Yet again Angela marsons writes a great story. I couldn't put this down read it in one night. Just had to get to the ending. Detective Kim stone is one of my favourites in the police procedural genre can't wait for her and the trams next adventure

I’m not sure how many times I can write glowing words about Angela Marsons’ books, I’m definitely repeating myself! Book 22 and the writing is even better, the stories even more gripping, the characters we know and love even more tormented but also utterly brilliant. The thrill I get to have the opportunity to read the next in the series is always a joy and something I start immediately it’s downloaded, I really cannot recommend these books enough!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

An absolutely brilliant book! It has twists and turns that you just don't see coming. Kim and her team, Bryant, Penn and Stacey, are called upon to go to Blackpool to help find out if the anonymous allegations of misconduct are true. When they get there, they are instructed by DCI Miranda Walker to carefully look into things while helping her CID team investigate two boys being kidnapped. Kim has a strategy for each of them in order to get close to their counterparts. As they begin their review of the first case, Lewis, they find inconsistencies in the reports. Kim immediately senses that things are wrong and digs deep to find clues to figure out what is going on. As each of her team reports back with details of time spent with their counterparts, she begins to suspect they are all dirty cops but doesn't have the proof to report them. They struggle to figure out why the boys were taken, why the two sets of parents are being treated differently, and what the boys would have had in common to attract the kidnappers. It is a complex case that has you feeling disgusted, worried, and glad for the closeness of the team as they investigate. The investigative reporter popping up and harassing Kim throughout the story adds a bit of frustration for Kim. The bit of levity to the story comes from Frost texting Kim and Kim's dog, Barney which gives the reader a glimpse of her lighter side. It's a fabulous read with fantastic characters!

Interesting kim stone book. the team is relocated to both solve a mystery and seek out corruption. Lots of misogyny and a few twists and turns until there is a pretty unbelievable ending. But a fine ride getting there.

I can’t believe that we are now up to book 22 in this series. This one would also work as a standalone but I highly recommend reading them all in order for maximum enjoyment. Getting your hands on a new instalment of this series and being reunited with Detective Kim stone is like coming home. I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this and was glad I was on holiday from work so that I could devour it at once.

This instalment did not disappoint and as with this authors previous novels it covers a lot of relatable issues that readers can relate to and as always this is done in a very sensitive and compassionate way. This was a gripping emotionally charged thriller that hooked me in from the outset and got under my skin and left me wanting more and once I had started reading I read it in practically one sitting. I love how the author combines the current storyline whilst teasing in elements that tell us more about the real lives of Detective Kim Stone and her team beyond the station and allows us as the reader to build up a picture of them as people rather than just characters who have a case to solve if this makes sense.

I have said this a million times before but this series would make a brilliant adaptation for tv.

Already looking forward to book 23. .

I have just finished this masterpiece of a novel, the next installment of one of my favourite crime series written by the wonderful Angela Marsons.

As with all her books the storyline is another gripping account of dark crime set in the Black Country of England. This one is frankly, an upsetting account of abducted young boys. Told as always with compassion while uncovering the criminal underground of what we don’t see in mainstream media but subconsciously know likely happens.

I loved so much about this novel. As always the plot and storyline is told with enough details to leave the mind wondering, shocking accounts which are upsetting but minus gory details, which I feel makes the storyline more compelling, a team pulling together to expose the culprits and enough suspense you can’t put it down.

When you next choose a new crime series to really immerse yourself in, I strongly urge you to read this one. Not only will you get a great storyline you’ll have the added bonus of a crime team that pull together and become like family as the main characters have secondary storylines too which makes the whole series binge worthy.

Considering this the 22nd book in a great series, yet again the author has pulled out all the stops and Little Children is an absolute cracker of a read. Here Kim and her team are asked to assist another Police Force on a case where two local boys have gone missing and to investigate corruption within that force after an anonymous tip off. As always the authors writing is superb, she can really connect with her readers and entertain them. The story flows seamlessly and the plot is well thought out and all too believeable. Kim's team think the disappearances the young boys are linked but are they right? When the Police Force officers resist their help and discount their findings the team become determined to solve the case. I loved this book, it is full of thrills, mystery and suspense that had me hooked and wanting to carry on reading to see what came next. One character was so vile I hated them with a passion and couldn't wait to see them found out. Angela Marsons has delivered a brilliant book here that I can't fault at all. In my opinion her Kim Stone series goes from strength to strength and Little Children is one of the best books in it so far, and I'd highly recommend it for those who like police procedurals. Can't wait for the next one.

5 stars

Just wow! This book was fabulous, had me hooked from page one. Kim and her team get sent to a neighbouring force who are dealing with missing boys. What unravels is mind blowing, can they save the boys and track down the people at the top to bring them down? This was an interesting story,, book 22 in the series and it’s still not getting old. It was nail biting stuff towards the end. Totally worth 5 stars, a really great read.

Five huge stars from me!!
This is another brilliant crime thriller from Angela Marsons that I could barely put down.
Kim and the team are asked to go to Blackpool as a favour to an old colleague of Woodys.
They want Kim to help finding two missing young boys and also to try and find out if there is corruption in the team working these cases.
They’re not made to feel particularly welcome but soon take on roles to try and find if there is any corruption, along with reviewing all the information again about the two missing boys.
This is a hard-hitting story and it brought tears to my eyes when the true extent of the crime is revealed.
There’s also some light humour and as always Kim and the team have got each other’s backs.
I highly recommend this book and the whole series, if you’ve not discovered it yet.
As always, I can’t wait to read the next book!
Thanks to Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Little Children is another powerful and emotionally charged installment in the Detective Kim Stone series. Angela Marsons delivers yet again with a story that pulls you in from the very first page and refuses to let go.

The case of missing boys Lewis and Noah is both heartbreaking and enraging — not just because of the victims themselves, but because of the adults around them who seem more concerned with money than with the truth. The emotional weight of the story is palpable, and the tension never lets up. As always, Marsons doesn’t shy away from difficult themes, and she handles them with honesty and grit.

What really stood out to me in this book was how well Kim’s emotional layers are written. Despite being known for her tough exterior, her reactions in this case — especially given her traumatic past — are deeply human and completely believable. It adds so much depth to her character and makes the story hit even harder.

The pacing is excellent, the stakes feel real, and the ending is both satisfying and impactful. Angela Marsons is a brilliant storyteller, and this is yet another reminder of why I can’t stop reading her books. A chilling, emotional, and utterly compelling read.

Little Children (D.I. Kim Stone Book 22 by Angela Marson was quite the head-scratcher and page-turner. Kim and her team are tasked with trying to weed out corruption at another precinct, and they each play a "different" role from their normal personas. Bryant has to stretch his morals and values to get one corrupt cop to show his hand.

I really like these characters and how they continue to evolve. Stacey is one of my favorites. Kim continues to be tough, sarcastic, and determined never to stop until she finds justice for victims.

This was a sad story about child trafficking and police corruption. I was surprised at who the ultimate culprit was. I love it when books can surprise me, and I never had a clue about this person.

I love the continuation of Tracy Frost (a journalist) and that storyline. A good way to break up the tension and sensitive storyline topic.

Little Children is a great addition to the series. Hoping more and more come so we can see what is in store for each of these characters in the coming books.

I would recommend this book, this series, and this author. A really good read that held my interest throughout.

#LittleChildren #NetGalley @bookouture

For me this is one of the best books in the whole series. The story takes the team to Blackpool to ‘assist’ with an investigation. However they also have another reason for being sent to a different force.

The story picks up pace very quickly and the team find out that nothing is as it seems.

A great addition to the series, keep them coming!

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

I’ve just finished reading an ARC of Little Children by Angela Marsons due out in August.
Kim and her team are sent to Blackpool to help solve a case of two boys who have gone missing and also to investigate some anonymous complaints in secret about the team they are working with.
I think that this is the best book in the Kim Stone series so far. It’s fast paced with lots of twists and turns and some unexpected surprises. Kim and her team at their best although they are definitely out of their comfort zone this time!

After reading Little Children, you’ve seriously messed with my head, in the best possible way. I knew it would be dark (I mean, the clue’s in the title), but wow… I wasn’t prepared for how deeply unsettling it would be. This definitely isn’t one for those looking for a ‘cosy crime read’!

The story dives deep into the lives of vulnerable children, broken systems, and the lengths people will go to in order to keep secrets buried. The emotional intensity of the book comes from its portrayal of vulnerable children and a world that seems not to care what becomes of them. Theses sporadic chapters told from the POV of one of the missing boys are especially horrifying, but never gratuitous, they reveal just enough to convey the terror without exploiting it.

When Kim and her team are seconded to Blackpool, they’re totally out of their comfort zone. Not only is it unfamiliar territory, but they’re forced to work alongside a team whose style of investigation beggars belief. As always, Kim is on fire. She isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers and follows her gut instinct without hesitation. She cuts through the BS. I love how she doesn’t let egos or obstacles slow her down, full steam ahead, no matter who she upsets along the way!

From the very first page, I was completely gripped. This isn’t one of those slow-burn thrillers, it hits the ground running and never lets up. Angela Marsons does a brilliant job of building dread with each turn of the page. I told myself I’d just read one chapter before bed. Famous last words. Next thing I knew, it was the middle of the night.

Her relationship with her team, especially Bryant, continues to be one of the highlights of the series. The way they challenge and support each other, how they just get each other… it’s never overly sentimental, just honest. Well, mostly honest (you’ll know what I mean when you read the book). It’s a grounded, human connection that brings much-needed emotional balance to the darker elements of the story.

Honestly, this might be one of the most harrowing books in the series so far, but also one of the strongest. It’s gritty, emotional, and completely gripping from start to finish. This series continues to shock with hard-hitting storylines that feel all too real. So, if you’re into crime fiction that veers toward the darker side and digs deep into emotional complexity, Little Children is a must-read.

10 stars! Can't believe it is Book 22, been there from the beginning and I think this is the most complex and intense one yet. Strong characters, tense plot, gripping from beginning to end, just wow, WOW! You have to read this one.

Book 22 in the Detective Kim Stone Series and this time the team are sent to Liverpool to assist in a missing child case. As always it could be read as a stand-alone but if you love a good police procedural this, in my view, is one of the best series so go back to the beginning. Well written with a very disturbing plot line and as always, there is more than one case for the team to deal with. However, the second case this time is closer to home as they are looking for a possible bad cop(s) in the team they are to be working with, and a whistleblower.

Briefly, 12 year old Lewis Stevens has gone missing and shortly after Kim, Bryant, Penn and Stacey arrive in Liverpool another boy aged 11 also goes missing. The local team don’t believe the two cases are connected so Kim’s team are handed the first case to deal with. Then a body is found in Kim’s normal patch and she returns leaving two of her team behind. But she is soon back and both the investigation into the missing boys and the corruption within the Liverpool team are reaching a breakthrough point.

This was such a good book I read it in one sitting. Despite the distressing storylines it was such a compulsive read. If you have read the previous book you will appreciate the journalist Tracy Frost thread, as did I, poor Kim! Another brilliant police procedural that kept me on the edge of my seat. Great read.

Im going to start this review by saying, Angela Marsons you nearly killed me off! I didn't breathe for a whole ten minutes!

Going to carry on by saying, it's a Kim Stone book, would anyone really expect to read a bad review for one?! I don't know how Angela does it. Every book she comes up with something I have never seen before, it feels fresh and new and I can never put it down.

I finished this book in a day, I couldn't get enough. And when I had to put it down to parent and adult (rude!) I was thinking about it and how it was all going to come together. Because there is nothing I love more than when a books questions are all answered and neatly wrapped with a bow.

I was on the edge of my seat with this one, with fear and I have no fingernails left!

Little Children is Book 22 in the Detective Kim Stone series and one of the most disturbing crimes Kim Stone has faced.

"After two young boys go missing in another area, Kim and her team are sent to assist the squad responsible. They are also told to keep their eyes open for possible corruption. What they find is a slip-shod investigation and a family not worried about their missing son. When another young boy is found dead, Kim realizes they've stumbled into a horror none of them can imagine."

There's a lot going on in this story - the missing boys, potential corruption and questions about the ability of the team. Marsons keeps a good pace going. I don't like any crimes against kids so that was tough to read. Marsons puts that anger in her characters too. It was interesting seeing these characters go against their personalities while trying to find the corrupt team member. There's a wild ending - surprising corruption and a surprising killer.

Marsons continues to amaze me with her ability to craft different stories and allow these characters to stretch and grow. The little sideplot with Stone and Frost is nice comic relief.

Another great story from Marsons.

This book was another hit in this continuing series. There was a good mixture of mystery and suspense which kept the reader interested and turning pages. Good character development and a few twists and turns added to the enjoyment of the book. This is a book which I would recommend to all those who enjoy a god police adventure.

Another brilliant book in the Kim Stone series. I dont know how Angie does it but each book is better than the last.
This is a chilling plot based on abducted young men, well, boys really. It deals with the issues of toxic masculinity with unswerving boldness but also compassion for those initiated into this pervasive culture.
Loved the change of scene and how the two police locked horns.
An absolute belter of a book.