The Dangerous Kind – Deborah O’Connor

Perfect for fans of Anatomy of A Scandal and Belinda Bauer, The Dangerous Kind is a dark and gripping thriller that asks us all: how well do you really know the people you trust?

What if the people we trust are the ones we should fear?

We all recognise them. Those who sit just on the fringes of society. Who send prickles up the back of our necks. The charmers. The liars. The manipulators. Those who have the potential to go that one step too far. And then take another step.

Jessamine Gooch makes a living from these people. Each week she broadcasts a radio show looking into the past lives of convicted killers; asking if there was more that could have been done to prevent their terrible crimes.

Then one day she is approached by a woman desperate to find her missing friend, Cassie, fearing her abusive husband may have taken that final deadly step. But as Jessamine delves into the months prior to Cassie’s disappearance she fails to realise there is a dark figure closer to home, one that threatens the safety of her own family . . .

Set over a long, dark winter in London and perfect for fans of He Said/She Said  and Apple Tree Yard, THE DANGEROUS KIND is at once a complex and gripping thriller and a stunning portrayal of the monsters that live among us.

About the Author: Deborah O’Connor is a writer and TV producer responsible for well-loved programmes such as ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’ and ‘A League of Their Own’. Born and bred in the North-East of England, in 2010 she completed the Faber Academy novel writing course. She lives in London with her husband and daughter. Deborah’s first novel was the bestseller My Husband’s Son.

You can follow her on twitter here @deboc77

My Review:  I was asked to arrange the #blogtour for this book and thought I should read it myself as the reviews and responses were overwhelmingly excited and positive and as I had read and enjoyed Deborah’s first book My Husband’s Son back in 2016 (Click here for my review) I started The Dangerous Kind immediately.

The Dangerous Kind is a really well constructed, original and exciting thriller which I was immediately drawn into.  The main character Jessamine was a breath of fresh air, a middle-age single mum, suffering with hot flushes, losing her job as a radio presenter and raising her moody teenage daughter whilst trying to investigate the disappearance of a young mother.

With two time lines The Dangerous Kind covers some tough and very uncomfortable topics (domestic violence, grooming and sexual exploitation), however this is dealt with sympathetically and whilst it is integral to the story line the scenes during the “trigger topics” are written with consideration and sensitivity.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tough, thought-provoking thriller with incredibly plausible characters and an intelligent plot.  I would definitely recommend this to psychological thriller fans.

 

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