ARC REVIEW: The Girl In The Pink Shoes – by Stacy Green

Title: The Girl In The Pink Shoes
(Lucy Kendall #1)
Author: Stacy Green
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: September 10th 2014
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: December 17th 2022
Pages: 355
(Originally published as ‘All Good Deeds’)

“I’m not a killer. Or a savior. I’m just one person trying to repair the broken scales of justice one jagged crack at the time.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I’ve been meaning to try this author for quite some time now, so when I saw that her Lucy Kendall series was going to be republished I couldn’t resist looking into it. And I have to say that I was sold as soon as I read the blurb. I love crime thrillers with an unique touch, and The Girl In The Pink Shoes definitely seems to promise that (although I admit the old blurb is more enticing and fits the story better). And boy, what a rollercoaster ride it turned out to be! Seriously twisted, original, highly entertaining and not a story you will forget easily.

While it’s true that things can be said about the credibility of it all, I personally didn’t mind because the entertainment factor was high. On top of this, the plot itself is very original, which is always a bonus as it’s hard to find refreshing angles with the amount of crime thrillers I read. And another bonus: the story is told by a main character that is both a serial killer and basically a sociopath, but she doesn’t see herself that way. How on earth can you resist such a POV? I know I didn’t… It adds so much flavor to the story, as well as the whole moral dilemma and question whether you should root for her or condemn her.

The Girl In The Pink Shoes has a lot of focus on child abuse and abuse in general, and there are also references to mental health and suicide. The main focus is on child abuse though, and how the system often fails to protect children and lets abusers go free. Things can get pretty gritty on that account, so trigger warnings are in place! Apart from main character Lucy doing her thing (private detective slash executioner), the plot also focuses on the disappearance of a little girl. This storyline isn’t as present as the blurb might make it seem like, although the case is always in the background while Lucy follows a variety of leads.

I think this is one of those stories where it’s best to go in without knowing too much about it… Just make sure to brace yourself for a seriously twisted, disturbing and unique ride. And after that ending in The Girl In The Pink Shoes, I definitely can’t wait to see what the sequel will bring!