Victoria Helen Stone | JANE DOE

Plot (via Goodreads):

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.

Review:

Thomas & Mercer have been killing it. I cannot think of a more underrated publisher at this time. Their titles are inventive and they have a large catalog of exceptionally talented authors. JANE DOE by Victoria Helen Stone is a prime example of the kind of talent T&M has.

JANE DOE IS CRAZY! Like, legit. She is insane and I loved it. While this psychological thriller is definitely a well-plotted and devilish story, this read is one of the best examples of a character-driven novel that I can think of. Right from the start, I was invested in Jane's character and Stone's ability to make her one of the most three-dimensional characters of fiction that I have had the absolute pleasure in reading. I couldn't get enough of this read. I kind of became obsessed with Jane and loved every single thing about her. She is real, she is unapologetic, and she is insanely brilliant. 

With a plot like this one that is kind of withholding when you read the synopsis, the sheer brilliance that is done with each word is so meticulous and not one part of this story felt rushed or slowed down or wasted. Stone's ability to not only feature an addictive plot, but combine it with characters that are straight to the point and so much fun to read is a dazzling example of her capabilities as an author. I couldn't stop reading this one. I don't mean that in the "I really enjoyed it so I kept reading" sort of way. I mean that in the "I'm pissed I have to refill my water bottle" kind of way. "I'm not cooking dinner, I'm getting takeout so I don't have to waste my time cooking." sort of way. The minute I put it down to do the simplest of tasks (shower, grab coffee, laundry, etc.) I was like "What is she going to do next? Where is this going to go? What happens in the end? Why isn't this book longer?" This one took me hostage and I even still laid in bed after just high on the written word. 

JANE DOE is INSANE. JANE DOE is INSANELY GOOD. This is a must read for fans of Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and all of the great 90s thrillers that accompany these titles. It's atmospheric, haunting, and darkly comedic at times. If you haven't read it yet, clear your schedule. You have an appointment with Jane Doe...and it's going to be a long meeting.

Special thanks to Thomas & Mercer for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5