Thank you Netgalley & Bookouture for this ARC.

While this was my first Jessica Daniel story, I can promise that it won't be my last!. This was a hoot! I loved the wise-cracking Jessica and her team, Izzy and Rowlands as well as all the peripheral characters, Fat Pat, the Pen-Thief, etc. The story was well paced...slowing down only for the traffic and weather. Loved the humanity of the characters. Thank you Liz & Hans for your reviews on Goodreads. Now I have an acceptable substitute for Angela Marsons and Harry Bingham when they're writing slower than I'm reading!

There are new murders that are a lot like the Stretford Slasher. Only problem is that the slasher was twenty five years ago. How could someone be coping the Slasher's way of killing? DI Jessica Daniel has decided she needs help on this one. Someone who knows the ins and outs of the Slasher, so she gets DS Niall Hambleton to help her. After all he arrested the Stretford Slasher. This maybe a mystery thriller story, but it has some wonderful
rapport between the characters. The one liners are hysterical!!! This is the first book I have read by this author. Now I need to get myself the other books to feel all caught up. Can Daniel's figure out who is the killer and why the recreations of the Slasher? Read the book to find out.

I have never read a Kerry Wilkinson book before, and I was worried that this would be hard to keep up with as it is the 8th book in the Jessica Daniels series. I was pleased, however, to find that the author does a very good job of not making you feel that there is constantly this joke that you are being left out of. He gives enough of the background information that you need to keep up with the story. That being said, I also feel like there was just enough information given that now I want more background story, which makes me want to read the rest of the series.

The beginning of this book was a little slow for my liking. It took me a while to get into and I wasn’t too excited about reading for the first 30 – 40%. Then, all the details start fitting together and it really picked up during the last half. I wanted to keep reading to see how all the pieces were going to somehow fall into place. I liked the main character and I liked that there was some humor as well, as her sarcasm and wit game were strong throughout the whole book.

Overall, I liked this book. I am interested in reading more of this series. Normally, I am so against reading books out of order, so I might need to make myself feel better and read the first seven.

Thank you Bookouture for providing me this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Daniel a DI with a sense of humor and a well rounded personality. She will make sacrifices for her cases, ignores her own scars to serve and protect, who she finds comfort and love in she treasures. She has risen in the rank of law enforcement and yet still prefers to be called by her first name even while in the field. If you are like me and have never read a book in the Jessica Daniel series you will not find yourself feeling lost reading this particular edition (book #5). It is stand alone and also standout.

When faced with terrorist attacks such as an acid attack on a Mr. Luke Callaghan Jessica follows the leads in this case to the main suspects….his wife and his former colleague. We soon delve into the working and dealings of an internet borne anarchist group called “Anarky” who seem ready to kill for their beliefs that a corrupt politician system must be corrected at all costs. The eating habits and smells of Fat Pat at the receptionist desk of the precinct. The struggles of Tony and the many, many secrets of Neill. The true motives of Thomas McKinney, Anarky founder. The kidnapping of two children, a suspected slasher on the loose…maybe one a little to close to home. And the sick “shyt” that is Scott who may leave a mark on Jessica stronger than she may like to admit. Scott’s effect certainly makes me interested in the follow-up to Crossing the Line in the Jessica Daniel series.

What is certain bad and mysterious things are happening in Piccadilly. Even witnesses and supposed victims aren’t what they seem. Then 60% into the world of questions and crime one word sprawled in green at a crime scene: CONFESS.

If you like crime dramas this is the book for you. It prides itself on just being flat out entertaining. No big deep meanings or ideological undertones (not that those stories are bad!) it is just a fun trip through an interesting investigation that will keep you guessing until the very end. By chapter four (4) you will find yourself feeling like you are well into a captivating an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent Special Victims Unit (wink, wink) that already has you trying to guess who the real perp is and what is their motive. Crossing the Line holds a steady pace and will be an entertaining read for your weekend, Christmas break, vacation, or road trip!
~ The Novel Gent

I was really excited to read Crossing the Line (formerly called The Stolen Children), because I’d read the first book in the Jessica Daniel series and really enjoyed it! If I’m being honest, I was also a little nervous, because while the rest of the series is on my “to read” list, I haven’t read them yet, so I was hoping I’d be able to follow along okay, and luckily, I had no issues!
The eighth installment of the Jessica Daniel series follows Jessica and her team while they investigate a series of crimes that are seemingly unrelated. As more and more attacks happen, Jessica and her team scramble to solve them all and begin to question how the puzzle pieces fit together.
I did find that the book got off to a slow start, so I was originally wondering where the book was headed, until about halfway through when things really picked up! I especially loved the last third of the book, and the last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat! The epilogue definitely has me dying for the next book!
I really love Jessica as our main character. I enjoyed her in the first book, and I’m happy to say that I loved her just as much in this installment! She’s smart, funny, and witty, and there were a number of times where I laughed out loud because of her one liners!
I’d like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture, and Kerry Wilkinson for my copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review. Crossing the Line is out now, so be sure to pick this one up!

D.I. Jessica Daniels is investigating two high profile cases. The first case involves random attacks on Manchester citizens. The attacker is quick, efficient and leaves no clues. The second case hits close to home when the grandchildren of her former boss are kidnapped. Jessica believes the kidnapping relates to one of her former boss’s old cases. Jessica must revisit the past but stay in the present to save two children and prevent another attack.
The Stolen Children tells the story of several horrific crimes. However, while reading I found myself laughing out loud. D.I. Daniels is witty, clever, and never short of a retort. Even in some of the most intense situations she manages to insert humor. The humor is not dark or insensitive as you may expect from a jaded detective but more comforting. It also provides a balance to a dark and sinister story line.
The two crimes in this book are told in two separate parts. It was like reading two different books. I enjoyed this aspect; it really showed off Daniels’ investigative skills as well as her dedication. I could easily see how this book could have been two books. Both parts were gripping and fast paced. Because the two crimes were so different, I had a hard time figuring out if they were connected. This made the story more compelling.
If there is anything negative to say about this book it would be, a lack of background into the characters. I understand this novel is part of a series, but very little is mentioned about the things that took place in previous books. When past events are mentioned, they are mentioned in a way that says something happened but not many details are given. Throughout the entire story I felt like I was missing important details; details that would have explained some of things that went unsaid between the characters.
Overall I enjoyed this book and found it gripping and entertaining. Although I wish there was more character background, the plot was tense and action filled. I am very interested to find out more about D.I. Daniels and her investigative team. I can see a binge reading of all the previous books in this series in my future.

Murder and Moore Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars

I started this series at the beginning and then unfortunately I fell behind as the old TBR pile has grown to epic proportions. But when I heard that we’re almost caught up to the UK releases here in the good old US I knew I had to jump back in a try and catch back up with Jess. I’m so glad I did, I had the best time reuniting with her and her team and while I’ve definitely missed out on some things not having read a few books, I easily caught up and I really didn’t feel confused or lost, so you could most definitely jump in here if you would like and I think you would be fine.

I’ve really come to love Jess, her sense of humor greatly appeals to me, she’s sarcastic and blunt, but that’s a coping mechanism because underneath it all she’s actually pretty warm and caring. I find her to be really relatable, she works hard and she constantly bends the rules, she’s wonderfully human and I can always understand why she skirts the boundaries. Izzy was the newest team member in the last book I read and I was pleased to see that not only is she still around, but so is Dave! I swear the rapport between Jess and Dave always makes me laugh, it’s so natural and fun.

Wilkinson keeps things moving at a rapid pace and there’s various subplots so there are no moments of boredom. This is set in the spring but Manchester is experiencing unseasonal weather with below freezing temperatures and I loved how the weather played such a huge role in the investigation. If you enjoy police procedurals with a strong, kick ass female lead you have to try this series! This was the best book for me in the series (that I’ve read!) and I’m really excited to make time for the next book.

Jessica Daniels, recently promoted to Detective Inspector, is helping a friend and fellow officer police a special event held in Manchester making sure nothing happened to the Home Secretary or the Councillors attending the event. What starts out as a routine event quickly takes a turn when one of the Councillors is doused with acid. Jessica is left piecing together what happened and who the suspect might be. Nothing seems to be going right about the case and she has no leads to go on. No one can even make an ID on the suspect. The Councillor is not the only victim though as more soon follow. Jessica and her team race against the clock to put a stop to whatever is going on. Although there is crime in Manchester, these random attacks come at the worst possible time 25 years after the Stretford Slasher case when women lived in fear just walking down the street. Jessica and her team needed to catch this suspect and fast before more people get hurt and/or killed.

CROSSING THE LINE is the eighth book in the Jessica Daniels series. I have not read the previous installments and found that I had no trouble picking up the series eight books in. It worked perfectly fine as a standalone, but did make me curious enough to want to pick up the rest of the series as I enjoyed the character of Jessica Daniels immensely. She is a very strong lead and even though she deals with her own personal demons, she does not let that effect the job she needs to do. She has a quick wit humor and I loved the comedic relief that is thrown into the story. The little nicknames for her co-workers and the one liners really did the trick in making me want to know more about Jessica and her backstory.

There are quite a few stories going on in the plot, which might seem confusing at first, but I felt they all tied in nicely together. It is always a risk when there are many plot points that can veer in different directions and detract from the central story line, but it works well here. Kerry Wilkinson does a fantastic job of pulling you into the story with his rich imagery that it really make you feel like you have been to Manchester and have seen the sites that he bring to life in his story. I loved the special attention to the smallest details and I felt that it really helped in immersing me into the story line.

All in all, I would highly recommend CROSSING THE LINE as it is a fantastic read and Kerry Wilkinson is an amazing storyteller. I can now see why he is a fan favorite. I, for one, will be continuing on and catching up with all the previous titles to the series.

Holy-crazy-balls, Crossing the Line is by far my favorite Kerry Wilkinson book. And I’m not just saying that because I am part of the Publication Day Blast. It’s for true and for real.

Let me preempt this by saying, you DO NOT need to have read any of the prior books to read Crossing the Line. Sure, it’s #8 in the series, but this functions very well as a stand-alone novel as well.

With that said, I am not going to delve deeply into the book description, as it is laid out at the top of this post.

First of all, very few psychological thrillers make me laugh, and there was quite a bit of humor and sarcasm in this book that made me chuckle out loud. My favorite line:

To call it a shithole would insult any holes that had been dug in the ground and filled with shit.

And some of the characters - PC Pen-Thief. Joy Bag Jane. Laughed. Out. Loud. A lot.

The pacing of the book was pretty solid. The first half of Crossing the Line was chugging up the hill slowly. Then, at approximately 60%, the train crests the top, and you go zipping downward - crashing into a pile of “What The Hell.”

As the book goes on...

Things seem like they are coming together, but are they? At about 75% I was beginning to wonder if there were going to be loose ends. There was a particular character that I enjoyed following, but hadn’t heard much about him near the end. BUT alas, he arrived again. I am delighted to report that this is a neat and tidy book with no loose ends leaving you to wonder. Loose ends make me cringe.

Kerry Wilkinson had a lot going on in this book. It’s all a good thing because it indeed kept me engaged the entire time.

From start to finish, Crossing the Line was a joy to read. After reading The Killer Inside, I stated my investment in the Jessica Daniel Series, and I still stand by that. I absolutely cannot wait to devour the rest of the series. The rebel in me doesn’t want to read any of them in any particular order, either. (That’s a lot of badassery for someone with OCD!)

5-sarcasm-humor-stars. You can purchase your copy of Crossing The Line by Kerry Wilkinson at amazon.com.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve read a few in this series and this is another fast-paced book.
Recently promoted to Detective Inspector, and trying to move forward following issues in her private life, Jessica Daniels is thrown in at the deep end straight away.
The Police are keeping an eye on an event in Manchester when suddenly someone in the crowd throws acid at a local councillor in the audience. Then follows more attacks on men in the area.
Other stories run alongside this one and I really enjoyed the gripping nature of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me a copy to read and review.

DI Jessica Daniel is assigned to a kidnapping case . The victims are the grandchildren of retired Detective Superintendent Niall Hambleton who captured the Stretford Slasher twenty-five year's ago . He died in prison and now another killer is on the loose . Very well written dark mystery with a great plot with a little humor thrown in . I highly recommend this great read . Thanks to Netgalley , Kerry Wilkinson and Bookouture for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review .

Kerry Wilkinson manages to do something few mystery authors are capable of, combine a good story, strong characters and just enough humor to keep it from getting too dark. I love the wicked sense of humor on display in all the books in this series. I’m still chuckling over PC Pen-Thief and his spelling. And ear hair… Kerry Wilkinson is one of the few, other than Nelson DeMille, that can have me laughing while reading a mystery.

The story begins with a series of what appear to be random incidences of violence. Jessica has just been promoted to DI and her team struggle with these and other crimes. The fact that there are multiple crimes felt very realistic to me. With all the crime, I’m sure real detectives are always juggling multiple cases.

The book is called Stolen Children, but that storyline is just one of many. For my money, I would have called it Anarchy. Or I just read that the English version was called Crossing the Line. Now, that works! A lot of people are going to be mislead by the American title.

This is one of the strangest mysteries you’ll ever read. I can’t imagine anyone figuring out the ending to this.

My thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture. I'm a HUGE fan of Kerry Wilkinson and as usual this book didnt let me down! I resented going to work because I couldnt take my book!! FANTASTIC AS EVER!!

Brilliantly paced book with twists and turns galore.

Just trust yourself and know where the lines are. It's not all black and white, there are shades of grey everywhere."

Jessica Daniel is back, and in this outing she has been promoted to DI after her last case and a little hiatus from policing. Her gang is with her, and the reparte is resumed. In this particular police procedural, Jessica and her team are tasked with figuring out who is targeting people with random attacks after a councilman is doused with acid at a political rally. There are quite a few threads in this story and it's hard to figure out where it is going with all the activity going on. Jessica seems back to her normal self and life with Adam is good. She's working hard, as usual, but appears to have her demons in check.

I wouldn't say this is necesssarily tense or suspenseful, but it is a good example of investigative technique and the inherant difficulties in putting together a suspect after random crimes. The incidental inclusion of the "slasher" from a few years ago is only barely mentioned and not essential to the plot line. I think the point of this eighth in the series is to mainly get Jessica back on track after her breakdown.

I love the characters in this ongoing story and will always be eager for the next. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC to read and review.

I really enjoy this series. Jessica is a great character and Kerry's use of wit, pathos and profeesioalism around her character creates a personality you can only warm to. The story as usual centres around one main story with other peripheral ones dipping in and out. Living and working in Manchester makes the scenes feel s real as I recognise the places being described. I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series as the finale of The Stolen Children has set it up nicely

This was a novel that seemed to go on too long for me. The writing style isn't for me

I’m fast becoming a fan of Kerry Wilkinson and the Jessica Daniel series is part of the reason why.

This is hugely suspenseful - a real nail biter of a book.

I kept thinking that this could happen to absolutely anyone at any time. It made me want to hold my child close and never, ever let her go. (Sorry, Kid!)

Jessica is terrific. So smart and determined, yet human. And the who in this who dunnit? So creepy!

A super fast read and, at the end, I simply wanted more!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley