Detective Alex King is called out to the scene of a young girl who is dead. Keira North is twenty years old and looks like she fell from the roof top. But there are signs inside that she was not alone and witnesses overheard her arguing with someone. Was this an accident, or murder? Keira was also five months pregnant. Her friends are not as forth coming as one would think they would be. Are they hiding something as well? This is a very well written story of murder and suspense. It is the second book in a series. Now I have to read the first one. I would like to thank Net Galley for a copy of this story. The review is voluntarily done and is my own unbiased opinion.

A really exciting thriller. Well portrayed characters and a story that moved along with pace. A nasty ,self centred villain.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so was keen to read this next one. If anything, I think it's even better! Alex King and Chloe Lane are investigating the death of a young student at a party. Did she fall from the balcony or was she pushed? And can her housemates be trusted? This is a real page turner with some good twists. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

As the end of the University year approaches the students have already began to wind down and celebrate. When Keira and her friends decided to throw a party she little realised it would be her last! But was her fall an accident or was it murder? Although their superior seems to think so Alex King & Chloe Lane are far from satisfied with that explanation. There seems to be a lot more going on with the inhabitants of the house. Before long things happen to other members of the household- & what does it have to do with the drug that left another young girl in a coma?

Struggling with the decline of her mother's health Alex struggles to keep on top of the case as always she is well supported by Chloe.

I really enjoyed the first in the King & Lane series so when I saw this one I was delighted- could the author do it again. The answer is a resounding 'Yes!'! I think this one is even better. Can't wait for the third one!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this five star book.

This is the second book in the series featuring Detectives King & Lane. The first book in the series is called ‘The Girls In The Water’ and was released in the summer of 2017. I thought that ‘The Girls In The Water’ was good but ‘The First One To Die’ is even better. To say that I enjoyed it is a bit of an understatement but more about that in a bit.

Once again I took to Detectives King and Lane pretty much from the start. Detective King still has a somewhat strained relationship with her mother, who we learn is suffering from dementia. The reasons why this relationship is so strained become clear as the book continues. I have to say that when I read what Detective King’s mother had said to her, I had a sharp intake of breath and started shaking my head. I didn’t know how someone could be so cruel. Detective King is so dedicated to her career that her personal life has suffered. Alex King is hard working and she is dedicated to seeking justice for the victims of crime and their families. Alex has a definite and very accurate ‘gut instinct’ about things and if something doesn’t sit right with her, then that means someone somewhere is telling her porkies (lies) or keeping something back. Detective King enjoys a close personal and professional relationship with Detective Chloe Lane, who we learn is currently sharing Detective King’s home. Chloe has been scarred by recent events and has moved in with Alex to allow herself time to heal and to rebuild her confidence. Chloe is one dedicated police officer but this book sees her having a bit more of a social life. Chloe is feisty, strong, determined and she is like a dog with a bone, when she gets her teeth into a case. She doesn’t settle until she has fully investigated a crime and satisfied her own curiosity. You could say that Detectives King & Lane are very much like each other and I certainly could tell why they get on so well.

‘The First One To Die’ is superbly written. The story hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. The book is written in such a way that you cannot fail to become addicted to the story and to the investigation. I know I certainly became addicted to this book. I was hooked from the very first word on the very first page and the book didn’t release me from its grip until I read the last word on the last page. It was almost as if the book had me under its spell. The pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and before I knew it I had finished the book, which I was so disappointed about. I started reading it one morning and before I knew it had read 50 %. ‘The First One To Die’ was certainly a distraction from my chronic back pain as I was concentrating that much on the story, I had forgotten that I was in pain, which isn’t an easy thing to do. The author writes so realistically that I felt as though I was an invisible member of the team and I felt all the emotions that the team were feeling. Reading this book was like being on a rollercoaster ride with all the twists, turns and stomach churning moments. There were literally times when I almost had to read through my fingers because I genuinely feared what was going to happen next. I must admit that I have a suspicious nature and I did guess part of the storyline but the rest of the plot certainly kept me guessing.

In short, I really and blinking well bloody LOVED this book and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Victoria Jenkins is certainly an author to watch and she has cemented her place on my list of favourite authors. I award this book an easy 5* out of 5*.

The First One to Die by Victoria Jenkins is the 2nd in the Detectives King and Lane 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.

Second, it is really good!

When Kiera North falls to her death at a student house party, everyone except Detective Alex King thinks it was an accident.  But something doesn’t feel right.  As Alex and Chloe delve further into the lives of these students, it seems that all of Kiera’s roommates are hiding something.  It also looks like someone is out to get them.  Is one of their secrets enough to get them all killed?

While investigating Kiera's death, the detectives are also investigating the drug overdose of a young girl who is now in a coma.  A new drug which combines Ecstasy and a high dose of caffeine has been making the rounds with serious consequences.  The dealers have to be found soon.

On a personal level, Chloe is still living in Alex’s spare room, but she is starting to leave her past behind.  It may soon be time for her to spread her wings.  Alex, on the other hand, has been watching her mother die for the last year, and although she thinks she is handling things well, she is not.

Well, Victoria Jenkins has done it again.  I love her writing style.  It is very smooth, well-paced, and gripping.  The second in this series is even better than the first, as her characters have so much depth, that their lives just pull you in and you want to know more.  The twists in this book were awesome, and I didn’t figure it all out til very close to the end.  The pair of detectives Jenkins created is working well, as she has them building on each other's strengths . Their friendship and support is growing, creating a very stable relationship. 

On a side note, my Mom had Dementia, and although the circumstances were different (we got along just fine), Jenkins wrote about Alex and her emotions dealing with her mother's disease really well.  It is a really rough time, and Jenkins nailed it.  That whole storyline rang very true.

Can’t wait for the next one!

It would seem I’m fast becoming addicted to Bookouture authors, this time in the form of Victoria Jenkins. The First One To Die is the 2nd book in the King and Lane Series (I must point out I have not read book 1…… yet!)

This book is action packed for the get go….. Yep, a body within the first few chapters (always a winner with me) I expected the book to be about the poor girl Keira North who “fell” from her window seat….. Oh how wrong I could be! Victoria has a brilliant way of leading you down the garden path, you think you know the way until she spins you around and then takes a different path! And her plot twists O.M.G!

I loved Alex’s character, I enjoyed seeing a slightly vulnerable side to her with her mother but then how head strong she can be when she knows she’s right. I enjoyed seeing the friendship she has with Chloe (I’m sure there’s more details to this in book 1)  I felt like Alex didn’t want Chloe to know how much she needs her in her life and that was both a little sad but at the same time sweet.

Victoria, you’ll be happy to know you now don’t have to come build my wardrobes so I can finish your book as I was that hooked I whizzed through it and I have to say it’ going in my top 5 reads of 2017!

A truly gripping book and a very well deserved 5 golden apples!!!

ARC received from: Netgalley

Rating: ★★★★

One-Sentence Summary: Two police detectives get embroiled in some deadly student drama

Review: I have been in a bit of a reading funk lately but Alex and Chloe helped me out of it with the second book in this new crime series. I love their friendship and partnership - how often do you get a crime series where there are two women as partners?

The crime gives you a scary insight into the lives of students at University - house parties, drugs, relationships, lies and deceit - this book has it all with more than enough twists and surprises to keep you gripped until the very end.

This is an easy to read, fast paced book. There is a lot of action packed into it. Alex is trying to find out who killed Keira North and why. She has a web of lies and deception to sort through to work out who the murderer is. I thought this book was better written than the first and I hope there are more.

This was okay I thought that it was going to be better than it was.

I liked the two female detectives that were leading this investigation because you don't always see that.
I did have my doubts about two leading detectives because sometimes it is nice having a male detective for a male point of view. Although I am still not sure if two female detectives work it was different and it stood out but not sure.

I also thought that the book was boring in some parts and did not enjoy it at all.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Victoria Jenkins, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

She tried to break her fall, twisting desperately, but there was nothing to catch hold of, nothing with which she could stop herself. Her single scream cut through the night air.

Keira North falls to her death at a party. It initially seems like an accident, but Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane suspect foul play: they are convinced they are dealing with a murder.

When the detectives start to investigate, they soon find that all of Keira's closest friends have secrets that someone might kill to keep.

And as Alex and Chloe are fighting their own demons and struggling to stay on top of the case, Keira’s killer is circling the group of friends, who one by one find that their lives are in danger…

There's something about a story with a killer who's picking off the characters one by one... THE FIRST ONE TO DIE was a fantastic mystery thriller with some killer twists thrown in. (See what I did there...) I greatly enjoyed the character development. I often find that a book with quite a few characters leads to muddled development, but I didn't have that issue here. I could clearly see the characters, their personalities, their quirks, and more. The writing was to die for. (Ha! Okay, I'm done.) But seriously. This was my first Jenkins novel, and I'm planning to devour her other works. (It should be noted that THE FIRST ONE TO DIE is the second book in a series, so read in order. Don't follow my lead. Books are better in order.) If you enjoy a great crime thriller, you'll enjoy this one.

A college student falls to her death during a party. Despite a heavily mismanaged crime scene, Detectives Alex and Chloe quickly realize that Keira's death is not an accident. What they aren't prepared for is for Keira's roommates to be targeted next ...

Strengths:

I really liked the introspective nature of both detectives, and their strong friendship. Chloe is even temporarily living with Alex. I haven't read the first book in this series, but it's hinted that past events have traumatized Chloe, and her friendship with Alex is a stabilizing force. It's nice to see this in a detective novel, and it's quite rare to have two female detectives as protagonists.

I also thought that the plot resolved itself well. There are some twists I wasn't expecting, and all loose ends were tidied.

Weaknesses:

Most of the suspects were reprehensible. They almost felt one-dimensional. I did appreciate that the detectives tried, fleetingly, to find empathy for these individuals, because I couldn't do it. I also felt that their motives were quite weak and self-serving - although I suppose that's the point.

An unstoppable detective novel has a pace that refuses to let you put it down, no matter what else you have going on. Here, I wish the tension and pacing was more demanding. I read this at a leisurely pace, the way I might literary fiction.

*Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC*

Firstly, many thanks to @netgalley, @bookoutre and the author, Victoria Jenkins for a preview copy of this book.

This is a well crafted, descriptive whodunnit thriller, with fully formed characters. It really kept my interest and had many twists and turns. There is also an element within the book that refers to Dementia and this is handled so sensitively.

There's a great combination of characters with background stories and drama that really added to the overall storyline and I look forward to reading more about the main character, Alex, in future books.

A really good read.

3.5 stars

This is the second book in the series but the first one I have read. I probably should have read the first one as the two main characters, Alex and Chloe, are detectives with Cardiff, Wales police department and live together. I didn't quite get their relationship but apparently they had both been in bad situations so they were living together while they reassessed their lives. They both have issues that were a little vague to me.

Still it didn't take away from the story of a young university woman, Keira, who fell off her bedroom ledge to her death. It was originally assumed to be a suicide but Alex thinks its murder. Keira lives with three other students, Leah, Tom and Jamie, and they are all pieces of work in their own ways. There is another story lines about selling drugs to minors that hospitalize them and it leads to the roommates. There are more murders, attacks, and affairs with an university professor that keep the story dancing along.

The story takes some twists and turns that kept me reading. I liked pretending I could pronounce the names of the towns in Wales but it's simply not true. What was missing in this book, to me, is the characters never fully came to life for me. I never got vested in any of them. They need to be fleshed out more especially the two main ones.

Still it's a decent story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what's going to happen next. I just think it needs more character development.

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

This is the second book from Victoria Jenkins featuring detectives King and Long. This one grabs your attention from the intro and never waivers throughout. At first the case seems like a simple suicide, but circumstances surrounding the death cause Alex King to investigate a little deeper. She ruffles some feathers along the way, but she is determined to seek justice for this young girl. As the book progresses, more victims turn up and they all have a connection with one person in common. The plot for this novel is multi-layered and complex. There are lots of major twists that keep your interest peaked. King and Long suddenly find themselves in a race against time to get in front of the person responsible and stop them before they strike again.

We are introduced to short snapshots of the killer's thoughts early on. These are spaced periodically to tick up the tension and suspense as we try to guess who the killer is. The characters are all interesting and complex in their own ways. The author does a really good job of casting suspicion and doubt on most of the characters. This one will keep you guessing until the end.

I recommend this book to fans of thrillers and suspense. I received this as a free ARC from Bookotoure on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book, the 2nd book in the new series starring Alex King and Chloe Lane. It is nice to read this one after book 1, however, it works well as a standalone also.

There are a lot of suspects in Keira's death and the list of murders and suspects keeps on growing. Just when you think someone is "definitely" the killer, it turns out they are not. The author deftly weaves all the strands of this story together in a coherent way, which is appreciated when you are reading a police procedural. This was a very well written book and I was happy to continue reading the story of these two police officers, as different as they are from each other. There was also a poignant part about the relationship that Alex had with her mum, which I could really relate to as well.

Looking forward to the next one in the series :)

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

I often seem to miss the first book in a series and this was one of the times. It was still brilliant reading as a standalone but I would have enjoyed it better if I had known more of the history of Detectives Alex King and Chloe Lane.
The body of a young student, Keira, is found after she falls to her death at a party. Was it an accident or was she pushed? Keira lives with three other students, all with secrets to hide. Chloe is also involved in the case of a young girl, who is in a coma after taking drugs at another party. Is there a connection between the two cases?
This book is such a fantastic read. So many mysteries to unravel and so many twists and turns with a real surprise at the end. Don’t miss reading it. I can’t wait to read The Girl in the Water and look forward to book three in this series. Thank to Net Galley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a really enjoyable detective thriller that did indeed keep me gripped until the end. We follow Detective Alex Lane and her partner Chloe as they investigate the death of Keria North. At first this seems like an accident but Alex isn't convinced and as they look closer it seems there's more too it then everyone first thought. Keria's friends seem to be hiding secrets of their own and as links begin to form between them and another victim it seems that not everyone is safe. This was a great story and I really enjoyed reading it. It was a little slow to begin with and lots of characters were introduced all at once, some with little back story, as this is the second in a series. I managed to pick up who was who and where they came from after a couple of chapters and I was very intrigued with where the story was going to go.

I thought the writing was really good. There was a great flow to the writing, it wasn't extremely fast paced but it wasn't too slow either. Lots of different story threads were weaved together and the pace of the story meant you were able to follow everything easily. The stories became intertwined with one another as we went along and this definitely kept you on your toes. We were given lots of questions and very few answers which kept me wanting to read. I eagerly anticipated these answers and I had to know what happened next. As one question was answered another one appeared.

There was a very interesting cast of characters in this story. Lots of them were quite unreliable and this meant you never knew what was true and what wasn't. I love unreliable narrators in thrillers it really adds an extra unknown element to the story and these characters really kept me guessing. I had to continue reading. I also really like Alex and Chloe as characters. I particularly liked how they are both female and the lead officers on the case. It's not often you get lead female detectives without any sexist aspects in a detective novel so this was really great to read.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and as a second in a series I will say it can be quite easily read as a standalone. It has it's own story arc which is easy to follow however, interspersed through out are mentions of some overarching plot points that I think was introduced in the first book. This overarching plot focused more on our main characters, Chloe and Alex, and, although it didn't detract from the main story line I may have enjoyed the subplots more having read the first book. That being said it was a great detective thriller that kept my guessing all the way to the end and it is one I would recommend.

I have to be honest – the cover of this book pulled me in something chronic. I mean, just look at it! How can you NOT be intrigued by it? I crossed every part of my body in hope that the contents of the book would be as much of a belter as the cover was.

My goodness, I never expected what I read, that’s for sure! What a book! Victoria Jenkins is a new author for me so I was looking forward to finally reading one of her books. It’s safe to say that I devoured the book in a mere few hours. Usually I update my Goodreads status as I go, but because my nose was stuck in the storyline just like my hand in a packet of cookies, I only had chance to update it the once and that was it.

Er hello, I wasn’t lifting my head for nobody!

‘The First One to Die’ reminded me of the game Cluedo…except more twisted and a slim chance of a candlestick being used as a weapon in the drawing room. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, but y’know.

A girl has died at a house party. Some say that it was an accident yet the DI’s seem to think otherwise. Only the people at the party knew what had happened yet they seem to be withholding vital information from the police which could land one of them, if not more, in severe hot water. How did she die? Was it actually an accident or did someone push her?

Without coming across cheesy, this book really does have the ‘DUN DUN DUNN’ effect. I was on the edge of my seat whilst trying to work out what the truth was behind Keira’s death, especially as a lot of people seemed to know something but weren’t saying anything. Even though it was like getting blood out of a stone with several of the characters, I couldn’t help being hooked on the overall situation. It really was a storyline that I was able to sink my teeth into without coming up for air.

As the storyline progressed and another case came in for Alex and Chloe, I weirdly found myself becoming extremely excited about what that meant for the storyline overall. Were the two cases linked? Did others know things but not saying anything, just like the first case? I couldn’t help feeling intrigued once again.

Victoria Jenkins is a severely addictive author. In a minimal amount of time the author seemed to know exactly what her readers wanted – suspense, intense and grit, and Jenkins delivered. Boy she delivered.

‘The First One to Die’ is a brilliant, fast paced storyline which is guaranteed to increase your heart rate tenfold. Addictive, thrilling and severely intense – Victoria Jenkins really is an author to watch.

Wow!

Thanks Bookouture.

The First One To Die is the second in the series following Detectives King & Lane by Victoria Jenkins and what a cracker it is. How many of you love a fantastic cover, well the illustration on the cover of Victoria’s newest release is outstanding, the single dying rose amongst the living is so serene and spine-chilling, you can’t help but open the book and read.

In The First One To Die, the sense of anticipation is foreboding, turning those first couple of pages, then wham your first death. A young student Kiera North falls to her death, was it an accident or foul play, its up to Detectives King & Lane to uncover the truth. Crucial evidence is lost due to the scene being compromised and its a race against time as more deaths occur, what’s the connection between the flatmates, more to the point who wants them dead.

There’s a multitude of characters within the book, some who are downright obnoxious and you could quite easily rip them from the pages without feeling any remorse, but then in balance to this there is some that I thought were strong and meticulous in personality and demeanour. I particularly liked Chloe, even with her past altercations she proved to be strong and resilient in character with a shade contrite, which showed in her relationships at work and personal life. Alec on the other hand is spirited, assertive in her outwardly character but she hides behind a mask of vulnerability a lot of which is due to failed relationships.

As I ploughed my way through, the twists came thick and fast, snapping my neck as the plot intensifies. At times I was caught out, a twist would creep up on me that I didn’t see coming, causing me to snatch my breath and re-think where Victoria was leading me.

I’m not going to pour every piece of detail about The First One To Die into my review, I want to leave a huge big bite of the book for you to discover and enjoy.

Thank you to Victoria Jenkins and Bookouture for an advanced readers copy of The First To Die the read in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Many thanks go to Noelle Holten for the opportunity to be part of the Blog Blitz today.