With any new series it can sometimes take a while to get a feel for the characters aswell as trying to set the scene for the murders etc. The Girls in the Water easily managed to grab my attention, the reader is introduced to Alex and Chloe along with the killer which was a great way to begin the book.

Usually in this type of story the book follows one main character along with a few minor characters. So I thought it made a lovely change to see two detectives as the leads even if at first I was little worried that the story could possible get lost trying to keep up with two characters. However I thought it worked really well and I became invested in both Alex and Chloe's lives. Both characters were developed well and I really enjoyed finding out about Chloe's back story. They both have their flaws which made them all the more interesting.

The killer is dark and twisted with Victoria Jenkins well and truly showing us what his victims must have been feeling. It definitely made for compelling reading and providing an addictive story. There are a few suspects in this book so I was never quite sure what to believe or who to trust. It's a story that kept me on my toes making things all the more interesting. The story moves at a pretty good pace and I was eager to keep reading to see where the story would go next. The Girls in the Water is a solid start to a fab new series and I can't wait to see what is in store for Chloe and Alex in the next book.

With plenty of twists, turns and surprises The Girls in the Water had some dark and shocking moments!

Four stars from me!

With thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This is a thriller and a police procedural. Detective Alex King and her protégé Chloe Lane are called in when a body of a young girl is found. This is followed by another woman disappearing and soon it becomes a race to find the killer.
The author Victoria Jenkins makes her debut with this book and she has done a good job with it. The story is fast and reads well at least in the latter half. The initial bit appeared a bit shaky took me some time to get into it.
Both the police women were good they played their parts well, but I couldn’t like them or root for them. I read this book as a story without getting fully invested in it. I liked the background of the two detectives, it made them more real. There is also a side story regarding Chloé’s brother’s death, and she conducts her own investigation and finds a plot in that.
The story follows the same formula of women disappearing and appearing as dead bodies and police investigating to trace the killer. I wanted more twists and the story to grip me from the very beginning. But it was a good thriller, a good debut.

The Girls in the Water

This is a really strong and entertaining debut novel from Victoria Jenkins; it’s the first book in what looks like a promising new series. I can’t wait for more from this author!

The cover for this book caught my eye and drew me in completely and once I started reading I was hooked.

Full of twists and turns that will leave you dizzy, this tension filled tale will not fail to entertain! Four stars from purplebookstand.

Girls in the Water by Victoria Jenkins is a detective mystery.  Detective Alex King and Chloe Lane are investigating a murderer who is targeting woman and leaving their bodies in the water. Can they figure out who it is before another girl dies. But when things get personal will one of there own be his next target?

The Girls in the Water by Victoria Jenkins was a good first book in a new series.  It was entertaining and left you guessing.  It was one of those books that don't really give you enough information to figure out who before hand but wraps everything up nicely in the end.  Looking forward to more in this series

There is nothing I like better than a new detective series and Victoria Jenkins has clearly begun a good one here!

Alex King and Chloe Lane are police officers who work closely together but Chloe hides many secrets. Will this impact on her ability to her job properly? What is the story with her anyway? Alex has a couple of secrets of her own but she is older, wiser and more experienced. There is something about Chloe that brings out her maternal instincts and it is just as well, because Chloe needs all the help she can get.

On top of getting to know each other better as colleagues, they also have a series of murders to solve. What is the connection between the women and why is water significant to the killer?

This was an excellent book and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture.

I really enjoyed this book and thought that it was an excellent start to the new series!

The characters were great and it had a really strong plot line that kept me hooked.  There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing - exactly what I love from this kind of book!  I was engaged throughout and I read it in an evening ready to read the second book in the series which is released tomorrow!

Four stars from me for this one and make sure you check back to my blog tomorrow where you can read my review for the second book in the series - The First One to Die!!!

I enjoyed this book. It's the first in a series featuring police officers Alex King and Chloe Lane, set in and around Cardiff. The team are trying to find the killer of 2 young women whose bodies were dumped in water, hence the title. At the same time, Chloe Lane is desperate to solve a crime which ended in her brother's alleged suicide 8 years ago. I liked the main characters, and there were plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing right up to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

The Girls in the Water is a thrilling start to a new series and a superb debut novel by Victoria Jenkins.
The main characters DI Alex King and DC Chloe Lane are both female detectives with the South Wales Police Department who are called to a crime scene where a female body is found in a river. Before any leads are found the killer strikes again.
Alex and Chloe make a brilliant partnership and over the course of the book you get to know them in greater depth with a fair amount of back story added to the plot which helps it differ from other books in the same category.
Definitely worth a read and i will be keeping my eye out for the next book in the series.

The very first thing that I liked about this book is the fact the two main detectives are women. Something that I haven't seen before. The second thing that I liked was the ride that this story took me on. Lots of plot twists with several stories going on at once. The third thing was the cover. I was immediately attracted to this book.

Chloe, new to the department, is working on who is killing these women and, she has a mission of her own. She knows her brother did not commit suicide and is bound and determined to prove it. While being suspended from her job and almost fired, she is searching for that truth. Has she missed something, something very dangerous along the way?

I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed this book. As a matter of fact, when I finished this one and found the next book in the series available for review, I did not hesitate to request it. Yay, my request was approved and I will get to continue the journeys of Chloe and Alex.

Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I rather enjoyed this read. When I read the description, the first thing that interested me was the fact that the two lead detectives were female. There were story elements that reminded me both of Tess Gerritsen and Kathy Reichs and there was no way I could resist picking this up as they are some of my favorite suspense authors. I went in without expectations and was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
Normally I guess who the murderer is well before the end of the novel but this one kept me on my toes going back and forth guessing. The suspense was very well set up. Also I enjoy reading police and forensic procedures but I find many get bogged down when there's too much of it. I think that the author has succeeded in getting a good amount but far from too much (in fact, personally, I'd love to see more). Finally, the pacing of the story was better than I expected from a first published novel. At times it felt a tiny bit slow or rushed but those were mostly in areas that added to the story as the characters were feeling like the case was stagnant or all coming together at once, respectively. Overall, an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next in the series in the hopes the author can keep the pace!

The Girls in the Water is a strong debut by Victoria Jenkins.

Holy Moley Guacamole. Women detectives in a twisty book go straight to my heart faster than food in my belly.

A crime novel through and through, Victoria Jenkins introduces us to detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane. They are investigating the murders of two women, found in the water (SHOCKER!) in a park. And soon enough, Chloe realizes she may be in danger as well.

As a side story, Chloe is also, on her own, investigating the death of her brother. Previously ruled as a suicide, she believes that something more sinister was going on. She is hell-bent on figuring it out, even if it means risking her career (or her life!).

I enjoy the dual stories, with the investigation of the girls and the exploration of Chloe's past, it's like reading two great books in one. Fear not, my friends, the storylines are clear and easy to keep track of.

Now, there isn't much for me to say about The Girls in the Water, as I don't wish to give away any of the surprises. And as we know, mystery lovers covet those!

The Girls in the Water is yet another fantastical thriller brought forth by Bookouture. Bookouture rarely disappoints with their psychological thrillers. Rarely.

This one is a winner for me, and I am looking forward to reading The First One to Die (King and Lane #2). Five wet stars all the way!

Detective Alex King and her new officer Chloe Lane are investigating the murder of a young woman found in water, then a second girls goes missing. I struggled with this I like a book to grip me & hold my attention and unfortunately this did neither.
I think if you are new to this genre it's a good book to start with but if, like me, you would this genre a lot then most of the story is predictable.
I won't be reading this author again.

The Girls in the Water was quite enjoyable. I liked how the author was able to tie together the strings of the storyline. Both Alex and Chloe were having problems in their personal life, making it harder to concentrate on what was happening to the missing girls. I thought this made it more realistic. I'd like to know what is going to happen to both women and their future adventures. Count me in for the next book in this series.

Like many I was drawn to this book because of the great cover and the inside did not disappoint!

A girl is found in a park lake. She has been tortured before being murdered and left in the water. Detectives Alex King & Chloe Lane attempt to find the killer but another body is found in similar circumstances making it a race against time before the body count rises as Chloe is quite sure he will strike again. However before long Chloe finds herself removed from the investigation as things from her past have intruded on the present.

Alex feels she has let Chloe down, but Chloe continues to try and help solve the case,little realising how close to home the investigation will come.

This is a great start to a new series.The two main characters are interesting slightly flawed characters and I look forward to finding out more about them.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read & review this book.

really surprised that this was a debut I found it really accomplished and atmospheric . I loved the pairing of the two Detectives Alex and Chloe and although there is quite an age difference they become friends . When they are called to the discovery of a dead body in water at a local park , shortly after another follows , seemingly linked by a support group . I found it a little slow at first but it soon picked up and I enjoyed the back story that we got about our leads . really great ending and I hadn't guessed the culprit . Brilliant thank you for the opportunity to read this

Jenkins introduces us to two new police officers in her debut police procedural, The Girls in the Water. Detective Alex King and her new officer, Chloe Lane.
Called upon to investigate the murder of a young girl found in the river, they soon realise that they are dealing with something much more sinister than they first thought. Chloe's own background is brought to the forefront of the investigation, but why?
Lane is a new officer on King's team, described as a promising and competent officer, I had high hopes for her from the off. The two ladies have a couple of decades between them age wise but that doesn't stop them from becoming friends. As the investigation starts into the dead bodies and the team realise that there is much more to this than meets the eye, Lane seems to totally go against these characteristics. She becomes almost obsessed with her own need to investigate her brother's death and subsequently the actual murder investigation seems to take to the back burner. This lead me to think that both King and Lane were a little less than the strong and brilliant officers they have been described as. Lane felt almost childlike at times and I wasn't convinced that King should have let her get away with this sort of behaviour.
There is a great amount of background story in the first half of this one but I think that can be forgiven as this is the start of a new series and now we know the characters, I would expect the investigation to take up most of the pages moving forward.
The pace does pick up in the final third of the book and this really did make a massive difference to my thoughts, once we were over the introductory hump as it where. The writing is strong, the plot was well thought out, and the stage has now ben set for what is hopefully going to be a really strong, female, crime-fighting team - I'm really excited about this and am looking forward to what Jenkins has in store for us in the future.

The Girls in the Water by Victoria Jenkins is the 1st in the King and Lane Detective series.

First, let me thank Netgalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Inspector Alex King is called in when the body of a young woman is found floating at the edge of a park pond. She had been tortured. A few days later, another girl goes missing. King and her protégé Chloe Lane must find the link that ties the girls together.

Unfortunately, Chloe has her own problems. It may be time to come clean with Alex, and share the real reason she became a policewoman. She has her own case she wants to solve. However, now may not be the best time to lay out her secrets. She realizes she is distracted and should be focused on the current case, but how can she set aside something so close to her heart, especially now that she knows there is someone else out there that has an answer she desperately needs.

When a second body is found, and Alex dashes Chloe’s hopes of re-opening an old case, Chloe takes matters into her own hands. She may end up being a victim herself.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a very easy read, with enough suspense and twists to keep things moving. The characters are quite engaging, and although I sort of wanted to smack Chloe and tell her to grow up, at one point I wanted to do the same to Alex. Jenkins created two strong female characters that will eventually make good partners. They will have to learn to trust each other. As they both fill a need that is missing in the other, it could be an interesting journey.

For a debut novel, this author shows real talent. If this is any indication of the next book in the series….I’m looking forward to reading more.

By the time I got to the library to download this book, it was archived. How sad. So, I haven't read it.

I must have told everyone I know about this book! What an impressive entry into the crime genre with what I hope will be the first of a very long running series!
DI Alex King and Chloe Lane are a great match, really well written, you immediately feel drawn to them, and the further on you go, the more you want to know about them.
The plot is excellent, obviously well researched and the level of suspense at certain points had me almost holding my eyes open at 4 am so I could know what happened.
I may be a little biased about the setting, but it was genuinely lovely seeing it set in and around Cardiff, without any stereotyping or errors!