Little Children (Detective Kim Stone Book 22)
A totally gripping crime thriller full of suspense
by Angela Marsons
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Pub Date 12 Aug 2025 | Archive Date 12 Aug 2025
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Description
The boy keeps walking, his curl-covered head down and his arms folded protectively across his body. The arcade is full of happy families but he is all alone. It’s the last time he is ever seen… Can Kim bring him home again?
Twelve-year-old Lewis Stevens disappeared from a seafront arcade. Eleven-year-old Noah Reid vanished from the pier stretching out over the beach.
Detective Kim Stone doesn’t play well with others… but as the investigation into the missing children stalls, she is sent halfway across the country to join the hunt. When she knocks on the door of Lewis’s house, she’s expecting to meet a desperate, hopeful mother, and to promise she’ll do everything in her power to bring Lewis home.
Instead she finds a woman who won’t meet her eyes, who insists her son ran away. What is she hiding, and why is she so frightened? Faced with a hostile local team, few clues, and a refusal to believe the kidnappings are linked, Kim must draw on all her determination and skill to solve the case.
And when another boy turns up dead back home, his body bruised and broken, Kim learns that the killers she’s hunting are worse than she could have ever imagined. She and the team must track them down before more children are taken. But the closer they get, the greater the danger – and they cannot trust a single soul…
A completely gripping page-turning crime thriller from no.1 multi-million-copy bestseller Angela Marsons. Perfect for fans of Val McDermid, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni.
Can be read as a standalone.
See what everyone is saying about the Detective Kim Stone series:
‘OMG!!! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US ANGELA!!!! JUST WOW!!!! Seriously love, love LOVED this book!!!!… I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails whilst feeling my heart pounding into the silly hours of the morning… one of the best books I have ever read!!!! An absolute MUST READ!!!’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘WHY DO I DO IT TO MYSELF EVERY TIME????? Why can’t I just be a sensible reader and savour every sentence, why do I have to halt the universe, sit in a quiet room, mute the kids and hubby and devour it in one sitting???’ Bookreviewercakemaker, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘OMG! OMG! OMG! Angela Marsons what on earth have you done to me?!… I’m completely out of words to describe this. Just OMG! Wow! Speechless!… Utterly amazing.’ Rachel’s Random Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“WOW HOLY MOLY!!!!… God, this woman knows how to write!… I stayed up way too late reading since I couldn’t put down this addictive read.” Book Review Café, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘OH. MY. GOD!!!!!!… It hits you right in the face from the first page to the last, bang! – cliff-hanger; bang! – twist; BANG!! – ANOTHER jaw-dropping moment… fast, chilling and thrilling… quite simply perfect.’ Emma the Little Book Worm, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I love Kim Stone!!… I must admit I did make a little squeak of excitement when I read it!… gripping, thrilling… I was hooked from the very first page! The Queen of Crime has done it again! Fab, fab, fab!!!’ Stardust Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Absolutely BRILLIANT!!!… Love, love, love this book!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Note From the Publisher
** THIS IS AN UNCORRECTED ADVANCED READERS COPY **
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781836186540 |
| PRICE | £2.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 358 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Robin T, Reviewer
Two preteen boys go missing, one after another. This case sends DI Kim Stone and her team clear across the country to investigate in Blackpool. With no clues about the first boy’s disappearance, her boss assigns them the case after a second boy goes missing.
There are no clues to help them to know even where to start looking for the boys. They aren’t entering a warm and fuzzy environment either. Between reports of corruption, racism, homophobia and misogyny, Kim knows that she and her team would not be welcomed. Kim hopes to preempt what is going on in Blackpool by assigning specific roles to her team. They are a well-oiled machine, but the force in Blackpool doesn’t need to know that.
Stacey, Penn, Bryant join Kim and they all begin working feverishly hard as they begin to launch their investigation. The lack of cooperation from the local force makes it clear right from the start what they are dealing with. Kim finds it extremely frustrating and tragic that no one seemed to care about the missing boys. She is truly disturbed and disappointed that notices or anything of that nature to bring attention and concern for the missing boys had been in the works.
Two conflicting emotions completely kept me riveted to this 22nd book in the compelling D. I. Kim Stone series. The first was pure fury and frustration with the adults who should have been interested in the welfare of the missing boys. However, Angela Marson’s ability to evoke sadness while Kim and her team do everything they can to find the boys alive hit me much harder, especially as things began to unfold.
This story is equally compelling and heartbreaking, not for the faint of heart. It’s clear that anyone can feel a strong sense of compassion for the welfare of the missing boys, regardless of whether they are parents. Angela Marson’s writing is captivating, and she has kept this addictive series fresh. While this was easily a one-afternoon read, I could have kept reading for hours. As always, I eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
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