ISBN: 9781503900899
Publisher: Lake Union
Publication Date: 8/1/2018
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars ++ Top Books of 2018 A double life with a single purpose: revenge. Jane’s days at a Midwest insurance company are perfectly ordinary. She blends in well, unremarkably pretty in her floral-print dresses and extra efficient at her low-level job. She’s just the kind of woman middle manager Steven Hepsworth likes—meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a man. No one has any idea who Jane really is. Least of all Steven.
But plain Jane is hiding something. And Steven’s bringing out the worst in her. Nothing can distract Jane from going straight for his heart: allowing herself to be seduced into Steven’s bed, to insinuate herself into his career and his family, and to expose all his dirty secrets. It’s time for Jane to dig out everything that matters to Steven. So she can take it all away.
Just as he did to her.
My Review
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. Seduce and DESTROY>
I agree with the author's 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. Stone throws in a ton of great one-liners. Steven thinks he is in charge; however, he is a mere amateur next to Jane. They will not know what hit them.
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. 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 Deanna Madden Series will devour!
A special thank you to #LakeUnion and #NetGalley for an early reading copy of #JaneDoe. Also purchased the audiobook narrated by Nicol Zanzarella. I listen to hundreds of audiobooks a year and think this is one of the most entertaining and best psychological suspense thriller audiobook. (love the narrator)!
Review Links:
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Praise
“Stone does a masterful job of creating in Jane a complex character, making her both scary and more than a little appealing…This beautifully balanced thriller will keep readers tense, surprised, pleased, and surprised again as a master manipulator unfolds her plan of revenge.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Revenge drives this fascinating thriller…Stone keeps the suspense high throughout. Readers will relish Jane’s Machiavellian maneuvers to even the score with the unlikable Steven.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Crazy great book!”
—Good Life Family Magazine
“Stone skillfully, deviously, and gleefully leads the reader down a garden path to a knockout WHAM-O of an ending. Jane Doe will not disappoint.”
—New York Journal of Books
“Jane Doe is a riveting, engrossing story about a man who screws over the wrong woman, with a picture-perfect ending that’s the equivalent of a big red bow on a shiny new car. It’s that good. Ladies, we finally have the revenge story we’ve always deserved.”
—Criminal Element
“We loved being propelled into the complicated mind of Jane, intrigued as she bobbed and weaved her way through life with the knowledge she’s just a little bit different. Both incredibly insightful and tautly suspenseful, you’ll be debating whether to make Jane your new best friend or lock your door and hide from her in fear. Jane Doe is a must-read!”
—Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, bestselling authors of The Good Widow
“With biting wit and a complete disregard for societal double standards, Victoria Helen Stone’s antihero will slice a path through your expectations and leave you begging for more. Make room in the darkest corner of your heart for Jane Doe.”
—Eliza Maxwell, bestselling author of The Unremembered Girl
“If revenge is a dish best served cold, Jane Doe is Julia Child. Though Jane’s a heroine who claims to be a sociopath, Jane’s heart and soul shine through in this addicting, suspenseful tale of love, loss, and justice.”
—Wendy Webb, bestselling author of The End of Temperance Dare
“One word: wow. This novel is compelling from the first sentence. An emotional ride with a deliciously vengeful narrator, Jane’s tale keeps readers on the edge without the security of knowing who the good guy really is. Honest, cutting, and at times even humorous, this is one powerhouse of a read!”
—Brandi Reeds, bestselling author of Trespassing
About the Author
Victoria Helen Stone (nom de plume of USA Today bestselling romance novelist Victoria Dahl) is the author of Evelyn, After and Half Past. Born and educated in the Midwest, she finished her first manuscript just after college. In 2016, she was the recipient of the American Library Association’s prestigious Reading List Award. After publishing more than twenty-five books, she has taken a turn toward the darker side of genre fiction. Having escaped the plains of her youth, she now resides with her family in a small town high in the Rocky Mountains, where she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, and not skiing (too dangerous). For more on the author and her work, visit www.VictoriaHelenStone.com and www.VictoriaDahl.com.
