BOOK REVIEW: Play Dead by Angela Marsons

The dead don't tell secrets...
Unless you listen.
The girls smashed-in face stared unseeing up to the blue sky, soil spilling out of her mouth. A hundred flies hovered above the bloodied mess.
Westerley Research Facility is not for the faint-hearted, A 'body farm' investigating human decomposition, it's inhabitants are corpses in various states of decay. But when Detective Kim Stone and her team discover the fresh body of a young woman, it seems a killer has discovered the perfect cover to bury their crime.
Then a second girl is attacked and left for dead, her body drugged and mouth filled with soil. It's clear to Stone and the team that a serial killer is at work- but just how many bodies will they uncover? And who is next?
As local reporter, Tracy Frost, disappears the stakes are raised. The past seems to hold the key to the killer's secrets but can Kim uncover the truth before a twisted, damaged mind claims another victim?

Publisher: Bookouture

This is one of my favourite series of books, Angela Marsons is fantastic. I say it each time I review this author's books so I apologise but I think this latest book is her best yet. Play Dead showcases this author's talents, the story is gripping; the characters are well-crafted and believable and she packs so much emotion into this instalment.
Kim Stone does not want to pay a visit to Westerley Research Facility as she thinks it will be a waste of her time. But the body of a woman is discovered while she is there; her face beaten and her mouth filled with soil. The killer now has Kim's full attention. Why such a brutal murder and why leave the body at Westerley?
I really was hooked from the beginni
ng; I felt as though Angela Marsons does not waste your time in any way. I constantly wanted more as she expertly built up the suspense and tension.
We see a lot more of Kim's human side in this story, especially towards Tracy Frost. Kim detests the reporter but when she goes missing, Kim does everything she can to bring her to safety whilst discovering that she may have misjudged this woman.
If you have not read any of Angela Marson's books yet then you are missing out. I look forward to each new book in the series and I can't recommend then enough.

Many thanks to Bookouture for allowing me to review this book via Netgalley. 

BOOK REVIEW: Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

Two girls go missing. Only one will return.
The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One girl will die.
When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping.
And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for DI Kim Stone and the squad.
Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour...
Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families' past might hold the key to saving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someones child pay the ultimate price?

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 425

Lost Girls is the third book in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons; I'm sure I said this last time but this really is the best so far! I felt like everything was heightened in this book, the tension, the danger, the drama, the emotions; I was on the edge of my seat throughout.
DI Kim Stone takes on the case of two nine-year-old girls who have been kidnapped. There has been a similar case just over a year ago but only one girl came back the the body of the other has never been found. This time Kim is determined to get both girls back safely.
Kim and her team are up against time but they are also up against the girls' parents. How long will it be before one of them offers the kidnappers a ransom , saving their child whilst sealing the deadly fate of the other?
The book goes back and forth between  Kim and her team working with the parents and the girls who have been taken and who are being held prisoners. The chapters that dealt with the girls' ordeal were terrifying; Angela Marsons conveyed the terror and anguish they go through, some of these scenes sent chills through me. The people involved in the actual kidnapping are completely abhorrent and you are left in no doubt that once they have got what they want, the girls mean nothing to them.
Kim Stone is a fantastic creation, I felt that this book showed a little more of her caring side without losing any of the determination and stubbornness that I have come to love. Again, I really enjoyed the dynamics of Kim and her team; the way in which they worked felt very realistic and it was interesting to see how they picked the case apart.
If you have read Angela Marsons others books then get hold of Lost Girls as soon as you can. If you've not read any of Angela's books then what are you waiting for!

Many thanks to Bookouture for allowing me to review this book via Netgalley.  

Book Review: Silent Scream by Angela Marsons

Even the darkest secrets can't stay buried forever. Five figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult-sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken  but the pact had been made.  Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood... Years later a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders which shook the Black Country. But when human remains are discovered at a former children's home, disturbing secrets are also unearthed. D.I. Kim Stone fast realises she's on the hunt for a twisted individual whose killing spree spans decades. As the body count rises, Kim needs to stop the murderer before they can strike again. But to catch the killer, can Kim confront the demons of her own past before it's too late?

Publisher: Bookouture

This book was a fantastic read and a complete breath of fresh air. I may be biased as I am a very proud Brummie but it was so refreshing to read a crime book that wasn't set in London or Manchester!
Angela Marsons doesn't hold back, she takes you straight into the thick of it, five people standing round a shallow grave. These pe
ople thought that their secrets were buried but a spate of murders linking staff at a children's care home mean that people are going to start asking questions.
D.I. Kim Stone is called to the first murder which leads her to the care home connection and the remains of a child buried in the grounds. I really liked this character, I felt that she was very believable and even though she had a very hard shell, she does care deeply about her job and getting justice for those who can't get it for themselves.
This case particularly resonates with Kim as she is a product of the care system. Throughout the book we learn more about her past and her story is heartbreaking.
Silent Scream hits the ground running and has a relentless pace. There are more murders and more secrets revealed. Then ending completely threw me and I loved that it was so unexpected.
Anglea Marsons is writing more D.I. Kim Stone books which I am chuffed about as she is an excellent creation. This book has been sitting at the top of the Amazon chart for a while and it is clear to see why,

Many thanks to Bookouture for allowing me to review this book via netgalley.