Description
Kim felt sickness sweep over her as she watched little Grace dust off her dirty hands. Blonde curls tumbled around her face. Then, Grace disappeared into the crowd. Kim wanted to pause the recording, run outside and grab her to stop what was about to happen.
One August afternoon, eight-year-old Grace Lennard skips into the garden of the childcare centre she attends and vanishes into thin air. Rushing to the scene of Grace’s disappearance, Detective Kim Stone finds a chilling piece of evidence: the engraved heart bracelet belonging to Melody Jones – the little girl who was taken from a playground exactly twenty-five years ago.
Hours before, Steven Harte had walked into Halesowen police station and confessed to having information that would lead Kim to Melody. And he told Kim she’d have a more urgent problem to deal with first. Now Kim must play Steven’s twisted game if she’s to find Grace alive.
With only twenty-four hours to make every second of Steven’s interrogation count, and scan his behaviour for hidden clues, Kim and her team soon link Steven to the abduction of several vulnerable girls – two were kept for a year and then released, unharmed – but where are Melody and the others?
Then small bones are discovered in the grounds of a local park, and Kim fears the worst.
Kim may think she’s close to convicting a killer, but the case has got even more complex. A chilling figure from Kim’s past is about to reveal a shocking secret that will hit her where it hurts the most. Can Kim put aside her own demons, save Grace and the other missing girls before more innocent lives are lost?
An edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave your heart in your mouth. You will be totally hooked on the utterly addictive, number one, multi-million-copy bestselling Detective Kim Stone series.
REVIEW
Review for 'Stolen Ones' by Angela Marsons.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Angela Marsons, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 11th November 2021.
This is the ninth book I have read by this author and it is the fifteenth book in the 'DI Kim Stone' series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read the first 7 books in the 'DI Kim Stone' plus the fourteenth book which I loved and would recommend. Sadly I haven't had time to read from the 8th book until the fourteenth but will definitely be making time to as I LOVE KIM STONE!!!
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I am also a MASSIVE fan of Angela Marsons and the Kim Stone series and if this is half as good as the rest it is sure to be a great read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue and 88 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in West Midlands, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited the West Midlands on several occasions so am looking forward to see if I recognise anywhere.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Detective Kim Stone and Alexandra Thorne. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
'Stolen Ones' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Angela discusses/includes abduction, abuse and death of children.
OMG!!! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US ANGELA!!!! JUST WOW!!!! Seriously love, love LOVED this book!!!! Although, shouldn't be so shocked, it is Angela Marsons and Kim Stone after all!!!! Anyway, on with the review shall I....
Angela's style of writing is absolutely fantastic. She has a way in which she completely absorbs the reader into the book with vivid and graphic descriptions that have you completely lost in the plot. It is the type of book that when you finish you look around and wonder where you are and how is nobody else reacting to the bombshell that has just been dropped!!! The cover IS Kim Stone for me and the name and synopsis suited the plot perfectly.
The storyline is an absolute rollercoaster ride through a multi layered adventure park set in the world of horror and crime!!! There's never just one case with Angela but so much going on, not too much to get you confused but just the perfect amount to keep the pace continuous. The majority of chapters end on cliffhanger so keeps reader addicted and turning pages. Although this book is the 15th book in the epic Kim Stone series it can easily be read as a standalone. I haven't had time to read a fabulous Kim Stone book in so long I've missed since book 7 up until 14 which I read all the way back in August 2019. Although I cannot wait to get back to her previous books I never had any point felt I'd missed out something to do with the book. Anything that had been mentioned from previous cases were explained with just the right amount of information, not too much to bore those who have read every book and just enough so new readers know what's happened. The murders and crimes are unique and morbidly intriguing. I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails whilst feeling my heart pounding into the silly hours of the morning as this is one book that cannot be put down so clear your diaries before picking it up. It fills you with all emotions from fear to laughter, tension to shock. I was not expecting that ending at all on both cases. I was absolutely speechless and actually shouted OMG to which my partner looked at me stupid!!! I just could not believe what I was reading. The fact that Steven presented himself at the police station is definitely a unique situation which I haven't seen done before. That's the thing with Angela, she is always presenting Kim with new situations and we all love seeing how she reacts to them. Well done Angela, I'm getting harder and harder to shock but you had me hook, line and sinker!!!!
Although this is the fifteenth book in the series I had would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
I haven't had time to read a fabulous Kim Stone book in quite a while. However, before I'd even finished the first chapter the memories came flooding straight back and oh how I missed Kim and her fierce attitude, DCI Woodward, the hatred for Alex and so much more. Had me giggling straight away which is brilliant considering it's a crime novel. I love it when authors put some comedy in these novels as it lightens it up at times and Kim's attitude really does make me smile. Angela creates fantastic team dynamics with memorable characters who work together brilliantly and perfectly. Each character is unique and has strong personalities and they just are completely unforgettable. Randomly, its always important for me to like the pathologist in any police procedurals and to click with them as much as the main police team. Their relationship with the main protagonist is also important to me as reader. In this case the pathologist is Keats and Doctor A how I love the sarcasm and humour between them and the team and his attitude. Stacey and Penn are very strong team members and I love how they work so well together and yet wind each other up constantly. Alex is her usual despicable self and stoops to new levels of low in this book. I am ABSOLUTELY intrigued to see what she is going to get up to next now she has got her own way again. Alex is very much Marmite and you either love her or hate her. Alex and Kim's relationship reminds me a bit like the relationship between Batman and the Joker and how they thrive on their hate of each other and would be lost without the rivalry. It is one of the most intriguing relationships I have come across in any book before. I thought it was brilliant that Angela used Noelle as one of her characters who actually suited her which is quite scary!! I must say Noelle you make a good inmate lol. It will be interesting to see what Gum decides to do with Kim's offer. I hope he manages to get his life on track now that he has finally had the answers he has waited so long for. I loved meeting Alison Lowe again and the interactions between herself and Kim are brilliant!! I really enjoyed learning all about behaviour analysis from her and it is yet another way that shows Angela definitely does her research amazingly well!!! I cannot wait to meet all the usual gang and more in the next installment of this addictive series 'Six Graves' which I will be reading very soon!!
A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS ANGELA MARSONS!!! As always you have done the research and you have created what I can guarantee will be one of the best read books this year!!! When are you going to bring Kim to the big screen??? I hope your busy writing cause I cannot wait to get my hands on your next success!!! Seriously what are you waiting for guys??? Stop reading this and get your copy now!!!!
This is why you are in my top 3 favourite authors and this is my top 3 series!!!
Overall an absolutely amazing psychological thriller of epic proportions that will keep your heart pounding all night. This is one of the best books I have ever read!!!! An absolute MUST READ!!!
Some of my favourite quotes in this book include the following:
😂 Way too many for me to include!!! I'd end up adding the whole book and giving too much away
Genres covered in this book include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Police Procedural and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of page turning, heart pounding, non stop, unputdownable crime books that will shock you!!!!
374 pages.
This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5/5 (I LOVE LOVE LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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@AngelaMarsons @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
About The Author
Angela Marsons is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the DI Kim Stone series and her books have sold more than 5 million in 7 years. She lives in Worcestershire with her partner and their 2 cheeky Golden Retrievers. She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read "Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people's". After years of writing relationship based stories (The Forgotten Woman and Dear Mother) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away. She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 28 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into more than 27 languages. Many of her books, including Blood Lines, Dead Souls, Broken Bones, Fatal Promise and Dead Memories reached the #1 spot on Amazon on pre-orders alone and the translation of Dead Souls, La Verita Sepolte, recently won the prestigious Primo Bancarella award.
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