I can't believe I have already read 8 books in this series. 'Dying Truth' is the latest episode in the DI Kim Stone series by the outstanding author Angela Marsons.
This series is full of excellent characters and well crafted plots with the added bonus for me of being familiar with many of the locations.
Teenager Sadie Winter jumps from the roof of her school and everything points to her death been suicide. But when the body of a young boy is discovered at the same school it sparks concerns for DI Kim Stone that these deaths are not accidents after-all. Kim and her team investigate and discover a web of secrets.
I really would recommend reading not only this book but everything this author has ever written. Outstanding author who set a high standard with her first novel and somehow kept it going.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

#8 (WOW, that was fast) in Marson's excellent Kim Stone series set in London. At a private, prestigious boarding school a 13 year old girl dies by suicide........or was it ?? At first, Stone is the only one who wants to look deeper into the tragedy and when the they do, the team finds some sinister irregularities that seem to link to a secret society at the privileged school that may date back quite some time. We see more depth added to all these great characters with a multi layered plot that never eases off the gas. Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I’ve read all of Angela Marson’s book and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint. I love the setting and all the lies and secrets surrounding the school, secret clubs, teachers, pupils etc. The story is very cleverly woven together. What a read, I highly recommend this boook.

Another fast paced suspense novel by my favourite author. Marsons blows it out the water again. This book gripped me from the beginning. Set in an elite boarding school, pupils are being killed, it's a race against time to find out why and by whom,

You just can't help yourself Angela Marsons, can you? You throw in that prologue, set that scene and drag me smack bang into the midst of what I think is possibly the best in the Kim Stone series yet!

Dying Truth takes us on a dark investigation into the deaths of teenagers at one of the country's most elite private schools, one where parents are queuing up to put their child's name on the waiting list before they are even born! Sadie Winters is a pupil at the prestigious establishment when she takes her own life. Kim and Bryant are called in as nearest to the scene and despite Kim's reservations about attending, she is soon convinced that all is not as it would seem. Her suspicions appear to be grounded as another victim is found and we are taken on a dark journey which uncovers a web of secrets and lies.

Angela Marsons has created a masterpiece in Kim Stone, a multi-layered character whom we have come to know and love as this series develops. Kim's background is never far from her thoughts and her actions and the author fully engages the reader by drawing them into the whole of Kim's life, allowing us to see inside of her head and her thoughts, the way she views the world around her and her relationships with others are all shaped by her own experiences as a child. For this reason, it is definitely best to read this series in order to gain the full "Kim Stone" experience. In Dying Truth we see Kim question her own motivation for her actions as she ponders whether or not she feels a personal responsibility for each victim she fails to save. Her determination to get to the bottom of what others are all to willing to write off as a suicide is laudable as is her disdain for a system that appears willing to brush any hint of scandal under the carpet to save its reputation. If I were ever to choose someone to be on my side, I reckon, Kim Stone would come way up at the top of the list for sure!

Of course, Kim does not operate in a vacuum, she has the support of her colleagues, Stacey, Dawson and Bryant and we see how well this team work together, each of them supporting and encouraging the other. The camaraderie and the humour that bonds them is strong and this novel takes this to the very limit this time around.

The baddie that we all love to hate, Alex Thorne, makes a brief appearance as Kim is forced to visit her to help with the investigation. This might be a small cameo role that Alex plays but it serves to remind us of how delightfully twisted the relationship between the two women is and it definitely acts as an appetiser for the reader to beg for more!

It is all to easy to find yourself overwhelmed by the location of this novel, feeling slightly inadequate and shabby as you walk through the imposing and intimidating corridors of the school, aware of the arrogance and contempt of those who consider themselves part of the elite. Dying Truth gives life to the world of secret societies and initiations amongst the privileged and serves as a reminder that wealth does not always equate to decency. It painted a harrowing picture of bullying, intimidation and secrecy, of a world that we would struggle to find our place in.

It will come as no surprise that Angela Marsons has dealt her readers a blow in her latest novel and it is testament to just how dark and twisted this woman's mind is. Dying Truth, gives us an abundance of secrets, lies and intimidation all wrapped up in a deliciously twisted bow. She will have you gasping, crying and reeling in shock as she draws you in and spits you out broken at the other end! You have been warned!

Love love love Kim Stone. This book was over far too quickly and I now have a book hangover. This is a fantastic series, start at book 1 and read them in order, they just get better and better.

I read this book in one sitting, and it just kept me guessing till the end. It starts with the apparent suicide of a student at a prestigious boarding school. Stone is first on the scene and wants to investigate further, against the wishes of the headmaster who wants to brush the incident under the carpet as swiftly as possible – is he bowing to pressure from influential past pupils or is this cover up due to pressure from a secret society within the school?. I disliked most of the snooty kids in the boarding school, thinking themselves better than the rest and their parents were just as bad.

The story was fast paced and kept you guessing till the end, another 5* read from Angela Marsons.

opy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

The prestigious Heathcrest Academy, where the very air is redolent of exclusivity and superiority.  Even so, there is a pecking order maintained in the elite ranks of the privileged.  Within the hallowed halls of Heathcrest, some are following a different set of rules.  A reported suicide with ties to a secret club may shatter the glossy veneer of this esteemed establishment.  

DI Kim Stone and her crew are back on task here doing what they do best.  There is not one weak link in this series' chain of eight thrillers.  This one aims high and hits the target dead center.  

<spoiler>By the way, don't stick Kim in a <s>corner</s> cubby hole to conduct her interviews.  She's not very good with the "Sit, stay." command.</spoiler>

I have read all of Angela Marsons books showing the development of Kim Stone. Not disappointed . Another thrilling read but with a sad ending . Many senseless deaths in this book that deals with secret clubs in elite boarding schools and how fitting in is usually not worth it. Secrets abound in this book and are finally played out. Guess the only thing I found hard to wrap my head around was the brutal initiation rituals that students were subjected to and how the police seemed unable to prosecute the guilty individuals involved. Justice did not happen in this book even though secrets were revealed . A disturbing insight on young students involved in secret clubs. Kim Stone was in top form in her investigating but the brutality of these clubs overshadowed her abilities and that of her team.

Dying Truth is another humdinger of a novel, the 8th in the DI Kim Stone series which just keeps going from strength to strength.

13 year old Sadie Winters, a pupil at the prestigious private school Heathcrest, is assumed to have committed suicide by jumping from the school roof but DI Kim Stone is not convinced it is suicide even though her superiors and other colleagues disagree with her.
As the death toll rises and secrets from the past are gradually uncovered Kim and her dynamic team ( love these guys) of Bryant, Stacey and Dawson must pull out all the stops to solve the case before more lives are lost.

Grabbed from the very first page with an ingenious plot and storyline, you are on one hell of a roller coaster ride. This is storytelling at its absolute best and oh my that shocking ending I didn't see coming will keep the pulse pounding and yes, as always send you rushing for the tissues as the tears will undoubtedly fall- I was an emotional wreck by the end!!

LOVE LOVE LOVED this fabulous novel - Most certainly a highly recommended 5star, read - roll on the next in the series I CANNOT WAIT !!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my copy and to the wonderful Angela Marsons who once again has given us readers one outstanding, thrilling and emotionally charged novel - you are truly a very talented and gifted wordsmith !!

Definitely a gripping novel. One that will have you caught up in it from the beginning with very few lulls. But grab sind tissues because you're gonna need them!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book rates a solid 5 stars …and I will admit, I don’t give those out too readily! I will say … the content of the book disturbed me …but the telling of the story was brilliant. This isn’t my first rodeo with Angela Marsons…. I discovered her a while ago and decided to go back to the beginning and read through and get to know Kim Stone and her band of dedicated detectives. What I like about Marsons writing is that after reading 7 books …her stories are still a joy to read. I have huge respect for an author who is able to entertain us with her imagination …to put her creativity into such story telling …I am quite envious! I was beginning to think her story plots were becoming a bit predictable, but she blew that whole theory out of the water in this book. There was one scene that I was not totally expecting, that I had to go back over the previous chapter to make sure I got it right! Excellent ending …I never ever saw it coming! Now, I am so eager for more of Kim Stone…bring it on Ms. Marsons!

I would like to thank Ms. Marsons, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an unbiased opinion of her book

Wow this book was bloody brilliant, I loved it. I was on the edge of my seat hanging on to every word. It was full of tension and suspense and I couldnt put it down. I just had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. A well deserved 5 stars, this book was excellent.

I'm going to need therapy after reading this excellent novel... I am devastated and most longtime readers will be too. No spoilers, but this book has a poignancy that previous installments didn't have - as hard as the subject matter, and Kim's life, is. But besides this, the plot is so addictive that I couldn't stop reading. Kim can’t save a thirteen year old girl who has just jumped to her death shortly before she and Bryant reached the fancy school she attended. Kim may just be feeling guilty, but everything looks fishy to her. This may not be a suicide at all. As the team investigates, they find many irregularities within the school, including a secret society in its midst. This club for the privileged amongst the privileged may be behind the fake suicide, as well as other "accidents." Other members of Kim's team have gotten their chance to shine before and now it's Dawson's turn. He is no longer the selfish male chauvinist pig that we met before, but actually gets to care for a boy who is being bullied for being chubby. As we know, Dawson was heavy too and the way he identifies with the kid is very touching. As always, I was surprised by the revealing of the culprit and the reason for the murders. This is really a great novel and I hope you will do yourself a favor and read the whole series.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Bookouture!

This is the eighth outing of DI Kim Stone and in my opinion these books just keep getting better and better!
This was a fast paced read and most of the action was centred around an exclusive private boarding school. When 13 year old Sadie Winters jumps from the roof in an apparent suicide Kim and her team race to the school. However Kim notices a few anomalies which are later confirmed by Keats at the post-mortem and the suicide turns into a murder investigation.
As the investigation continues another killing occurs and it is a race against time to find the murderer.
I liked the setting of the private school and the secret societies with their initiation rights which are somehow connected to the killing.
The closed atmosphere of the school with the bullying both by staff and students made for an uncomfortable read. It made me wonder how far some children would go just to keep in with the right social group- in this case students aspire to be part of the “cards” society and most seem willing to do anything to anyone to remain one of the elite.
Sergeant Kev Peter’s relationship with Geoffrey the bullied schoolboy was very moving and led to some interesting background to his own life. Angela Marsons certainly knows how to develop characters in her writing.
The ending was so exciting I really had to hold my breath whilst I was reading and no I didn’t guess who the perpetrator of the crimes was.
I am now waiting eagerly for the next book in the series- please write quickly Angela Marsons!!
This book would appeal to crime fans and I would suggest reading the books in the correct order to gain maximum enjoyment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

She’s done it yet again. Angela Marsons has created one of my favourite characters in Kim Stone and every book in the series is even better than the last.

Like Angela, I have always been fascinated by private schools and their secret societies so I loved the plot of this book. The characters are often as entitled as you would imagine, but there are plenty of interesting people who are not the typical privileged students and teachers. With every chapter, I changed my mind on how the story was going to go.

The ending is heartbreaking, and right from the opening prologue I was worried for the characters.

I highly recommend this book, but you should read all the others first if you haven’t already to really understand the characters. As ever, I can’t wait to read the next one!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. These are my own honest and well considered opinions.
This is the eighth novel in the Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller Series and I definitely think it is Angela’s best story so far. It is addictive, fast paced and intriguing and the storytelling absolutely superb; exiting, well planned and really unique. Set in an elite boarding school called Heathcrest academy, in a prestigious area of the so-called Black Country and with an annual fee of £34,000, this is the place local celebrities and the ridiculously rich clamoured to get a place for their privileged children. In many cases it was the parents old school, it was luxuriously appointed, exclusive, had fantastic facilities and small classes. It was where teenagers Saffie and Sadie Winter’s parents thought their girls would thrive, excel and equip themselves for their illustrious futures.
Saffie was popular, pretty, and talented and she had everything going for her. She was a top level pianist destined for a glittering concert career, but Sadie struggled socially and emotionally and became more and more withdrawn. When DI Kim Stone was called to the school after reports that a student was on the school roof she rushed to prevent a budding tragedy. Unfortunately she was too late to save Sadie and there on the tarmac lay the bloodied, broken body of Sadie Winters. Her death was later ruled as suicide. Kim didn’t agree with this verdict at all and so her investigations began. A few days into her interviews another body was discovered; a boy lay dead on the changing room floor. He had died of an anaphylactic shock and this too was ruled as suicide. Kim was certain by now that both of the pupils had been murdered and she began to suspect a child murderer, amoral, merciless and without conscience. She even consulted with her old adversary sociopath Dr. Alexandra Thorne, now imprisoned in Drake Hall Prison, but as usual Alex had her own frustrating agenda and had no interest in helping Kim unless it proved to be to her own advantage.
This is only the starting point of this compelling story. Someone knows the truth and others are covering it up. A web of lies is spun to overshadow and confuse the investigation, but this callous murderer is not done yet by far. They are on a mission and will not stop until they have achieved their purpose. To muddy the water further Kim discovers the pupils have four different secret societies named after each card suit and each conceal and protect their own members for life. The initiation challenges are fraught with danger and secrecy is absolute and deadly. Kim and her team Bryant, Dawson and Wood are dogged and determined to crack the case but time is running out.
Driven forward by and including a powerful back story, this novel is absolute dynamite. It fizzes with tension and suspense. The intricacy of the plot, the red herrings, blind alleys and the chilling twists and turns are cleverly designed to conceal the ultimate truth. As usual Angela’s characters are beautifully crafted and developed throughout the story - the good, the bad and the ugly; I lapped them all up and enjoyed every minute of the story. As for the final few pages, well suffice it to say they hold the most unexpected and jaw-dropping twist of all. It left me absolutely stunned. This is an excellent read and I am very grateful for my copy.

Wow! Are we really on book 8 of this series. Boy did that sneak up on me. I can definitely say that it really doesn't feel like this series is in any danger of going the way of some and flagging as it approaches double figures. Indeed, the opposite is true as it is still going from strength to strength.
We start with the apparent suicide of a teenage girl at an exclusive school. Kim is nearest responder and so she is first on scene. On inspection of the body and surrounding area it appears on first look that it might not be suicide as reported. Then another body is found at the same school and Kim is now sure that something strange is going on. As she and her team start to question staff and pupils, one of them starts to think outside the box and starts talking to former pupils and their families, desperate to find a connection to bring back to the team. Kim starts to have dark thoughts about who could be doing this and, having exhausted other avenues, is forced to confront her own past and talk to her old nemesis to try and get a clearer picture of things.
As more evidence is uncovered and the dots start to be connected, it becomes clear that Kim and her team have to go back in time to find the catalyst that sparked off this whole evil mess. But will they be in time to prevent more deaths before the true perpetrator is uncovered and brought to justice.
Oh My! This book broke me. You'll know why when you get to the end, although the prologue hints that there is probably going to be some bad things happening. I can't expand on what feelings I had and why I had them but suffice to say that powerful is an understatement when describing how extreme they were. I'm OK though, well I will be... in time...
The story behind all the shenanigans in this book was extremely well thought out and plotted. Talk about long kept secrets and big nasty black lies and some very questionable behaviour. There was also quite a lot of "head in sand" behaviour from certain people who should really have known better given their place in things. There's bombshell after shock after surprise in this book. It really did keep on giving right up to the last page (and beyond).
With series books I believe that it's the characters that keep a series going. Yes, the individual plots that come with each book are obviously important but with a series, with every new book, it's like reconnecting with old friends. You get to know them as the series goes on. You see them get married, split up, have kids, etc etc. Here the author excels above most others as she has created a great bunch of people. Ones that I as a reader have grown to know and love along the way. The way they spark off each other both at work and at play, their banter, their interaction, their fallings out and making up. They're like a big extended family who support each other no matter what, and with an author not afraid to rock the boat, they'll need that. This is what makes a good series great. And that's why this series will keep going strong. Brave move but it'll be OK.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I am left reeling after reading Dying Truth by Angela Marsons, each book in this series gets better and better but this is a true tour de force. I very rarely become tearful when reading a book, the odd lump in the throat but never full on weeping which happened when I finished this one.
This time D.I. Kim Stone and her team are looking into the suicide of a 13yr old pupil at a Public School. It soon becomes apparent that this is a murder investigation, hampered by an atmosphere of denials and secrecy the team have their work cut out for them. Each member of Kim's team shine in this investigation, determined to find out the truth and the culprit responsible.
A rollercoaster of a book, emotional, thrilling and heart stoping but above all a thumping great story that will stay with you long after finishing this book
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly.

Putting Jack back in the box.......

The world, as we know it, is not how we know it. Angela Marsons has loosened the bolts on this one and there is a death rattle happening beyond every corner. The build-up is in hyper-drive as D.I. Kim Stone reveals a gruesome pattern in this latest crimescape.

Heathcrest is a prestigious co-ed private school in which the students with highly advantageous connections get all the perks. Even with those enticing perks, Sadie Winters doesn't even feel her own heart beats through a dulled existence. She's the broken child. She's the child with self-harming hidden beneath her clothing. But what can't be hidden is her thirteen year old body discovered at the foot of the campus' bell tower. To some eyes, it is an obvious suicide. To other eyes with a keen sense of detecting, it appears to be murder.

We will meet a wide cast of characters here on this Angela Marsons set. There is definitely something sinster happening in these academic halls of Heathcrest. All is not what it seems. We will follow the trail of students who weave back and forth in the guise of academia on the surface and then enter into something quite dark and foreboding below deck. This fisherman's net is cast far out into the deep, deep waters. And those fish who will be caught in this tangled net swim with the innocent and the not so innocent. Rough, rough waters, dear readers.

Angela Marsons has a gift for packing straightforward, short chapters with plenty of punch. No climbing into confusing time capsules that revert back and forth between months and years. Marsons keep her story on point and delivers from beginning to end. The dialogue is achingly human as we will wade into waters beyond the reef and into the psychiatry of the demented. What makes true evil pulsate in darkened hearts? Oh, Marsons will shine a light on that one for sure.

I received a copy of Dying Truth through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Bookouture and to the very talented Angela Marsons for the opportunity. (Please, please keep 'em comin'.)

This is one of the hardest reviews that I have had to write recently. Not because I didn’t enjoy the book, far from it, but I was just left in awe of Angela Marson’s talent after finishing the latest book in the Kim Stone series that I felt whatever I wrote couldn’t do the book justice. Prepare yourselves fellow readers; if you’re a fan of these books, this is going to be a tough read.

Kim Stone is responding to a call after reports that a young girl is on the roof of a school nearby threatening to jump. But by the time Kim arrives at the scene to try and take control of the situation and save the young girl’s life, the girl is already dead. As Kim tries to work out the facts, she comes to the startling conclusion that the girl may have been murdered. But she has to fight to be given permission to investigate this case as the force is keen to brush it under the carpet as a tragic suicide. As Kim’s investigation into the young girl’s death deepens she uncovers evidence that it may be linked to exclusive clubs within the school and as the body count rises and other student’s lives are put at risk, Kim makes it her mission to stamp out what is going on within this school.

One character who I think particularly shone in this book was Kev Dawson. We learn a lot more about Dawson’s history in this book, and as the team continues to investigate what is going on at the school, a bond forms between him and a student there, Geoffrey, who reminds him very much of how he was when he was Geoffrey's age. Kev’s character development in this book was one of the most interesting aspects to explore, and it was something that I wasn’t expecting from him.

Whenever I read a new Angela Marson’s book, it always reminds me how much I love Kim Stone. She is a detective who will root for you no matter your background; this is portrayed early on in the book when there is little determination from her team to investigate the death of the young girl, but Kim is determined to fight her corner.

This is another excellent addition to this series. It is a tense read that will keep you guessing. Dying Truth is another top read from Angela Marsons.