The Silent Victim is the first book in the Jessie Tucker Mystery series and I have to say I was completely and thoroughly hooked right from the start.  

Crime reporter Jessie Tucker was attacked twelve years ago as she made her way home from an outdoor concert. Having fought her way back to full recovery, a slight limp is the only reminder of the trauma of that night. The police told her she was unlucky and that she was safe after they charged a local man for the crime. But Jessie has never managed to shake the feeling that there was someone else in the park that night, that she knew.

When a woman is attacked and killed, the police believe the deceased was a random target, but Jessie Tucker isn’t convinced – she’s seen this crime scene before, when she was the victim.

When the dead woman, Margaret Kincaid’s murder file lands on her desk, Jessie knows she can’t keep silent any longer. Margaret’s wounds exactly match her own, but Jessie’s attacker is in prison, and Jessie has never met the victim. What links her to Margaret Kincaid, and why did the attacker let one woman live, and the other die?

Then the police gun down their main suspect and it seems that Margaret’s case will die with him. But Jessie is sure that the police got it wrong: the real killer is still out there, and it’s someone close to home. It’s up to Jessie to put together the pieces before he finds his next victim… but who can she trust with the horrendous truth?

Written from the point of view of Jessie, I fell right into this well-crafted and absorbing tale and I felt as though I was shadowing her as she worked at chasing her story and following her leads and instincts. I adored the story-lines which were easy to follow and Dana Perry's writing-style was  impressive and note-worthy. I had considered several scenarios but I completely off the mark and never would have guessed the end result. 

Also, I think that the author merely scratched the surface with Jessie's portrayal. I was extremely taken with this character's toughness, drive and tenacity and look forward to reading about her in future instalments of this series. With its polished pacing and plotting I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable, original and difficult to put down début from Dana Perry. Evidently he is a gifted storyteller who can provide readers with thrills, sophistication and a story packed with substance. A very highly recommended five star read.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

A jaw dropping finish with more twists then you can imagine. 

"It's easy to read conspiracy into things that you have no answer for...."

Sometimes things just seem a little bit too easy...a little bit too convenient. 
Jessie Tucker survived a brutal attack 12 years before in Central Park. This changed her life in so many ways. She is now a crime reporter for the Tribune concentration on the stories of the victims. 

Margaret Kincaids body is found in Central Park. She was bludgeoned to death with a rock. She worked in the campaign office of Senator Frank Lansdale and was in a relationship with his son.
Her murderer is swiftly found and killed by the police when he resists arrest. 

Things don't add up for Jessie. Who was Margaret really and why is there an eerie resemblance to her own case 12 years ago? Jessie is like a real pitbull who will not give up finding the truth even if it means going up against powerful people.

I can highly recommend this book! It's a quick read that will really keep you guessing till the end....and then some more!

Thank you to #bookouture and #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

WOW WOW WOW I absolutely loved this book. It completely blew my mind and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since I finished reading it! There are so many adjectives to describe this book but here are some that describe it best. It is action packed, addictive, brilliant, captivating, compelling, dangerous, dark, gripping, intense, riveting, spine tingling, terrifying and twisted! I could just keep going and going! I devoured this in one sitting as I could not tear myself away from it. What a magnificent start to a new series. I need the next book stat!

Dana has crafted a chilling plot that took me hostage right from the start until the final word. I was glued to the pages and was disappointed when it came to the end. I just couldn’t get enough. What I loved about this story the most is that Jessie Tucker is not part of the police force. While I love police procedural books that centre on detectives, I thought Dana making a newspaper journalist it’s central character to solve the crime a refreshing change. It was good to look at this type of book from a different perspective rather than the norm. I also really enjoyed the setting in New York. While it is a beautiful state, Dana focuses more on its darker side with its crime, shady politicians and dirty cops.

Jessie Tucker is such an amazing character. She has been extremely well written and brought to life beautifully. She is so inspiring and what I loved most about her was her strength. She has been through the most traumatic of experiences, but has come through the other side so much stronger. She could have quite easily just shut herself off from the world but she was not going to stay the victim. I loved how she always followed her gut instincts and didn’t let others get in the way, even if it meant breaking some rules along the way and at the risk of putting herself in danger. I haven’t been this excited about a character in a long time and can’t wait to see what Dana has in store for her in the second instalment.

I really loved Dana’s style. I was impressed with his writing, which is so engaging and gave life to the story. It is very visual and I could see each scene being played out in my head as I read each word. The characters are all perfectly written and are well developed and believable in the roles that they play. Dana also does a great job in building tension and suspense throughout which includes ingenious twists and turns. Just when you think it is all done, Dana throws in a twist, then another, then another and then another one! My head was spinning and my heart was racing! It was fantastic and not over done in the slightest. It just enhanced the story even more and my enjoyment of it. Dana is definitely the master at this.

So I think you get the drift that I loved this book and can not recommend it highly enough. It is a stunning start for a new series and a first class crime thriller where I hope there will be many books to come. It is definitely in my top books for 2019, with Dana being my standout male author of the year. Look out James Patterson, there is a new crime thriller writer in town!

Thank-you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Dana Perry for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Silent Victim which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A very well written story of a victim turned journalist investigating the death of a woman in Central Park. Keeps the reader engrossed, a page turner. I would have preferred to have the climax to be deduced from the clues rather than a confession. Highly recommended.

Favorite Quotes:

The coffee looked terrible and tasted even worse, but drinking coffee was part of the cop– reporter mating ritual. I had spent hours and hours drinking bad coffee in precinct houses all over the city. 

I’m hopeless… This is more than just going through a dating dry spell. Men now actually run away to avoid any kind of physical contact with me.


My Review:

Written from the first-person POV of Jessie a female journalist and survivor of a heinous assault. I fell right into this well-crafted and absorbing tale and slid inside Jessie’s pocket as she went about chasing her story and gathering her info.  The storylines and writing style were easy to follow, cunningly paced, and shrewdly plotted with more twists than an anaconda’s lunch.  

I am stunned and awed to note this cleverly contrived book was written by a man – what an observant and sly silver-tongued devil he must be!  He certainly led me on a merry chase and held my rapt attention throughout as he steadily ratcheted up the tension and intrigue to a staggering climax.  I had postulated several theories but I was off by a mile and never would have guessed the end result.  Dana Perry may well be an evil genius; his neighbors best keep the noise down and ply him with treats.

The Silent Victim is the first instalment in the Jessie Tucker Mystery Series and I was pleased to have discovered a new series with a lot of promise and one that begins with a bang. Crime reporter Jessie Tucker puts her life on the line daily in order to bring the truth to those who seek it through her news articles. But it hasn't always been that way; 12 years ago she was heinously attacked and brutally left for dead with the apparent perpetrator collared, convicted and imprisoned by the local police force. However, another horrific assault has taken place with an almost identical modus operandi but the police reassure her that the assailant responsible for her injuries, both physical and mental/emotional, is still serving hard time. Jessica, though, is painfully not convinced. Yet it is even more crucial that the correct person is identified and reprimanded/punished as this time the victim wasn't so lucky and passed on as a result of the horrendous injuries she sustained.

Jessica has more than a vested interest in pinning these crimes on the criminal responsible whereas the crime-fighting forces' primary concern appears to be a solution, any solution in order to "solve" the terrifying incidents as rapidly as humanly possible. I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable, original and impossible to put down debut from Mr Perry and it is clear we are in the presence of a gifted storyteller who can not only provide us with the thrills we crime connoisseurs ceaselessly demand but also the rarities of subtle sophistication and a story packed with substance as well as style; Perry is the real deal. I particularly loved that the main plot hits close to home for our protagonist Jessica as she tries to bring justice to her own case as well as that of the victim who is deceased. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Jessie was attacked in Central Park 12 years ago. After a long recovery, she switched careers and started covering crimes for the newspaper. When an aide for the US senator from New York is murdered in Central Park, the apparent murderer is quickly caught but Jessie doesn’t buy it and launches her own in investigation uncovering all kinds of deception.
I thought this book was excellent. I did not expect to enjoy it nearly as much as I did. This was a story filled with twists and turns and an interesting investigation. When I thought I knew who did it, I was wrong. When I thought I was at the end and I knew everything I needed to know, I was wrong, there was still more to the story. This was tied up tightly and I am glad that this is going to be a series because I will definitely be reading the next one.

This is a great start to a new series. 
Jessie Tucker is a reporter and takes an interest in a murder in Central Park as she was attacked here twelve years ago. 
Jessie barely survived but has built herself back up and gets the bit between her teeth trying to get to the bottom of the recent murder as it’s so similar to her attack. 
I loved the way Jessie wouldn’t let anything stop her from getting to the truth and when more people start dying, it all becomes very real. 
I hope there will be more books in this series as I’d love to know what’s next for Jessie. 
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[Original title: GIRL WALKING ALONE]


THE SILENT VICTIM is an incredibly engrossing psychological/journalistic emotional thriller. Twelve years ago Jessie Tucker was accosted in Central Park, viciously beaten, left for dead. Eventually she achieved a miraculous recovery which she has never taken for granted. She left advertising to become a reporter, at which she is a bulldog and award winner. But this latest story proves to be so incredibly convoluted and quite possibly connected to her own assault. Finding the facts is akin to traveling the convolutions of the interior of a Nautilus shell; but oh how gratifying for the immensely engaged reader!

Brilliant! Brilliant! Super freaking brilliant!!

Why do I have to say anything more?

Jessie was the journalist, investigating the murder of Charlotte Kinkaid in Central Park. The case was close to her heart as years ago, Jessie too was found badly beaten, half dead. She became the face of a survivor, a success story who now wrote about other victims from their POV. This murder pulled not only on her instincts but also on the past, to her ordeal.

My first book by author Dana Perry, I have to say it aloud – he is a master storyteller who could write a book like a ball of yarn where nobody other than him knew how it would end. A shocker of a finish. Jessie was endearing, in fact, I was quite shocked to learn a male author had portrayed her so well. She was complexed and layered. I loved the fact that the author showed that a survivor would never trust anyone completely. A tiny nugget of distrust keeps us alive always.

Twists and secrets, turns and reveals, lies and truth made this book a fabulous read. For me, not a moment was spent where I felt the information given to me was not needed. I loved how the made this story rocking. Thrills were injected at the right places which made me long for more. Twists were hidden with the sleight of the hand till they were revealed with a bang.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book. But end it here saying – I did love the book!! You got that, right?

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I am a big lover of crime novels so I was excited for this one. 

Most crime novels are told from the detective's perspective but this one is written from the journalist's point of view. It was very interesting to see this side of the story. The MC is Jessie Tucker. Jessie survived a horrific attack 12 years earlier. Jessie has worked hard to get her life back to normal as soon as possible. I really liked Jessie. She is dogged and determined. She leaves no stone unturned. 

The story itself has lots of twists and turns. When you think you have it figured out the story did a 180 and turned everything on its head. I love it when I can't figure it out and this book had me well and truly stumped. 

This was a good start to what will hopefully be a really promising series. I am very intrigued as to where it's going to go next.

Jessie Tucker was attacked in Central Park twelve years ago and left for dead. Now a crime reporter she is covering another attack in the same park. The victim is not who she says she is and the case has been closed why? A real pact crime thriller which I devoured in one sitting, plenty of tension and suspense that kept me tapping my kindle faster and faster. As for the ending WHAM definitely not what I was expecting. A new series and I can't wait to read more. Almost five stars and highly recommended. 
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Jessie changed careers after suffering from an attack 12 yrs prior.
She is an crime reporter and gets assignment close to her own attack.
Many suspects will keep you guessing. 
Can't wait for an other assignment for Jessie

Jessie Tucker Mystery #1

Twelve years ago Jessie Tucker was brutally attacked and left for dead. Jessie is now a crime reporter who has  een assigned the brutal murder of a young woman in Central Park,  the  very park that Jessie had been assaulted in. This  case is eerily similar to what had happened to Jessie. But Jessie's perpetrator was caught and sent to prison. Thinking the police aren't doing enough, Jessie decides to do her own investigation into the death of Margaret Kincaid. 

This is a promising start to a new series. I got into the story quite quickly. I liked Jessie, shes a strong feisty character whose got guts and determination. There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing. There are some sex scenes that are quite graphic. The pace is fast in this well written story that also covers politics, blackmail and murder. A very good de ut novel. I will be reading more from this series when they become available.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is exceptional! To be able to write a story in a story and make it believable is a feat into itself! I highly recommend this book and I expect to see many more great books come about by this author in the future. Enjoy! 📚

"You never know what you're going to find when you start messing around with the past."

Jessie Tucker is a survivor. Twelve years ago, she was attacked and left for dead in Central Park. She eventually recovered from her horrific injuries and went on to become a crime reporter for the NEW YORK TRIBUNE. The perpetrator was caught, sentenced to prison and died in a knife attack there. She's learning to let go of the past when another woman is found in the park, this one murdered in a scarily similar fashion and is identified as a campaign aid to a local senator, Frank Landsdale. Jessie can't help but think that the events that follow aren't the makings of an incredible story, so she begins her own investigation into the death of Margaret Kincaid using her own experience to heighten the story. Little does she know what her dogged, in depth pursuit of the truth will reveal. NO SPOILERS.

Well, this was certainly a book that begs to be read in a single sitting. It was quite intense with twists around every corner! I enjoyed the narrative and really found myself able to relate to the character of Jessie Tucker. Yeah, she goes of half-cocked and is nosing into everyone's business, but her aim is to figure out what happened to Margaret Kincaid as well as to end her curiosity about her own near death experience. There are plausible suspects around every corner and the shocks just keep on coming as Jessie does her thing. I enjoyed this and am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series as this was the debut. I liked the writing style and the complicated plot. It was a bit different to my usual detective novels and I relished the change of point of view. More please.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

Jessie Tucker was brutally attacked 12 years ago and was left for dead in Central Park.  In the present day, Jessie is now a crime reporter who gets assigned to a brutal murder of a young woman in Central Park that is eerily familiar.  As Jessie dives into the case that the cops have deemed closed she learns things are not as they seem.  Jessie quickly begins to see there may be a connection between her past and her present but what is she willing to risk to find out the truth.

For a debut novel, the author does an excellent job at character development.  Further editing may have provided a better pace to the story as by the end I was flying through the chapters to find out the truth.  Overall this book will be enjoyed by fans of Law and Order and it will shock readers when the ending is revealed.  

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping and full of suspense, this one grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let you go. There is much to love about this first book in a new series. Jesse Tucker is a complex and intriguing character that takes the term dogged to  a new level. There are so many shocking moments and twists that I couldn't put it down. I had to read it straight through. It was worth the loss of sleep. This is a thriller that lives up to the genre. The interesting cast of characters are a bonus. I can't wait for the next book. This is an author not to be missed.

Wow! That was excellent book! The reporter haven’t much luck finding who shot her and landing at the hospital..I’m just glad that she’s okay..

Looking forward to read more book soon...

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy...

Readers, watch out for this author as the next big thing! “Girl Walking Alone” by Dana Perry is going to be the next bestselling murder mystery with “girl” in the title. It is as good as the best in the crime genre. I am glad that the sub-title, “a Jessie Tucker mystery” indicates more to come; I plan to read the series.

Dana Perry’s voice grabbed my attention from the start. It is a voice that makes you want to keep reading the novel. One page leads easily onto the next as you are keen to learn about Jessie Tucker’s life, present and past. There are minor quibbles that the reader has to reread several times the gruesome, near-fatal attack on Jessie 12 years prior. One hopes that subsequent books of the series will gloss over this matter. As this was an advance copy, there are a couple of typos that should be removed in the final edit.

What I was further pleasantly surprised about were the twists, turns and new revelations that kept coming. Like Agatha Christie’s mysteries, the eye of suspicion falls on a pleasantly wide cast of characters. Dana Perry isn’t shy about quickly exploiting the breadcrumb-clue trail she has left for the reader who isn’t left in the abyss some writers drop their readers into as they wait for the author to pick up the clue/s again.

Jessie Tucker, once a media sensation for making a miracle recovery following a brutal attack in Central Park, New York City, has become a successful crime journalist. Jessie had identified her assailant who was convicted and later killed in prison. As in the case of her assault, in the new murder investigation, the NYC detectives investigate, quickly solve and close the case file.

Reporting on what starts out as the supposedly random murder of Margaret Kincaid in Central Park, Jessie is startled by the similarities to her own attack in Central Park more than a decade ago. This and the increasing flashbacks plunge Jessie into heightened feelings of insecurity. Having been lulled into a false state of security thinking she was out harm’s way from her attacker, Jessie now suspects the cases are linked and the murderer – now a serial offender – is still at large. This propels her to reopen her own investigation. The powers that be in her management, politics and most importantly, the police, however, think the links between the recent murder and her case are only in Jessie’s mind.

As Jessie plunges into exploring the question marks, more mysteries pile up quick and fast. Is this a sexually-motivated attack? If so, why was the woman not raped? To find answers, Jessie travels from New York City to Kettering, Ohio, and Santa Barbara, California. Jessie even visits Hearst Castle in San Simeon which I visited a couple of weeks ago, which brought back happy memories.

Framing a crime around sexual politics is timely in these days of the Me-Too movement. However, this novel carries far greater complexity than that. It delves into the NYC mayoralty, USA senate and national politics, the police in their various precincts, the US-led 1991 Gulf War in Iraq, war veterans, the media and even a case of mistaken/ false identity. This all makes for a meaty mystery and a satisfying, page-turning read.

Jessie Tucker’s character is nuanced and relatable. The victim’s brother, Logan Kincaid arrives in NYC to seek out Jessie, and makes an interesting character himself. “Girl Walking Alone” is an excellent crime procedural, well-paced with a good author’s voice. Dana Perry will become a big name in crime writing.

Thank-you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Dana Perry for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Girl Walking Alone in exchange for an honest review.

This review also appears in Netgalley and https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/2019/11/girl-walking-alone-by-dana-perry.html and https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3043524377