Book 1 was good but this was so much better. Looking forward to book 3 now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to see that there was a second book by this author. I had really enjoyed the first one and was very interested to see what would happen to the two female leads.

A student party is raging and amidst this, a girl (Keira North) falls to her death from the house. Everyone seems to think it was an accident but Detective Alex King and Chloe Lane suspect foul play. All of Keira's roommates have secrets that they do not want anyone to know. The fall starts off a series events which just leaves one reeling. The investigation is filled with action and oh so many twists. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This was a great second book to the series. I actually think I enjoyed this one better than the first. It was centred more around the investigation and not so much around the personal lives of the characters. I would advise that the first book be read before this one as it gives a better understanding of the characters. This seems like it is going to be a great series, cannot wait for the next instalment!

This book was amazing the plot just thickened the further you read. Very cleverly written based around a murder/suicide investigation headed by Alex and Chloe. Totally engaging characters. Really looking forward to the next book by Victoria Jenkins certainly an author to watch out for

The First One to Die starts out at a collage party, and one of the housemates gets pushed out a window. The book was very suspenseful, and had you guessing who did it throughout the whole book. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Nice to see Alex and Chloe back for round two. I enjoy these characters and how they interact. In this book alongside an interesting mystery to solve we learn more about their backstories and them as individuals. The storyline itself is interesting and explores the complexities of family relationships.

This is the second book in the series featuring Detectives King and Lane. The boss of the two female detectives wants to believe that a young student fell to her death and that it is just a tragic accident but King and Lane are convinced there is more to it This book builds on the characters and expands on the personalities and background of the two detectives. I felt the book lacked a spark - it was interesting enough but there was no 'wow' factor for me unfortunately

I absolutely LOVED this author's debut featuring Detectives King and Lane and this one - well this one's even better, One of the best crime novels I have read - and I read many. I raced through this book, reading it in a breath-taking, heart-pounding rush. The author is so very skilled, the pace never lets down and it is a thrilling roller coaster of a story. I cannot wait for this author's next book. She is my new favourite!

Excellent book. I adored the storyline and the characters. A real page turner. I would this recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The First One to Die by Victoria Jenkins. What a fab follow up to The Girls in the Water. I can't wait for more King & Lane books!

The story follows four house mates sharing a flat, one turns up dead - did she fall or was she pushed off the balcony? What follows is a brilliant story with twists and turns that keep you hooked! The ending was fabulous!!

I love Victoria Jenkins, her writing style is enthralling and her short snappy chapters keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more! I look forward to the future of King & Lane!!

This is the second book in the Detectives King and Lane series and it is a great new addition. This book makes the reader dive right into all the action because of the rich descriptive words that the author uses to describe everything. I started reading this and was hooked from the first few pages, and when it was all said and done the ending was a surprise. Two female police detectives working together to solve a murder, or an accident? Alex believes that she knows what happened to the young girl that fell to her death of the roof, but will her boss believe her or ignore what happened and continue with another case? Every twist and turn in this book leaves the reader guessing and it was fun to be along for each turn. Thank you NetGalley and Victoria Jenkins for allowing me to read this ARC and write a honest review.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

A college student named Keira North and her boyfriend, Tom Stoddard, have an argument. He storms out leaving her sitting in the second story window. Someone comes in and pushes her out of the window.

DI Alex King responds to the call at 2:20 a.m. The call originally came in just before midnight and the two responding police officers sent everyone at the party home, except the surviving three housemates, Tom, Leah and Jamie. Alex despairs of witnesses lost and evidence obscured.

The next morning her partner and roommate DC Chloe Lane greets her at the station and apologizes for not being at the scene with Alex. The first person they interview is Tom Stoddard. Following the interview with overly casual and twitchy Tom, Alex and Chloe suspect there was more to Keira’s death and an accident.

Alex feels there is something off about Tom, but can’t put her finger on it. As the investigation continues, another young girl is in the ICU of the hospital for having taken ecstasy at a club. Her friend does a runner when she sees the police. Her mother is more stable and more honest than Keira’s mother. Now the team has two cases on the go.

Keira turns out to be five months pregnant and from her internet searches, she knew it. She had no alcohol in her system when she died. These facts line up with the murder side of the ledger.

The young girl in ICU is named Amy. When her friend identifies a suspect as the one who sold Amy the pills of ecstasy, he is arrested. Alex and Chloe still believe that Tom Stoddard is responsible for Keira’s death and do not want to see him get away. Then Leah is hit by a car – on purpose. She is in the hospital in a coma, but in stable condition. Then Tom Stoddard is murdered – stabbed to death in his own kitchen.

This book is very well written and plotted. It read linearly and with no wasted words. It was very interesting and engaging. The suspense started immediately with Keira’s death and continued at a fast pace throughout the balance of the novel. We learned sufficient information about the main characters’ backgrounds so as to fill them out as persons, but not so much that it intruded on the story line. I truly enjoyed this book and will certainly look into Victoria Jenkins’ other books.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read and enjoy.

I was really looking forward to reading The First One to Die by Victoria Jenkins so thank you to Bookouture for the advance copy.

I really enjoyed The Girls in the Water so had high hopes for this one. When I saw it up on NetGalley I was dancing for joy and got my request in pretty smartly!

This book had big shoes to fill because the first book in the series was so fantastic. Well it filled those shoes big time it was brilliant, Victoria Jenkins smashed it out of the park, I loved everything about it. This truly was one of those books that you devour, you can’t put it down because every page sucks you in and leaves you breathless and wanting more.

I have been blown away lately by the calibre of books that I have been reading; yet again I didn’t guess what was going to happen at the end. The days of guessing who the bad guy was is well and truly over. This was so cleverly written, it was full of twists that made you rethink and challenge your own thoughts. I like to think I am a pretty good detective after reading so many crime books but I didn’t work this one out. That is awesome; I love it when I have no clue what’s going to happen at the end.

This book can be read as a stand-alone novel but I recommend that you read The Girls in the Water first. Firstly because it’s a brilliant book but secondly because it will give you some background on the characters and their relationships to each other.

I am very much looking forward to book 3 in the series; Victoria Jenkins is now one of my all-time favourite authors.

I highly recommend this book and I give it a big fat 5 stars – I loved it!

Here is the publishers blurb:

Four friends. A house full of secrets. And a killer picking them off one by one...

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…

The First One to Die is a heart-stopping and shocking detective thriller that will have you gripped until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Angela Marsons, and Val McDermid

Second book in this series and another gripping read. While I'm not sure I could live with my boss the dynamic between Alex and Chloe works well.
The team have to unravel a number of very complex crimes in First One to Die while dealing with personal tragedy

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The First One to Die, the second in the series of Detectives King and Lane police procedurals set in South Wales.

There is a student party raging in Keira North's lodgings when she is pushed to her death from her bedroom window. When DI Alex King gets to the scene most of the evidence has been destroyed by inept first responders. All she is left with is the gut feeling that it was murder and not an accident but Superintendent Harry Blake isn't so sure and wants her to concentrate on finding whoever sold 16 year old Amy Barker the party smarty that put her in a coma.

I enjoyed The First One to Die. It is a good mix of investigation, characters with secrets, the detectives' personal life and a good twist at the end. Keira shared a house with 3 other people so they all come under the spotlight initially. Alex and her bagman, Chloe Lane, have a hard time trying to sort out fact from fiction in their accounts and uncover their secrets. As 2 of them are not particularly likeable, awful would probably be a better description, it is satisfying to see them come undone. As is the norm nowadays there are italicised chapters of the perpetrator's thoughts. I don't normally like them but they aren't many and aren't overly intrusive and I can only admire Ms Jenkins's skill in misdirection as I jumped to conclusions about their voice. It's extremely well done.

The plotting is great. There are plenty of twists and turns which kept me glued to the pages wondering what would come next.

I really like the non police characters in the novel who are extremely well drawn in their selfishness and disregard for others. It seems to be a me generation. I'm not so sure about the protagonists Alex and Chloe as I don't feel Ms Jenkins has quite hit her stride with them. There is plenty of information about them and their lives but no real emotion.

The First One to Die is a good, engrossing read which I have no hesitation in recommending.