Cover Image: Jane Doe

Jane Doe

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An utterly addictive psychological thriller!!! Brilliantly plotted. 5 Stars + I loved Victoria Helen Stone’s JANE DOE! On my Top Books of 2018. Hilarious! The author has some great sarcastic lines.

I read the book and listened to the audio (the audio was quite entertaining). I laughed so hard. Was glued to the pages. Nicol Zanzarella, the narrator, gave an award-winning performance. I had to rewind many chapters because it was that good!

This “killer” intelligent suspense psychological thriller and introduction to this incredible author had me rushing to audible to purchase Half Past and Evelyn, After. Loved all three. (reviews to follow for these two). Highly recommend each of these books.

JANE DOE IS AMAZING! Impressive character development and those twists! I have never met a sharper femme fa·tale. Jane knows how to play with the big boys. Bring it on. She is in a league all her own. No one has anything on Jane Doe. She knows how to deliver juicy devilish sweet revenge.

I agree with the author summary: “Fatal Attraction meets Dexter.”

Jane is smart and savvy. Devious, intelligent, and evil. (in a good way). After her best friend, from college –Meg ended her life due to a man, Jane reinvents herself and begins her plan to destroy Steven Hepsworth.

She has never killed anyone; however, desperate times call for extreme measures. She is excellent at the double life thing. A delicious game of cat and mouse. No one deserves it more than Steven and his family.

Jane was working as an American import-export attorney for a big Asian manufacturing conglomerate. With a gorgeous apartment in a modern high-rise in Kuala Lumpur outfitted with Western luxuries. The company thinks she is caring for a dying relative. She has to take a detour. She needs to wipe out Steven before she can get back to her life.

Leaving her high jet-setting life to return to Minneapolis, she rents a run-down furnished apartment and takes a job at an insurance company as a data entry clerk. Steven is a middle manager. Wearing her plain jane dresses with just enough buttons unbuttoned to entice Steven. She knows how to turn on the sex appeal.

This guy controlled her friend’s life. He was manipulative and abusive. A narcissist. He is the son of a preacher. He is all about impressing his father, and Steven is a deacon. However, little does the church know these men are not the men the church thinks they are. They do not respect women.

She wants revenge. She plays the part perfectly. She is devious, talented and highly confident in her abilities. She plays the innocent girl. She knows she will be able to wrap Steven around her little finger. She is quite the actress and delivers an award-winning performance.

Jane will destroy this family. She will find what’s most important to him and take it away. However, that plays out is okay with her. She is a master manipulator. Steven does not stand a chance. When she has the perfect murder plan, she discovers a better way. (it is a good one). A way to get back at not only Steven but his father as well.

WOW! Stone has created one heck of a character! Jane uses sex and all her assets (plus her intelligence) to bring not only Steven but his father to their knees. What a wild ride. Scandalous. Not only well-written, smart, and twisty— but action-packed, witty, and laugh out loud funny.

I loved her old college boyfriend, Luke. (cat part was a riot). The recording and video (Steven and Pastor Hepsworth) and congregation—Priceless. Steven thinks he is in charge; however, he is a mere amateur next to Jane. They will not know what hit them.

Utterly irresistible. Loved everything about this book! The author is brilliant. She keeps you guessing, and Jane is one step ahead of everyone. If you are looking for an entertaining, twisty, and satisfying thriller, Jane Doe has it all. You won't be able to put this one down. Loved the ending.

Jane Doe would make a fabulous movie! A sequel, please. More Jane, please.

Why am I now just discovering this author? Trust me, she will be front and center from here on out. On my radar. Love her writing style. Move this one to the top of your list!

Fans of Green Hendricks/ Sarah Pekkanen’s The Wife Between Us, Kaira Rouda’s Best Day Ever, Liv Constantine The Last Mrs. Parrish, Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, and AR Torre’s The Girl in 6E Deanna Madden Series will devour!

A special thank you to #LakeUnion and #NetGalley for an early reading copy of #JaneDoe. Also purchased the audiobook. I listen to hundreds of audiobooks a year and think this is one of the most entertaining and best psychological suspense thriller audiobooks.

Victoria Helen Stone featured author in my forthcoming Newsletter. A Q&A elevator ride with the author.
JDCMustReadBooks

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A good revenge story is always a fun read, and this one did not disappoint! I want to be friends with Jane, even if she is a sociopath. She’s interesting and dark and this book was those things as well.

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I really enjoyed Jane Doe.
The writing was amazing, it was so easy to read, which was a surprise for a book marketed as a thriller. The voice that the author found for the narrator is what makes this book, it seems airy and humorous, but it's straight to the point. I liked the characters, and I especially liked the structure of the book, much like the narrator's voice, it gets to the point without jumping all over the place too much.
It's an intriguing read, and I couldn't put it down.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

JANE DOE: Jane is a sociopath with revenge on her agenda. She wants to destroy Steven who likes his women meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a man.

Stephen has taken something away from Jane though, and she wants revenge.

Verdict: 4 solid stars. I enjoyed the book, and was rooting for Jane. Its always fun to read how a sociopath seeks revenge for her best friend 😛

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Wow this book! Wow! One of the best I read this month! This had me hooked from beginning to end! Thank you so much for letting me review this. I want to read all this author has to offer

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A Sociopath is defined as a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior, and a lack of conscience.

Jane is a self proclaimed sociopath, posing as a low level data entry clerk in an insurance agency.

She has secured the job there so that she can meet Stephen Hepsworth, a man you are going to hate. He is the kind of man who calls every woman he seduces “babe” because they are all interchangeable. He likes his women meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a man.

Stephen has taken something away from Jane, and she is hell bent on revenge. I wanted her to succeed. And, I’m NOT going to apologize for that. After all, Jane wouldn’t.

This book was so much fun to read.

I didn’t want it to end!!

It reminded me of when I was eagerly awaiting the next episode of HBO’s Dexter-the serial killer you loved to root for! I miss Dexter. I miss him a lot.

And, now I am going to miss Jane. And, her cat. But, at least, I have mine....

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Amazing book! So smart and well thought out - didn’t want it to end! Jane is both strange and relatable at the same time - yet, I still found myself cheering her on in the end!

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Jane wears flowery dresses in her most unremarkable way in the most unremarkable data entry job at an insurance company. She is just the kind of woman middle-manager Steven Hepsworth likes, however-meek, demure always willing to defer to a man. No one really knows what or who Jane really is, Least of all Steven.

Jane has something to hide, and Steven has been bringing the worst out in her.

She goes straight for his heart, inserts herself into his family and his bed. Her goal is to expose all of his dirty little secrets. She wants to take everything that has ever mattered to him away.

REVIEW:

For the first time in a long time, I felt anger reading this book. I was not angry towards Jane, of course. I was angry, no, furious at Steven. That kind of guy exists EVERYWHERE. They are predators. I was glad that she had targeted him and had the plan that she did.

This was not an intelligent book, however, in that it was more of a revenge book. It reminded me of someone who had been in bad relationships before and wrote what they would have done if given a chance, or maybe they knew someone they would avenge. It was written well but lacked specific prose that I look for in books. Though it was entertaining because I like to see predators suffer, it didn't develop the characters the way I would have wanted either.

Also, a lot of time was spent explaining what a sociopath was and reminding the reader of that fact over and over again. It became exhausting. However, it was a good thing to be able to see how her mind worked and read her inner thoughts and be reassured that she wasn't as weak as she portrayed herself.

WRITING:
The writing was good. The sentences were structured well and flowed well, however, the prose was not there. I didn't get the feeling that I was reading a good story from a good novelist. It felt like this was written by an inexperienced author.

PLOT:
The plot stayed consistent over time, although some of her judgments didn't make sense to me. She was good at playing the part she intended for herself and did not falter, even though sociopaths typically have a hard time faking relationships and normal. The writer stayed the course and I think she will be successful with other books in the future with her plots if she continues down this path.

WHAT I LIKED:

I liked Jane a lot. She did let Steven get to her, but not enough to make her crumble. She was a strong character from what was described. I also liked Luke, a supporting character in the book ( which I probably shouldn't have revealed), because he helped her stay strong and feel "normal". I also liked how the story stayed consistent with the rapidity that Jane was moving along with her plan against Steven.

I liked that Jane wanted to destroy that awful guy Steven because, quite frankly, a guy like that deserves it.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

I didn't like that story was so short. It could have been longer and more twisted, to say the least. She could have gotten more involved with Steven and gotten more from him. It just seemed too fast. I enjoy psychological thrillers with more of a twist and more of a drawn-out scenario than I got here.

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Love this book! I’ve already recommended it to several of my friends and will be purchasing for our library.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for my free e-copy

Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone

This straightforward revenge story captured my attention quickly. I wanted to know why Jane was targeting Steven and what the connection with Meg was. The story line was simple: sociopathic narrator targets unsuspecting bad guy in order to exact revenge. Unfortunately, for me personally, the book was underwhelming and I didn’t like the clipped, choppiness of the writing (although I think it was meant to be that way to support the emotionless narrator’s personality). It was interesting enough to finish and I really loved the main character’s sarcasm and humor, but I wouldn’t keep this book on my shelf.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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This is a novel about revenge. Meet Jane. Her best friend Meg commited suicide after being mentally and emotionally abused by her boyfriend. Jane then tries to get revenge by getting involved with the boyfriend and trying to destroy his life and family. She's also a sociopath incapable of feeling emotions and being in love. It was a good read, and suspenseful and I especially fell in love with the character Luke, who is one of Jane's old college boyfriends she reconnects with.

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3.5 stars

“Even a sociopath likes to hear that she’s beautiful.”

A wickedly delicious character study of a sociopath out for revenge!

Jane, a 30-year-old, self-diagnosed sociopath is in Minneapolis on a mission--she is out to make the man who caused her best friend to commit suicide. Jane, a highly successful attorney who lives abroad, changes her looks and persona to attract abusive douchebag, Stephen. She gets a job doing data entry where Stephen works and plays the role of a meek, insecure woman to attract his attention. They begin dating, and Stephen almost immediately starts verbally abusing Jane--attacking her insecurities and making her doubt herself...But not to worry, Jane is only acting. She is anything but the woman Stephen thinks she is and begins constructing her vengeful plans to destroy Stephen and take away what he loves most.

“Most of us aren’t evil; we’re just stupid and flawed and not careful with others.”

Told through Jane’s caustic voice, this was a fun, entertaining read. I have to say it was refreshing to read a book told from the perspective of a female sociopath! Jane’s scathing voice kept me entertained throughout. It was nice to know from the beginning that Jane was in charge and I didn’t have to worry about her. I would have like to have delved deeper into her character--some of Jane’s past is shared and the reader can put the pieces together about her childhood and figure out how she became what she is but I would have liked to know even more. I loved her relationship with her unnamed sociopathic cat and while normally I would be upset to witness the destruction of a character, in this case, I relished the moment Jane enacted her revenge!

I recommend Jane Doe if you are looking for something a little different! I hope to see more of Jane in the future!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Lake Union publishing in exchange for an honest review.

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I was proved a free digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Jane Doe is a captivating tale of a sociopath bent on revenge after the tragic loss of her only connection to feeling human.

This book was absolutely riveting. While you know how the book will end, it's delicious to see everything play out by the end. Jane is a sociopath in the vein of Dexter-you want to like her and want her to win. While some elements of the book do veer toward cliches and I didn't find the tidy bow on the end particularly inspired, the characters felt real and believable and by the end of the book you WANT the cliche, regardless of the fact that it doesn't feel 100% real.

Overall, one of the best books I have read in years. Tight pacing, gripping plot development, and a satisfying fantasy of revenge for anyone that has ever watched a friend get hurt by the wrong guy.

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I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I hope to goodness that someone makes a movie out of this one. #1 it would be amazing (if they did it correctly). #2 this book rocked and I just loved it. Jane as a character was cold-blooded and vengeful, which fit her story in every way possible. There wasn't much that I didn't like about this book. Stephen was the perfect villain, someone you love to hate and who gets worse with each turn of the page. He was absolutely a pompous ass and a completely horrible person. Building up so much hatred for him throughout the book just made the ending that much more amazing. This book had one of the best endings I've experienced, an immensely satisfying experience for the readers as we vicariously live through Jane's journey to get the perfect revenge. I couldn't put this book down but at the same time I didn't want it to end. I didn't even mind that Jane was a sociopath, it almost made it more amusing - there were a lot of very dry humor and logical observations about Stephen the asshole. I also thought Jane's commentary on the cat was funny, calling it a fellow sociopath and all. Honestly this book was a great read and I'd highly recommend it, especially for anyone who likes to see a villain's complete annihilation.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me a copy of this book to read on my Kindle!! I loved it! Every word.

This book gets ALL the stars from me.

I love Jane. A known, self diagnosed, sociopath with the need for revenge. She's brave, daring, cunning and smart. Jane doesn't live in the states but she's come back when a position opens up as a data entry clerk in Steven's office.

She has plans for Steven.

This may be my favorite book this year. I'm really hoping for a sequel. Anyone out there that reads my reviews, I highly recommend this one.

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JANE DOE By Helen Stone is certainly much better than I first thought it to be. I am only familiar with this authors writings under the name Victoria Dahl. Jane was a self confessed sociopath who seeks to get revenge on a best friends boyfriend whose name is Steven. Steven is a man who attends church but for all the wrong reasons. His appeal s is important to him and he takes advantage of women. Janes friend commits suicide and Jane plans on getting even. She uses her sexuality and smarts to show him a true lesson. And boy does she. I just could not put this book down. I wanted to see a little more back story about Megan but I’d did not really change the story at all. This certainly will make you think twice about how you treat people.

Thank you to the author/publisher as well as netgalley for offering me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars ⭐️ out of 5

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Jane Doe is a rather disturbing novel focused solely upon revenge. At first I found Jane Doe a really intriguing character and her self-proclaimed sociopathy, and way of looking at the world fascinating. Her connection to, and use of books, as a means of understanding her world was revealing and insightful. I didn’t, however, appreciate the author’s strong anti-Christian bias. She denigrated the church and misrepresented Christian belief throughout the entirety of the book, and honestly, for me it was a deterrent. The book also became increasingly graphic and rather repetitive, as things progressed. I know that this story has been really popular, but for me, a novel focused solely on ruthless revenge isn't what I'm looking for.

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Jane is sweet, shy, and insecure. At least that is what she wants Steven to believe. Really, she’s a sociopath out for revenge… and Steven is her target.

Told from Jane’s point of view, the story of why she wants revenge and how she is going to get it is told as she entangles herself in Steven’s life. While Jane is a sociopath, she’s not really a bad person. She just doesn’t feel things the way most people do. Jane is smart, cunning, determined, and surprisingly humorous. She’s also very adept at blending in and following social cues. Jane isn’t a likable person, but she’s a great character to read about.

A thoroughly enjoyable psychological thriller. This is a straight up revenge story. Steven hurt Jane. Jane wants revenge. I love that this isn’t super twisty with multiple storylines. A fun and highly entertaining read.

This was a fast-paced read that I stayed up way too late to finish. Dark, engaging, and suspenseful. Great for fans of psychological thrillers.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I took this book with me for my vacay, and I enjoyed it even more than my holidays! Thanks to Amazon Publishing and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC, in exchange of my honest review.
This book doesn’t have a great story to call it a Thriller or a Crime Fiction, though the plot is simply intriguing because of the character “Jane” herself. She claims herself as a Sociopath who is devoid of emotions, and she wants in her life is Revenge on her best friend’s church-going-boyfriend who takes advantage of vulnerable women, destroys their confidence and integrity, then finally dumping them.
Jane wants to avenge her best friend Megan’s suicide, by taking everything from the man who considers himself as the pure Macho and then teach him the ultimate lesson! She uses her sexuality as the weapon of disaster and plots as much as possible, leaving the readers in expectations. There is literally a sociopathic plot in every single chapter, which makes you think. “Yes, Do it now!” “Kill Him!”
The author’s portrayal of Jane is simply a brutally-honest picture of every woman in the modern world, who is used, abused, and silently plotting her revenge in her brain, yet puts out a smile outside. I strongly recommend this book to every woman out there, to feel strong and independent and beautiful, as you are and never to be intimidated by the remarks from the outside world.

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When I started reading this book, I wanted to read something different and that would be able to catch my attention after reading a chick lit. I decided to give Jane Doe a chance without putting expectations AND MY GOD, WHAT A FANTASTIC BOOK!

Victoria we are not friends, but please write a sequel. I need to watch Jane continue her work!

Without giving much of the plot: if you read the synopsis know that the book can be three times better than there exposed. Jane is an incredible, intriguing, frightening and charismatic character (which is scary due the circunstance of the story!) Her journey through here questions our morals, even though we believe she is right doing what she want to do.

There are few characters in the narrative, but they are so well-cut that it becomes impossible for you to read and not imagine those people in front of you. (It was hard not to shoot my kindle every time Steven appeared on scene!).

Also, Victoria's writing is delicious. She catches your attention with Jane's point of view in a diabolically sarcastic, devious, intelligent away. The chapters are short, which makes reading more agile and even thought-provoking. There were times when I found myself unable to stay away from kindle.

It's one of my favorite readings this year.

A novel unlike anything I've read.

If you watched the series Have Revenge, that book will warm your heart.


I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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