I was jumping for joy when I saw the 13th instalment of the Kim Stone series available on Netgalley. I can’t believe it’s been that many books. This time the tough, no-nonsense Kim Stone is faced with a case full of diversions that are more baffling at every page. In this book, Kim appears to have put her past behind her and she seems stable and well-adjusted, adding further charm to her thorny personality.
Book description:
You have to stop me from hurting anyone else. I don’t want to do these horrible things. Help me before I’m forced to do it again. And I will do it again because I have no choice. I’ve never had a choice.
In a busy shopping centre, a little girl clutches a teddy bear, clinging to it in the absence of her mother, Katrina. Hours later, Katrina’s body is discovered in an abandoned building. For Detective Kim Stone, it looks like a quick, functional kill. But Kim’s instincts tell her there’s more to this senseless murder than meets the eye. What was the motive for killing a young mother out shopping with her child?
Days later, a second victim is found in a local park, her neck broken just like Katrina’s and her six-year-old son missing.
With her colleague, Detective Stacey Wood, working on another unsolved crime and a member of the team grieving the loss of a close relative, Kim is struggling to make inroads on what is fast becoming a complex case. And when a handwritten letter from the killer lands on Kim’s desk addressed to her, and pleading for help, she knows time is running out to bring the little boy home alive.
With the support of a handwriting analyst and profiler, Kim and the team begin to get inside the mind of the killer and make a shocking discovery.
Some of the victims have scratch marks on their wrists.
But these are no random scratches. The killer is using them to communicate with someone. The question is… with whom?
And if Kim doesn’t find them soon, another innocent soul will die.
The multi-million-copy bestselling Detective Kim Stone series is every bit as addictive, original and exciting as readers say and you’ll be hooked from the very first page. Nobody does it better than the Queen of Crime, Angela Marsons.
Our favourite Black Country detective, is bummed to be attending a meeting to discuss security arrangements for a visiting celebrity. But when a four-year-old girl is found abandoned in a shopping centre the pace begins to accelerate. As Kim says, better a missing mother than a missing child. But in this case, the tragedy is brutal. It’s a hard-hitting storyline that is gripping from start to finish.
A body found a hundred meters from Shop N Save turns out to be twenty-five-year-old Katrina Nock. Stone is angry the mother has been discarded amongst building debris with her neck broken. Was she leading some kind of double life? Charged with giving the bad news to the family, Stone learns that Katrina suffered anxiety and depression, but there is something more sinister afoot.
As Kim, Stacey, Bryant and Penn work on leads – some which include unsolved cases with other police teams – there are personal issues each must come to term with. Although there is plenty of dark humour to soften the heartbreak, this case doesn’t give the reader much of a breather. And that’s a good thing because galloping through the book to find the twisted perpetrator is all part of the challenge. We see the return of Alison, the behaviourist and the charismatic reporter Frost, who is developing into someone you can’t help rooting for. Penn’s loss was palpable, something with which every reader will resonate.
One of the things I love about Marson’s writing is the clarity. You burn through her books at lightning speed and I’m constantly having to tell myself to slow down so I don’t miss the details. She’s created wholly original characters and a story that is the very definition of a page-turner and unputdownable. The plot is thick with intense imagery and nail-biting terror. What really ramped it up for me were those who didn’t always get it right, who, although highly trained, still had their heads turned the wrong way. I’m not the only one!! Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and author Angela Marsons for the privilege of receiving an advance copy of this book.
What people are saying:
‘Whoopee The queen of crime is back…this book is a reminder to all her fans what a brilliant crime series this is…Unlike some long running crimes series, each book always brings something new to the table, whether it be its characters, the plot, or jaw dropping moments that take the reader by surprise.’ The Book Review Café, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Utterly fabulous! I loved this book so much. The whole series is fantastic and it just gets better and better with every book. Read this in one sitting as I was literally glued to it. Highly recommend, if I could give it more than 5 stars I would.’ Linda Strong Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Angela Marsons writes the type of books that I will literally drop everything just so I can read it.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I honestly don’t know how Angela Marsons gets better and better with each book…My jaw dropped over and over again and I’m just sitting here so shocked at the end!’ With A Book In Our Hand, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I could read Kim Stone books every day and never get bored, I read this in a day as couldn’t put it down.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Angela Marsons is the Queen of Crime, and every police team needs a Kim Stone! With a strong, fast paced storyline, this book will bring tears to your eyes, then have you covering those same eyes for fear of what may happen on the next page!!’ stardustbookreviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Reading this series is like catching up with old friends…Yet another brilliant work by the amazing Angela Marsons!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Oh how much have I missed Kim Stone… you are guaranteed a story that will grab a hold of you from the start and keep you invested in the outcome right to the very last page.’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Quite simply, Angela Marsons is THE QUEEN of Crime Fiction…Every book of Angie’s is a masterpiece of storytelling, each so different in theme and incredibly enjoyable to read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the author:
Angela Marsons is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the DI Kim Stone series and her books have sold more than 4 million in 5 years.
She lives in Worcestershire with her partner and their 2 cheeky Golden Retrievers.
She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read “Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people’s”.
After years of writing relationship based stories (The Forgotten Woman and Dear Mother) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.
She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 28 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into more than 27 languages.
Many of her books, including Blood Lines, Dead Souls, Broken Bones, Fatal Promise and Dead Memories reached the #1 spot on Amazon on pre-orders alone and the translation of Dead Souls, La Verita Sepolte, recently won the prestigious Primo Bancarella award.
More books by Angela Marsons:
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