested and to stop you knowing what is going to happen next. In a genre that is totally saturated, this book can hold its own without a doubt. It shows how the things that happen to us in our formative years can have an everlasting impact on us and shape the person we become - that view into what drove the people in the book to do the things they did, and the eventual consequences of those things, was really interesting and made all the characters three-dimensional.
Something that did bother me, and this is definitely a niche 'me' problem rather than any overarching criticism of the book, is that it was set in a fictional place. I like to recognise landmarks and areas when I read UK-based books and couldn't do this with this one.

When Detective Segeant Esther Penman learns about a murder on her turf, it seems on first blush like the motives for it are manifold. The victim, who worked for a multinational pharmaceutical, had arranged to sell the trade secrets for a cure to cancer no less, to European rivals on exchange for a piece of the action within the EU.

Penman wishes to keep busy, after being attacked by a hit an ftpm a cartel boss she was close to putting behind bars, and she was fresh from her mother's funeral. Surely, she she be taking a rest from it all before the demon drink beckons. Or so says a colleagues who is not really her best friend......

And who was the strange man observing her at the cemetery?

Work then indeed keeps Esther busy, as the mysteries,alongside the tension, unfold. This, however, is less a whodunit as a whydunnit, as the Red herrings threaten to detract our sleuth and her sidekick Jared from what is really going on. Two more murders down the line, and it becomes paramount to ascertain the murderer's true motive before he strikes again.

Penman is an engaging character with her own demons to face, even whilst chasing those of the wrongdoers she is tracking down. The writer succeeds in keeping the tension going as the stakes rise, this is a pretty satisfying page turner, with a satisfyingly damaged and evil adversary. Recommended for those who like old_school crime and detective novels.

Vengeance by J.K. Flynn was an intriguing and entertaining story.
I was drawn in my cover and synopsis which I’m happy to say the book was very interesting.
The writing was easy and medium paced flow.
The characters are interesting and I enjoyed following Detective Sergeant Esther Penman on her quest.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

In Vengeance we follow Ester as she investigates the death of an important businessman as well as the disappearance of a stockbroker. A new miracle drug that's being made is linked to both.

Vengeance is the second DS Esther Penman instalment, but can be read as a standalone. We follow Esther as she investigates both the death of an important businessman and the disappearance of a stockbroker. With a new miracle drug apparently the in making that is linked to both men, Esther is raving the clock for answers.

I enjoyed reading Vengeance; though I was unsure at first having not read the first book, I quickly settled into the story and enjoyed how the plot unfolded. There is certainly a good amount of mystery and intrigue incorporated and it kept me guessing throughout,
The book uses the tried and tested, and extremely popular trope of the main character being a flawed yet brilliant detective, but it wasn’t boring in the slightest.

I found the writing easy to follow with chapters that flowed well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of the book in return for an unbiased review.

When I read the blurb for this book the fact that it was based around the medicine/pharmaceutical world intrigued me. There was a lot of mystery and intrigue not only in the book but also surrounding the author. I had not heard of the author before and there is only a little bio info available. This is their second book in the series, and it was a really good read even though I had not read the first book..
There is good character progression in the book, the fictional town where it is located is also clearly included within the expertly created plot. In a way it is like many crime books of late in that the main character is a serving police officer with 'issues' but I really got to know her and her colleagues through the book.
If you enjoy UK crime, police procedurals, mystery and suspense books then I think you will enjoy this book. I am looking forward to seeing how the series progresses.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial, JK Flynn and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic, advanced copy of the book in return for a honest and unbiased review.
The book will be published on 1st September

3.5 stars

Do you ever hate the main character for a really petty reason? I was turned off this book just because the cop hates cats without it adding anything to the book.

The storyline is decent, it becomes clear that there is a link between them but you don't see who it is until late. I just wish there was more to the side of Esther staying ahead of her own enemies rather than a shadowy figure for a couple of minutes and the enemy mostly being herself.

But generally, an enjoyable read. The partner cop works well and isn't a total cliche like some mysteries, you get some insight into the other characters and the different characters cross over well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review this.

Gripping story, with a thrilling plot that I highly recommend to others. A new author for me, and really enjoyable.

Brilliant.
The difficult second book syndrome obviously doesn’t effect JK Flynn
Esther Penman is a great character. Flawed in her behaviour, but with a brilliant mind, she is the type of person who hooks readers.
The story is great. The title of the book gives the motivation of the killer away. But the way Flynn Dee the story you forget your early assumptions
I really can’t wait to see what she does next

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
This is the first DS Esther Penman I've read ...
I'm sorry I missed the prior one. That said, this one can definitely be read as a standalone and I'll make sure I don't miss no. three! This is a very enjoyable read, well written and Esther and her boss Jared are great characters.
It's not just a good police procedural, you also get enough insights into the characters to get to know and like them (or not, there's one nasty little man who needs a smack!) I very much enjoyed it, it promises to be an excellent series.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, revenge, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!