The Woman in Black by Kerry Wilkinson

Title: The Woman in Black

Author: Kerry Wilkinson

Series: Jessica Daniel #3

Publisher: November 24, 2016

Release Date: Bookouture 

A severed hand is discovered in the centre of Manchester and the only clue Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel has to go on is CCTV footage of a woman in a long black robe placing it carefully on the ground. 

With a growing missing persons list and frantic families wondering if the body part could belong to their absent loved ones, Jessica must solve the case fast. 

When a second hand is found and a local politician’s wife goes missing, Jessica is left struggling to find out who the appendages belong to. The mother of missing Lewis Barnes, is convinced his girlfriend, twenty-six year-old January Forrester is responsible, but something doesn’t add up. Who is the mysterious woman in black and how is she connected to the abandoned body parts? 

Then, unnervingly, a detached finger arrives in the post for Jessica - and it's clear that someone knows exactly who she is. 

A totally gripping and chilling thriller that will have you completely hooked to the very last page.

Amazon

I couldn't wait to start this one. I finished Vigilante and I wanted to know what was next for Jessica Daniel. 

Almost a year has gone by and now Cole is Jessica DCI. Jessica doesn't know if having him as her boss is a good thing or not since he knows her too well. Jessica also has a new detective to share her office with and of course, right from the start, Jessica says something she shouldn't which makes working in the same office very tense. Mostly, Jessica tries not to be at her office and she works with David and a new recruit Izzy. 

When a severed human hand is found in a very public place and soon after a finger is delivered to the police station, Jessica and her team become the lead investigators while the rest of the force is busy looking into the disappearance of a local MP’s wife. The only clue they have is from a video from a CCTV camera where a woman wearing a black cape is seen leaving the hand behind. When more severed hands start appearing and mail with more fingers are delivered to Jessica, she knows she has to find the links between the missing people and the severed hands popping out all over the city before more people die.

One thing I'm enjoying about this series is how the characters have grown. Jessica and Caroline seem to be gradually be working back into their friendship. Caroline has even named Jessica her bridesmaid! Dave Rowlands usually delivers great humor but he's also more mature and a very good detective. I'm still not sure if he has a romantic role but he certainly gets along well with Jessica. Cole as Jessica's boss couldn't be better. He let's her be. He trusts her too. He doesn't micromanage her. Izzy was a great addition to the team. She has some of the same spark Rowlands has but it's nice for Jessica to have another girlfriend. Hugo is still a mystery to me. He's in a way an adorable enigma.
I was hoping for some Adam confrontation but sadly there was nothing about him. I'm still hopeful.

The other positive about the story was the detective work per se. I like how the link between victims was established. I enjoyed the twist too.

I'm definitely going to continue this series.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Bookouture via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Vigilante by Kerry Wilkinson

Title: Vigilante

Author: Kerry Wilkinson

Series: Jessica Daniel #2

Publisher: Bookouture

Release Date: September 29, 2016

A killer behind bars is still killing…

When the body of a man is discovered with multiple stab wounds, Detective Jessica Daniel thinks it could be another drug-related murder. But then two more victims are found with similar markings. Each of the men were hardened criminals but is that the only link?

As Jessica is drawn into her most difficult case yet, dead bodies continue to pile up and the media go to town with headlines of a ‘Vigilante’ on the streets.

Then forensics match blood from the killer to a man already behind bars: Donald McKenna. Serving life in prison, Donald is a dangerous individual with the perfect alibi. But Jessica is sure he’s lying - and that he’s not the only one.

Can she catch a ruthless killer before he takes his next victim? And as Jessica inches nearer to the truth, can she protect those closest to her?

The second novel in the bestselling Detective Jessica Daniel series is a chilling serial killer thriller full of twists and turns.

Read the first book in the series, The Killer Inside OUT NOW.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

After reading The Killer Inside, I couldn't wait to jump into this one. Thank you Bookouture for approving me! 

Jessica Daniel is back. It seems like a year has gone by after the events in the last book. Jessica has distanced herself from her best friend Caroline. She is now living by herself. Her working relationships are doing great but she is not dating anyone. 

Her team is called in after a murder is discovered. The victim is actually a known criminal. A few days later, two more victims are found, both of dubious character. Soon, someone is saying: Vigilante. 

What most don't know is the DNA left on the victims points to a man who's behind bars. Donald McKenna is in prison for life. Jessica needs to figure out if the guy is escaping, or if someone else is doing the killings by his orders plus using some of his DNA before they have more victims to deal with. 

I thought the pace of Vigilante was perfect. The author gives you enough details to keep you entertained. He's also able to humanize Jessica. She's working on almost zero sleep, she doesn't confide in anyone, and she makes mistakes just like other people do. I was very disappointed when she hurt Adam. I'm hoping she can make it up to him in another book.  I also wished Garry had more involvement in the story too.  I missed him. I do like her co-workers Jack Cole, he is the voice of reason and I love David Rowlands's humor. They all know her well and support her. 

Now, onto book 3.

4/5 Fangs

Cliffhanger: No 

A complimentary copy was provided by Bookouture via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.