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McBride Vendetta #3
Cold Bath Lane
A burden no child should bear…
One terrible night, nine year old Jody suffers a horrendous tragedy, but gains a reason to live.
Now she must keep her family together, even if it means concealing an unspeakable truth.
This disturbing crime novel is utterly gripping and impossible to put down.
Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Robert Bryndza, C.L Taylor and Mark Edwards.
Get your copy now!
This is book three of the McBride Vendetta Psychological Thriller series.
Also by Lorna Dounaeva
FRY
Angel Dust
May Queen Killers
One terrible night, nine year old Jody suffers a horrendous tragedy, but gains a reason to live.
Now she must keep her family together, even if it means concealing an unspeakable truth.
This disturbing crime novel is utterly gripping and impossible to put down.
Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Robert Bryndza, C.L Taylor and Mark Edwards.
Get your copy now!
This is book three of the McBride Vendetta Psychological Thriller series.
Also by Lorna Dounaeva
FRY
Angel Dust
May Queen Killers
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2019
590 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
Lorna Dounaeva
39 books274 followersLorna Dounaeva is a politics graduate who worked for the British Home Office before turning to crime fiction. She writes dark domestic thrillers and is especially fond of female villains. She lives in the Orkney islands with her Ukrainian husband and his parents, three children, a crafty cat and a happy dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 26, 2020
It's not often that I read a book in one sitting, but Cold Bath Lane is a book that's impossible to put down. We follow Jody, a 9-year-old who, while her life isn't always easy, it's happy, because she has her mother. But then one terrible night, she not only loses her mother, but she welcomes her baby sister Alicia into the world. When questioned by the police to the loss of her mother, she clams up, deciding it was better to stay together as a family than risk losing her sister.
So enamored with her sister, and having a father that has little interest in the baby, the care of Alicia falls directly on Jody's shoulders. Not only does she have to raise her sister, but the cooking and cleaning is Jody's responsibility too. Thinking back to the opportunity to tell the truth, Jody wonders if she made the wrong decision because life is hard, much too hard for such a young girl.
As her father's late-night antics escalate, he now involves his children. Jody is getting very little sleep, no help, and her father is taking out all his woes on the world on her. It's not easy, but somehow Jody is surviving. After a terrible event that affected both her and Alicia, they get the opportunity to leave their father, but will they be able to make it out in the world?
This was such an intense read, and my heart broke for everything that Jody endured and everything she had lost. Having to live in some of the worst places, I can't imagine how hard it was for her to stay sane while trying to raise her unruly sister. I was proud of her endurance even if she did get caught up in some terrible situations on her own, but it's very reflective of the home life she lived. Dounaeva weaves excellent stories, with rich characters and engaging storylines. A fabulous read!
So enamored with her sister, and having a father that has little interest in the baby, the care of Alicia falls directly on Jody's shoulders. Not only does she have to raise her sister, but the cooking and cleaning is Jody's responsibility too. Thinking back to the opportunity to tell the truth, Jody wonders if she made the wrong decision because life is hard, much too hard for such a young girl.
As her father's late-night antics escalate, he now involves his children. Jody is getting very little sleep, no help, and her father is taking out all his woes on the world on her. It's not easy, but somehow Jody is surviving. After a terrible event that affected both her and Alicia, they get the opportunity to leave their father, but will they be able to make it out in the world?
This was such an intense read, and my heart broke for everything that Jody endured and everything she had lost. Having to live in some of the worst places, I can't imagine how hard it was for her to stay sane while trying to raise her unruly sister. I was proud of her endurance even if she did get caught up in some terrible situations on her own, but it's very reflective of the home life she lived. Dounaeva weaves excellent stories, with rich characters and engaging storylines. A fabulous read!
July 5, 2019
Who will pay the price for her silence?
Nine-year-old Jody does well in school, despite living in a run-down part of East London. Then one terrible night, her life changes forever, and Jody is forced to make an impossible choice between telling the truth and keeping her family together.
The police bring her in for questioning, and pressure her to tell them what really happened but is Jody ready to admit it, even to herself? Will the truth win out, or will Jody be sucked into a web of lies in order to protect her family?
This disturbing crime novel is utterly gripping and impossible to put down.
This was an amazing read.
Once started could not put down.
Full of emotion and suspense.
My heart broke for the characters that are so well written.
Love the plot and story line.
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Nine-year-old Jody does well in school, despite living in a run-down part of East London. Then one terrible night, her life changes forever, and Jody is forced to make an impossible choice between telling the truth and keeping her family together.
The police bring her in for questioning, and pressure her to tell them what really happened but is Jody ready to admit it, even to herself? Will the truth win out, or will Jody be sucked into a web of lies in order to protect her family?
This disturbing crime novel is utterly gripping and impossible to put down.
This was an amazing read.
Once started could not put down.
Full of emotion and suspense.
My heart broke for the characters that are so well written.
Love the plot and story line.
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 4, 2021
Cold Bath Lane is more of a prequel to the two prior books than the third book in the series and is essentially the story of why Jody and her younger sister end up being such terrible people. It's a dark and fairly miserable story, and frankly didn't actually interest me all that much. So instead of completing the already running narrative arc, you end up with a fairly bloated novel that should have been a novella prologue at half the length.
And whilst parts of it were believable; largely the abuse and suffering Jody undergoes at the hands of her father, other aspects really, really weren't. Things might have been significantly more lax in the eighties, but I struggle to believe a young teenager could simply stop going to school after the birth of her baby sister and nobody pay the blindest bit of notice. Likewise, evidence collecting wasn't quite as high tech, but considering the father is a raging alcoholic and running a side-lined business setting fires (with business cards no less!), it beggars belief that he wouldn't be caught.
This would have been a far better read at half the length, with a significant amount of the repetitive aspects cut out in honesty. Because whilst it is undoubtedly grim and depressing, it's narrative is meandering and uneven. There is very little tension; nothing particularly unexpected happens. It's just the story of three children growing up in a home that is woefully neglectful, abusive and under the thrall of a violent alcoholic with a penchant for setting fires.
And whilst parts of it were believable; largely the abuse and suffering Jody undergoes at the hands of her father, other aspects really, really weren't. Things might have been significantly more lax in the eighties, but I struggle to believe a young teenager could simply stop going to school after the birth of her baby sister and nobody pay the blindest bit of notice. Likewise, evidence collecting wasn't quite as high tech, but considering the father is a raging alcoholic and running a side-lined business setting fires (with business cards no less!), it beggars belief that he wouldn't be caught.
This would have been a far better read at half the length, with a significant amount of the repetitive aspects cut out in honesty. Because whilst it is undoubtedly grim and depressing, it's narrative is meandering and uneven. There is very little tension; nothing particularly unexpected happens. It's just the story of three children growing up in a home that is woefully neglectful, abusive and under the thrall of a violent alcoholic with a penchant for setting fires.
September 21, 2019
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Voracious Readers, in exchange for an honest review.
Cold Bath Lane is the third book in the McBride Vendetta series. This was my favorite of the three books. The first two books focus on the vengeance, but this book is the prelude to why Jodi and Alicia feel jaded and ultimately target Isabelle. My feelings for Jodi changed when reading this book- I felt more empathy for her as compared to the first two books where I felt angered by her.
This was a great series. I enjoyed that it was fast paced, but had substance. I honestly could not put these books down while reading them.
Cold Bath Lane is the third book in the McBride Vendetta series. This was my favorite of the three books. The first two books focus on the vengeance, but this book is the prelude to why Jodi and Alicia feel jaded and ultimately target Isabelle. My feelings for Jodi changed when reading this book- I felt more empathy for her as compared to the first two books where I felt angered by her.
This was a great series. I enjoyed that it was fast paced, but had substance. I honestly could not put these books down while reading them.
April 29, 2020
What a P.O.S.
Sorry but I never thought I'd ever read anything like this. It was sordid a ugly, but that's just my opinion.
Sorry but I never thought I'd ever read anything like this. It was sordid a ugly, but that's just my opinion.
July 3, 2020
While it was well written, this book was an entirely debased account of the dark side of humanity. It was depressing. I actually wish I didn’t read it. One star only because the writing was decent.
Did not finish
September 19, 2021DNF @ 6%
I got this book as a Kindle freebie back in 2020, and I'm very glad no money was wasted on it. Not only is this the final book in a trilogy I haven't read - something I must have overlooked - but it's not particularly well written and it ticked me off just enough to make me decide I want nothing to do with it anymore.
To start, we have an entire chapter dedicated to 90% just narrating children sitting around playing together. Yawn! Strewn throughout that, we have body shaming descriptions of a pregnant woman's girth. Aside from some vague stories told to the children by their father about a morbid fire rescue at work, nothing of any interest happens in that first chapter.
Then we have the second chapter. In it, we find out that somehow the girl who sits beside the narrating character in class magically drapes her hair on the girl's table and as revenge the girl elbows her... but also we're supposed to feel sorry for the escalating little brat because the teacher dislikes her. (I suspect perhaps he's onto something when saying she's a troublemaker!) Mixed in with this, we get some weirdness about how the teacher gives harder homework to the MC than the other girl, which leaves some really disgusting implications... that get washed away when it's revealed the teacher has a gay lover.
Except it's not just revealed, no. See, the MC talks to her father about the mistreatment she feels from the teacher, so he casually loads her up in the car to go stalk the teacher at night. (Yes, seriously!) And when he finds out the teacher went into a club, he takes photos with what's described as a Polaroid camera... except the MC "clicks through" them. Polaroid. The camera that instantly spat out premade photos. This takes place in the 1980s, before anyone - much less poor folk as these are described to be - could have a digital camera. But she "clicked through." Oh, also? The photos were of the teacher and his boyfriend. So, yeah, two chapters in, we have a teacher who was slightly rude to a problematic student getting blackmailed to leave his job with the threat of being outed as gay.
Fuck this shit, I'm out. I get it, it's probably a story about terrible people, but I have no room in my life for this inconsistent and grating narrative about the kind of people I want to punch in the throat for being despicable pieces of crap.
I got this book as a Kindle freebie back in 2020, and I'm very glad no money was wasted on it. Not only is this the final book in a trilogy I haven't read - something I must have overlooked - but it's not particularly well written and it ticked me off just enough to make me decide I want nothing to do with it anymore.
To start, we have an entire chapter dedicated to 90% just narrating children sitting around playing together. Yawn! Strewn throughout that, we have body shaming descriptions of a pregnant woman's girth. Aside from some vague stories told to the children by their father about a morbid fire rescue at work, nothing of any interest happens in that first chapter.
Then we have the second chapter. In it, we find out that somehow the girl who sits beside the narrating character in class magically drapes her hair on the girl's table and as revenge the girl elbows her... but also we're supposed to feel sorry for the escalating little brat because the teacher dislikes her. (I suspect perhaps he's onto something when saying she's a troublemaker!) Mixed in with this, we get some weirdness about how the teacher gives harder homework to the MC than the other girl, which leaves some really disgusting implications... that get washed away when it's revealed the teacher has a gay lover.
Except it's not just revealed, no. See, the MC talks to her father about the mistreatment she feels from the teacher, so he casually loads her up in the car to go stalk the teacher at night. (Yes, seriously!) And when he finds out the teacher went into a club, he takes photos with what's described as a Polaroid camera... except the MC "clicks through" them. Polaroid. The camera that instantly spat out premade photos. This takes place in the 1980s, before anyone - much less poor folk as these are described to be - could have a digital camera. But she "clicked through." Oh, also? The photos were of the teacher and his boyfriend. So, yeah, two chapters in, we have a teacher who was slightly rude to a problematic student getting blackmailed to leave his job with the threat of being outed as gay.
Fuck this shit, I'm out. I get it, it's probably a story about terrible people, but I have no room in my life for this inconsistent and grating narrative about the kind of people I want to punch in the throat for being despicable pieces of crap.
September 12, 2025
I should have hated this book, but I just couldn’t.
The story starts when Jody McBride is about ten years old. Her mother is very pregnant. Her father is a violent, abusive alcoholic. He’s an ex-fireman who makes a living as an arsonist. One night, in a drunken rage, he beats up his wife and burns the house down, killing his wife. The rest of the story is basically a meander through about the next ten years of Jody’s life as she slips into criminality and drug addiction … all while trying to be a good, loving ‘mother’ to her little sister.
Just like real life, it has no plot and, therefore, no plot twists. But the characters are so beautifully crafted and the tale so skilfully told that readers is transported to a world they really don’t want to know about. Like the carnage of a road accident that repels you but that you can’t look away from.
The story starts when Jody McBride is about ten years old. Her mother is very pregnant. Her father is a violent, abusive alcoholic. He’s an ex-fireman who makes a living as an arsonist. One night, in a drunken rage, he beats up his wife and burns the house down, killing his wife. The rest of the story is basically a meander through about the next ten years of Jody’s life as she slips into criminality and drug addiction … all while trying to be a good, loving ‘mother’ to her little sister.
Just like real life, it has no plot and, therefore, no plot twists. But the characters are so beautifully crafted and the tale so skilfully told that readers is transported to a world they really don’t want to know about. Like the carnage of a road accident that repels you but that you can’t look away from.
July 11, 2019
This book is addictive.
I was drawn into the mind of a young girl living in untenable circumstances. She makes a valiant attempt to function in a dysfunctional family. From lack of options she becomes a grown-up way too soon, and contends with events that are mostly beyond her control. The story twists and turns, and even though you have an idea of how things will end, it's still a surprise.
Very well written!
I was drawn into the mind of a young girl living in untenable circumstances. She makes a valiant attempt to function in a dysfunctional family. From lack of options she becomes a grown-up way too soon, and contends with events that are mostly beyond her control. The story twists and turns, and even though you have an idea of how things will end, it's still a surprise.
Very well written!
July 14, 2019
This book is about a young girl who is growing up on the hard side of life. She does the best she can, but when her mother is no longer around, that is when Jody must make some hard decisions. She chooses to keep her baby sister and her together with their father, but was that the right choice to make? No child should have to go through the things Jody goes through in this book. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book and also bought it.
May 16, 2020
Jody is a 9 year old girl with a terrible secret she keeps about her family. She is raised by her dysfunctional father and cares for her baby sister mostly by herself. Her father is in the business of starting fires for profit and involves Jody and her siblings in the business.
I couldn't put it down once I started to read it - it is a page turner!
I read this book for my Mystery Book Club!
I couldn't put it down once I started to read it - it is a page turner!
I read this book for my Mystery Book Club!
July 26, 2019
I loved this story but it broke my heart. I remember my niece dealing with similar things, though not as much death as desertion. This story brought back tragic memories and sadness. It is a wonderful read and is so believable.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 20, 2020
She does well at school considering where she lives and she is nine. One night she will have to make a terrible choice. What will she do? Will she tell the truth? Will she stay quiet to is p her family together? What did she see? How will it affect her life? See how she deals with the choice she has made
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 26, 2020
After 3% I decided reading about two children playing was a 👎and gave up.
Good authors do not put readers off with children playing page after page at the beginning of a novel without creating some interest for the reader. Sorry, the book could be a winner but unfortunately my experience with stories that start like this one means not.
Good authors do not put readers off with children playing page after page at the beginning of a novel without creating some interest for the reader. Sorry, the book could be a winner but unfortunately my experience with stories that start like this one means not.
April 29, 2020
A good read
This book was well-written, well edited and has complicated characters. It's a sad story of a broken family. I found it difficult to sit down and finished it in less than 2 days. I didn't realize this was book 3 in a 4 book series, but will jump back to book one immediately. I recommend this book and hope others enjoy it as much as I did.
This book was well-written, well edited and has complicated characters. It's a sad story of a broken family. I found it difficult to sit down and finished it in less than 2 days. I didn't realize this was book 3 in a 4 book series, but will jump back to book one immediately. I recommend this book and hope others enjoy it as much as I did.
November 5, 2020
It took some time for me to get to the plot twist that actually moved the story along quicker. That time was spent with an enjoyable read about a little girl living a hard scrabble life. But then the tragedy happened and I sort of lost interest because I could see where it was going. Maybe one day I'll take it up again to finish it and will update the review.
May 24, 2021
I was very disappointed in this book. I thought, being the third of a trilogy, it would complete the story. All it did was tell the back-story of the previous two books, which was very repetitious. I kept on expecting the story to move on to tell us a conclusion to the McBride Vendetta, but it was more of a prequel.
November 19, 2025
It was so real
As I read it felt as if I was right there with them. So many memories of my own childhood that came back to life. Just to think of so many people that has gone through similar childhoods is so sad. Some people can recover but so many are still lost in the horror of this life. God help us all.
As I read it felt as if I was right there with them. So many memories of my own childhood that came back to life. Just to think of so many people that has gone through similar childhoods is so sad. Some people can recover but so many are still lost in the horror of this life. God help us all.
July 5, 2019
This is a story you won't want to put down. It is highly emotional and full of drama and angst. An excellent coming-of-age story with believable characters, emotions, and heartbreaking situations.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 12, 2019
Cold Bath Lane is a very good, faced paced, different kind of story. Well worth your time to read. I can't wait to read more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 7, 2020
Psychological Thriller
I found this story sad in that the family was so dysfunctional and how that carries forward when alcohol and drugs are used. The author's writing style was very good.
I found this story sad in that the family was so dysfunctional and how that carries forward when alcohol and drugs are used. The author's writing style was very good.
April 24, 2020
Page turner! I couldn't put it down. I wasn't expecting it to end the way it did.
This book kept me on the edge! I couldn't stop reading, the end took me completely by surprise! A good read.
This book kept me on the edge! I couldn't stop reading, the end took me completely by surprise! A good read.
April 24, 2020
Strong characters
I am not familiar with British dialect and idioms and so had to rely on context clues but that added to the charm of the story. It was a bit gory for my taste but necessary to paint the characters.
I am not familiar with British dialect and idioms and so had to rely on context clues but that added to the charm of the story. It was a bit gory for my taste but necessary to paint the characters.
May 28, 2021
Once again amazing
I read book 2 and loved it. So I had to find and read book 1 to find out the why of book 2. And then book 3 the reasons behind it all. Soooo good. Props for the author.
I read book 2 and loved it. So I had to find and read book 1 to find out the why of book 2. And then book 3 the reasons behind it all. Soooo good. Props for the author.
March 5, 2023
Very slow
Started out slow. Made it to 60% read before I gave up. Once major drugs were introduced it started heading in a predictable direction. Just couldn't make myself keep reading.
Started out slow. Made it to 60% read before I gave up. Once major drugs were introduced it started heading in a predictable direction. Just couldn't make myself keep reading.
December 1, 2019
Good but HATED ENDING
December 6, 2019
Fry
Well written with an intriguing storyline that is quite dark.robust believable characters that interact well together. A very good read
Well written with an intriguing storyline that is quite dark.robust believable characters that interact well together. A very good read
April 21, 2020
An amazingly creepy and twisted story!
A must read, tumbles between heartbreaking and a fine 'why they did it' story!
Once I began, I could not put it down!
A must read, tumbles between heartbreaking and a fine 'why they did it' story!
Once I began, I could not put it down!
April 22, 2020
4.5. Disturbing and intriguing
Pulled me into the story, kept me engaged because I kept hoping the main character would have w chance. Hard to escape our roots .
Pulled me into the story, kept me engaged because I kept hoping the main character would have w chance. Hard to escape our roots .
April 23, 2020
Such a sad book, alcoholic father, what the kids went through is just sad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews