It’s hard to believe that Deadly Cry is the 13th book in the Kim Stone series from Angela Marsons. You can read it as a standalone as enough backstory is provided to keep you in the loop, but please do yourself a favour and go read the whole series, you will not be disappointed!
Opening up the pages is like opening the door to a very welcome family reunion; one where you know you are about to spend time with a bunch of folk you adore! But don’t be fooled, you may love the characters but the story behind the door, as revealed by Angela Marsons will chew you up and spit you out every single time!
Deadly Cry opens with a prologue that tears at your heartstrings and pulls you straight in. Angela Marsons knows how to build the tension, she’s got the power to keep you turning the pages well into the wee small hours and despite this being book number 13 she brings something fresh to the table every single time.
Throughout this series I’ve grown alongside the characters and it is testament to the author’s skill that she has created a cast of characters who find their way under your skin, whose lives and stories intrigue you so much. Stacy and Penn really come into their own in Deadly Cry. Stacy’s tenacity and quest for justice are second to none, her character is one that I’m enjoying more and more as the books go on; and the emotional scenes between Penn and his brother Jasper had me reaching for the tissues, Penn is fast becoming one of my favourite characters in the series and I really do hope he finds some happiness in his life.
And of course, the lady herself, Kim Stone; now she is the kind of detective you want on your side: she might be brusque on the outside but her drive and passion for justice is what moves her forward and she is never afraid to question or put her own neck on the line to make it happen. And that relationship between her and Bryant, well they just go together like toast and tea, gin and tonic; the banter, the honesty and the friendship between them feels so real. Angela Marsons has created a cast of characters so real, that they just step out from the pages and into your lives.
And of course the plot! The blurb tells you all you need to know. Angela Marsons has once again, nailed it and them some! From current to cold cases, all entwined with the lives of the characters and all with the power to make you stop and think, the tension is real and the pace is perfection. I love how the author uses her narrative to challenge stigma, discrimination, inequalities and injustices, but does so in such a way that the reader never feels preached to, but rather the messages are absorbed by the reader without them realising.
I’ll only give you one warning about this book: I was stupid enough to start reading this at midnight. Panda eyes the next morning and a huffy dog as I wouldn’t take him out until I had finished reading! Bookouture need to start issuing sick notes for readers to give them a day off to read, or to catch up on lost sleep!

Deadly Cry, book 13 in the absolutely fabulous Kim Stone series, sees the very welcome return of the dream team, Kim, Bryant, Stacey and Penn as another grueling and upsetting investigation begins with murders, letters from the perpetrator and a missing child just for starters.

I love that each time we meet up with the team again not only do we see the side that makes them all such super detectives and team players but we get to know more about their personal lives and loves and share their happy times but also their sad ones too.

Grabbed from the very first page, this outstanding, addictive and gripping page turner is storytelling at its absolute best.

Angela always sends me grabbing for the tissues, taking deep breaths and rooting for the team as they struggle but never give up in the fight for justice and to give peace and closure to the families involved.

Another cracker of a novel and one I would highly recommend.
LOVED it and can't wait to meet up with them all again in the future.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC for my honest review .

DI Stone series never fails to deliver! I've read these since day one and this is one of the few series that I keep up with. Great character development and interaction, I feel like I know these people. Always an interesting, multi-level mystery that will keep you guessing and is fast paced. I read this in 2 days because I just couldn't stop! Always a believable and interesting twist going on, not the 'oh where the heck did that come from" that many like to throw in for a surprise. Great author - keep these coming and I'll keep reading!

I honestly don’t know how Angela Marsons gets better and better with each book. I loved every moment of Deadly Cry! My jaw dropped over and over again and I’m just sitting here so shocked at the end! I only read a couple of authors for detective/police thrillers and Marsons is one of them. Although I typically prefer standalone thrillers, her Kim Stone series is one where I wait anxiously for the next installment and I’ve never been disappointed! I was so excited to see the profiler, erm, I mean behaviourist, Alison Lowe again! She’s such a great character and I love to watch her develop. I also loved seeing a new side of Penn, who has worked his way into my heart. Now I guess I have to start being anxious for Angie to put out the next one! Obviously, 5 HUGE stars from me!!!

Thank you so much to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading Deadly Cry in advance!

The 13th book in the DI Kim Stone series and, as anticipated, this did not disappoint.

This had me captivated from the outset. Excellent storyline with plenty of twists to keep you intrigued.

Already looking forward to the next instalment.

4.5 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read and review this 13th novel in the DI Kim Stone series. I cannot believe it! I have now read 13 books in this series, and have yet to become bored. And the characters have yet to become boring. This one is a cracker! It's one of the best I've read this year, and possibly one of Angela Marsons' best, too. In my humble opinion.

The gang's all here: Kim Stone, Bryant, Penn, Stacey, their boss, Keats, and everyone else - even Frost.

It starts with DI Stone having to attend a meeting to discuss the imminent public appearance of a 'celebrity' who has written a tell-all about her one-night-stand with a famous footballer - just the kind of thing that sets Stone's teeth to grinding.

However, when she's called to the scene of a murder nearby, they're off and running. Prior to her meeting, Kim had witnessed a seemingly-abandoned child at a nearby convenience store; and it's the child's mother who has turned up dead, of a broken neck, nearby. There does not seem to be a motive for this seemingly random killing, and then it happens again - same M.O. But this time, the victim's child is missing and the race is on for DI Stone and her team to find him and figure out the motive - if there is one - behind these killings.

Back at the office, Detective Stacey Wood is working on a 'cold case' that involves a rape, and Detective Penn is still mourning the loss of his mother.

In a twist that Angela Marsons does so well, the team finds that the killer is communicating directly with DI Stone, and he/she wants to be stopped.

In typical Kim Stone fashion, she defies the powers that be and runs the investigation how she sees fit - even if it puts her career in jeopardy.

In the course of this twisted mystery, the team finds they have to go into the past before they can discover the reasons for the present case. And along the way we take a deeper dive into both profiling - with the reluctant assistance of Alison Lowe, who we previously met - and graphology (the study of handwriting as a tool in criminology).

And at a certain point, Stone's case dovetails with Wood's cold cast - with a surprising conclusion!

Ms. Marsons has not lost her touch one little bit in the continuing series of DI Kim Stone procedurals and this one is highly recommended. It's a roller coaster of a ride, so sit back, strap in and enjoy.

‘Deadly Cry’ is the thirteenth book in the hugely successful DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons. This is the first book that I have read from the series and I’m already a fan.

In ‘Deadly Cry’ a two woman have been murdered, and an letter addressed to Kim suggests that the killer is only getting started.
Despite the intense opposition of the police hierarchy, Kim continues to investigate the case in her own way. And with both publicity and the body count rapidly rising, the team begin in question if Kim is correct in her thinking. Meanwhile, Stacey’s new case which threatens to pit the police forces against each other.

Marsons is a skilled author and has cleverly avoided one of the common pitfalls when creating her detective protagonist – rather than malign Kim Stone’s character with the typical concerns of relationship issues, alcohol dependency etc, Marsons has instead created a strong, complex character with a love of rebuilding motorcycles. Stone spends her ‘down time’ working on her hobby and subsequently selling the motorcycling in order to donate the proceeds to charity. I’m guessing that there is a link to her backstory here but I’m not familiar with the rest of the series (though I do intend to start catching up asap)
I’m not suggesting that Stone is easy to understand or even to like at times. Her stubborn attitude leads to a rift with Alison at an early stage. However, her team know that Stone has a focus on the victims and is driven because of her wish to help them and their families. Her team are bonded by the same drive and are all likeable characters who bring their individual skills and experience to their cases. Marsons ensures that the reader meets each of the team and learns about their lives, adding interest to the story and ensuring that these characters are not just faceless individuals.

Thank you to Angela Marsons, Bookouture and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As always Death Score starts at 100mph and never lets up. DI Kim Stone has a standoffish generally rude attitude, with few social skills. Yet she has a genuine affection for her team, which is why they work so well together, the banter between Kim and Bryant is legendary. Stacey’s character is rapidly growing, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for her next. Penn, well when I think back to Penn arriving on the team, it is difficult to imagine it is the same character.
As always, the plot is superb. There have been many very sick and twisted people in her books and I always wonder how she can possibly follow that, but every single book leaves me wanting more.
Somehow Angela can write hard hitting action, gory details and then write with such compassion (tissues required) about into the personal lives of these characters which really humanises them and helps us as readers to empathise with them and understand them more.
You could easily read this as a stand-alone and enjoy it but if you are considering it, I’d recommend checking out the whole series. There isn’t a weak one in it. No fillers at all. The books have been knocked out at an amazing pace over the last few years but still all feel like they’ve been given the care and attention they require, and they never disappoint.
Angela Marsons is one of the few authors, who I will drop everything for when I have her latest book in my possession. Very few authors can not only maintain the high quality of storytelling and character development but continue to surpass the previous book every time. I am in awe of her immense talent, please keep writing.
Everything is so realistically told that genuine emotion is felt by me as I read and these stories stay with me for a long time afterwards, in fact some of the stories from the previous books still do. That’s how fantastic and memorable they are, but also speaks volumes to the effect they had on me as I read. I really don’t want to say too much about the plot, as it’s best discovered by readers for themselves but if I was to rank each plot in this series so far, the one here in Death Score would be near the top. In fact, this book is not just in my top 3 for the year, it is very high up in my all-time top reads. As you have probably guessed by now, I highly recommend this book.

Oh how much have I missed Kim Stone. Bizarrely, there is something so calming about stepping into her hectic and thrill filled world, especially given current times. I think it is that sense of the familiar, of knowing that not only are you in a safe pair of hands with Angela Marsons, but, where Kim Stone is concerned, you are also guaranteed a story that will grab a hold of you from the start and keep you invested in the outcome right to the very last page. I think right now we all need that comfort blanket and as uncomfortable as some of the stories might be, Kim and the team give us that reassurance that everything will, eventually, be alright.

As I said earlier this is one heck of a case that Kim, Bryant et al find themselves caught up in. Murder, missing children and a killer who poses a real quandary for the team. Heinous in their actions and yet seemingly full of remorse for what they have done and desperate for someone, namely Kim, to stop them. What kind of foe are they up against this time and how do you track a killer when there is no apparent link between their victims?

The plotting in this book is as tight as ever, the clues being scattered for readers like little breadcrumbs, leading us, slowly but surely to a really tense and somewhat unexpected showdown. Elements of what happens I was expecting, not the ultimate reveal, Angela Marsons excelling at keeping the killer hidden until just the right time. You will think you know, but you probably won't. It's that kind of story. Twisted, yes, but ultimately very believable.

Kim is on top form again this time around, dismissive of the powers that be, undermining even Woody's authority and ultimately being guided by her instincts to solve the most perplexing of cases in a bid to reunite a young boy with his family. You wouldn't have her any other way, lets face it, but she is learning to play the game, using her tense yet mutually beneficial relationship with Frost to her advantage, much to the annoyance of those around her. Her attitude should get her in trouble, but it is her straight talking and direct nature that actually turns to the benefit of those around her, sometimes against their better judgment. It also lands her in very hot water, life threatening temperatures in fact, but then it's not the first time for Kim. Angela Marsons takes us right to the edge once again, those crunch moments full of tension, and guaranteed to have you creeping towards the edge of your seat.

Family is a key theme throughout this book, both in terms of the victims and the team. We all know that Kim's team are like one, slightly dysfunctional, but totally supportive family, and they all feel the highs and lows as they happen to each other. I love the dynamic and the camaraderie between them and they way in which Kim steers them towards the right results and the author captures all of their individual traits and emotions brilliantly, especially for Penn who is going through a bit personal upheaval as we rejoin the team. What is happening in the team, is echoed in the lives of the victims and the ones who are left behind. There is much about the storyline that I think a lot of people will identify with, I know I did, I can't be too specific, but I do think that Angela Marsons captured the essence of this storyline perfectly.

Whilst the murders take centre stage in this story, as you would expect them to, there are two other 'cases' in play too. One allows Stacey to really shine and shows how much she had grown and learned over the course of the series, the other proves to be an almost comedic, but frustrating distraction for Kim and, by default, Bryant. I enjoyed seeing Stacey out from behind her desk, branching out to solve a cold case that quickly gets under her skin and I'm really intrigued to see how this develops in future books. But whatever happens next, with another 15 Kim Stone books in the pipeline, I am really looking forward to the journey.

Hard to believe we are now on Book 13 of the Kim Stone series and what a rollercoaster of a ride it has been thus far. Delighted to be back with the team, Stone, Stacey, Bryant & Penn as they investigate the death of a women out the back of a local supermarket, her 4 year old having been found wandering/abandoned inside but who would have killed her and why? The team are up against it as more bodies turn up, they know they have a serial killer on their hands but they just can’t piece it together.

Stacey is also working a cold case, the rape of a woman who didn’t get her justice and we really see how far Stacey has grown both professionally and personally during this.

Poor Penn has a lot to deal with after his mother died and looking after his brother Jasper and those closest to him are not sure he is coping very well….

As we have come to expect from Angela Marsons, this book was action packed, full of twists and turns, some shocking reveals, personal battles, I can’t praise this series enough, just when you think it can’t get any better… BAM she does it again! I don’t think my love for the Kim Stone series will ever falter.

It's much harder coming up with praise than it is with concrit. Further, Angela keeps coming up with compulsively readable books in this series, so I feel like I should say something supportive and yet insightful. But all I can really say is that is another cracking title in the Kim Stone books and I'm so glad I get to keep reading them.

Angela Marsons writes the type of books that I will literally drop everything just so I can read it. So imagine my excitement when I noticed that Death Score was up on Netgalley for early reading.

We are now at book #13 in the Kim Stone series, and while some authors would show signs of slowing down, that couldn’t be further from the case here. If anything, I would say the Kim Stone series gets better with each new addition.

This time we are taken on a trip that shows you just how dangerous competitive relationships truly can be. While also showing that things aren’t always as they appear.

I love that this book gave us to see Stacey truly shine and show that picking the hard option is worth it when you follow your instincts. So Ms Marson, if you’re reading this? Sign me up as 100% willing to read a series all about Stacey.

I bloody love this series!!!
Every book is the best so far and I doubt it can be topped but every time Angie manages to do just that!
The characters, dynamic and banter between them combine with another complex case with enough twists to keep you guessing until almost the end as always.
More please!

# Death Score # Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley & Booktoure. For allowing me to read a advance copy of the best series of police books ever to be printed Kim stone series.
What a start of another one of Angel Marsons DCI Kim Stone Series. I have followed this series from the very first book and read every single book. So for me to have the pleasure of a advanced copy of Kim stone series I could have wished for nothing better. . I certainly was not disappointed and I have said this after every book I genuinely did not think they could get any better. I am I such Awe of the author once again I genuinely did not think they could get better. I really do not understand that when you have read the best book in the series that this one comes alongs and suddenly the best book in the series as just changed to this one. It’s bloody brilliant, fantastic, awsome, phenomenal. and every other word imaginable to go in line with the one I mentioned. Kim as we all know if you have been reading the series’s she had a very troubled childhood when she was left chained to a radiator with her twin brother. They were left by there mother with no food or water as weak and hungry thirsty she was all she could think of was her brother not letting him slip into a unconscious state. She was talking and asking him things just so he did not slip away from her. Just as she heard people coming to help Chris had just gone to sleep. Kim tried to wake him but knowing deep down he had just died it broke her heart ❤️ beyond belief. As she was freed from the radiator she was saying she wouldn’t go without her brother. Eventually they got Kim into the paramedics she was so so close to death. As the patemedics pulled away the officer in charge said to one of his colleagues, Dear god what have we stumbled across. He also told himself if she had no family to claim and live with. That the little girl was going to be going to live with him and his wife of if social services allowed it, he knew deep down how much he was going to fight for her. Growing up with the police detective and his wife who eventually was to call them her parents. That was the beginning of Kim stones new life. Going back to this book There are so many things I want to say but I do not want to put spoilers in. I don’t think that’s fair to anyone. It was strange in one way as penn was told by Kim to follow up on someone. I suddenly got a flash back how hard it was for him at the start to fill the big mans shoes of Dawson. He did eventually penn had become one of there own in this small team who worked really well, at the beginning of the book it was a quiet time for Kim and the team. Woody had sent Kim to a meeting to discuss the security of a visiting celebrity. Which was something she neither liked or wanted to do she let Bryant drive her, Bryant being one of those driers who never exceeded in breaking any speed limits that once Kim was at the meeting point she said to Bryant I didn’t mind if you had taken it a bit slower to get me here Bryant .you could have taken a bit more time. Poor Bryant couldn’t win. She pretended to take a call where she said yes sit I will be there as soon as I can. At which a superintendent was also part of the security assessment, who when Kim apologised that she had to leave the superintendent past comment to which Kim’s reply was well some things are much more important than a security meeting. It wasn’t that long thry hsd stopped and asked uniformed officers what was going on it’s a lost child man it took all her willpower not to get involved. A few hours later the child had been taken to the station. Once again it took willpower for Kim not to involved. Then. She was called out to the body of a young woman. In the meantime Stacey and Penn where going through the cold cases. When a few were rejected then Stacy can across a rape case caught her eye the person who was in prison fit the profile of a men already in prison for one rape but not the other sho wanted justice for the other tale Victim, Penn agreed so they decided that was the one they where going to investigate.. I have said a bit more than the synopsis without giving anything away so really all the Kim Stone fans will just have to wait for the nook release. All those that have not come across the Kim Stone Series. It can be a stand alone novel, and I really really suggest you read it. You will have to go back to the beginning as you become hooked from the prologue alone. Angela Marsons is such a brilliant author and a author I have watched from very first having had a kindle. When she was not very wel known I knew then from her very very start she was a author in waiting just to be picked up by one of the big publishing companies. I can not really remember which book it was that really got her noticed and scooped her up. I just remember thinking about timr too. She was destined to be one of the top authors in crime. So damnd well bloody deserved it too. Read read read once again Angel Marsons you have blown me away fantastic, brilliant awsome, phenomenal. This is purely my own review and I have not been coerced by anyone, not Netgalley or booktoure. Mine and mine alone. Trust me had any book been bad when reading for a honest review if I don’t like it I will say so believe you me. As Netgalley can actually verify. Please please Angela Marsons continue with lots and lots more Kim Stone novels. I think it’s the best ever published series of police books ever ever ever. It’s A MUST MUST READ. Those that have not come across ANGELA MARSONS BOOKS BUT WAS A BIT UNDURE. I SAY GO BACK AS SHES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ALSO WILL DEFINITELY BE HOOKED IN NO TIME. She will just blow you away with how good her books are ... although I have read this quite a few years ago I am going to go back and read 2 Women. I read this under the old title which was My Nsme Is excellent book

Utterly fabulous! I loved this book so much. The whole series is fantastic and it just gets better and better with every book. Read this in one sitting as I was literally glued to it. Highly recommend, if I could give it more than 5 stars I would.

I was jumping for joy when I saw the 13th instalment of the Kim Stone series available on Netgalley. I can’t believe it’s been that many books. This time the tough, no-nonsense Kim Stone is faced with a case chockfull of diversions that are more baffling at every page. In this book, Kim appears to have put her past behind her and she seems stable and well-adjusted, adding further charm to her thorny personality.

Our favourite Black Country detective, is bummed to be attending a meeting to discuss security arrangements for a visiting celebrity. But when a four-year-old girl is found abandoned in a shopping centre the pace begins to accelerate. As Kim says, better a missing mother than a missing child. But in this case, the tragedy is brutal. It’s a hard-hitting storyline that is gripping from start to finish.

A body found a hundred meters from Shop N Save turns out to be twenty-five-year-old Katrina Nock. Stone is angry the mother has been discarded amongst building debris with her neck broken. Was she leading some kind of double life? Charged with giving the bad news to the family, Stone learns that Katrina suffered anxiety and depression, but there is something more sinister afoot.

As Kim, Stacey, Bryant and Penn work on leads – some which include unsolved cases with other police teams – there are personal issues each must come to term with. Although there is plenty of dark humour to soften the heartbreak, this case doesn’t give the reader much of a breather. And that’s a good thing because galloping through the book to find the twisted perpetrator is all part of the challenge. We see the return of Alison, the behaviourist and the charismatic reporter Frost, who is developing into someone you can’t help rooting for. Penn’s loss was palpable, something with which every reader will resonate.

One of the things I love about Marson’s writing is the clarity. You burn through her books at lightning speed and I’m constantly having to tell myself to slow down so I don’t miss the details. She's created wholly original characters and a story that is the very definition of a page-turner and unputdownable. It's a plot thick with intense imagery and nail-biting terror. What really ramped it up for me were those who didn’t always get it right, who, although highly trained, still had their heads turned the wrong way. I’m not the only one!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and author Angela Marsons for the privilege of receiving an advance copy of this book.

4.5* gore score🗡
I was lucky enough to read an arc from Netgalley.
I love this series, but like most of my books I haven’t read them in order.
Another excellent book.
Easy going humorous writing style with Kim’s acerbic tongue, love dipping back into to the familiarity of the team.
Two stories running parallel. An old unsolved case and the present murders. Plenty going on and a good fast pace.
The part with Penn and Jasper had me in tears 😢
Stacey had her own emotional scene.
I love how Kim Stones character has developed and mellowed.
Looking forward to the next one.

We are now into the 13th book and I’m still interested in these books. They are so fricking good!! I love the camaraderie between the characters. The mysteries are well written. I can’t see myself not getting excited for the next installments!!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Death Score is the thirteenth book in the brilliant Kim Stone series - fourteenth if you include the prequel. Sometimes by this stage, plots can start to become stale or predictable as authors run out of ideas - this certainly is not happening, which is impressive given Marsons brings them out twice a year. The main reason I’ve dropped a star here, for the first time in about eight of her books, is the sheer preposterousness of the idea that one small team/town could have faced quite so many serial killers within just a few years. I’m pretty sure no one will guess the perpetrator this time, but I found the reveal of who/how/why so unbelievable that I felt a bit cheated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great book and Kim’s complicated personality is as compelling as ever, but I’m starting to prefer mysteries & thrillers with a credible plot scenario.

A young girl loses her mother in a shopping mall - and soon after the woman is found dead, her neck broken. The following day, another is found - but this time her child has been taken, and the killer is writing letters to Kim pleading with her to make him stop. Meanwhile Kim is having to attend meetings regarding security for a minor celebrity’s book tour, Penn is grieving for his mother, and Stacy picks up a rape case that was never taken to court despite the assailant being behind bars. Under pressure from their superiors and the media, the team seek help from a graphologist and a profiler, and only together can they stop the twisted perpetrator.

One of the great things about this series is that it’s not all about the tortured protagonist - in fact Kim is now more balanced and has mostly put her past trauma behind her. Her hilarious grumpiness is part of her charm, and her team love her for it. Here Stacy is arguably just as important in solving the case, and I liked that she’s no longer letting her insecurities stop her doing her job. It was nice to see Alison the behaviourist again, and see even tricksy reporter Frost evolving into a character we can root for. Reading about Penn’s loss was hard for me as this week marks a year since my mother died, also of cancer, but I liked the progress of his character arc too, and Bryant, my favourite, is as solid and dependable as ever.

I don’t want to spoil the mystery by saying anything about the investigation, but as ever there are twists, red herrings and surprises - and kudos for coming up with another shockingly unexpected reveal, but I’m hoping that in future books we might move away from serial killers with nonsensical motives, and that Kim can investigate some more realistic murder cases?
4.5 rounded down. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review. Death Score is published on November 13th.

Angela Marion's is, once more, showing how to write a police procedural series. I'm so invested in the lives of Kim Stone and her team, the character development is fantastic. The plot is immensely well thought out, I had no idea who the killer was. This book draws you in right from the start, the word 'unputdownable' is very overused, but in this case it's the honest truth.