I’m going to say up front that I’m a massive Helen Fields fan, with The Last Girl to Die being a particular favourite of mine. Her last novel introduced us to the unusual and complex psychologist and profiler Dr. Connie Woolwine at The Institution. Connie makes a cameo here, but the undoubted heroine of this tale is Midnight Jones. Midnight lives with her twin sister Dawn ( see what the parents did there) and is her main carer, since their parents chose to go travelling when Midnight finished university. Dawn was affected by lack of oxygen at birth leading to Cerebral Palsy. It’s effects are very individual to the patient, but it can cause both physical and intellectual disabilities. Dawn is profoundly affected, needing care 24/7 and that’s why Midnight is desperate to keep her job at Necto. She needs their higher than average pay packet to cover the costs of care. The company like to present themselves as an ethical firm, starting with their space age offices, filled with plants and trees that help create a better work environment. They have their fingers in many pies, but Midnight is a profiler and every day works through thousands of applications for universities, the military and other organisations, passing some applicants through to be interviewed and rejecting others based on assessment data alone.

Necto’s testing systems are so sophisticated, there’s nothing about the applicant they don’t know. In assessments, virtual reality head sets show images and the applicants every response is recorded from intelligence to levels of empathy. Then, dependent on the parameters for the particular institution they’re applying to, they are accepted or not. However, on this particular day Midnight finds a candidate who isn’t run of the mill, in fact he’s a one-off. In training, a candidate like this is jokingly dubbed a ‘Profile K’- for killer - Midnight finds a man who has recorded as showing zero empathy. When she watches the footage he was shown through her own headset, she is sickened by what she sees. This is way beyond the normal films shown to illicit empathy, it’s as if the machine couldn’t get a reading so has chosen more and more disturbing and violent images that should provoke empathy and disgust. Yet none comes. Unable to compute the response and also where such extreme footage could have come from, Midnight decides to take this further but her supervisor Richard Baxter isn’t interested. So she goes over his head, telling his boss that she’s found a Profile K. Surely they have a duty to report him, what if he’s dangerous? What if he kills? 

I’ve read three great thrillers this weekend in quick succession but this was by far the most inventive, with a hint of dystopia and a touch of social justice that was right up my street. I empathised with Midnight’s situation, determined not to let down her sister Dawn but struggling to pay for just enough care that Midnight can go to work. There is no room for a social life or romance. Their heads are just above water, but there’s no flexibility or empathy for her care role within her company, despite it’s apparent ethics. She takes a big risk taking her findings higher than Richard Baxter, because if she loses her job how will she afford the care Dawn needs? Yet she can’t ignore what she knows. Especially when the worst happens. A young woman is killed very close to where she and Dawn live and although Midnight doesn’t know this at first, the torture methods used are very close to a scene from the film shown during the Profile K’s application process. The victim was subjected to the death of a thousand cuts, which would have been both a painful and long drawn out way to die. Midnight is horrified to find that her boss would rather keep her discovery under wraps and she’s reminded of her non-disclosure agreement. What reason could they have that’s better than saving the lives of future victims? Midnight has read about the psychologist and profiler Dr Connie Woolwine and has a theory to run past someone with her expertise. Not expecting a response, she sends a message and is pleasantly surprised when the unusual doctor calls her late at night to talk it through. Midnight is scared of the consequences, but sure of her theory - could Necto have known about the Profile K? What if they showed the violent material on purpose to trigger a response? To turn someone with killer potential into a killer for real. 

I absolutely loved this belting thriller, because it was complex and intelligent but also full of human feeling. I guess this might sound strange when there’s quite graphic violence involved in some scenes, but they’re balanced by the pure depth of feeling Midnight has for her sister and later on for the elderly lady they begin a friendship with. I loved how authentic Midnight’s caring situation was, with a very clear struggle between wanting to provide the best help for someone she loves but feeling the fear of that sole responsibility. The anger she feels towards her parents is very real, because although she understands their need to follow their dreams, their freedom has curtailed her own. She can’t make any life decision without factoring Dawn in. How could she have a romantic relationship? What if she falls ill herself? Having been a carer I know how lonely and exhausting it can be. We can see the pull between home and work life, in that they both hinder and are dependent on each other. Parts of the book are genuinely terrifying. There is a scene that’s going to stay with me, like that episode of Luther where a woman gets undressed and climbs into bed followed by a ceiling shot where a man slowly slides out from underneath as if he’s been working under a car. It’s that combination of vulnerability and evil. We’ve all done that walk home where we get inside and lock the door, then take a deep breath and know we’re safe. To be attacked in that moment is heart-stoppingly scary! In the end, everything had to stop for those final chapters as I raced through to find out what happens. I was glued to these scenes, made all the more terrifying because the victim doesn’t have a clue how much danger she’s in. It’s one of those finales where I put the book down and realised every muscle in my body was tense! I needed some yoga stretches and a few episodes of Friday Night Dinner before bed to unwind. This is an absolute cracker of a read and I highly recommend it.

Midnight Jones is an analyst and comes across an Applicant that seems to be a psychopath. He is rated as Profile K - K stands for Killer.
Her company's policy prevents her from disclosing this Profile to the Police when there are a series of cruel and brutal murders.
Unfortunately, Midnight is on the list.

Wow, what a dark and gruesome book! And to think that this technology has already been invented. Not for the reason (so "they" say) it is used for in the book.

I like the character of Midnight, she is empathetic, strong, loyal and smart. Richard also turned out to be OK, although I did not like him in the beginning of the book.
Also, the book shows the reader that those you trust can have feet of clay.

This is a fast paced, cleverly thought out, heart pounding thriller.

I recommend. 5/5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this book.

Dear Helen Fields, you are a badass! What I thought was going to be your typical serial killer storyline was something much more complex! I now want gobble up everything you’ve written. Bravo. 👏

Midnight Jones, cool ass name btw, works for a biotech company reviewing profiles. One day she gets an alert telling her the test someone took profiles them as Profile K. Confused Midnight is dying to know what exactly Profile K means. The test the subject took was quite disturbing. Midnight goes through the video and test herself. Holy hell. What human could actually watch something so horrifying and not be affected? Definitely not someone normal. It was torture just to watch.

The next day at work, she learns a woman has been brutally murdered in her neighborhood. Somehow she thinks there might be a link. As she starts to investigate on her own, more disturbing details and more crime emerges.

This was my first Helen Fields book. I’m grateful to a friend who recommended her. I will say she hit the nail on the head with shedding her characters out. Excellent character development and I was drawn to several of them. Yes, Midnight was making some risky choices, but I was still rooting for her character the whole time. She was someone I admired for her integrity and her empathy for others. In fact, it would be awesome if the author gave us more Midnight and turned this into a series! I look forward to reading her other works and what she has in store for her career. 😊

I’d like to thank Avon Books, NetGalley and Helen Fields for the opportunity! Brilliantly done! All opinions are my own.
Publication date April 25, 2024.
5 well deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow this was a frightening read and more so because of the possibility of the kind of analytics that could genuinely form part of job applications etc in the future. Midnight Jones works as a profiler for an horrific sounding employer but they pay very well which she needs to help with care costs for her twin sister. When one profile comes up with a code she’s never heard of her determination to investigate it leads to her jeopardising her job and her life as she is convinced it links to someone who has recently committed some extremely gruesome murders. This is a real page turner and seeing so much manipulation playing out also enraged me too! Midnight herself is a really brilliant character but the situation she found herself in was shocking and the actual murders were truly brutal. This was original but it’s the scary possibility of it all that makes it such a strong read with major ethical dilemmas.

I really enjoyed reading this one, it was full of intense moments that had me gripped until the very end.

Loved everything about it. Loved the name midnight, Loved the relationship with her sister and Doris, just great! Really draws you in as it is so compelling I struggled to put it down, I have read previous books by Helen and I think this one tops the lot!

Less of book, more of an explosion of genius. Absolutely loved it and now want to read more from her. Believeable characters, amazing plot. Loved it

This book grabs your attention from the off. Helen Fields knows how to write a fantastic thriller, gripping, scary and terrifying! Definitely think this is one of her best novels to date.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book

Everything you need in a thriller, suspense, great characters and a brilliant story line to keep you hooked. Helen Fields really knows how to write a brilliant book
Thank you for the advance copy netgalley

I enjoyed this action packed, dark and twisty book and read it in three nights. Like previous books I’ve enjoyed by Helen Fields it’s fast paced and feels very much like a 90s/00s action/thriller film - Se7en meets Minority Report in this case. With high stakes and intriguing characters it was a thrilling ride.

Unfortunately, I was pulled out of the story a few times by things I felt were unrealistic. I might’ve read it differently if it was set further in the future or a dystopian setting but it just didn’t quite work for me hence the 4 stars.

”'Dark and atmospheric with some brilliantly horrific characters and some excellent twists. Compelling and Unputdownable

A really gripping, albeit a little gruesome thriller. Midnight is a data analyst working for a big company when she encounters an applicant for TESU whose profile is terrifying. She reports it to her manager who refuses to acknowledge it so she goes over his head to the top. The company start reminding her of confidentiality and rewards against the backdrop of a killer in her home area of London. The story begins…
This story raises questions about how the human mind can be manipulated and how big industry can at times focus on making money above ethics and morally right behaviour. It was an engaging story, I liked the characters and there was definitely a good level of suspense built in. I have read and liked Helen’s previous work and this book is no exception.

Profile K begins with one of the most terrifying first chapters I’ve ever read! Helen Fields certainly knows how to capture the reader’s attention from the off! I found myself on tenterhooks, anticipating what lay ahead. Profile K has an unusual premise for a psychological thriller, but I do love the unusual. It’s a real page turner, (cliched but true) that will keep you riveted until the very last page.

Midnight Jones works as an analyst for Necto that offers profiling for employment and education. In her routine day-to-day work, she comes across a Profile K file. Code K is for those who have no empathy and lack boundaries. They have all the makings of a potential killer! After the most gruesome murder of a local girl named Chloe Martin, Midnight attempts to inform Necto of her concerns, but they appear unwilling to listen to her. Why? here’s where I say ‘you will just have to read the book to find it!’ In finding the file, she could be the killer’s next victim.

One thing that’s guaranteed to get me hooked is when an author takes the reader on a terrifying journey into the mind of a killer. I have a morbid curiosity about the darker side of the human psyche, so the chapters told from the killers’ POV are not only fascinating but give the reader an insight into a very disturbed individual. Midnight is one of those characters you immediately warm to. Her major role is caring for her twin sister Dawn, who has special needs. She’s loyal, extremely intelligent and resilient. A strong supporting cast aids her in her investigation. I especially loved Doris with her upbeat personality and warm nature.

Profile K isn’t for the fainthearted as some scenes are pretty grim, but they add a genuine sense of terror to the overall read. There were so many brilliant twists and turns. Each time I thought I had it all worked out, the author threw a curve ball, which certainly enhanced my reading experience. Expertly plotted, Helen Fields throws a spanner in the works with perfectly placed red herrings that misdirect the reader at every given opportunity. The plot is dark, gripping and refreshingly different to most plots in the psychological genre, which is a HUGE bonus. I’m hoping the teaser at the end leads to a series. Highly recommend to those who love dark psychological thrillers.

My review will be published to the following nearer publication date

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A dark and intense mystery featuring a unique protagonist and a meticulously plotted storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat

Midnight Jones is an analyst trained to understand the human mind. But everything changes when, in the course of her work, she discovers Profile K’s file – because K stands for killer, and she knows that someone more dangerous than she could have ever imagined walks among them.
The person in question knows that Midnight has looked at his file, which places her firmly in his sights.

I absolutely adore Helen Field's books and was thrilled to be approved for this one. Profile K grabbed me right from the first chapter and I never lost that 'on edge' feeling the whole time I was reading it.

The characters are so incredibly well written that I felt I knew them, fully invested in their stories and willing the best to happen for them.

Profile K is a fast paced emotional rollercoaster of a book, where I was more than happy to go along for the ride. I whizzed through the book, desperate to know how it ended and I was not disappointed.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Oh, I really did like this book. I must have done. either that or it was only ten pages long as it disappeared in a flash. I love that I always get that from a Helen Fields novel - a story which draws me in so completely that I lose all concept of time, and characters who are so well developed that I am totally invested in their fate, be it to the better or the worse. That was most definitely the case with Midnight Jones, a data analyst at Necto, a company specialising in analysis of the brain, the application of which, as far as Midnight is concerned at least, is in determining a psychological profile of applicants for university or job interviews.

So far, so normal-ish ... at least until a profile lands in her work list that shows some very, very, disturbing traits. A not so subtly named 'Profile K'. But profile K is an office urban legend - the worst of the worst. The profile that isn't meant to really exist. Isn't it? Well, luckily for readers, that is absolutely not the case and, unluckily for Midnight, alerting management to the issues is about to create her a whole world of problems. Helen Fields takes us on one heck of a ride as Midnight fights to have her concerns recognised, resolute in her mission to discover the identity of the mystery profile owner before they do something that can't be undone.

Which would be okay if it wasn't already too late. Be prepared folks. We know that Ms Fields is the queen of dark but she has excelled herself this time. The book opens is typically dramatic fashion and leaves readers very much on edge from the get go. Yes, there are some lighter moments to come, but be this is one fast paced, high tension, high stakes ride with so many loops and switchbacks you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd take a wrong turn at the bookshop and ended up in a queue at Alton Towers instead. Just when I thought I had a handle on what was happening, the book took another dramatic turn and I was left not quite sure which side was up again. There are clues which are fed into the story, some scenes from the killers perspective for a start, showing some insight into how they ended up with such a dark side, but also red herrings, designed to distract and confuse - and it bloody well works.

Now this is not part of the author's current running series as such, but it is series adjacent, and avid readers will recognise a familiar face in amongst the varied, and largely loathsome, cast of characters. It was a nice interlude, aiding Midnight's investigations and giving her some much needed insight into who it was she was looking for, if not quie alerting her to all the potential dangers she might face. I liked this foray into the world of psychology, looking at a rather troubling and little known type of psychopathy. It was informative without being too detailed, and enhanced rather than slowed the pace of the story.

As always, the author has done a bang up job of creating the setting and tone of the story. The highly secretive and security focused tech world of Necto, contrasted with the day to day lives of Midnight and the victims of Profile K. The murders are disturbing, but not graphic, the sense of terror allowed to build whilst keeping readers away from the dark deed itself. It if explored after the fact, by way of the post mortem and police investigations, rather than through a killer's eye view, but this is troubling enough. And with the killer's next victim in their sights, we never quite get to rest easy, part of the reason I read on so fast. I needed to know how it ended.

Midnight is a brilliant character, driven by the love for her sister and aided by some very unexpected - and varied - friendships that develop out of the course of the story. The good news is that the ending of the book gives me a very positive feeling for the future and I can't wait to see what comes next from the author.

Dark, pacy, full of tension and totally and utterly riveting, fans are going to eat this up. Which is potentially quite apt given the story ... Loved it. Definitely a winner

A Definite Page Turner…. 👀

What to say in addition to the premise of this book you’ve already read…. Profile K is told by more than one perspective, but mainly Midnight J’s and at times going back to earlier times in their lives. Midnight is a trained analyst looking into human minds, a job she seems to enjoy until discovering a very concerning applicant, who’s been branded as Profile K, where Midnights fight and worries begin…. Midnight has her twin sister to take care of, so cannot afford to lose her job, but also wants to do what’s right. A wise lady, but just who can she actually trust?..

From the very first page until the end, this book kept me engaged in Midnights fight. A definite page turner and should read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins, look forward to the next book from Helen Fields.

Thank you Avon Books UK and Netgalley for this ARC.
Where do I start - this was mind blowing!
For me this was a blinder of a book.
The characters, the storyline/plot, the way the story moved on, everything about it was brilliant. It was also good to see Connie make an appearance.
The book really made me think about what is going on in some of these companies and it is worrying.
I can also see another book coming along with Midnight and Connie - bring it on!
I highly recommend this book and if I could give it 10 stars I would.
I have now read all of Helen's books and she is in my top 5 authors list.
More please x

A horrifying attack on Chloe Martin in her home where she should feel safe is made worse somehow by the cheerful, fun message on her landline left by her sister and three-year-old niece as the incident takes place. Switch to Necto Corporation in London, a biotech company, specialising in the human brain, and Midnight Jones, who is a carer for her twin sister Dawn, who has severe special needs. Midnight’s job is to assess applicant profiles for, amongst other things, university places. When she gets a profile of data scores that has to be a system glitch or corrupt data, she does some deeper analysis and holy moly, what is revealed is terrifying. She certainly feels horror but not so the applicant known as profile K and I’m sure you can work out what the K stands for. Alarm bells are clanging at mega decibels for Midnight, so she does the right thing. As for ‘K’ the routine test has shown what they are potentially capable of and it doesn’t bode well. DI Jock Ruskin investigates but this will leave its mark.

Can I breathe now? Helen Fields is known for her tense thrillers, and this is the take a gulp kind, as she’s turned up the fear factor to the maximum notch in this chiller thriller. Here we not only have someone who is accelerating in the worst possible way but there are chills of an altogether different kind come from a big brother organisation. What kind of game are they playing?

Midnight Jones as a central protagonist is immensely likeable, not only is she honourable, but she’s selfless as she cares for Dawn and that family backstory makes you very cross on her behalf. Salvation appears in the form of septuagenarian Doris who is quite simply wonderful. We also get to meet Doctor Connie Woodwine again in a peripheral, but important role too. It’s worth checking out The Shadow Man and The Institution as both feature Connie and are excellent books.

My blood runs pretty cold at the start of this fast paced novel, but those chills soon freeze pretty solidly at more than one junction of the plot. There are twists, and then some, and an ever present feeling of fear overhangs the storytelling. There’s some horror as it’s not a pretty tale, it’s creative, original and some parts may seem far-fetched but they’re not beyond the awful realms of possibility. Do we really know what goes on behind the closed doors of powerful institutions? Who is the monster in this tale? I wholeheartedly approve of the optimistic ultimate ending after all the angst. Now some of the characters can breathe too.

Finally, anything Helen Fields writes I’m there, and I’ll jostle the queue with my elbows to get to the front!!

With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to Avon Books UK, for the much appreciated in return for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Helen Fields' writing so was excited to read this latest book. It certainly didn't disappoint. Midnight Jones works as an analyst for a company that offers profiling for companies, universities etc. When she comes across a profile that is so beyond the norm, she is told it is a Profile K, the K standing for killer. At the same time an horrific murder takes place and Midnight is convinced that there is a connection, but her company are doing their best to shut down any speculation. This is a real page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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