This was my first foray into the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and I loved it. I ignored everyone’s advice and read it as a standalone. If I missed anything by not reading the first eight books in the series, I certainly didn’t notice. I really enjoyed all the different layers of this read. There are two equally compelling police investigations, as well as the wonderfully realistic relationship dynamics within Stone’s team. They have recently suffered the terrible loss of one of their own, and not only is Stone physically hurt (which she adamantly ignores) but she and her entire team are, unsurprisingly, psychologically wounded. I felt desperately sorry for the new policeman drafted in as the temporary replacement - Stone certainly gives him a particularly hard time. She’s gutsy and complex and almost totally inept at compassionate human interaction. I would hate to get on the wrong side of her but couldn’t help but admire her stubbornness and drive. Marsons gives us insight into her past and psyche, so she had my sympathy, despite some seemingly cold-hearted actions and decisions. Her foil is the wonderful Bryant, whose strict adherence to the rules of the road drive Kim to absolute distraction in one hilarious scene in which she worries that the killer will have died of old age before being caught. I also loved getting into the minds of the ‘baddies’. As Marsons herself says, she likes to explore the psychological aspect within the motives for her killers. A great read. I now can’t wait to read the first eight.

If I wasn’t already a massive fan of this series I would have been hooked in the first few pages.

DI Kim Stone is back at work, freshly out of the plaster that protected the leg she broke in the previous book. Her leg may be healing but her emotions, and that of her tight knit team, are still in tatters.

When a body is found in a park, not 2 miles from Kim’s Police she is stunned to find that it is that of a man that was so closely linked to her last investigation.

As more bodies pile there seems to be a link to Russell’s Hall Hospital, but what has this hospital and Heathcrest School got in common?

Is it just a coincidence that the team are investigating a crime that is linked to the place where none of them really want to be, back where one of their friends, a colleague died so recently.

The story looks at the secrets kept by groups and families, and how loyalties can forged on the most ridiculous of assumptions or beliefs.

It looks at how feelings can fester and cause hidden harm.

But as good as the plot of the crimes and the investigations of them are, this book is about much more.

This book is a rollercoaster of a ride through the investigation of some startlingly believable crimes, which is being carried out by a team that is struggling with the loss of a close friend.

If you have read the other books in this series, you will know the cast of characters well. You will understand what they are going through, and you will empathise that they each do it in their own particular ways. Just like in real life this team is trying to pull together in a time of grief, whilst almost self-destructing in their self-imposed isolation.

Then there was always going to be the question of how Angela Marsons would replace one of her main characters that has been an integral part of the previous 8 books.

Well she found a very interesting character that had appeared a couple of times in the previous stories and dropped him into the team.

It was never going to be easy for the team to accept him and the awkwardness in the office is captured beautifully.

Will the team ever accept a replacement, is this the right guy.

Will his eccentricity help him, or hinder his integration?

When book 8 was published social media was full of reviews saying they were in tears at the end, I might have had a bit of dust in my eyes myself.

For me the end of this book is even more emotional. A conversation between 2 of the main characters wrung so many bells for me it left me with a handful of dust in my eyes.

Every time a new book in this series becomes available I review it and say that it’s the best one yet.

Well its happened again, this is the best one yet.

If you are new to the series this book could be read as a stand-alone, but I would suggest reading the previous book , The Dying Truth, first.

In fact if you are new to the series I would suggest reading them all in order. I can’t think of a better way of recommending 8 fantastic Crime Thriller books.

A huge hangover from the tragic ending of book 8, this book is shot through with grief and is even more focused on the main characters than normal (which is no bad thing - I'd let Angela Marsons be my psychiatrist - she paints such on-point psychological portraits of her characters that I'm sure she'd be a master at it!).

As usual, the balance between the thrilling, fast-paced mystery plot(s) and the emotional arcs is spot on. I could just copy and paste the same review for each Kim Stone books as they never disappoint, and just get better and better. If you haven't jumped on board this series yet DO IT NOW!!



(will post to Goodreads and Amazon UK)

Another excellent instalment in the Kim Stone series. Love this series of books. Excellent plot, well drawn characters and an excellent who dunit

Wow oh Wow this series keeps getting better and better.

A man is discovered in the local woodlands brutally murdered and Kim and the team get down to find out why. They discover he's known to them and connected to their previous case. Gordon's son is involved in a car crash - are the cases connected? But why?

A woman is found dead in strange circumstances and there seems to be a link which involves all the cases.

Kim and the Team are still suffering after one of their own died and finding it hard to adjust to a new officer on their team. Stacey is running her own investigation alongside regarding a missing teen as well as working with Penn on data and CCTV analysis. He's not Dawson and never will be but she finds she can work with him.

The race is on to find the killer and the links before two more innocent victims die. An absolutely amazing read. Roll on book #10.

The ninth in the series takes up pretty much right after #8 finishes. Kim has just gotten the cast off her leg. The three remaining members of the team are back together but still adjusting to the loss of Dawson. Marsons does such a great job of expressing the team’s feelings of loss that we feel them equally. And the previous plot continues as the first victim they are handled was a doctor involved in the Heathcrest investigation.

Kim hasn’t learned anything. She continues to push herself too far, disobeying doctor’s orders. Look up the definition of bullheaded in the dictionary and there’s a picture of Kim beside it. As with all the prior books, the interaction between the team supersedes the mystery. Which is saying something, because it’s not like the murder mystery is light or easy to solve.

This is a book you’re not going to want to put down. It just keeps clicking along. I had no idea who was behind the murders, despite hearing from the murderer every few chapters. On the other hand, Stacy is given her own case and that one I had figured out early on.

If you’re a fan of Angela Marsons, you’ll be pleased with this one. If you’re new to her works, I encourage you to read them in order and envy you having them all ahead of you.

My thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.

This latest in the series begins with Kim Stone returning to work after recovering from a broken leg during circumstances that ended with a tragedy.  She, and her team, are still trying to come to terms with the loss of one of their own and none of them are dealing with it very well, so when she is told they have a replacement, albeit temporary, it doesn't go down well with any of them, especially as it's someone they know.  But they have work to do and not just one, but two cases to crack this time so there is no room for sentiment.

The first case is the murder of Dr Gordon Cordell who has appeared before in this series and the second is a missing teenager, and there's more to both cases than meets the eye.  As Kim needs to concentrate on the murder she puts Stacey in charge of finding the missing teenager and with Penn (the replacement) assisting her she begins to see him in a different light. Things in the murder case escalate when another body is found and the team begin to try to find the link between them, but the perpetrator isn't going to make it that easy for them and when Kim thinks she's discovered who it is, Bryant doesn't agree, which puts them at loggerheads.  What they do know is they need to work together before there is more blood on their hands.

This is the 9th book in this series and each time I open one I feel like I've come home, not just because the area they are set in is fairly local to me, but because the characters feel like family.  Each book tells us a bit more about each of them, so by this book I feel I know them so well and they're like real people, which is why the death in Dying Truth reduced me to tears and Angie Marsons did it again in this one, by the end I was sobbing.  These books are a true work of art and just when you think the next book can't be better than the last, the latest one blows that theory right out of the water.  I recommend anyone that hasn't read any of this series to begin with Silent Scream and read them in order to know the characters properly.  I can't wait for book 10!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the auto approval and will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon UK & US.

I am not a fan of rereading. But we all make exceptions, don’t we? And the Kim Stone series is perfect for that. There is so much in each novel written by the gorgeously talented Angela Marsons that no matter how many times you pick her books, it never gets old. Each word is alive. So, I went back to book eight, knowing what I would find, happily drowning myself in the plot, hugging each character as if they were old friends I hadn’t seen in a while. Because that’s exactly how it felt…

After this, I took a deep breath and opened book nine.

Now I must keep this review short and focus mainly on all my feelings rather than the intrigue as Fatal Promise is part of the series and I would hate myself forever for spoiling you.

Ninth book, can you believe this??? I haven’t read them all yet. I keep them for days when I know I need the best. Angela Marsons never lets me down.

Fatal Promise is not a title, it’s a euphemism! The promise of a stunning, addictive novel tainted with blood and fate. Following the events of the previous novel, we are thrown in a familiar place with a missing piece of the puzzle. Kim Stone, not as hard as her name would have you believe, is recovering from recent events, and so is her team. How do police officers deal with death on a daily basis will always be a mystery to me. It takes strength but also humanity to keep going despite witnessing the worst in humanity and in life. Sometimes I have always hated in TV shows, who can be compared to book series, is the easy way the protagonists overcome whatever happens to them or those around them, and how little is done to actually delve into the process of moving on. I must thank Angela Marsons for breaking my heart, but also for knowing how to mend it. Chapter after chapter, like time on a scar, she put words and feelings on loss, anger, denial, change. All those things the human condition fights against but will always lose to. In Fatal Promise, the author paints the most personal and human side of her characters, making her readers feel even closer to a team we see grow, play, work, and eat.

Authenticity oozes off every page. Fatal Promise is raw, character-driven, amazingly fueled by what makes Kim, Stace, Bryant and co who they are, digging deep to let the blood flow, the tears come, the life take control again. If you thought you couldn’t be surprised by this brilliant team, this book will prove you wrong. I admit there was a bit of trepidation before starting novel number 9, but I shouldn’t have worried. Nothing feels old and rehashed. You just come home to a world you’ve learned to love thanks to a spectacular narrative style and a chillingly but fantastic understanding of human beings and all their complexities.

But do not be alarmed, maudlin is not a work you can use for Fatal Promise. Do you love your plot intricate and masterfully weaved? You win the lottery with this one! Two cases for one, intertwined with personal demons to fight, this can only bring adrenaline, tension, and ‘OMG what the hell am I thinking / feeling / witnessing????’ moments. Unputdownable doesn’t even cover it. A doctor dies, bouh! But with Angela Marsons, there are no coincidences and a link to a previous case is your first step into the investigation. Gripped from the opening, I jumped from one dead body to the other like a cat on mice to find the dots connecting the victims. Short chapters from the culprit kept my blood run cold and despite being a seasoned reader, I couldn’t figure out what was happening! Tainted by blood, old and new, this case is hard on the reader as it is on the team, and this is one of its biggest strengths. Angela Marsons has created a world you can walk into with no effort, like a mirror to our world, and all you have to do is let your mind and heart walk in rhythm with the flow. The combination of a real police procedural and haunted, flawed, striking characters makes Fatal Promise an outstanding crime novel and a strong new installment in one of my favorite series.

Where is book ten????

FATAL PROMISE is book nine in the Kim Stone series and I've read every single one of them. The D.I. Kim Stone series is a great crime series and I'm always thrilled when I get a new copy to read. I like the characters so much, and the cases are always so good. However, it's hard to write a review without spoiling too much, both for those that have never read the series, or just this book. So, I will try to be as vague as possible. Kim and her colleagues had to deal with a tragic loss in the last book and now they have to deal with it at work. This part of the book is something that I both enjoyed and felt sad about reading. I think, however, that this new move will be interesting in future books.

As for the case, very interesting, especially since it was hard to figure out who was behind it all, and why. Just the kind of case I love to read about. The book's pace was fast and I enjoyed reading it immensely. This is one of the strongest books in the series, but then again, that's hardly a surprise since Marsons knows how to write an engaging crime novel. Now I want the next book.

I want to warn you right away that if you haven’t read book eight in this series there may be some slightly spoilerish stuff in this review, it’s unavoidable but wanted to give you a heads up!

Raise your hand if you’re still not over the loss of one of the team members in book eight? I know I’m sure not, the emotional impact that event had on me is so rare in a crime book but months later and I’m still upset by it. I was also apprehensive about how this devastating loss would effect Kim and her team, but with her usual deft hand Marsons handled their grief with impeccable care and respect and authenticity. You get a front row seat as the characters work through it, and they behave in the manner as you would expect. Ahem Kim Stone may be closed off and stubborn, shocker! 😂 But they all have jobs to do and that is still very much the main focus of the book, what’s a KS book without an intriguing case?! Add in a new replacement that will never fill their lost colleagues shoes, a string of murders, a missing teenager and you have one heck of a lot of exciting stuff going on here.

The characters in this series are so complex and meticulously crafted and once again I learned more about each of them and their lives and personalities. I’m always blown away by the fact that there is more to be revealed about them but I’m endlessly fascinated by what is discovered and am always wanting to learn more. Marsons is at the top of her game, she genuinely gets better and more assured with each installment and book ten can’t land in my hands fast enough!

Fatal Promise in three words: Meticulous, Nuanced and Gripping.

As I have said previously, I am a huge fan of the Kim Stone series, and Angela’s writing. This book is very different in some ways, which is no surprise after the horror of book 8. We start off with the team reuniting after being sent to work in different teams in the aftermath. Unsurprisingly, they are all dealing with what happened differently (or not at all in most cases). This is a great example of how everyone deals with grief differently.

I especially enjoyed Stacey’s storyline this time around. Her determination to find a teenage girl who no one else seems to care about is her way of channelling her emotions. Kim, after years of shutting everyone out so she couldn’t be hurt again, had let the team in, and as a result is hurting more than ever. It doesn’t help that their current murder case has links to the previous one. Will Kim spin out of control completely?

Another wonderful instalment in the DI Kim Stone series from Angela Marsons. As ever, I’ll be counting down the days until the next one!

It is always a joy to discover that there is another Km Stone book to read. The ninth in the series caries on in the tragic aftermath of Book eight where Kevin Dawson, one of Kim's tight knit team died saving a young boy. This book deals with how those that are left cope with their grief and how they struggle to accept someone else into their midst. All this takes place whilst they are trying to catch a killer whose victims seem to be connected to the hospital. Some clues seem obvious- perhaps a bit too obvious! Nothing is ever as it seems.

Once again this was a brilliant addition to the series. The story is character driven by the grief of the team but at the same time gives the reader a uicy mystery to solve. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is eagerly awaiting book 10!

Thanks to Netgalley & the wonderful Bookouture for letting me read & review this book.

My Review 5/5

I want to start out by saying I might be a little biased in this review.  But, not in the way you might think.  I didn't have any outside influences bribing me or telling me how I should think about the book.  HOWEVER.....I tend to have the preconceived notion that every book Angela Marsons writes is good and I will love it.  As I open the latest Kim Stone novel, my heart starts beating fast, and I dive into what I already know (see? I told you, I'm biased) is going to be a great ride.

The latest installment did not disappoint.  I've said before that you can read this series as stand alone's, but with book #9, I would at least read book #8 first.  Actually, I would read all of the books first, but if you haven't started this amazing series (and, WHY NOT??) then at least read the one before this one.

It picks up from where we were left in book 8.  I don't want to talk about the plot because I don't want to reveal anything.  Just know, Angela Marsons does a fantastic job of diving even further into the dynamics of Kim and her team.  After enduring pain, they all have to pull together, put their emotions aside, and try and solve the latest set of murders.  The relationship between Kim and Bryant reaches a whole new level and I loved how each of them deal with their emotions differently.

In addition to the murders they are working to solve, Stacey dives into a missing girl case.  I never expected it to turn out like it did.  Angela Marsons has always had the ability to work in current events and issues into her stories, and this one took me by surprise.  I loved the sympathy and emotion.

She's done it again.  The latest installment is amazing and breathtaking.  As with her other books, Marsons has a way of writing to keep you captivated.  For me, I could not turn the pages fast enough.

Regular readers of my book blog will know that I am a huge fan of Angela Marsons and her Kim Stone books. Book nine in the series is out today and the series is as strong as ever and shows absolutely no sign of burning out. Pretty impressive really.

The end of book eight was shocking, it threw readers into shock and increased sales in tissues, so I was interested to see how Marsons was going to deal with the aftermath of that. Of course, it was dealt with perfectly, not too much time had passed between the two books and so the readers got to see how the characters were coping. The main case featured in Fatal Promise also related to the case that had dominated book eight. Very clever.

The only minor thing that I could say about Fatal Promise was the smaller side investigation, it just didn’t seem necessary and detracted from the main story. It was also an interesting case that could have had its own book. And I couldn’t help but think that the character involved with that case really should have learnt their lesson from last time they did something like that!

I don’t really need to say anything more, the millions of books sales that Angela Marsons books have had speak for themselves. These books are brilliant and well worth reading. But do start with book one, although I’m sure that you could pick the series up at any point and enjoy it, you will miss out on some blooming good books!

Roll on book ten!

Thank you to Bookouture for a copy of Fatal Promise by Angela Marsons. I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

DI Kim Stone is struggling. She’s still recovering from a broken leg and reeling from the death of one of her team and is forced to take on a new detective. When she is called to a crime scene, she realises that it’s Gordon Cordell, a surgeon who was involved in a previous case. A few days later his son is involved in a serious car accident, is it just a coincidence?

Another body turns up that links to Gorden Cordell and Russells Hall Hospital. Can Kim and her team figure it out before the killer strikes again?

The Kim Stone series is one I’ve been dipping in and out of for a couple of years after discovering Silent Scream (the first in the series) in a charity shop. I have to be honest I haven’t read these books in order myself but I would maybe recommend reading at least the previous book, Dying Truth just because a bit of the storyline carries over.

Now I’ve never said this about a book before but I think I got a stitch reading it! What caused a stitch I hear you ask! Well, it could have been the fast pace, immersive storyline and heart pounding ending or it could have been I was sitting funny but who knows?

There’s two cases running through the novel. The first is the serial killer bent on revenge but the second is Stacey’s case of a missing girl, from when she was temporarily assigned to another department, which refuses to let her go. The two storylines rub nicely along together but don’t overshadow one another and often creates a good bit of tension throughout.

I enjoyed the edition of Penn, (he’s has popped up in previous books) but gets a rough ride having to try and fit into the team when they are all still grieving. Also there’s a nice bit of mystery there too. Why did he transfer especially when he was doing well with his old team?

I love the relationship between Bryant and Kim but it goes through a bit of rough patch in this book. It’s not the typical will they/won’t they get together, but there is love and respect there. She’s obviously not herself but is refusing to open up which in turn frustrates Bryant, will their relationship recover?

Overall Fatal Promise is an addictive and immersive story with a heart pounding ending, that is a fantastic addition to this series.

Sad yet hopeful

This is a character-driven installment of the series. The cases don’t matter as much, nor are they as compelling, as the characters that comprise this wonderful series.

Fatal Promise takes place a few months after the tragedy that occurred in the previous book. Kim and team members are dealing with their grief in different ways. Ultimately, the team is in shambles.

Kim is off her game. While she is as prickly and defensive as ever, she isn’t fully present. Her ability to see what others do not is failing her this time around putting her ability to solve a case in jeopardy. She isn’t trusting her gut instincts causing a great deal of tension with Bryant. There’s also a new team member, and Kim is less than pleased with his presence.

There are two main cases: A missing teenage girl and seemingly random murders of hospital personnel. While the two mysteries are interesting, they didn’t really hold my attention. This isn’t a bad thing; it’s just usually when I read books in this series, I find the cases to be as riveting as the characters.

Fatal Promise is a heart-wrenching, tension-filled read. The characters’ vulnerabilities are completely exposed, putting them at risk. At the same time, their relationships grow deeper and there’s a little bit of hope that everything is going to be all right.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

Fatal Promise by Angela Marsons is the 9th in the Detective Kim Stone 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 psychiatric facility. But Kim has survived, and although her social skills are lacking, her heart is in the right place. Right now, her team consists of two detectives: Bryant, her right hand man, and the person who voices her concerns in a much more diplomatic way than Kim would every think of, and Stacey, who can find required information in a seemingly bottomless computer system. Her third detective, Kevin Dawson, was recently killed in the line of duty.

My Synopsis:
Kim is returning to duty after breaking her leg in the same case where the team lost Dawson. Each member of the team is feeling his loss, and no one is handling it well, except maybe Bryant. When a new member is assigned, no one is pleased. They are already acquainted with Sergeant Austin Penn, and no one thinks he’s a good fit.  Of course, no one would be a good fit.

When a body is found in the park, the team feels Dawson’s loss even more. The victim is Dr. Cordell, who performed the illegal abortion on the girl at Heathcrest, where Dawson lost his life. Cordell is not a saint. The team wonders if his murder has to do with his membership in The Spades, a secret society within Heathcrest. Even after you leave school, your membership follows you. However, things start to lead them in a very different direction, and when others lose their lives, the team has very little time to solve this before even more bodies turn up.

Meanwhile, Stacey is investigating a missing 15-year old girl who is in need of drugs to keep her alive. But the girls’ best friend Emma is keeping a secret, and so is Emma’s mother…and they aren’t the only ones.

Before these cases are solved, another of the team will put themselves at risk.

My Opinions:
I absolutely love this series. The characters come to life, and with each book we learn more about them. We care more about them. They become like family, and when one is gone, it is hard to replace that person. Marsons did an excellent job of showing how the death of a “family” member impacts everyone. She then explored how a new member can be (or can’t be) accepted.

Marsons also explored the impact of having to make a hard decision. How that can weigh on a person's mind, especially when the choice you finally make appears to be the wrong one. It was really an interesting read.

What more can I say… the writing and dialogue was great, the story-line strong, and the mystery a little twisted. Although I was sure of the outcome of Stacey’s investigation, I didn’t have a clue about the main story-line. That was great...one of the few times I like surprises.

Definitely recommend this series, and while this could be read as a stand-alone novel, I think you would miss too much,  you should really read these books as a series, and in order.

Yay, I have found a new series to read! I had heard SO much about Angela Marsons and her Kim Stone series but, for some reason, just hadn't got around to reading any of the books. Well, that's changed now and woah, I have missed out! I liked Kim, liked the characters, and the plot moved nice and fast. I realise though that I need to read book 8 now ASAP but well, I think I may just start from the beginning. Brilliant!

If you've been following my reviews, then it should no longer be a secret that I am a massive fan of Angela Marson's DI Kim Stone series and as soon as the opportunity comes my way to read a new instalment, I immediately drop whatever it is I'm doing and start reading.

But when it comes to writing these reviews, I always find myself at a loss for words because it seems I've used them all before. Corker, belter, humdinger, wow, whoa, you have to read this, buy it now! Quite frankly, I'm not sure what more I can add. 

In Fatal Promise, the team is dealing with the aftermath of events from the previous book that I won't mention in case you haven't read it yet (therapy still available for those who are struggling ). The team dynamics are shifting and the arrival of a new colleague, whom despite totally feeling like an intruder I couldn't help sympathising with, doesn't exactly go smoothly. But there is work to be done and Kim and her team are going to have to find a way to work together.

There are two cases to solve, which I absolutely love. It feels more realistic somehow. The main case is an exciting race against time. There's a killer on a mission and once again Angela Marsons somehow manages to put me in the slightly uncomfortable position of almost sympathising with them. Their pain is almost palpable and it made me feel like giving them a big hug. Which is just utterly wrong! Meanwhile, Stacy is devoting every moment of her spare time on investigating a case of a missing girl, which is also completely heartbreaking. This is what I love so much about this series. The opportunity to explore the psychology behind certain characters' actions is incredibly fascinating and compelling. Apart from loving this team to bits, it's the complex characters that keep me coming back for more.

I say it with every Kim Stone book and I'm going to say it again this time around. Here comes. Best ... one ... yet! These characters are like family. They hurt, I hurt. They smile, I smile. They get on my nerves, I want to slap them. But more than anything, I feel Angela Marsons' writing keeps improving as well. This is the ninth book in a series and it is still as engrossing as the very first one. There are no signs of slacking off or of sticking to some proven formula. Angela Marsons has no qualms whatsoever about taking her team right to the edge. Or over it. 

Fatal Promise is a tense, addictive and incredibly compelling serial killer thriller and another absolutely fabulous addition to this series. Like I said at the start : corker, belter, humdinger! In case you wondered, I loved it and you have to read this series now! Bring on book 10!

Bonus points for using the word "discombobulating". One of my favourite words and a feeling I often end up with when reading a DI Kim Stone book.

Another superb book in this series. This story opens with the team still coming to terms with a member dying in the last book. A new member is forced upon them as a series of murders start. The forensics is over the top, but maybe that is a clue. But with the teams own grief, they are not seeing it as they usually do. This story delves more into the emotions but Kim Stone is a deeply damaged but fierce police officer. Another excellent addition. I am looking forward to the next!