Reeling from her own leg injury and the death of one her team members, Kim Stone returns to the job only to be thrown right in it with the death of a surgeon with ties to their last case. Excellent procedural/page-turner with well-defined characters and propulsive plot.

While this book is the ninth in the series and I have not read any of the previous ones, I did not feel that impeded my thorough enjoyment of this book in any way.

I was about to start book 10 of the wonderful Kim Stone series of books by Angela Marsons when I realised I’d missed book 9, which must have been released during my illness last year. I love these books and I’d hate to miss one, so I decided to read it before I started the latest one. And I’m so glad I did! It was fantastic.

Following the traumatic events of the previous book, Kim and her team are struggling to come to terms with their loss. Kim is just returning to work and is keeping her feelings very close to her chest as always. But with a murderer on the loose, time is of the essence as Kim and her team try to uncover the killer’s identity before he or she strikes again.

New member, Penn, is given a hostile welcome as the team struggle to accept a new person into the fold. I have to admit I love Penn and he’s already fast becoming one of my favourite characters, so I hope we do get to see more of him as the series progresses.

With every book I don’t think Angela Marsons will be able to top the last one, but she has managed to do so yet again. Fatal Promise is a fast paced psychological thriller that delivers. A superb instalment in one of my favourite series of books. Now on to book 10!

Book 9 and all Angela does in continually knock it out of the park. This book was great. I did wonder how they would be able to move past the ending of last book, but not have they whilst bringing new sides and understandings to the characters.
The twist to this was great, I did not see it and questioned over and over who the killer was.
Looking forward to book 10 and what is in store for the team next.

Angela Marsons does it again with the latest installment of the Kim Stone series. A fantastic read, Highly recommended!

Today I am reviewing #9 of Angela Marsons’ series for D.I. Kim Stone. I am a huge fan of these series and can’t believe it’s number #9. I am late with my review because now you can pre-order #10. Yay!

Fatal Promise can stand alone, but it’s better if you finished #8 before. In the previous book, a member of the team, Kevin Dawson, died while trying to save a kid. In this book, the whole team is coping with the grief, everyone in his/hers own way. There is a new member of the team, but simply, he is not Kevin Dawson. But, there is a new murder case, and the whole team has to work together.

A body has been found, brutally murdered, a body of a famous doctor who was connected to the previous case that Kim Stone’s police team was working on. Dr. Gordon Cordell dies suffering and within short period of time, his eldest son suffers in a car accident. But is it an accident after all?

Investigating Dr. Cordell’s past, Kim finds plenty of accusations against him. But, when one of the women’s mother is found killed, there is no place for speculations anymore. There is a link between these murders.

In the same time, Stacey starts her own investigation in the case of a missing girl. Everyone assumes it’s normal teenage runaway, but not her. And she won’t stop until she finds the young girl.

This time the story touches the emotional life of D.I. Kim Stone. She hides the emotions behind the wall she built around herself, no one can see them. The team is her family, and losing a member of the team is like losing her brother all over again. But, she isn’t five years old anymore, and she has to learn to cope with the pain like an adult. In her own way. Kim Stone’s way.

D.I. Kim Stone #9 is a mix of emotions, sadness, grief, a desperate try to move on. You can see Kim’s emotions, Stacey’s stuborness, Bryant’s courage, Penn’s devotion. Four people that make one team trying to make the world safer place for living. Also, I noticed that the author included actual explanations of the police procedurals and interrogations, something I didn’t see in the previous books. I think it’s perfect balance for the overwhelming grieving and tears.

Angela Marsons is my favorite author and I will always recommend her books!

I absolutely love this series and Angela Marson never fails to deliver .Book 9 and another fab read ..Every book makes you fall just a little deeper into Kim Stones life and the character writing is just brilliant along with amazing storylines . Thank you Angela. This series is a top favourite. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my chance to read 5 stars 🌟

Kim and the team are still coming to terms with everything that transpired in the last book, if you haven't read it YOU NEED TO! Physically and psychologically Kim is recovering and desperate to be back at work, six weeks is long enough for any recovery surely. As per the department guidelines she needs to be declared fit for work but Kim has been burned before and will do things her way. On top of all of that there is a ruthless killer on the loose and paths clash with characters from the previous book, Kim and the team have their work cut out for them. A new detective is joining Kim's squad and each will have to deal with issues they would rather not and focus on catching the bad guy.

As with all Marson's books we have a new case and a brutal killer, the investigation is full on and the team are dealing with personal issues linked into work. This book has a lot of heart to it and it is hard to cover without spoilers, so forgive any vagueness. Love and loss will always be a big part of the job, Stone has always been an advocate and fierce warrior for the victims. This book we see her have internal struggles and trying to deal with it as Stone does, alone, shutting folk out and playing by her own rules. She is the glue that keeps the team together but we get to see a very vulnerable side to them all and I think any fan of the series would be hard pushed to not feel a bit emosh reading this book.

Stone is one of my fav characters, she is so socially awkward but a champion for the little people so you excuse her a lot and love her flaws. This book sees her raw and vulnerable even though she tries to hide it, the reader gets to see her in a new light. I think this book made me love the characters even more and forgive them a lot when some of their choices or behaviours weren't the best. The new guy is an interesting choice and from what we see I like, the book shows the reader that for all these guys we never really know everything about a person. Stone always keeps parts of herself hidden and with all of the team we get a wee bit more.

Really good pace, we get to hear from the killer in snippets throughout the book, there is a lot of high emotions running in the book which spill out into the reader. Action, friendships, love, loss, murder, team building, personal growth, motive, ooft we have a bit of everything in this one. For a series on its 9th book you worry something will be lost or lessen but so far Marsons has managed to smash it and keep it fresh. I cannot wait to see what is next in store for these guys, 5/5 for me, roll on the next. Also, just to note, if you have never read these books, I started them earlier in the year, June, and have devoured them all, do yourself a favour and grab the first, Silent Scream, you won't look back!

Fatal Promise – Angela Marsons

This is the ninth book in the Detective Kim Stone books. These books are just as good as the story lines continue. This book starts out with a body found in a park. Turns out, the person is Doctor Gordon Cordell, who was involved with the school from the previous book. As more bodies turn up, Kim and her team must figure out who is behind the killings and why before more people die. A new member is added to the team, since someone dies in the previous book (I won’t spoil who if you haven’t read it), and there are definitely some hard emotions that come up with trying to replace an old team member.

I feel these books are best read in order, there are small stories and evolve throughout the whole series and it could be a little challenging keeping up with everything if they are read standalone. Kim and her team have been paired together throughout nine books now, and there are snippets of the characters background and lives throughout the various books. Marsons does a wonderful job grabbing the reader in at the beginning of the stories and not letting them go. I finished this story in one sitting; I couldn’t put it down. I really hope this isn’t the end of the Detective Kim Stone books.

** I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review **

Fatal Promise is book 9 in the detective Kim Stone Series, this book absolutely knocked my socks off, as per usual the plot was expertly woven and the characters were very well developed.
This book picks up with the painful reminder that one of our beloved characters DS Kevin Dawson is missing from the pages in this book. We get to watch, as if voyeurs, as Kim, Bryant and Stacy all struggle to deal with the grief and the missing link in their close team. Once again we see a lot more of Stacey as she is given more page time.
Even better than any of her previous books (and her previous books were BRILLIANT) Angela Marsons pulls us in stomps on our hearts and our brains, as we struggle to try and figure it all out….and you won’t figure it out…not until she lays it all out before you. This book races along dragging you along for the ride and it’s soooo worth it.

I am a big fan of Angela Marsons and this book does not disappoint. The team, without Dawson who died in the previous book, are facing two cases this time and Ms Marsons does a great job with both plot strings. Running throughout the book is how each team member deals with the death of Dawson, or rather doesn’t deal with it. It’s fascinating to see how the characters change over the course of the book and then how Kim Stone’s character is explained at the end of the book.

Another tour de force that, as usual, I finished too quickly!

Another immense read from on of my favourite series and detectives Kim Stone! This latest installment is a series of seemingly separate murders ... it takes the grit and determination of our protagonist Kim to identify the thread that links them ... The future of the team is in jeopardy as they continue to mourn the loss of one of the team and they have to muster all of their strength and investigative experience to find the killer before he claims his next victim. Suffice to say I cannot wait for the next installment from Angela Marsons! Many thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion.

It took me a while to read this book and it's as wonderful as the first book by this author, SILENT SCREAM. It kept me on my toes, and my heart almost stopping in a few places. With each new Kim Stone book, I feel that the author has Kim grow a bit, and maybe become a bit more flexible in how she treats and relates to the world.

I really could feel for the new guy who came in and took their deceased detectives place. He had big shoes to fill. And he filled them beautifully. So glad he was awarded the office plant named Joan (I think).

My heart almost totally stopped when Bryant was injured. Had anything devastating happened to him I don't think Kim could have stayed in law enforcement. Next, to her foster parents, he's the closest she has to a brother or relative. It was nice to meet Mrs. Bryant.

My first read of 2019, and what an excellent start to the year. It’s also appropriate as it relates to several of my New Years resolutions, which are all book-related. One of the most important is to catch up with, and stay on top of my NetGalley requests, having got completely carried away by the novelty of receiving ARCs last year. The problem was that I would request a book from a series, then end up having to buy and read all the previous instalments, so ended up with more and more books on the urgent list, and this was the worst example - I received this but still had four earlier books to read! They are so intense though, that I didn’t want to read them back to back, and had too many other deadlines, so the target date slipped by, and still, I had too much else to read. Now I have finally caught up - and one benefit is there won’t be so long to wait until the next one.

Fatal Promise is book nine of the Kim Stone series, which is definitely best read in order, although each mystery generally stands alone. Warning: this review will contain spoilers for the previous book. Set six weeks after the events of Dying Truth, Kim and her team are still wrecked by the loss of Dawson, and none are really ready to deal with another case, especially not one with links to that investigation, but murder doesn’t wait.

When the body of Gordon Cordell, the arrogant gynaecologist whose actions indirectly led to the tragedies at Heathcrest school, is found with his throat slashed, and further deaths follow, links to the general hospital are rapidly uncovered, and the forensic evidence seems pretty clear, but what could the motive be? Meanwhile Stacey is worried about a missing teenage girl who could die without her medication, but what is her supposed best friend hiding?

Nine books, and I really think each one surpasses the previous in both story-telling and in deepening our fascination with these characters. Each of them has had a theme, and here it is the effects of loss and how grief changes people’s behaviour in unpredictable ways. I love the way minor characters return so we can get to know them better - I particularly liked the scenes between Ted and Kim where he reveals that he’s had her number all along... and the confrontation between Stacey and Penn nearly moved me to tears.

As ever, the writing is flawless and the pace perfect. I can’t think of anything to criticise, so an easy 5 stars from me. My thanks and apologies to Ms Marsons, Bookouture and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. Fatal Promise is available now.

I have heard such amazing things about this author and couldn't wait to finally dive into a D. I. Kim Stone book. It is the ninth in a series but worked fine as a standalone, although after reading this I will be going back to book one very, very soon.

We meet the team soon after they have tragically lost one of their members and Kim is recovering from injury. A new member is met with a frosty reception, but the team put their feelings to one side when a doctor is found murdered.

Dr. Gordon Cordell is already known to the team from a previous case. His body is found in a wooded area but it is suspected that he wasn't actually killed there. When other bodies are exposed Kim suspects there is a serial killer at large.

Meanwhile, a teenage girl has gone missing, the police are not too concerned, she has run away before, but this time feels different. Stacey had been assigned the case whilst Kim was on sick leave and she needs to see closure.

Kim's team are still reeling from the shock of losing a colleague, however, their professionalism and dedication shine through. Without reading the previous novels I could tell from small snippets that Kim has had a traumatic past and is a complex, highly motivated character.

I found this to be a superbly written crime thriller with an intricate and absorbing plot and utterly fascinating characters. I honestly can't wait to read all the other novels from this truly addictive author.

I can't believe it, this is already the 9th book in the DI Stone series, and they honestly just get better and better!
Kim has to investigate several murders and soon it seems like certain people are targeted and she has to race against the time. Their investigation team lost a detective in the previous book, and they are also still dealing with the loss.
Compelling read, highly recommended.

Fatal Promise is, in my view, one of the best of Angela Marsons‘s Kim Stone series so far. And, given the events of the last book, that is quite a bittersweet achievement.

Angela Marsons makes you care deeply about her characters. They are so well drawn, they are real, 3D human beings. It is the care she takes in fleshing them out and giving them complex, real experiences and lives and emotions – in addition to the brilliant plots! – that marks this series out from many other similar police procedurals.

The plot of Fatal Promise is intriguing and some of the events are decidedly scary (I literally think about one key point of this book every time I am now on a motorway! 😮 ) As mentioned above, the character development is marvellous and I absolutely loved Penn.

I was gripped throughout and, although I suspected who, I did not know why-dunit and it is another dramatic ending for Kim’s team to deal with. All that’s left to say is: bravo and bring on Book 10!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of Fatal Promise.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

No 8 in this series broke my heart and no 9 did little to repair the damage. The fallout and ensuing emotional turmoil from book 8 resonated throughout the team and this book. Angela captured the grief of the team beautifully whilst introducing the new member who also comes with his own problems to bear.

Another cracker in this series which just keeps me enthralled.

FATAL PROMISE (D.I. Kim Stone #9) by Angela Marsons once again has an intriguing and thrilling series of crimes that need resolution, but this addition to the series also is heavily character driven as the team deals with the personal impact and upheaval from the previous book. NOTE: This book picks up almost immediately from the conclusion of Dying Truth (D.I. Kim Stone #8) and should definitely be read in order.

Kim has just had the cast removed from her broken leg and wants to get what remains of her team back together and get to work. She refuses to let her therapy and psychological evaluation slow her down when the brutally murdered body of Dr. Gordon Cordell, from her last case is found in a wooded park. She and Bryant have to uncover if this murder is tied to their last case or is this something new? When the bodies start adding up, they know they have a serial killer that needs to be stopped, but Kim is not her usual self and it is causing problems between herself and Bryant.

While Kim and Bryant are in the field, Stacy is also working a case of her own regarding a missing teen while dealing with a new team member in the desk across from her.

Kim, Bryant and Stacy are all working to solve their cases which are always full of twists and intrigue. This book though also has to deal with the tremendous grief from the last book for the characters as well as the readers. Kim returns to Ted, her therapist since childhood and we learn how she deals with her emotions. Bryant feels hurt over Kim’s silence while she is out on sick leave. He understands it, but it still causes friction between these two longtime friends. Stacy bottles up her grief and it affects her home life as well as being combative with the new member of the team. Ms. Marsons does an amazing job of dealing with each character’s individual grief and explaining Kim’s unique psychological make-up. The readers also get a look into the home life of the newest team member and why he is determined to stay and work to fit in with this team.
This book in the series is everything I was hoping for from this author and more!

Thanks very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC. This is an amazing series and cast of characters that I want to continue to read long into the future.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, Angela Marsons for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Fatal Promise in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book was well thought out and written. The characters were real and engaging. I was grabbed from the beginning for a rollercoaster ride of a storyline.
Well worth a read in my opinion.

This is my first book by Angela Marsons, even though she's been on my radar for quite some time. When I saw her recent book available for request on Netgalley I decided to go ahead and give her a try. Unfortunately, I started with the 9th book in the series and clearly I missed a great deal from the previous books. Definitely would start from the beginning if you were to start reading the Kim Stone series!

However, I did enjoy this book a great deal. The mystery did involve something that happened in the 8th book, but I did get the gist of what happened. I didn't really know the characters that much but from what I did get to know, I did like them. Clearly, at times, I felt lost but that's my own fault. Overall, the characters were good the plot/mystery was strong, and more importantly, I will go back to the first book and read them in order!

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