One of my top favourites in police procedurals, this time with more of a psychological thriller bent. Each book, this is number 15, is as good as the previous one. It is great to join DI Kim Stone and her team in a new book. The plots are always exciting, fast paced, a roller coaster of a ride with a twist at the end. Cleverly written with well developed characters including Kim’s nemesis psychologist Alex Thorpe who appears from prison. It can be read as a stand-alone, but if you haven’t found the series already start at the beginning; they are SO good!
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the Arc. My opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

Stolen Ones by Angela Marsons is the 15th in the Detective Kim Stone Police Procedural series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Detective Kim Stone is tough. She has had to be. Her mother is responsible for Kim’s horrendous childhood, and as a result, currently resides in a home for the criminally insane. But Kim has survived, and although her social skills are lacking, her heart is in the right place. Right now, her team consists of: Bryant, her right hand man, and the person who voices her concerns in a much more diplomatic way than Kim would every think of; Stacey, who can find required information in a seemingly bottomless computer system; and the newest member, Austen Penn, who replaced Kevin Dawson who was killed in the line of duty.  


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Wealthy computer programmer Steven Harte walked into the police station, and demanded to see Kim.  He says he has information about the disappearance of Melody Jones, a little girl who was taken from a playground 25 years ago.  Kim doesn't believe him, and is sure he is playing games.

Then eight-year-old Grace Lennard is taken from her school playground, and Melody's bracelet is found nearby.  Steven just smiles.   As the team brings in Alison Lowe to study his behaviour, they start looking into other missing girls.  A couple were kidnapped and returned a year later, but there are others that never came back.

Meanwhile, Kim's arch-nemesis Dr. Alex Thorne is up for parole, and dangles some information in front of Kim to entice her to write a letter of approval to the parole board.  But Kim is only her back-up plan.


My Opinions:  
I continue to deduct ½ of a star for these really outdated, unappealing covers. At first I thought  it was all the marketing department, but now I must partially blame the author, because by now she must have had a part to play in the decision.

This was really good.  I loved how the author showed the different interviewing styles, and the psychology behind the techniques and body language.  The writing and plot, as always, were phenomenal.  The book looked at both Stockholm Syndrome and Lima Syndrome, which I had never heard of.  It was really interesting.

I really like the characters, as well as the supporting cast of Woody and Alison.  

The short chapters and fast pace of the book make for a quick, entertaining read, and I was surprised by the perpetrator -- always a plus in my books.

WOW, this is book 15, and it's just as fresh as the first.  Looking forward to where Kim goes next....I'm sure we'll be hearing from Alex again.

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.

I have read all of the Kim Stone books in order so couldn’t wait to start this one.

I love the familiarity of the characters and I always know I’m going to enjoy these stories before I even start reading. I’m always hooked from the first chapter and this one was no exception.

I thought the plot was original and I could feel Kim’s frustration in her interviews with Steven Harte.

I was worried that the ongoing storyline with Alex Thorne would start to become a bit tedious but again, I thought this subplot was original too. And I’m happy it was left on a bit of a cliffhanger…which means they’ll be book number 16!

Although these books can be read as standalone, I would definitely recommend reading them in order as there is continuity with the characters and Kim’s background.

Angela Marsons sets her books in the Black Country, a part of the West Midlands in the UK, and so-called because of the black soot that emanated from the ironworking foundries and forges in the nineteenth century. My Grandad came from the Black Country and I can’t believe I have only discovered Angela’s books now. This is number 15 in the Kim Stone series and although I haven’t read any of the others, I was assured by the person who introduced me to them that I could read this as a stand-alone, but that I absolutely must go back and read the others!

Stolen Ones has so many twists and turns, that I couldn’t keep up, and the ending just blew me away. I guarantee that you won’t see it coming! I was hooked from the start and I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough. Never having experienced any of these characters before, I guess I didn’t know what to expect. Some annoyed me, some I sympathised with and others I just wanted to punch in the face - well done to Angela here because I guess this was her aim!

I now need to find the time to go back and start at the very beginning of the Kim Stone series and I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good, meaty crime thriller. Oh and if there are any TV producers reading this, the Kim Stone series would make an awesome television production!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Stolen Ones by Angela Marsons.

Stolen Ones by Angela Marsons is the 15th A Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller. While you can read each book as a standalone, I recommend reading the series in order. It will allow you to understand the characters and what they have endured. I cannot believe this is the fifteenth tale. It seems like it was just last year that I discovered Silent Scream. Stolen Ones is different from the other novels in this series. In this case, the guilty party is known. He walks into the police station and asks to speak with Kim Stone. He claims to have information. We get to interact with the guilty party and discover the motive. It is about the psychology behind the person’s motives as well as analyzing body language, eye movements, etc. Kim and her team are also dealing with a missing little girl. To find her, Kim must play a sophisticated game of cat and mouse. Kim must modify her behavior if she is to find the missing girl and put the guilty party behind bars. Kim’s arch nemesis, Dr. Alex Thorne is bothering her once again despite being locked up behind bars. Alex has a plan, and she has spent time preparing it as well as obtaining what she needs to enact it. Alex has uncovered a secret that she knows Kim would like to learn. If Kim wants the information, she must do something for Alex in return. Stolen Ones is well written with developed, realistic characters. I have enjoyed getting to know Kim and her team. Kim is the focus of Stolen Ones. The team is present busily doing their work and we get small snippets of Barney as well. The author captures the setting of Halesowen. She provides good descriptions of the various areas without being overly detailed. I find the pace a little slower in the beginning with it picking up as the story progresses. The mystery was fascinating. I could feel Kim’s frustration in dealing with the bad guy. He will only speak with Kim, and he has done his research. Kim must alter her behavior and questioning style if she is to succeed. It depends on how many mysteries you have read on whether or not you see the plot twist coming. I wanted to let you know that there is a significant amount of foul language in the story. Stolen Ones is a compelling novel that will have you staying up late to see how it turns out. I am eager for the next Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller. Stolen Ones is a captivating crime novel with a missing moppet, a cold case, a wily wrongdoer, a true-blue team, a slippery psychiatrist, and a dedicated detective inspector.

Stolen Ones. How brilliant, I loved it! It was weird that there was a real missing child Cleo Smith in Australia at the same time.
Dr Alex Thorne, she's a nutter 😄, one of those characters that I just love to hate. I always dread her turning up in an Angie Marsons book.
This was a one of those books that really has your heart pounding as the team race to uncover the truth and piece everything together.
Fabulous as always, I love Kim Stone and her team.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

I’m reading this series for the first time and I’m already in love with it. Too bad because I was not able to start at the beginning, nevertheless, it’s not too late, I have all the time in the world to get to know more about Kim Stone and her team.

Fast paced, shocking, cleverly written and heartbreaking! I love crime thrillers like this! Angela Marson will definitely be one of the writers I’ll have to watch out for. She means business. With characters like Alex Thorne and Kate Swift, I think I’ll come back for more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book!

I have read a few earlier books in this series. I did know about the main characters, so didn't feel like I was missing out on a lot of back story. This book could be read as a stand alone.
i enjoyed this story as it felt more compact, without Kim having to go chasing bad guys. The bad guy came to her and, she and her team have to track down a missing girl and the evidence against the bad guy.

I can’t believe this is book 15 in the series!

Lots going on in this story and I love how everything was intertwined. I just wish there were more pages!

Well, we are now at book 15 and the series shows absolutely no sign of flagging! As with all the previous books (and yes I am going to recommend you read them all first - go on, you know you want to and they are all brilliant too) the story is unique, well plotted and extremely well executed.
This time Kim and her team have their work cut out for them in the shape of Steven Harte who so very obviously has a lot to do with the disappearance of a young child but without a shred of evidence, they are powerless to do anything about him. He also claims to know about an historic child abduction case but, again, gives nothing the Police don't already know. He's definitely a challenge... And, to Kim's absolute disgust... a game player...
And so begins one of the best plotted books I have read in a while. One which grabbed me from the off, held me captive throughout, spitting me out at the end dizzy, knackered, and satisfied. Kim is definitely on form in this book, as are the rest of her team, now pretty much gelled once again after the change in personnel. And then there's Alex Thorne, Kim's nemesis and easily one of the best "baddies" out there... Boy does she have a big spanner to thrust into the works with Kim... Not the biggest fan of series story-arcs but, well Alex and Kim, Cat and Mouse, what's not to love there!
All in all, a cracking addition to what is easily in my top 5 series. Roll on next time... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Stolen Ones is book 15 in the crime fiction series from Angela Marsons.

"A young girl, Grace, is abducted. A man walks into the police station saying he has information but will only talk to Det Stone. The team soon links him to other missing girls but time is running out on how long they can hold him. Can Kim and her team find enough evidence to charge him and bring Grace home safe?"

This plot is different from other books in the series. There is more of a psychological element than being a police procedural. The team spends time trying to figure out why Steven would even come in and why the girls were abducted and some killed. There's a side story with a former nemesis that feels like it's setting up a future book. There's a surprising twist at the end that you will not guess. And I was surprised with the resolution of the Alex Thorne subplot.

Another great addition to the Kim Stone series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another great book from this author. All the usual twists and turns however let down one star by the annoying Alex, the fact that the bad guy is known early on, and the repetition towards the end.

But I’m probably being harsh having read all the author’s previous books! If this is your first Angela Marsons book you will enjoy it

I loved this book - I think the series just gets better and better! This one was read in one sitting.

I enjoyed hearing more about the team around Kim Stone and found the premise of the stolen girls interesting - stolen to save them.

The effect of difficult beginnings on future behaviour was explored as well as the link between kidnapper and kidnapped.

A harrowing book to read but satisfying. We are left with another encounter with Alex Thorne to come - much to look forward to!

I can’t get enough of this series. I love the Kim stone books. This is no exception. Extremely well written, a page turner and a completely different stories than the others. What I love about these books as well is that you can pick up at anywhere in the series allowing readers who haven’t read others in the series to read as standalone books. Can’t wait for the next one!!

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Stolen Ones’, the fifteenth in the Detective Kim Stone series written by Angela Marsons, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the day Melody Jones went missing, generous benefactor Steven Harte asks to speak to DI Kim Stone saying he has information she might want to know but also mentions that another young girl is missing. How does he know Grace Lennard has been taken from her day centre just an hour ago? Is he guilty of both abductions or is he wasting Kim’s time? Meanwhile, as Kim and her team investigate, Dr Alex Thorne, a psychopath who plays with Kim’s mind and is securely locked up in prison, contacts her promising to reveal a shocking secret if Kim visits her.

‘Stolen Ones’ is another exceptionally exciting thriller that’s had me in its grip from page one. It’s always a pleasure to meet up with Kim Stone and her hardworking and loyal team of Bryant, Stacey, Penn, and with additional insight from behaviourist Alison, we’re taken through each jaw-dropping incident, each twist and turn, having been told the name of the abductor but not knowing why. As the plot develops and a child’s bones are found, it becomes apparent that the murderer has handed himself in, now they need the evidence to charge him. As the story continues we’re taken through twists and turns, drama and suspense until we get to the conclusion and the final shocking twist that’s totally unbelievable and unimaginable. Yet again Ms Marsons has shown her phenomenal ability in bringing excitement, shock and intrigue into each novel, keeping the reader enthralled and unable to stop reading. Thank you for yet another fantastic thriller and I look forward to the next one.

Thoroughly enjoyed this latest offering from Angela Marsons, the 15th book in the Kim Stone series

As always this had me engrossed from the outset. Excellent cat & mouse storyline along with the ongoing storyline of Kim & her team.

Already eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

Another great addition to the series, I raced through as always holding my breath. I love how the characters have developed, you almost feel like you ‘know’ them.

Stolen Ones is the 15th book in the wonderfully addictive Kim Stone series, about a steely Black Country detective and her devoted team, who solve a conveniently remarkable number of serial killer cases for a small city. Each one is a separate mystery, so you could read them out of order without significantly spoiling the earlier books, but there is a satisfying progression of the team’s personal lives and dynamics that you would miss out on if you did. This one sets Kim a new challenge - how to trick a highly intelligent manipulator who has willingly presented himself to her into revealing the details she needs to arrest him. At the same time we witness the return of Kim’s nemesis, the supremely evil psychiatrist Alex Thorne.

I have been avoiding missing children plotlines for the last couple of years - they became ubiquitous in crime and psychological suspense novels for a while and got very boring, but this is Kim Stone and there was no way was I missing out on her latest adventure. As ever, Marsons presents us an old trope in a new package: this kidnapper is no ordinary paedophile and she will need to use every tool in her arsenal to get win to reveal his secrets. Luckily, those tools include Stacey and her computer skills, Penn’s puzzle-solving abilities, Bryant's steadfast support, and Alison the behaviourist, back for another round of affectionate insults and accurate insights.

I love the way this author always picks an interesting criminal or psychological topic to explore in her novels - in this case Stockholm syndrome, cleverly contrasting it with the fascination held by the captive Dr Thorne for Kim who put her in prison. The sense of dread mounts as we follow Alex's twisted manœuvres as she tries to achieve parole: surely they wouldn't be so stupid? In fact this subplot contained the book's only weaknesses and logic holes - I can see why it was necessary for the benefit of future plots and maybe it just illustrates Kim's blind spots when it comes to Alex. Probably just wishful thinking on my part - Alex has that effect on people!

After a run of very putdownable books, it was a pleasure to return to a crime author who always delivers real tension and genuinely surprising twists. There's even the fun cameo appearance of a name most keen reviewers for this publisher will recognise! 😉 4.5 rounded up for giving our beloved characters a break for once - Kim aside, the biggest threat they face in this one is to their dental health!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC, I am posting this honest review voluntarily. Stolen Ones is published on November 11th.

I've struggled a bit with reading recently, my attention span seems to have gone wandering.

I knew it any book was going to fix that it'd be a Kim Stone novel as usual the plot was gripping with surprising plot twists.

Kim and her team are up against a difficult case when a young child goes missing and there are similarities to a case from 25 years ago.

Kim is in a race against time to rescue the missing child.

Great read. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is, my honest opinion.

ohhh Angela. What is going on, how do you do it. How do you make every book the new 'best one yet' phenonimal What more can you say. First class as always.

Doesn't matter what i'm reading, when this author releases a new book the whole world can wait. I know i caouldn't just carry on with normal life knowing that this was waiting for me to read. Kick off your shoes, put on your 'voicemail and turn your phone to silent. Lock the door and get lost in another nailbiting read featuring the awesome Kim Stone and crew.

As always an amazing mix of characters and those we have come to love over the series, or hate.
An old case is looked into when Steven Harte rocks up at the station will alleged information on a young girl that went missing over 20 years ago.
The team get news of a young girl Grace Lennard, who has gone missing from her nursery. It appears the child had walked out of the back gate which had been left open. The team as always put their everything into the case, a missing girl now is a higher priority than that of a missing girl all those years ago. But, what if there is a link. what if this missing child is connected to the old case, or someone involved is conneceted?

Nailbiting, edge of your seat on steroids this book... absolutly fantastic read.