ARC Review: Killing Jane by Stacy Green

Killing Jane
Author: Stacy Green
Series: An Erin Prince Thriller
Publication: Vesuvian Books (January 31, 2017)

Description: What if everything you've ever heard about Jack the Ripper is wrong ...

A young woman is brutally murdered in Washington D.C., and the killer leaves behind a calling card connected to some of the most infamous murders in history.

Jack the Ripper

Rookie homicide investigator Erin Prince instinctively knows the moment she sees the mutilated body that it’s only a matter of time before someone else dies.

She and her partner, Todd Beckett, are on the trail of a madman, and a third body sends them in the direction they feared most: a serial killer is walking the streets of D.C.

The clock is ticking.

Erin must push past her mounting self-doubt in order to unravel a web of secrets filled with drugs, pornography, and a decades old family skeleton before the next victim is sacrificed.

The only way to stop a killer is to beat them at their own game.

My Thoughts: Erin Prince is new to homicide when she catches a gruesome new case. She also has a new partner who is much more experienced. Erin doesn't have very good self esteem. Her father is a wealthy defense contractor but she chose police work instead of joining her father's business. She and her twin who recently came out as gay are living together along with her 9-year-old daughter. Brad is her best friend, confident, and support.

The first victim is a young woman who has had quite a troubled past. She was a victim of childhood sexual abuse, spent time addicted to drugs, and who has now become clean and gone back to school. She was butchered by someone who left messages harking back to the Jack the Ripper murders of 1888.

Erin and her partner Beckett quickly find themselves investigating the young woman's life and acquaintances. The more they investigate, the more they learn about Bonnie's tangled past. They learn that her parents don't know much about her. Her sometimes boyfriend also only sees part of Bonnie's life. Her colleagues at school and work like her but don't really know her.

A lot of their investigations have them looking into her childhood sexual abuse and the efforts that were made to cover it up. They learn that the abuse caused a rift between their families that persists to this day. Bonnie and her cousin Sarah lost track of each other until recently although neither set of parents know they've reconnected.

Then a second victim is found. This one is a psychologist who works at the school where Bonnie is trying to get her GED and is also Sarah's thesis adviser at American University. More clues seem to be pointing to someone who is recreating Jack the Ripper's crimes but the woman's connection to both Bonnie and Sarah proves to be more confusing than enlightening.

Meanwhile, Erin is getting phone calls from a child named Mina who knows about the killer and is terrified of her. Some of the chapters are told from Mina's viewpoint and the viewpoint of Charlie who is determined to protect Mina.

This was an engaging mystery with lots of twists and turns which kept me guessing to the very last line. Fans of psychological thrillers and female detectives will enjoy this one.

Favorite Quote:

Erin rubbed her aching head. "I feel like we've got a bunch of threads and no way to tie them together."

"Things aren't always so neat," Beckett said. "Sometimes you have to keep grabbing at the threads until the right one sticks out."

I got this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.