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D.I. Kim Stone #10
Dead Memories
She ruined their lives. Now they’re going to destroy hers.
‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every detail of the scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago.
When the bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car, Kim can’t ignore the chilling similarity to the deaths of Erica and Keith – the only loving parents Kim had ever known.
Faced with a killer who is recreating traumatic events from her past, Kim must face the brutal truth that someone wants to hurt her in the worst way possible. Desperate to stay on the case, she is forced to work with profiler Alison Lowe who has been called in to observe and monitor Kim’s behaviour.
Kim has spent years catching dangerous criminals and protecting the innocent. But with a killer firmly fixed on destroying Kim, can she solve this complex case and save her own life or will she become the final victim?
‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every detail of the scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago.
When the bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car, Kim can’t ignore the chilling similarity to the deaths of Erica and Keith – the only loving parents Kim had ever known.
Faced with a killer who is recreating traumatic events from her past, Kim must face the brutal truth that someone wants to hurt her in the worst way possible. Desperate to stay on the case, she is forced to work with profiler Alison Lowe who has been called in to observe and monitor Kim’s behaviour.
Kim has spent years catching dangerous criminals and protecting the innocent. But with a killer firmly fixed on destroying Kim, can she solve this complex case and save her own life or will she become the final victim?
459 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2019
About the author
Angela Marsons
32 books4,201 followersAngela is the author of the Kim Stone Crime series. She discovered a love of writing at Primary School when a short piece on the rocks and the sea gained her the only merit point she ever got.
Angela wrote the stories that burned inside and then stored them safely in a desk drawer.
After much urging from her partner she began to enter short story competitions in Writer's News resulting in a win and three short listed entries.
She used the Amazon KDP program to publish two of her earlier works before concentrating on her true passion - Crime.
Angela is now signed to write a total of 16 Kim Stone books for http://bookouture.com and has secured a print deal with Bonnier Zaffre Publishing.
Angela wrote the stories that burned inside and then stored them safely in a desk drawer.
After much urging from her partner she began to enter short story competitions in Writer's News resulting in a win and three short listed entries.
She used the Amazon KDP program to publish two of her earlier works before concentrating on her true passion - Crime.
Angela is now signed to write a total of 16 Kim Stone books for http://bookouture.com and has secured a print deal with Bonnier Zaffre Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 680 reviews
January 29, 2019
Book 10 in the DI Kim Stone series, and for avid fans like myself, it’s not difficult to recognise that DI Stone has destroyed many lives in the course of her criminal investigations, resulting in convictions for some very dangerous individuals. The trouble is, one of them is determined to exact revenge, and they go to great pains to recreate the most traumatic events in her life, making her suffer, regardless of the horrific impact on the latest victims.
Kim has her work cut out with this case, not least because she is forced by her superior Woody to work with profiler Alison Lowe. There is no love lost between these two but if Kim wants to stay on the case, she’ll have to accept that Alison has been called in to observe and monitor her behaviour. More importantly though, this case forces Kim to come face to face with things she’d rather forget - memories and feelings she’s buried deep down where they can’t be accessed by anyone, including her!
Angela Marsons employs the use of smoke and mirrors, providing leads to a number of suspects, but with each recreation of Kim’s traumatic events, (some of them from her childhood) it becomes even more difficult to point the finger at the perpetrator. Whoever it is, they know Kim’s life in minute detail - even details that have never entered the public domain!
With the clock ticking and the body count increasing, Kim and her team have to dig really deep to solve this complex but ultimately absorbing case.
*My thanks to Bookouture for my ARC for which I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
Kim has her work cut out with this case, not least because she is forced by her superior Woody to work with profiler Alison Lowe. There is no love lost between these two but if Kim wants to stay on the case, she’ll have to accept that Alison has been called in to observe and monitor her behaviour. More importantly though, this case forces Kim to come face to face with things she’d rather forget - memories and feelings she’s buried deep down where they can’t be accessed by anyone, including her!
Angela Marsons employs the use of smoke and mirrors, providing leads to a number of suspects, but with each recreation of Kim’s traumatic events, (some of them from her childhood) it becomes even more difficult to point the finger at the perpetrator. Whoever it is, they know Kim’s life in minute detail - even details that have never entered the public domain!
With the clock ticking and the body count increasing, Kim and her team have to dig really deep to solve this complex but ultimately absorbing case.
*My thanks to Bookouture for my ARC for which I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
January 28, 2019
"It was like a magic trick, an illusion, maybe a sleight of hand. Look over there while I do this over here. She could just about manage to disassociate herself from the events unfolding before her eyes as long as she could distract her mind with solving the case, sifting the clues, following the leads, and searching for evidence."
If you've been following my reviews for any length of time, then I'm sure it comes as no surprise that this was an easy 5 stars to give. The D.I. Kim Stone series has been dear to my heart for years now; I remember feeling so pleased when I began and realized there were already 3 books out to keep me occupied, only to find myself distraught once I had immediately caught up and began the long wait between each installment with all the other mega fans. Misery loves company. All that to say, it's extremely rare for me to follow a series for the length of 10 books; in fact, I can only think of two other series I have done so with (Karin Slaughter's Grant County/Will Trent series and Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series), so please understand I hold these books in the highest regard with the loftiest of expectations for each story that is released.
If you've been following the series from the beginning (which I highly recommend doing, otherwise you're missing all the really good stuff), you'll understand just how pivotal this particular installment is. We've come full circle, right back around to where it all began, with Kim Stone's horrific past. Someone is recreating every nightmarish event that our fearless leader has experienced, and the entire team is barely holding it together. As per usual, there are a few other side stories going on as well, which is how Angie always manages to keep me clueless as to the who, what, when, where, and why until the bloody fabulous reveal at the end. Typically police procedurals grow stale after a few books, but Marsons' manages to blend unique plot twists with deep characterization that brings us back for more. There is an intimacy to these characters that I have yet to find elsewhere in a thriller; the relationship I have is almost sacred with this group of comrades, and how rare is it to find that in books that are violent, graphic, and all levels of disturbing by nature?
If you're on the fence about reading these books because there are 10 installments published already, please don't. I rarely, if never, recommend friends to go back and read long term series, but I would be a selfish friend who was doing you a disservice if I kept you from experiencing everything that Angie has to offer you via Kim Stone and her crew. Squad goals. If you enjoy serial killer thrillers, but have grown weary of picking them up due to the bad taste that some have left in your mouth from being so similar, just know that this is a top notch series, so much so that big name publishers have tried to steal the author away from beloved Bookouture, yet she gracefully has kept her allegiance in a classy move of loyalty to the people who gave her a shot. There are no words to recommend this series highly enough, and I do hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
*I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
If you've been following my reviews for any length of time, then I'm sure it comes as no surprise that this was an easy 5 stars to give. The D.I. Kim Stone series has been dear to my heart for years now; I remember feeling so pleased when I began and realized there were already 3 books out to keep me occupied, only to find myself distraught once I had immediately caught up and began the long wait between each installment with all the other mega fans. Misery loves company. All that to say, it's extremely rare for me to follow a series for the length of 10 books; in fact, I can only think of two other series I have done so with (Karin Slaughter's Grant County/Will Trent series and Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series), so please understand I hold these books in the highest regard with the loftiest of expectations for each story that is released.
If you've been following the series from the beginning (which I highly recommend doing, otherwise you're missing all the really good stuff), you'll understand just how pivotal this particular installment is. We've come full circle, right back around to where it all began, with Kim Stone's horrific past. Someone is recreating every nightmarish event that our fearless leader has experienced, and the entire team is barely holding it together. As per usual, there are a few other side stories going on as well, which is how Angie always manages to keep me clueless as to the who, what, when, where, and why until the bloody fabulous reveal at the end. Typically police procedurals grow stale after a few books, but Marsons' manages to blend unique plot twists with deep characterization that brings us back for more. There is an intimacy to these characters that I have yet to find elsewhere in a thriller; the relationship I have is almost sacred with this group of comrades, and how rare is it to find that in books that are violent, graphic, and all levels of disturbing by nature?
If you're on the fence about reading these books because there are 10 installments published already, please don't. I rarely, if never, recommend friends to go back and read long term series, but I would be a selfish friend who was doing you a disservice if I kept you from experiencing everything that Angie has to offer you via Kim Stone and her crew. Squad goals. If you enjoy serial killer thrillers, but have grown weary of picking them up due to the bad taste that some have left in your mouth from being so similar, just know that this is a top notch series, so much so that big name publishers have tried to steal the author away from beloved Bookouture, yet she gracefully has kept her allegiance in a classy move of loyalty to the people who gave her a shot. There are no words to recommend this series highly enough, and I do hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
*I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
February 6, 2019
“We have to go back to the past to find our killer and to predict our future.”
In Dead Memories, DI Kim Stone must face her past in order to determine her future.
Someone is toying with Kim Stone and it isn’t pretty. They are hitting her where it hurts the most with the intention of destroying her personally and professionally.
DI Kim Stone has put some heinous criminals away. As a result, she has many enemies. When someone begins committing crimes that reenact some of Kim’s personal horrors, she is forced to revisit those who hate her the most--the most violent and evil criminals who have committed the most horrendous crimes imaginable. In doing so, she once again puts herself and faithful team in danger. At the same time, she must face the horrors of her childhood.
This was a fascinating addition to the series, as it unearthed more of Kim’s background. As a result, she is quite vulnerable and forced to share her childhood traumas with those who are closest to her. While the events of Kim’s past are awful and hard to read about, it was fun to revisit some of the characters from previous books. Her team is struggling to keep it together, but they hold a united front while attempting to protect their boss from harm. Penn is fitting in well, and Kim and Bryant’s relationship continues to grow. My favorite scenes are when the team is working together.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about this series; it gets better and better with every installment. With every book, the characters evolve and the cases continue to be compelling. I truly feel like I know this group. I highly highly recommend this series and anxiously await book #11.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.
In Dead Memories, DI Kim Stone must face her past in order to determine her future.
Someone is toying with Kim Stone and it isn’t pretty. They are hitting her where it hurts the most with the intention of destroying her personally and professionally.
DI Kim Stone has put some heinous criminals away. As a result, she has many enemies. When someone begins committing crimes that reenact some of Kim’s personal horrors, she is forced to revisit those who hate her the most--the most violent and evil criminals who have committed the most horrendous crimes imaginable. In doing so, she once again puts herself and faithful team in danger. At the same time, she must face the horrors of her childhood.
This was a fascinating addition to the series, as it unearthed more of Kim’s background. As a result, she is quite vulnerable and forced to share her childhood traumas with those who are closest to her. While the events of Kim’s past are awful and hard to read about, it was fun to revisit some of the characters from previous books. Her team is struggling to keep it together, but they hold a united front while attempting to protect their boss from harm. Penn is fitting in well, and Kim and Bryant’s relationship continues to grow. My favorite scenes are when the team is working together.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about this series; it gets better and better with every installment. With every book, the characters evolve and the cases continue to be compelling. I truly feel like I know this group. I highly highly recommend this series and anxiously await book #11.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2019
Kim Stone has put away her fair share of bad guys over the years and has acquired many enemies throughout her criminal investigations. Now someone is out for revenge and Kim's life is on the line.
In Dead Memories Kim comes face to face with crimes recreating the most traumatic experiences of her past. Kim must reveal more of herself to her team (and us!) than she feels comfortable with. All eyes are on her as Kim faces some of her darkest demons. The team races against time as they try to uncover whose heart holds so much hatred for Kim that they are constructing elaborate murders to gain her attention, with the end game being Kim's own death.
As the team reviews their suspect list, we revisit some of their most compelling crimes and criminals. This is definitely not a book to start off with but for tried and true fans - it was an absolute treat! I loved how this new team is finding its way and how much more we learn about Kim's past. Her strength, complexity, endurance and her ability to rise above the atrocities she suffered in her childhood are such a huge part of what drives this series. For fans of the series be prepared for some heartache. It's impossible not to feel for Kim, even as she tries to compartmentalize her pain.
I honestly can not say enough about this series. It never disappoints! If you are considering giving it a try - GO FOR IT! 10 books in and it just keeps getting better! Thank you Angela Marsons, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book. Now to impatiently await book 11!
In Dead Memories Kim comes face to face with crimes recreating the most traumatic experiences of her past. Kim must reveal more of herself to her team (and us!) than she feels comfortable with. All eyes are on her as Kim faces some of her darkest demons. The team races against time as they try to uncover whose heart holds so much hatred for Kim that they are constructing elaborate murders to gain her attention, with the end game being Kim's own death.
As the team reviews their suspect list, we revisit some of their most compelling crimes and criminals. This is definitely not a book to start off with but for tried and true fans - it was an absolute treat! I loved how this new team is finding its way and how much more we learn about Kim's past. Her strength, complexity, endurance and her ability to rise above the atrocities she suffered in her childhood are such a huge part of what drives this series. For fans of the series be prepared for some heartache. It's impossible not to feel for Kim, even as she tries to compartmentalize her pain.
I honestly can not say enough about this series. It never disappoints! If you are considering giving it a try - GO FOR IT! 10 books in and it just keeps getting better! Thank you Angela Marsons, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book. Now to impatiently await book 11!
January 30, 2019
DI Kim Stone and her team are back in book ten of the series. In this book, someone has it in for her - BIG TIME! Someone who is recreating events- traumatic events from Kim's life. How does this person know everything? Who can it be? Why? Kim has arrested many people, many have grudges, many had their lives changed due to this, who has the most anger and hatred for her? Not only does she have to re-visit the past events that happened in her life while trying to solve the cases, she also must work with profiler Allison Stone who will watching and observing Kim's behavior.
So, who could it be? That is the question! Kim has a huge I-hate-Di Kim Stone- fan club going on in this book. With her career and arrest record, she is not going to win any popularity contests with criminals. But who hates her enough, to create past crime scenes from her past to torment her? This is a book that had me guessing. As the clock is ticking and the suspect pool is narrowed down, I have to say I didn't guess it. Wonderfully written with characters who will grow on you and have you reading with your fingers crossed that they will solve the case in time!
It may be intimidating to see that there are 10 books in this series, I have not read them all, but I read enough to know some background on Kim, so I did not feel lost at all in this book. I do want to go back and read the others. What is nice is that the Author is so talented at writing compelling stories that I didn't feel as if I were missing anything and was able to fully enjoy this book.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
So, who could it be? That is the question! Kim has a huge I-hate-Di Kim Stone- fan club going on in this book. With her career and arrest record, she is not going to win any popularity contests with criminals. But who hates her enough, to create past crime scenes from her past to torment her? This is a book that had me guessing. As the clock is ticking and the suspect pool is narrowed down, I have to say I didn't guess it. Wonderfully written with characters who will grow on you and have you reading with your fingers crossed that they will solve the case in time!
It may be intimidating to see that there are 10 books in this series, I have not read them all, but I read enough to know some background on Kim, so I did not feel lost at all in this book. I do want to go back and read the others. What is nice is that the Author is so talented at writing compelling stories that I didn't feel as if I were missing anything and was able to fully enjoy this book.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
January 29, 2019
Dead Memories is book #10 of the extraordinary DI Kim Stone series. I have read them all and have awarded every one, including Dead Memories, 5 stars. I’d like to start off this review with a few general comments about the series.
What makes this collection of novels so remarkable? First of all, how many authors remain at the peak of their talent after book #10 of a series? Ms. Marsons has the exceptional ability to keep her stories fresh and compelling with new and engaging plotlines. Her plots often play off current issues mixed with a healthy dose of whatever is going on in Kim’s head. Furthermore, Ms. Marsons has a wonderful writing style. She does not waste words. Her dialogue is very realistic. Her books, though certainly not tomes, usually have around 100 short chapters, ensuring a fast pace. She always starts the book with a captivating prologue and ends with a satisfying last chapter or epilogue.
More importantly, Ms. Marsons has ensnared her readers into a love nest with her characters. Every time I come back to visit Kim and her colleagues, I feel I am coming home. And with each novel I feel I know them better and better as they continue to evolve and grow under the author’s pen. I love seeing how larger roles have been awarded to Kim’s colleagues, including Bryant, Stacey, and Kev, over the course of the series; and in more recent installments we have also been treated to the reappearance of several old characters from the past.
The chief psychopath in Dead Memories hates Kim with a passion and is murdering people in settings mirroring Kim’s difficult past. How does the baddie know these details? What exactly is the motive? How is Kim possibly going to run this investigation when there is so much emotion involved? Can her colleagues protect her? And how many people are going to end up dead “because of Kim”? I enjoyed this novel immensely for all of the reasons mentioned throughout this review. I also want to give the author props for again awarding substantial airtime to Stacey and for making us start to really care for Penn. Profiler and behaviorist Alison Lowe, brought back from The Lost Girls, is a terrific addition to this installment. And, of course, Kim’s ongoing inner battles are fascinating as always. Oh, and I will admit that once again Ms. Marsons fooled me big time. I have never succeeded in fingering the baddie(s) before the big reveal in any of the Kim Stone books.
This series is unreservedly recommended to all crime fiction/thriller fans. One caveat: this series must be read in order; the evolution of the characters, especially Kim, is critical to all the storylines.
Congratulations, Ms. Marsons, for your continued exceptional story- telling. Your books are the brightest beacons of my favorite genre.
What makes this collection of novels so remarkable? First of all, how many authors remain at the peak of their talent after book #10 of a series? Ms. Marsons has the exceptional ability to keep her stories fresh and compelling with new and engaging plotlines. Her plots often play off current issues mixed with a healthy dose of whatever is going on in Kim’s head. Furthermore, Ms. Marsons has a wonderful writing style. She does not waste words. Her dialogue is very realistic. Her books, though certainly not tomes, usually have around 100 short chapters, ensuring a fast pace. She always starts the book with a captivating prologue and ends with a satisfying last chapter or epilogue.
More importantly, Ms. Marsons has ensnared her readers into a love nest with her characters. Every time I come back to visit Kim and her colleagues, I feel I am coming home. And with each novel I feel I know them better and better as they continue to evolve and grow under the author’s pen. I love seeing how larger roles have been awarded to Kim’s colleagues, including Bryant, Stacey, and Kev, over the course of the series; and in more recent installments we have also been treated to the reappearance of several old characters from the past.
The chief psychopath in Dead Memories hates Kim with a passion and is murdering people in settings mirroring Kim’s difficult past. How does the baddie know these details? What exactly is the motive? How is Kim possibly going to run this investigation when there is so much emotion involved? Can her colleagues protect her? And how many people are going to end up dead “because of Kim”? I enjoyed this novel immensely for all of the reasons mentioned throughout this review. I also want to give the author props for again awarding substantial airtime to Stacey and for making us start to really care for Penn. Profiler and behaviorist Alison Lowe, brought back from The Lost Girls, is a terrific addition to this installment. And, of course, Kim’s ongoing inner battles are fascinating as always. Oh, and I will admit that once again Ms. Marsons fooled me big time. I have never succeeded in fingering the baddie(s) before the big reveal in any of the Kim Stone books.
This series is unreservedly recommended to all crime fiction/thriller fans. One caveat: this series must be read in order; the evolution of the characters, especially Kim, is critical to all the storylines.
Congratulations, Ms. Marsons, for your continued exceptional story- telling. Your books are the brightest beacons of my favorite genre.
January 27, 2019
A new Kim Stone book is always a cause for joy in this household. I love her, the interaction of the team and the cases. This one is no exception. First, someone has staged a murder to directly mirror Kim’s tragic loss of her twin brother, Mikey. Additional murders mirror other traumatic events from her life. A lot of criminals have reason to hate Kim, but who hates her so much they would kill innocent people just to reenact these events?
There are gruesome scenes here, especially involving the Rubik’s cube. Kim is in serious danger of coming unraveled. This is a highly dramatic mystery and I had no idea who was behind the crimes. The team, including the profiler, Alison who is called in to help, shines. Marsons’ characters just always come across as real.
This is one of those books you just don’t want to put down. Book Ten continues to keep the streak alive. This book requires the prior knowledge gained from having read the earlier books. This is not a series to read out of order.
My Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.
January 31, 2019
There is good reason that Angela Marsons and her successful DI Kim Stone series has such a huge and dedicated following from crime fans. This is a superb series, with fabulous characters that have developed with each new addition, readers emotionally invest in Kim along with her terrific team, and Marsons compelling writing and plotting has us gripped, wanting more by the time we have finished reading. This is the 10th in the series, and Kim Stone is experiencing a deja vu of the nightmarish horrors and tragedies that have littered her troubled life. On an violent and drug infested estate that Kim is familiar with, indeed she resided in the very block of flats where two teenagers are discovered chained to a radiator, Amy is alive but Mark is dead, resurrecting a scene from thirty years ago with the death of Kim's brother, Mikey. Who would do this? A tight lipped Kim has kept her silence, so who is privy to the intimate details of Kim's life? A killer wants to see Kim drown in never ending pain and suffering before becoming the final target.
In a narrative with multiple threads, evil stalks Kim as signposts to her past traumas haunt her when a middle aged couple in a burnt out car mirrors the death of Kim's beloved parents, Erica and Keith. How many innocent people will die before Kim and her team close in on the perpetrator? A frantic investigation by the police team has them looking into those who have motive to go after Kim. They support Kim as more of her dark history is revealed to them. I was impressed by Penn, Stacey and Bryant in the way they have Kim's back. Kim's boss has foisted profiler Alison Lowe to monitor and watch Kim's behaviour. With a rising body count, the different threads eventually begin to connect in unexpected ways. Angela Marsons gives us a fast paced, action fuelled piece of menacing and chilling crime fiction with a killer intent on breaking Kim for good. An absolutely tense and thrilling read, full of twists and turns, which I recommend highly. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
In a narrative with multiple threads, evil stalks Kim as signposts to her past traumas haunt her when a middle aged couple in a burnt out car mirrors the death of Kim's beloved parents, Erica and Keith. How many innocent people will die before Kim and her team close in on the perpetrator? A frantic investigation by the police team has them looking into those who have motive to go after Kim. They support Kim as more of her dark history is revealed to them. I was impressed by Penn, Stacey and Bryant in the way they have Kim's back. Kim's boss has foisted profiler Alison Lowe to monitor and watch Kim's behaviour. With a rising body count, the different threads eventually begin to connect in unexpected ways. Angela Marsons gives us a fast paced, action fuelled piece of menacing and chilling crime fiction with a killer intent on breaking Kim for good. An absolutely tense and thrilling read, full of twists and turns, which I recommend highly. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
February 22, 2019
DEAD MEMORIES is the is the 10th book in the DI Kim Stone series by author Angela Marsons. She is on a roll. Her novels keep getting better and better! Her books tick all the boxes from strong plot, believable characters operating under a building suspense level.
‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every detail of the scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago.
Then the bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car, Kim can’t ignore the similarities to the death of her own parents.
The killer is trying to recreate distressing events from her past, and Kim soon realises that someone wants to hurt her in a brutal way. Profiler Alison Lowe is brought in observe Kim’s behaviour.
The Killer is determined to destroy Kim…which forces Kim to solve this case before she too becomes a victim.
The strength of this novel lies in the characters, Bryant, Stacey, and newest detective member Penn and returning Profiler Alison Lowe and how they are dealing with the loss of one of their own.
If you haven’t read this series, get cracking and get into it! You will not regret it, and will keep coming back for more! Highly recommended!
Many thank to Bookouture via Net Galley for my digital copy.
‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every detail of the scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago.
Then the bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car, Kim can’t ignore the similarities to the death of her own parents.
The killer is trying to recreate distressing events from her past, and Kim soon realises that someone wants to hurt her in a brutal way. Profiler Alison Lowe is brought in observe Kim’s behaviour.
The Killer is determined to destroy Kim…which forces Kim to solve this case before she too becomes a victim.
The strength of this novel lies in the characters, Bryant, Stacey, and newest detective member Penn and returning Profiler Alison Lowe and how they are dealing with the loss of one of their own.
If you haven’t read this series, get cracking and get into it! You will not regret it, and will keep coming back for more! Highly recommended!
Many thank to Bookouture via Net Galley for my digital copy.
January 30, 2019
"Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly." (Morticia Adams)
And DI Kim Stone has woven an all-encompassing, tightly restrictive web around her past life. Highly immersed in self-protection, Kim weaves that cocoon with impenetrable threads while lugging around a no entrance sign. You don't ask. She doesn't tell.
But someone out there is making every effort to permeate deeply beneath the skin's surface of Kim's past. Little hairs are raised eerily to think that an evil entity out there knows finite details that Kim, herself, has never revealed. A dark figure lurks in the shadows replicating scenarios that are razor-sharp reality for Kim. Some ancient Greek philosopher out there must have chanted at one point: Woe be to those who piss off..... for you shall be pissed upon.
Angela Marsons brings us into #10 of the DI Kim Stone Series. She hasn't skipped a beat since day one and continuously delivers with outstanding storylines and high quality writing. Marsons gets the police procedurals on point aligned with majestic character studies. She crafts her characters with deep emotional commitments while shifting the stage to evil, dastardly honed scum who exist within a hair's breadth of the world's reality. Kim has emerged from that world since childhood and lives and breathes it every day in her chosen career.
Marsons leads us into Hollytree Estate paved with violence and drugs. A young couple, Amy and Mark, are found chained to a radiator in a hovel of an apartment. Looks to be a typical drug overdose expected within these depressing surroundings. But Kim will come to find that this is no ordinary couple and the circumstances will be far from ordinary. New crimes will be committed that emulate snapshots of Kim's former life. But who is the mastermind with such evil intent?
Angela Marsons will rock this one off its wheels in such a brilliant manner. She's swerving around corners that will come full circle for Kim and we'll be making all the stops at appointed shaky destinations. Marsons' mindset is to give us a looky look at faces from Kim's past who definitely have it in for her. We'll check off the bottom feeders as they come on the scene. In her usual grand manner, Marsons allows us time in the muck and the mire before the reveal. Ooooooh, good stuff!
I received a copy of Dead Memories through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Bookouture and to the highly talented Angela Marsons for the opportunity.
And DI Kim Stone has woven an all-encompassing, tightly restrictive web around her past life. Highly immersed in self-protection, Kim weaves that cocoon with impenetrable threads while lugging around a no entrance sign. You don't ask. She doesn't tell.
But someone out there is making every effort to permeate deeply beneath the skin's surface of Kim's past. Little hairs are raised eerily to think that an evil entity out there knows finite details that Kim, herself, has never revealed. A dark figure lurks in the shadows replicating scenarios that are razor-sharp reality for Kim. Some ancient Greek philosopher out there must have chanted at one point: Woe be to those who piss off..... for you shall be pissed upon.
Angela Marsons brings us into #10 of the DI Kim Stone Series. She hasn't skipped a beat since day one and continuously delivers with outstanding storylines and high quality writing. Marsons gets the police procedurals on point aligned with majestic character studies. She crafts her characters with deep emotional commitments while shifting the stage to evil, dastardly honed scum who exist within a hair's breadth of the world's reality. Kim has emerged from that world since childhood and lives and breathes it every day in her chosen career.
Marsons leads us into Hollytree Estate paved with violence and drugs. A young couple, Amy and Mark, are found chained to a radiator in a hovel of an apartment. Looks to be a typical drug overdose expected within these depressing surroundings. But Kim will come to find that this is no ordinary couple and the circumstances will be far from ordinary. New crimes will be committed that emulate snapshots of Kim's former life. But who is the mastermind with such evil intent?
Angela Marsons will rock this one off its wheels in such a brilliant manner. She's swerving around corners that will come full circle for Kim and we'll be making all the stops at appointed shaky destinations. Marsons' mindset is to give us a looky look at faces from Kim's past who definitely have it in for her. We'll check off the bottom feeders as they come on the scene. In her usual grand manner, Marsons allows us time in the muck and the mire before the reveal. Ooooooh, good stuff!
I received a copy of Dead Memories through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Bookouture and to the highly talented Angela Marsons for the opportunity.
January 20, 2019
'Dead Memories' is the 10th book in the DI Kim Stone series by author Angela Marsons, I can't believe she's already written so many. My reviews for Angela Marsons books are getting a bit repetitive but I suppose that's what you should expect when the author writes to such a consistently high level. Yet again, gripping plot line, strong characters and a well paced story that builds to a crescendo. If you haven't already tried this author do yourself a favour and start reading now.
Two teenagers are found chained to a radiator on the fourth floor of Chaucer House. The boy is dead but the girl clings to life. For DI Kim Stone the scene is to familiar and personal and this crime mirrors her own frightening experiences with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago. Later the bodies of a middle-aged couple are found in a burnt out car and Kim can’t ignore the similarity of the deaths to her own parents.
The killer is recreating traumatic events from Kim's past and she has to face that someone is out to hurt her. Profiler Alison Lowe is introduced on to the case to work with Kim in order to monitor Kim's behaviour and enable her to remain on the case herself. But the threat is there for Kim, a killer who is determined to make her suffer and ultimately destroy her.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Two teenagers are found chained to a radiator on the fourth floor of Chaucer House. The boy is dead but the girl clings to life. For DI Kim Stone the scene is to familiar and personal and this crime mirrors her own frightening experiences with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago. Later the bodies of a middle-aged couple are found in a burnt out car and Kim can’t ignore the similarity of the deaths to her own parents.
The killer is recreating traumatic events from Kim's past and she has to face that someone is out to hurt her. Profiler Alison Lowe is introduced on to the case to work with Kim in order to monitor Kim's behaviour and enable her to remain on the case herself. But the threat is there for Kim, a killer who is determined to make her suffer and ultimately destroy her.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
February 28, 2019
EXCERPT: 'You know who I have and you know who I want. Come alone or she dies. You know where I am. '
Enough people had died this week because of one person's vendetta against her. She couldn’t risk one more person getting hurt.
And the person who had sent the text message was right.
She did know where (they) would be.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: ‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every detail of the scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago.
When the bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car, Kim can’t ignore the chilling similarity to the deaths of Erica and Keith – the only loving parents Kim had ever known.
Faced with a killer who is recreating traumatic events from her past, Kim must face the brutal truth that someone wants to hurt her in the worst way possible. Desperate to stay on the case, she is forced to work with profiler Alison Lowe who has been called in to observe and monitor Kim’s behaviour.
Kim has spent years catching dangerous criminals and protecting the innocent. But with a killer firmly fixed on destroying Kim, can she solve this complex case and save her own life or will she become the final victim?
MY THOUGHTS: Early on, as I was reading Dead Memories, I had the random thought that reading it was rather like being a rubik's cube, with Angela Marsons twisting the reader this way and that. Then lo and behold. . . but I can't tell you, because that would spoil it.
I don't know how Marsons does it, but by the tenth book, I could understand (not like, but understand) if the series were to go slightly off the boil or become a little formulaic. But no, that definitely doesn't happen. The pace is on, the suspense high.
In Dead Memories we revisit some previous cases and villains we have met before as the killer recreates traumatic events from Kim’s past. In order to catch the villian, Kim has to examine both her personal past and cases she has worked, because someone hates her enough to want to torture her, then kill her. The list of suspects is not short.
I don't even try to guess the perpetrators in this series. I am perfectly happy just to go along for the ride.
💖💖💖💖💖
THE AUTHOR: Angela is the author of the Kim Stone Crime series. She discovered a love of writing at Primary School when a short piece on the rocks and the sea gained her the only merit point she ever got.
Angela wrote the stories that burned inside and then stored them safely in a desk drawer.
After much urging from her partner she began to enter short story competitions in Writer's News resulting in a win and three short listed entries.
She used the Amazon KDP program to publish two of her earlier works before concentrating on her true passion - Crime.
Angela is now signed to write a total of 16 Kim Stone books.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Dead Memories by Angela Marsons for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Enough people had died this week because of one person's vendetta against her. She couldn’t risk one more person getting hurt.
And the person who had sent the text message was right.
She did know where (they) would be.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: ‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every detail of the scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago.
When the bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car, Kim can’t ignore the chilling similarity to the deaths of Erica and Keith – the only loving parents Kim had ever known.
Faced with a killer who is recreating traumatic events from her past, Kim must face the brutal truth that someone wants to hurt her in the worst way possible. Desperate to stay on the case, she is forced to work with profiler Alison Lowe who has been called in to observe and monitor Kim’s behaviour.
Kim has spent years catching dangerous criminals and protecting the innocent. But with a killer firmly fixed on destroying Kim, can she solve this complex case and save her own life or will she become the final victim?
MY THOUGHTS: Early on, as I was reading Dead Memories, I had the random thought that reading it was rather like being a rubik's cube, with Angela Marsons twisting the reader this way and that. Then lo and behold. . . but I can't tell you, because that would spoil it.
I don't know how Marsons does it, but by the tenth book, I could understand (not like, but understand) if the series were to go slightly off the boil or become a little formulaic. But no, that definitely doesn't happen. The pace is on, the suspense high.
In Dead Memories we revisit some previous cases and villains we have met before as the killer recreates traumatic events from Kim’s past. In order to catch the villian, Kim has to examine both her personal past and cases she has worked, because someone hates her enough to want to torture her, then kill her. The list of suspects is not short.
I don't even try to guess the perpetrators in this series. I am perfectly happy just to go along for the ride.
💖💖💖💖💖
THE AUTHOR: Angela is the author of the Kim Stone Crime series. She discovered a love of writing at Primary School when a short piece on the rocks and the sea gained her the only merit point she ever got.
Angela wrote the stories that burned inside and then stored them safely in a desk drawer.
After much urging from her partner she began to enter short story competitions in Writer's News resulting in a win and three short listed entries.
She used the Amazon KDP program to publish two of her earlier works before concentrating on her true passion - Crime.
Angela is now signed to write a total of 16 Kim Stone books.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Dead Memories by Angela Marsons for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
February 13, 2019
Detective Kim Stone #10
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. Unfortunately the boy has died, but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago. Then, bodies of a middle aged couple are discovered in a burnt- out car. Kim can't ignore the similarities to the deaths of Erika and Keith, the only loving parents Kim had ever known.
Wow, ten great reads in just four years is an amazing achievement. In this latest novel, Kim has her work cut out trying to find out who was carrying out these crimes. There's a long list of suspects that might hold a grudge against her. There is lots of twists that keep you second guessing who was committing these horrendous crimes and why. Kim and her team will have to pull out all resources to try and solve these crimes. I'm not sure this book could be read as a standalone as it features on Kim's past of which we have learned about in in previous books. I really like this series, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend that you read this series in order.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Angela Marsons for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. Unfortunately the boy has died, but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago. Then, bodies of a middle aged couple are discovered in a burnt- out car. Kim can't ignore the similarities to the deaths of Erika and Keith, the only loving parents Kim had ever known.
Wow, ten great reads in just four years is an amazing achievement. In this latest novel, Kim has her work cut out trying to find out who was carrying out these crimes. There's a long list of suspects that might hold a grudge against her. There is lots of twists that keep you second guessing who was committing these horrendous crimes and why. Kim and her team will have to pull out all resources to try and solve these crimes. I'm not sure this book could be read as a standalone as it features on Kim's past of which we have learned about in in previous books. I really like this series, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend that you read this series in order.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Angela Marsons for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2019
Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.
A mash-up of deaths turns out to share a common denominator, and the reason behind it all is cruel in the extreme. Penn, the newbie, is still finding his footing with the team. He has easily wormed his way into my heart, pure genius with his extraordinary puzzle solving skills. DI Kim Stone, Bryant, and Stace all feel like old friends at this point. They read and play off each other very well. A certain amount of humor is acknowledged as a strategy to cope with the horrors they see too often in this line of work.
Angela Marsons has carved yet another perfect notch into the totem of this excellent series. Brava!
A mash-up of deaths turns out to share a common denominator, and the reason behind it all is cruel in the extreme. Penn, the newbie, is still finding his footing with the team. He has easily wormed his way into my heart, pure genius with his extraordinary puzzle solving skills. DI Kim Stone, Bryant, and Stace all feel like old friends at this point. They read and play off each other very well. A certain amount of humor is acknowledged as a strategy to cope with the horrors they see too often in this line of work.
Angela Marsons has carved yet another perfect notch into the totem of this excellent series. Brava!
February 15, 2019
First it was two young teens who’d been chained to a radiator, the boy dead, the girl barely alive. Then a middle-aged couple were found burnt to death in a wrecked car. The chills were running up and down Detective Inspector Kim Stone’s spine as the realization came to her that someone was recreating her early years; the years when first her twin brother Mikey had died, then her caring, loving foster parents had perished in a burnt-out car.
How could Kim continue to run the case with the memories from her past flooding her mind? Would she be able to separate those memories from the current case or was there a person out there who hated her enough to destroy her in any way possible?
Working with Bryant, Stacey and Penn, with profiler Alison Lowe called in to keep an eye on Kim, she was determined to rise above the rage; the anger; the frustration; and most of all, the guilt. But would her superior Woody, see it her way? They were trying to protect her – she knew that deep inside. But she also knew she wanted to put this madman away. Would Kim succeed? Or was it far too late for that?
Dead Memories is the 10th in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and once again, it’s a brilliant psychological thriller. The breathtaking horror of the perpetrator’s acts; of Kim’s grim determination to stamp on the memories and give the case her all – Dead Memories is everything I love about this genre. I’ve loved each one in this series and look forward to the next. The important thing for new readers of this author – start from the beginning of the series or you’ll miss out dreadfully. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
How could Kim continue to run the case with the memories from her past flooding her mind? Would she be able to separate those memories from the current case or was there a person out there who hated her enough to destroy her in any way possible?
Working with Bryant, Stacey and Penn, with profiler Alison Lowe called in to keep an eye on Kim, she was determined to rise above the rage; the anger; the frustration; and most of all, the guilt. But would her superior Woody, see it her way? They were trying to protect her – she knew that deep inside. But she also knew she wanted to put this madman away. Would Kim succeed? Or was it far too late for that?
Dead Memories is the 10th in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and once again, it’s a brilliant psychological thriller. The breathtaking horror of the perpetrator’s acts; of Kim’s grim determination to stamp on the memories and give the case her all – Dead Memories is everything I love about this genre. I’ve loved each one in this series and look forward to the next. The important thing for new readers of this author – start from the beginning of the series or you’ll miss out dreadfully. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2019
What can I say about this author and this amazing police procedural series that hasn't already been said?
Strong characters, fresh story lines, and well researched writing have kept me coming back for more.
If this isn't on your TBR, do yourself a favor and add it!
If it is on your TBR, bump it up and make sure to start with book 1, Silent Scream.
You won't be sorry!
The only downside is having to wait for the next one to come along....
ARC provided by NetGalley
Strong characters, fresh story lines, and well researched writing have kept me coming back for more.
If this isn't on your TBR, do yourself a favor and add it!
If it is on your TBR, bump it up and make sure to start with book 1, Silent Scream.
You won't be sorry!
The only downside is having to wait for the next one to come along....
ARC provided by NetGalley
February 11, 2019
Thank you Bookouture, Net Galley and Angela Marsons and Book Ten in the DI Kim Stone series.
This is a series that I have long been a fan of and for me the Kim Stone books just keep getting better If you haven’t discovered Angela Marsons Detective Kim Stone series which began with Silent Scream then you really don’t know what you’re missing out on!
She ruined their lives. Now they’re going to destroy hers.
‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every detail of the scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago.
When the bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car, Kim can’t ignore the chilling similarity to the death of Erica and Keith – the only loving parents Kim had ever known.
Faced with a killer who is recreating traumatic events from her past, Kim must face the brutal truth that someone wants to hurt her in the worst way possible. Desperate to stay on the case, she is forced to work with profiler Alison Lowe who has been called in to observe and monitor Kim’s behaviour.
Kim has spent years catching dangerous criminals and protecting the innocent. But with a killer firmly fixed on destroying Kim, can she solve this complex case and save her own life or will she become the final victim?
One thing is for sure to me, Angela Marsons is bringing to life the great characters of DI Kim Stone and Bryant, a character that works so perfectly alongside Kim Stone and Stacey, although in honesty still taking me a while to get used to Penn, I miss Dawson so much.
A lot of great humour is added between the great relationship between Kim and Bryant, all I can see is "Fleas", the funniest part of the story.
A clear four star for me, why not a five, just a little slow in the middle, but a great fast paced last few chapters.
This is a series that I have long been a fan of and for me the Kim Stone books just keep getting better If you haven’t discovered Angela Marsons Detective Kim Stone series which began with Silent Scream then you really don’t know what you’re missing out on!
She ruined their lives. Now they’re going to destroy hers.
‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’
On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every detail of the scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago.
When the bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car, Kim can’t ignore the chilling similarity to the death of Erica and Keith – the only loving parents Kim had ever known.
Faced with a killer who is recreating traumatic events from her past, Kim must face the brutal truth that someone wants to hurt her in the worst way possible. Desperate to stay on the case, she is forced to work with profiler Alison Lowe who has been called in to observe and monitor Kim’s behaviour.
Kim has spent years catching dangerous criminals and protecting the innocent. But with a killer firmly fixed on destroying Kim, can she solve this complex case and save her own life or will she become the final victim?
One thing is for sure to me, Angela Marsons is bringing to life the great characters of DI Kim Stone and Bryant, a character that works so perfectly alongside Kim Stone and Stacey, although in honesty still taking me a while to get used to Penn, I miss Dawson so much.
A lot of great humour is added between the great relationship between Kim and Bryant, all I can see is "Fleas", the funniest part of the story.
A clear four star for me, why not a five, just a little slow in the middle, but a great fast paced last few chapters.
January 27, 2019
It's hard to believe this is already the 10th book in the Kim Stone series when the first was published only 4 years ago. Angela Marsons must be a real powerhouse and somehow she manages to keep each book fresh and tightly written and this one is no exception!
Kim and her team really have their work cut out for them as someone is carrying out heinous crimes that have traumatic connotations for Kim personally. The list of suspects who might hold a grudge against Kim is long and the team have their work cut out trying to narrow it down. The interpersonal relationships between Kim and her team and others working on the crimes are always what make this series so special. Kim is finally letting the kind and patient Bryant know more about her past. Stacey is developing well as a quick and clever investigator and the new guy Penn is settling into the team and playing an important part. Although Kim has trouble at first playing nice with Allison, the profiler sent to help them out, she eventually comes to develop a rapport with her after she shows Kim her worth.
I hope Ms Marsons has plenty more ideas for future episodes in this brilliant series. I for one can't wait to see what happens next!
With many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC to read
Kim and her team really have their work cut out for them as someone is carrying out heinous crimes that have traumatic connotations for Kim personally. The list of suspects who might hold a grudge against Kim is long and the team have their work cut out trying to narrow it down. The interpersonal relationships between Kim and her team and others working on the crimes are always what make this series so special. Kim is finally letting the kind and patient Bryant know more about her past. Stacey is developing well as a quick and clever investigator and the new guy Penn is settling into the team and playing an important part. Although Kim has trouble at first playing nice with Allison, the profiler sent to help them out, she eventually comes to develop a rapport with her after she shows Kim her worth.
I hope Ms Marsons has plenty more ideas for future episodes in this brilliant series. I for one can't wait to see what happens next!
With many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC to read
January 18, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this arc.
I was thrilled to receive this as Angela Marson is a MUST read for me. Dead Memories only confirmed that. I raced through this book. Even though the team had more suspects than they knew what to do with in the beginning, they winnowed it down, but as more and more crimes happened, they ran into brick walls and had to constantly shift their thinking. Easy to feel their frustration. The current crimes were all re-staging of very traumatic events of Kim's past and left her feel particularly off-balanced. We all got to know Kim a little better and in my opinion, her team is so much better for the knowledge. Hopefully Kim will find some peace with her past. Enter Alison, set up by Kim's boss to keep an eye on her. But Alison has her own stuff going on and the team that she was supposed to observe gets involved in that, too. Hope to see more of Alison in the future.
Great characters and a very complex and convoluted story!
I was thrilled to receive this as Angela Marson is a MUST read for me. Dead Memories only confirmed that. I raced through this book. Even though the team had more suspects than they knew what to do with in the beginning, they winnowed it down, but as more and more crimes happened, they ran into brick walls and had to constantly shift their thinking. Easy to feel their frustration. The current crimes were all re-staging of very traumatic events of Kim's past and left her feel particularly off-balanced. We all got to know Kim a little better and in my opinion, her team is so much better for the knowledge. Hopefully Kim will find some peace with her past. Enter Alison, set up by Kim's boss to keep an eye on her. But Alison has her own stuff going on and the team that she was supposed to observe gets involved in that, too. Hope to see more of Alison in the future.
Great characters and a very complex and convoluted story!
January 20, 2019
4.5 stars
Can Kim face her past?
Either way, she's going to find out. Out of choices and desperately trying to keep it together, she is tested in every way possible as each private, torturous memory becomes horribly recreated with new victims, beginning with the worst of all: the loss of her brother. There may be a long list of people who hate her, but someone going to such extreme measures can only mean one thing: a killer intent on her death.
Now you might think that the use of old ground in book 10 of a series means it's struggling, but far from it. Featuring a full cast of friends, colleagues, and all kinds of foes alongside an investigation based on the traumatic events of Kim's life makes this an intensely personal story. She is the head of this bunch, whatever Woody might think, and as much as they all have their own thing going, she is always right there at the centre, someone who can be relied upon for strength and support no matter what. Having her so deeply affected by a situation, one that that even pushes her to act rashly out of character, gives the whole book a feeling of uncertainty that extends to the reader. That essential, terrifying question is asked as much by us as by her team: what if she breaks? If anything's going to, it will be this- all her secrets bloodily depicted for anyone and everyone to see. Her weaknesses laid bare. Yet unlike the young Kim who suffered through these experiences, she is not alone. And it is this group all working together, their close-knit, multifaceted, genuine relationships binding them to each other and to the task ahead: finding the person responsible for trying to bring down one of theirs.
It's exceptionally well done, layered with wrong turns and clever misdirection. So much is revealed about Kim, but also those around her. And I don't just mean the ones on her side. There's some pretty fun/frightening moments with villainous players we've met before. More than anything else though, this feels like it brings with it the start of something new. Kim's past not entirely put to bed, but resolved in a way that might be the best she can do. For now, at least. So bring on whatever comes next...
New readers, you shouldn't start here. Not only would you have deprived yourselves of some seriously good crime fiction, most of the tension would be lost in the not knowing. Start with Silent Scream and thank me later. This series has brought so much to the genre already and this offering proves that there's no stopping yet.
ARC via Netgalley
Can Kim face her past?
Either way, she's going to find out. Out of choices and desperately trying to keep it together, she is tested in every way possible as each private, torturous memory becomes horribly recreated with new victims, beginning with the worst of all: the loss of her brother. There may be a long list of people who hate her, but someone going to such extreme measures can only mean one thing: a killer intent on her death.
Now you might think that the use of old ground in book 10 of a series means it's struggling, but far from it. Featuring a full cast of friends, colleagues, and all kinds of foes alongside an investigation based on the traumatic events of Kim's life makes this an intensely personal story. She is the head of this bunch, whatever Woody might think, and as much as they all have their own thing going, she is always right there at the centre, someone who can be relied upon for strength and support no matter what. Having her so deeply affected by a situation, one that that even pushes her to act rashly out of character, gives the whole book a feeling of uncertainty that extends to the reader. That essential, terrifying question is asked as much by us as by her team: what if she breaks? If anything's going to, it will be this- all her secrets bloodily depicted for anyone and everyone to see. Her weaknesses laid bare. Yet unlike the young Kim who suffered through these experiences, she is not alone. And it is this group all working together, their close-knit, multifaceted, genuine relationships binding them to each other and to the task ahead: finding the person responsible for trying to bring down one of theirs.
It's exceptionally well done, layered with wrong turns and clever misdirection. So much is revealed about Kim, but also those around her. And I don't just mean the ones on her side. There's some pretty fun/frightening moments with villainous players we've met before. More than anything else though, this feels like it brings with it the start of something new. Kim's past not entirely put to bed, but resolved in a way that might be the best she can do. For now, at least. So bring on whatever comes next...
New readers, you shouldn't start here. Not only would you have deprived yourselves of some seriously good crime fiction, most of the tension would be lost in the not knowing. Start with Silent Scream and thank me later. This series has brought so much to the genre already and this offering proves that there's no stopping yet.
ARC via Netgalley
January 22, 2019
Let’s get this clear from the off. I’ve read every one of the previous nine books in this series and love it. Kim Stone is one of my favourite characters in the genre and one Ive loved spending time with over the last few years.
We move on to book ten here, quite a run in one series, and you do fear that at some stage you will eventually be left disappointed. Every series has a finite life and the longer it goes on the more chance the quality drops or it ends up being somewhat of a rehash from the previous books. I mean a six or seven book run in a series while keeping the quality consistently high is probably as much as can be expected or hoped from from the majority of writers.
Any series that I love, I always get that little bit more worried the longer it goes on. Sooner or later the quality either drops or it just outstays it’s welcome.
None of the above applies here. Not a single iota. This is up there with my favourite Kim Stone novels. It’s just so so good.
Miss Marsons had me in the first few pages. Straight out of the traps, the theme of the book set out from the first chapter. I smiled inwardly with glee as I metaphorically put on my comfy slippers, lined up my favourite drinks and snacks as I settled down and got lost in the world of Kim Stone and her team.
There’s no point in doing a synopsis of the story. Even discussing the opening chapter I feel would be spoiler territory. I’d advise doing as I did and not even reading the “blurb” that comes with the book to outline the story. Go in blind and enjoy the ride. You’ll get your monies worth and then some.
From the first page to last you’ll be totally drawn into to this fantastic story and world. A dark and disturbing world no doubt but fascinating and addictive nonetheless.
The story just flows beautifully. The art of storytelling is on full show here. A lean yet unrushed book, there’s no fat here at all, yet plenty of room for the characters to interact with each other and be fleshed out fully.
I’m just so happy that ten books in and we get to read this quality of a story. It’s quite a feat from the author, especially when I think she has been averaging two(or is it three?)Kim Stone novels per year!
I also read in her post novel notes that she had a completely different story in mind for the tenth book and had indeed started on it until this idea surfaced and stayed with her until she scraped the original and started on this. Well I’ve no idea where the original was going but that was one great decision by the author to restart with this story.
So as you can tell I kinda liked this one. If you are a fan of the series you are just going to love this one I feel. If you are new to the series I’d recommend starting at the beginning and be happy that you have a ten(and counting)book series of such high quality to look forward to reading.
5 stars +. What a hugely enjoyable few days I’ve had reading this. Just reminds me of how engrossing and how much fun reading can be when you are in the hands of someone who really knows what they are doing.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Angela Marsons for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
We move on to book ten here, quite a run in one series, and you do fear that at some stage you will eventually be left disappointed. Every series has a finite life and the longer it goes on the more chance the quality drops or it ends up being somewhat of a rehash from the previous books. I mean a six or seven book run in a series while keeping the quality consistently high is probably as much as can be expected or hoped from from the majority of writers.
Any series that I love, I always get that little bit more worried the longer it goes on. Sooner or later the quality either drops or it just outstays it’s welcome.
None of the above applies here. Not a single iota. This is up there with my favourite Kim Stone novels. It’s just so so good.
Miss Marsons had me in the first few pages. Straight out of the traps, the theme of the book set out from the first chapter. I smiled inwardly with glee as I metaphorically put on my comfy slippers, lined up my favourite drinks and snacks as I settled down and got lost in the world of Kim Stone and her team.
There’s no point in doing a synopsis of the story. Even discussing the opening chapter I feel would be spoiler territory. I’d advise doing as I did and not even reading the “blurb” that comes with the book to outline the story. Go in blind and enjoy the ride. You’ll get your monies worth and then some.
From the first page to last you’ll be totally drawn into to this fantastic story and world. A dark and disturbing world no doubt but fascinating and addictive nonetheless.
The story just flows beautifully. The art of storytelling is on full show here. A lean yet unrushed book, there’s no fat here at all, yet plenty of room for the characters to interact with each other and be fleshed out fully.
I’m just so happy that ten books in and we get to read this quality of a story. It’s quite a feat from the author, especially when I think she has been averaging two(or is it three?)Kim Stone novels per year!
I also read in her post novel notes that she had a completely different story in mind for the tenth book and had indeed started on it until this idea surfaced and stayed with her until she scraped the original and started on this. Well I’ve no idea where the original was going but that was one great decision by the author to restart with this story.
So as you can tell I kinda liked this one. If you are a fan of the series you are just going to love this one I feel. If you are new to the series I’d recommend starting at the beginning and be happy that you have a ten(and counting)book series of such high quality to look forward to reading.
5 stars +. What a hugely enjoyable few days I’ve had reading this. Just reminds me of how engrossing and how much fun reading can be when you are in the hands of someone who really knows what they are doing.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Angela Marsons for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2019
Book ten of this fantastic series gets 10 out 10 from me! I was thrilled to be approved by NetGalley for the latest Kim Stone thriller, and have been greedily reading at every opportunity since, thwarted only by those pesky annoyances like work and sleep. I had hoped to write the first review here, but my new friend Janet got there first. Now I can't wait to read everyone else's.
When a young couple are found chained to a radiator in the same run down block of flats that Kim was rescued from at age six, Bryant immediately sees the similarities to her own history, but Kim refuses to acknowledge it. Then another couple is killed in the same way that her foster parents died, and she can no longer deny the truth - someone is recreating the most traumatic moments of her life to cause her maximum pain, but who hates her enough to do so? All the clues point to the prison where perpetrators of crimes from earlier in her career are locked up, but how are they managing it?
I do not know how Ms Marsons manages to keep coming up with such elaborate yet lucid plot lines, covering new material each time, but keeping all the elements we love in each story. This series is all about the characters, although the mysteries are tricksy enough to keep me guessing each time too. Frustratingly single-minded Kim, patient teddy bear Bryant, determined and brilliant Stacey, and the new chap Penn, an intuitive and resourceful detective who does more for the team than they realise. I also love the recurring characters - thoughtful Ted, sparky Tracy, crafty Woody, and loveable Barney (please don't let anything bad happen to him.) I particularly enjoyed seeing the duel between Kim and returning profiler Alison evolve into mutual respect and even liking.
It was even satisfying to catch up with some of the earlier books' villains, giving us a large cast of potential suspects, but I still didn't guess who before the reveal. I also like it when more than one case is being investigated and they don't always have to connect, Alison's determination to find the real criminal behind her previous case by trusting her profiling abilities making her a worthy member of our favourite crime-fighting team, and I hope she gets to stay with them. The writing is seamless as ever, I can't find anything to criticise.
I don't know how she does it - but I'm very glad she does!
Huge thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Dead Memories is published on February 22nd.
When a young couple are found chained to a radiator in the same run down block of flats that Kim was rescued from at age six, Bryant immediately sees the similarities to her own history, but Kim refuses to acknowledge it. Then another couple is killed in the same way that her foster parents died, and she can no longer deny the truth - someone is recreating the most traumatic moments of her life to cause her maximum pain, but who hates her enough to do so? All the clues point to the prison where perpetrators of crimes from earlier in her career are locked up, but how are they managing it?
I do not know how Ms Marsons manages to keep coming up with such elaborate yet lucid plot lines, covering new material each time, but keeping all the elements we love in each story. This series is all about the characters, although the mysteries are tricksy enough to keep me guessing each time too. Frustratingly single-minded Kim, patient teddy bear Bryant, determined and brilliant Stacey, and the new chap Penn, an intuitive and resourceful detective who does more for the team than they realise. I also love the recurring characters - thoughtful Ted, sparky Tracy, crafty Woody, and loveable Barney (please don't let anything bad happen to him.) I particularly enjoyed seeing the duel between Kim and returning profiler Alison evolve into mutual respect and even liking.
It was even satisfying to catch up with some of the earlier books' villains, giving us a large cast of potential suspects, but I still didn't guess who before the reveal. I also like it when more than one case is being investigated and they don't always have to connect, Alison's determination to find the real criminal behind her previous case by trusting her profiling abilities making her a worthy member of our favourite crime-fighting team, and I hope she gets to stay with them. The writing is seamless as ever, I can't find anything to criticise.
I don't know how she does it - but I'm very glad she does!
Huge thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Dead Memories is published on February 22nd.
February 5, 2019
Detective Kim Stone’s past has finally caught up with her, as a deranged killer is replicating the harrowing events of her life.
A young couple have been found in a house in the same building as Kim’s childhood home, chained to the radiator. The boy is dead, the girl barely alive. The scene is too familiar and painful. This heinous crime is the exact copy of what happened to Kim and her brother when they were children. Is this a coincidence? Or someone is out there to make Kim suffer?
At first Kim is adamant to ignore the similarities and understandably keep her painful past from coming to the surface for everyone, including her team, to see.
But when another couple’s burned bodies are found in a car, just like what happened to her foster parents, whom she loved dearly, she accepts that there is someone out there who hates her excessively and will do anything to make her suffer, both emotionally and physically.
This was yet another intriguing and suspenseful read from one of my favorite authors. Angela Marsons sure is an expert in stirring emotions.
Thanks to Angela Marsons, Bookouture and the NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.
A young couple have been found in a house in the same building as Kim’s childhood home, chained to the radiator. The boy is dead, the girl barely alive. The scene is too familiar and painful. This heinous crime is the exact copy of what happened to Kim and her brother when they were children. Is this a coincidence? Or someone is out there to make Kim suffer?
At first Kim is adamant to ignore the similarities and understandably keep her painful past from coming to the surface for everyone, including her team, to see.
But when another couple’s burned bodies are found in a car, just like what happened to her foster parents, whom she loved dearly, she accepts that there is someone out there who hates her excessively and will do anything to make her suffer, both emotionally and physically.
This was yet another intriguing and suspenseful read from one of my favorite authors. Angela Marsons sure is an expert in stirring emotions.
Thanks to Angela Marsons, Bookouture and the NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.
April 1, 2019
“Forget what hurt you, but never forget what it taught you.”
– Dinyar Bharucha
If ever there is someone who has experienced the worst kinds of hurt, it is D.I. Kim Stone. Somehow, she survived a horrific childhood and has become a functioning adult. No, she is not a warm, fuzzy person. Most would call her difficult. But she is a darn good police detective.
Does she have enemies? Oh, heck yeah! In Angela Marsons’ Dead Memories, we meet several of them. All become suspects in a cruel series of murders that seem designed with one purpose in mind: to cause mental torment to Kim Stone. Somehow, someway, someone with a burning hatred of D.I. Stone has learned of the terrible, traumatic details of her past and is now replicating them by murdering innocent people who are staged in the same places and positions designed to induce agony and despair.
Kim’s partner Bryant knows some of the details, and he pushes her to recuse herself, as does her boss Woody. To no one’s surprise, Kim assures everyone she can handle it, as she is a master of compartmentalizing her feelings – or stuffing them, as others might say. Can she really manage, or will it all come out sideways? Or will she explode?
In the tenth book of this marvelous series, Ms. Marsons brings back our favorite team of hard-working detectives. Stacy has a more prominent role than ever, and she amazes us with her computer skills and quick thinking. On the down side, she is prone to pouting and shooting small jabs at co-workers when she’s miffed, but in the end, she owns these faults. We are getting to know Penn, the newest member of the team. He is diligent and resourceful, and he is willing to go the extra mile, as is everyone else on the squad. Bryant does his best to get Kim to open up, but, ever the loyal sidekick, he knows when to say when.
The plot is also enhanced by the addition of profiler Alison Lowe, whose job in this case is to observe Kim and report back to Woody. There is no love lost between the two, and there are some rather amusing exchanges between them. Kim calls upon her skills to draw up profiles on the plethora of suspects. Alison also veers off on her own separate case, teaming with a reluctant Stacy, as she feels the need to prove that a prior “mistake” attributed to her was really an error on the part of the police in another district, one that she feels could cost an innocent man his freedom.
The main plot is clever and captivating. What kind of twisted mind comes up with a tale like this, Angela Marsons? What kind of criminal does these things? It’s really quite brilliant, and while there are many suspects who have deep hatred for Kim Stone, not all are smart enough, devious enough, or have the opportunity to pull off these crimes. So who is behind these dastardly deeds? What event will the killer choose next? Who will the victim be? Can Kim and her team get there in time?
Once again, Angela Marsons has penned a brilliant thriller. My only tiny problem was that I couldn’t remember these bad guys and gals from the previous books. That may have helped me get a better handle on who may have been doing all these nasty deeds. Nah! I’m not that smart! I was just smart enough to figure out who it wasn’t.
So much pain, but, “...never forget what it taught you.” Despite the difficulty that Kim has coming face to face with the painful memories, which have never left her and never will, time and again we see her humanity shine through as she responds to the victims with compassion. She honors their dignity in ways that she was not honored as a child, and she recalls the times in her life when she felt loved and cared for. I believe it is her way of paying it forward.
5 stars
If ever there is someone who has experienced the worst kinds of hurt, it is D.I. Kim Stone. Somehow, she survived a horrific childhood and has become a functioning adult. No, she is not a warm, fuzzy person. Most would call her difficult. But she is a darn good police detective.
Does she have enemies? Oh, heck yeah! In Angela Marsons’ Dead Memories, we meet several of them. All become suspects in a cruel series of murders that seem designed with one purpose in mind: to cause mental torment to Kim Stone. Somehow, someway, someone with a burning hatred of D.I. Stone has learned of the terrible, traumatic details of her past and is now replicating them by murdering innocent people who are staged in the same places and positions designed to induce agony and despair.
Kim’s partner Bryant knows some of the details, and he pushes her to recuse herself, as does her boss Woody. To no one’s surprise, Kim assures everyone she can handle it, as she is a master of compartmentalizing her feelings – or stuffing them, as others might say. Can she really manage, or will it all come out sideways? Or will she explode?
In the tenth book of this marvelous series, Ms. Marsons brings back our favorite team of hard-working detectives. Stacy has a more prominent role than ever, and she amazes us with her computer skills and quick thinking. On the down side, she is prone to pouting and shooting small jabs at co-workers when she’s miffed, but in the end, she owns these faults. We are getting to know Penn, the newest member of the team. He is diligent and resourceful, and he is willing to go the extra mile, as is everyone else on the squad. Bryant does his best to get Kim to open up, but, ever the loyal sidekick, he knows when to say when.
The plot is also enhanced by the addition of profiler Alison Lowe, whose job in this case is to observe Kim and report back to Woody. There is no love lost between the two, and there are some rather amusing exchanges between them. Kim calls upon her skills to draw up profiles on the plethora of suspects. Alison also veers off on her own separate case, teaming with a reluctant Stacy, as she feels the need to prove that a prior “mistake” attributed to her was really an error on the part of the police in another district, one that she feels could cost an innocent man his freedom.
The main plot is clever and captivating. What kind of twisted mind comes up with a tale like this, Angela Marsons? What kind of criminal does these things? It’s really quite brilliant, and while there are many suspects who have deep hatred for Kim Stone, not all are smart enough, devious enough, or have the opportunity to pull off these crimes. So who is behind these dastardly deeds? What event will the killer choose next? Who will the victim be? Can Kim and her team get there in time?
Once again, Angela Marsons has penned a brilliant thriller. My only tiny problem was that I couldn’t remember these bad guys and gals from the previous books. That may have helped me get a better handle on who may have been doing all these nasty deeds. Nah! I’m not that smart! I was just smart enough to figure out who it wasn’t.
So much pain, but, “...never forget what it taught you.” Despite the difficulty that Kim has coming face to face with the painful memories, which have never left her and never will, time and again we see her humanity shine through as she responds to the victims with compassion. She honors their dignity in ways that she was not honored as a child, and she recalls the times in her life when she felt loved and cared for. I believe it is her way of paying it forward.
5 stars
May 8, 2020
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
DEAD MEMORIES (D.I. Kim Stone Book #10) by Angela Marsons is a British police procedural that never fails to keep my nose in the book from start to finish. I know I can pick up a D.I. Kim Stone book and be engrossed by both some of my favorite characters and an intricate plot.
In this addition to the series, there is an unknown person recreating every traumatic event from Kim’s past down to the smallest detail. Someone wants to emotionally destroy Kim and Kim and her team believe the finale will be her death.
Kim has spent years catching and caging dangerous criminals. Now, she and her team need to sift through all the possible suspects from her past in a race to save her life.
I am never disappointed by a book in this series! By the time an author gets to this many books in a series it can become stale, but not this one. Angela Marsons has written a protagonist that is emotionally complex, strong and lives for the justice she provides for the victims she stands for. Her team is not just filler, but each has their unique qualities and characteristics which make them as integral to my love of these stories as Kim. This plot brought back all the villains I have loved to hate and still Kim comes out on top with the help of her team.
I can highly recommend this addition to the D.I. Kim Stone series and really the whole series! If you have not read any of these books, you are definitely missing out on one of the best series in this genre.
Thanks very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC for review.
DEAD MEMORIES (D.I. Kim Stone Book #10) by Angela Marsons is a British police procedural that never fails to keep my nose in the book from start to finish. I know I can pick up a D.I. Kim Stone book and be engrossed by both some of my favorite characters and an intricate plot.
In this addition to the series, there is an unknown person recreating every traumatic event from Kim’s past down to the smallest detail. Someone wants to emotionally destroy Kim and Kim and her team believe the finale will be her death.
Kim has spent years catching and caging dangerous criminals. Now, she and her team need to sift through all the possible suspects from her past in a race to save her life.
I am never disappointed by a book in this series! By the time an author gets to this many books in a series it can become stale, but not this one. Angela Marsons has written a protagonist that is emotionally complex, strong and lives for the justice she provides for the victims she stands for. Her team is not just filler, but each has their unique qualities and characteristics which make them as integral to my love of these stories as Kim. This plot brought back all the villains I have loved to hate and still Kim comes out on top with the help of her team.
I can highly recommend this addition to the D.I. Kim Stone series and really the whole series! If you have not read any of these books, you are definitely missing out on one of the best series in this genre.
Thanks very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC for review.
May 16, 2022
I remember the very first time I came across a new author called Angela Marsons and her debut Kim Stone novel Silent Scream
I knew she was one classy writer and here we are 10 books in and shes still writing these outstanding thrillers.
Dead Memories
Somebody hates hates Kim Stone with a vengeance. This person wants to cause as much psychological pain by re-enacting traumatic incidents from Kim's childhood.
How do they know these things?
Who hates her that much to do this.
As Kim and her team try to put these pieces together to find this person it may all be too much for her to continue on the case because as strong and focus as she is each new traumatic find is resulting in her having to disclose her past to her team so they can catch this killer.
What I loved about this book is the way she brought all her old enemies back, each one with an axe to grind.
Thrilling and another page turner ...Its a winner from me.
March 1, 2019
10/10
When you have a great series, I start to wonder at what point will it run out of steam. But not with this one 10 books in, and it is still running at 200 mph.
Unfortunately I don't have a tenth of her writing skills, so I am running out of superlatives to praise this series.
Still has the brilliant banter between Stone and Bryant. Not quite so many references to local areas that I recognise this time.
This one has a darker theme than usual, based on DI Stone early life as per the blurb on the back. Most of which we have read before but there are more revelations. It makes you wonder how she has survived all she has, but it also offers some explanation of why her characters is as strong as it is.
Can't wait for book 11! Will have to read the dictionary to learn a few new words for the next review.
When you have a great series, I start to wonder at what point will it run out of steam. But not with this one 10 books in, and it is still running at 200 mph.
Unfortunately I don't have a tenth of her writing skills, so I am running out of superlatives to praise this series.
Still has the brilliant banter between Stone and Bryant. Not quite so many references to local areas that I recognise this time.
This one has a darker theme than usual, based on DI Stone early life as per the blurb on the back. Most of which we have read before but there are more revelations. It makes you wonder how she has survived all she has, but it also offers some explanation of why her characters is as strong as it is.
Can't wait for book 11! Will have to read the dictionary to learn a few new words for the next review.
February 16, 2019
Dead Memories is the tenth book in the DI Kim Stone series, and wow it's Marson's best novel to date; it's a cracking addition to a fantastic series. I am blown away by how intensely thrilling it was, and the twists, turns and red herrings leave you shellshocked. Each new addition is better than the last and that makes this a pleasure to read. It's cleverly plotted, fast-paced and very creative and original in terms of the murder scenarios. From first page to last I simply couldn't put it down and devoured it in a single sitting then wished I had savoured it a little more.
There is plenty of action throughout which keeps the reader engrossed, and the way it is written provides a large cast of suspects for us to try and pinpoint who carried out such despicable acts, but the author masterfully conceals the true perpetrator for the majority of the book. This made it extra enjoyable for me. In the previous instalments, I felt Kim Stone was rather abrasive, and I failed to warm to her. Here, she has become more friendly although her no-nonsense attitude remains bubbling under the surface and still makes an appearance from time to time.
Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
There is plenty of action throughout which keeps the reader engrossed, and the way it is written provides a large cast of suspects for us to try and pinpoint who carried out such despicable acts, but the author masterfully conceals the true perpetrator for the majority of the book. This made it extra enjoyable for me. In the previous instalments, I felt Kim Stone was rather abrasive, and I failed to warm to her. Here, she has become more friendly although her no-nonsense attitude remains bubbling under the surface and still makes an appearance from time to time.
Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
April 3, 2019
Two teenagers are found chained to a radiator the boy dead but the girl still clinging to life. DI Kim Stone arrives at the familiar scene as it is exactly how she and her twin were discovered in the same tower thirty years ago. Later she arrives at the scene where the bodies of a middle-aged couple are found in a burnt car bearing an eerie similarity to the deaths of her own parents.The killer is mirroring Kim’s past and will do anything to destroy her emotionally before claiming her as his final target.
Dead Memories is the 10th book in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, it just gets better and better with each book. A tightly woven book full of tension, twists and turns strong characters and a gripping story-line makes it another great addition to this addictive series. Cannot wait for Book 11!
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Dead Memories is the 10th book in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, it just gets better and better with each book. A tightly woven book full of tension, twists and turns strong characters and a gripping story-line makes it another great addition to this addictive series. Cannot wait for Book 11!
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
January 21, 2019
It’s hard to believe that Dead Memories is the tenth Kim Stone novel, I can remember the first time I read Silent Scream and I finished it with so much excitement for what was to come from this series. It is easily one of the best crime series currently being written and I don’t think I could ever tire of reading about Kim and her team.
Dead Memories sees a killer recreating every traumatic moment of Kim Stone’s life, and those that have followed the series so far will know something of how traumatic that life has been. It is a hugely emotional and involving read for those of us that have read each and every book and feel that we know all of these characters that we have spent so much time with. Kim’s emotions, when she occasionally loses the battle to hide them from everybody else, are palpable and once again we see more layers of this truly fascinating character begin to be unravelled and can only marvel at the type of woman and detective that she has become.
Kim has plenty of people who could want to harm her in this way, and given the nature of the case and how closely it involves Kim, we see the return of Alison Lowe who is a profiler brought back to keep an eye on Kim, offer insights and ultimately report back to Kim’s boss. Alison offers great depth to the story and has something of a journey to go on herself as the journey progresses. As for the rest of the characters, this is a team that is far and away one of my favourites that I’ve ever read about. Bryant and Stacey are as fantastic as ever and any doubts that I had about Penn in the past have long since been forgotten. Here we have three characters who want answers and justice almost as much as Kim and there’s some wonderfully satisfying scenes throughout with all of these characters.
What Angie has always done well with this series is inject it with just the right amount of humour. So, whilst this series contains some of the most brutal and twisted storylines you can find in the genre, there’s still plenty of humour and genuine laugh out loud moments laced throughout the story. But what has always stood out to me most in this series is the effect it has on me as a reader. I feel completely involved and immersed in what I am reading. I am totally invested in and believe in these characters and so just become completely consumed by what I am reading. I read close to 200 books a year and since reading Silent Scream at the start of 2015 this series has been right at the top of my favourite reads of each year. Dead Memories is another memorable instalment into what is one of my favourite crime series and without doubt one of the best ever. I cannot wait for the next one.
Dead Memories sees a killer recreating every traumatic moment of Kim Stone’s life, and those that have followed the series so far will know something of how traumatic that life has been. It is a hugely emotional and involving read for those of us that have read each and every book and feel that we know all of these characters that we have spent so much time with. Kim’s emotions, when she occasionally loses the battle to hide them from everybody else, are palpable and once again we see more layers of this truly fascinating character begin to be unravelled and can only marvel at the type of woman and detective that she has become.
Kim has plenty of people who could want to harm her in this way, and given the nature of the case and how closely it involves Kim, we see the return of Alison Lowe who is a profiler brought back to keep an eye on Kim, offer insights and ultimately report back to Kim’s boss. Alison offers great depth to the story and has something of a journey to go on herself as the journey progresses. As for the rest of the characters, this is a team that is far and away one of my favourites that I’ve ever read about. Bryant and Stacey are as fantastic as ever and any doubts that I had about Penn in the past have long since been forgotten. Here we have three characters who want answers and justice almost as much as Kim and there’s some wonderfully satisfying scenes throughout with all of these characters.
What Angie has always done well with this series is inject it with just the right amount of humour. So, whilst this series contains some of the most brutal and twisted storylines you can find in the genre, there’s still plenty of humour and genuine laugh out loud moments laced throughout the story. But what has always stood out to me most in this series is the effect it has on me as a reader. I feel completely involved and immersed in what I am reading. I am totally invested in and believe in these characters and so just become completely consumed by what I am reading. I read close to 200 books a year and since reading Silent Scream at the start of 2015 this series has been right at the top of my favourite reads of each year. Dead Memories is another memorable instalment into what is one of my favourite crime series and without doubt one of the best ever. I cannot wait for the next one.
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