This is the eleventh book in a fantastic series featuring DI Kim Stone and her team. They have faced some harrowing cases but managed to come through them so far.

This particular evening DI Kim Stone is attending a crime scene at Haden Hill Park, it’s one of the most horrific scenes she has ever seen. The victim, a lady in her sixties called Belinda Evans is tied to a swing and sitting in an upright position. She is secured by barbed wire with an ‘X’ carved into the back of her neck. Belinda was a retired college Professor of Child Psychology. She lived on her own but it appeared apart from the furniture, the bungalow was empty. When DI Stone and DS Bryant were searching the property is when they Belinda’s sister, Veronica. She was not impressed and was most obnoiuxs to them. She demanded to know what was going on. It’s then she told them Belinda had a second house, their old parents house which was next door. This home was the total opposite to the other clean house!

This is a fantastic book, writing that totally grabs you from the off. It takes you on a roller coaster of a ride that is full of twists and turns, just brilliant. These books just seem to be getting better with each novel and its a series that I am closely following. Great writing style and easy to read, good story line equals great book!

Gosh another strong Kim Stone book! I normally tire of these books when there are this many in a series but Marsons manages to keep the plots entertaining and unique which is impressive.

In the 11th book in the Kim Stone series we find Kim and her team once again trying to solve a series of brutal murders. I cannot give Angela Marsons enough praise for her brilliant story telling. The new crimes she comes up with intertwined with the personal stories of each character in the book always leaves me wanting more. I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read an advanced copy.

Overall: Angela has done it again - yet another epic spine tingling, on the edge of your seat crime novel! Child’s Play has a gruesome plot, continued fantastic character development - and of course some humour. I love the dynamics between Bryant and Kim …There was also a secondary storyline centred around Penn - what a great way to give this ‘new’ character some limelight!
This was such an addictive read and the Kim Stone fans won’t be disappointed!
Will be on the blog tomorrow.

I have been a huge fan of Angela Marsons Kim Stone books. I love the way the characters have developed over time & I feel as if I know them all so well. Although I really enjoyed the last one in the series I was beginning to feel that perhaps the amount of angst for Kim was getting a bit too much. It was as if the author had read my mind as this book is in many ways a much lighter read- if you can say that about a book containing some grisly murder scenes!

This book deals with the rather scary world of the child prodigy. What effect does it have on a family especially the not so advanced siblings & what happens when the prodigy grow up or is found to have feet of clay?

A second story is dealing with one of Kim's team who goes to give evidence in court & discovers that the case may not be as cut & dried as he thought.

Both these stories worked well & I loved the arrival of 'Tinkerbell- I hope she's going to be a regualr member of the team.

Once again Angela Marsons has produced a winner & I'm already looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book

This is the 11th book in this series and I am now eager for number 12! I am a huge fan of DI Kim Stone and her team!

"Child's Play" starts with a bang with a murder in a kids playground. Fast forward to the present day when Kim gets called to the murder scene of Belinda Evans, a retired Professor of Child Psychology, in a playground where she is posed on a swing with barbed wire... interesting.....

Meanwhile, another story line is going with DS Penn who may or may not have put the wrong guy in jail.
Two different stories that were equally as interesting...

This is an outstanding series Another great thriller that is very well written with great characters. I highly recommend this whole series BUT start at book 1!

A huge thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and Angela Marsons for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

Once again, Marsons has knocked it outta the park with Child’s Play.

There is always a worry with a series that it’s going to get boring. That the author won’t be able to keep it fresh and exciting and it will get a bit same old same old.

I’ve NEVER had that worry with Marsons’ books. In a similar light to L.J. Ross, she nails it every time.

I'm constantly in awe at Marsons’ ability to make each book so special, so gripping, thrilling, and enthralling. She brings something different to each book but still makes it feel like I’m at a family reunion and am surrounded by loved ones I haven’t seen for a few months.

Anyway, the book.

Child’s Play starts with a gruesome murder. A chilling scene that set the tone for the whole book and with a tension that was perfectly maintained throughout.

As more bodies are uncovered, DI Kim Stone and her team are on the hunt for a ritualistic serial killer and the victims are connected – to potentially thousands of people who could want them dead. With DS Penn working back with his old team, Kim’s team are down one brain to help them with this impossible task.

I adore that Marsons has her characters delving into the mindset of the criminals. I love criminal psychology and Marsons’ has a deep and clear understanding of this subject and it jumps off the pages. As does the fact that she researches all the situations her characters find themselves in. She doesn’t just pluck a scenario out of a bag and wing it, she obviously has an interest in the topics she writes about and again, it jumps off the pages.

As the team’s investigation takes them to the world of child geniuses, they're pitted against a killer so brutal that none of them are safe.

I was utterly captivated by this plot. Hooked to each page.

Child’s Play is an exhilarating instalment in one of the best police procedural series around. Tense, taut, and with an unyielding pace, this isn’t one for the faint-hearted. Gruesome and astonishing, Marsons brings us a killer so sick and twisted you’ll find it hard to sleep!

Another #sleepstealer and one you absolutely have to read! Go and buy it NOW!

Well all I can say is, ‘When is the next one please?’ I simply devour this series each and every time the next instalment is out. Have recommended them to a few friends and they also adore them.
Kim, Bryant, Stacey and Penn. All good guys and all passionate about their cause. Great addition of ‘Tink’ and I hope she’s here to stay. She’ll give Stacey something to get her teeth into.
Love them!

This is the 11th book in this series and, as per usual, the main story is self-contained so it can be read as a stand alone. But there is a lot of character development and backstory which will enrich this so much that I do recommend starting from book one and reading in order. To be honest, the whole series is so good that I can see no reason not to play catch-up. It's also worth mentioning that even though this series is now into double figures, the author has employed several tools to keep it as fresh as it started throughout.
We start with a bang as Kim is called to the scene of a rather brutal murder. Belinda Evans, a retired Professor of Child Psychology, is found tied to a swing by barbed wire. When they search her home they find a packed bag. Was she going somewhere and could this have something to do with what happened? They also meet her sister, no love lost there, although their relationship doesn't really make sense. Is she hiding something? Then the body count rises by two, both new scenes also very similar to the first? These two new victims provide a link back to gifted children and an annual tournament. But who could be doing this and why? And more importantly, can Kim and her team work this out before the body count rises further? With so much data to process, have they finally met their match?
Meanwhile, if this isn't enough to pack in a book, new member of the team, DS Penn, has his own problems when a trial he is involved with goes a bit south. Can he work out why and who and get to the bottom of things before it's too late.
I blooming love this series. As I start each new book I wonder how on earth the author can top what she has already delivered. But she does, every single time. Each book just as deliciously dark as the last, each so well plotted and executed(!) but, at the same time, also managing to move the main characters along in their own lives without intruding into the main story. I really don't know how she does this, I'm just so happy she can. As with the majority of her books, she also managed to keep me in the dark pretty much all the way through. I had a few guesses along the way, some panned out, others didn't but, as usual, I didn't guess it all early which is a breath of fresh air for me these days. It takes a lot to pull the wool over my eyes and deliver something that doesn't come out of left field so a standing ovation is definitely in order once again. Good job, well done.
If you haven't discovered this series yet and you are a fan of this genre, then I really can't recommend it enough. Every book has ticked every box I need to make a good book a great read. So, stop reading my waffle and crack on. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

DI Kim stone #11

Kim and her team are back and this time they've been asked to investigate the murder of Belinda Evans, a child psychologist. She was found in a children's playground, her wrists had been tied with barbed wire, stabbed in the chest and an X had been carved in the back of her neck. More deaths occur and they all have a prodigy link to them. Penn has to go back to his old team as the case he was involved in collapsed.

In each new book Kim's character grows more. The book has a dual storyline.it also begins and ends with scenes of violence that some readers might not like. Kim and her team work well together, even with the new additional team member. The pace is fast from the first page and the storylines gripping. I did not know where this story was taking me but I really enjoyed the journey. This is a very good police procedural series that just gets better and better. This book is the best in the series so far. Angela Marsons never disappoints.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Angela Marsons for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Can’t believe this is book 11 in this excellent series. I really enjoyed reading this one . A great story with great characters.

I have a great fan of Kim Stone and her team. I live in the Black Country and visualising the landmarks mentioned only adds to my pleasure!

I read this latest offering in one sitting on a lovely Sunday afternoon. The team are soon embroiled in finding a serial killer who is killing individuals all linked in some capacity with Brainbox - a series of competitive events for gifted children. The author examines the issue of gifted children and the impact of this on their development into adulthood and the impact on any siblings and their parents.

We also have a side story of police corruption and manipulation of the court system.

As usual well drawn characters and a good plot led to a very satisfying read.

Angela Marsons is back with Child's Play, Book 11 in the D.I. Kim Stone series.

"Kim is called to the scene of a horrific murder. A retired college professor is tied to a swing with barbed wire and an X carved into the back of her neck. When two other victims are found marked the same way, Kim knows she is looking for a ritualistic serial killer. What do the victims have in common? Can she and her team catch the killer before he kills again?"

After ten books, it's nice to see that Marsons' characters can still change and develop. Kim Stone has come a long way since the first book. The team has to deal with some realistic personnel burnout and stress issues. And a missing team member. Marsons gives us just enough clues to keep the reader wanting more. You may guess the killer, but you won't get all of it.

A couple of issues - Once Marsons gets to the commonality between the victims, there's a bit of over-explaining. Doesn't feel like it adds to the story. The other is that a team member gets called back to his old team to work on a separate case. Again - it feels like more of a distraction than part of the story.

An excellent story from Marsons and a scary, disturbed killer. Love the temporary team member and hope we see more of Tinkerbell. A great pick for your summer reading list, especially if you're a fan of British crime fiction.

4.5 stars rounded up. 11 books in and the Kim Stone series continues to be strong. A new character is brought in and I hope she stays. Didn’t like the Penn side story as much but it left room for the new character. Kim is Kim and the mystery is strong.

I was given a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Well this series just gets better and better with each new instalment. This time child prodigy is the topic. Again not a theme I've come across before in any genre so intriguing and interesting. Love the who dunnit aspect in the hotel for the competitions so keep your eyes peeled. Love how Kim could possibly be having some humour as her character is beginning to break out of her serious mood. Even though the new member of the team is required back at his previous department for a court case, the story follows Penn with finding out the truth behind the case that collapsed in court and so the story splits in two between Kim and Penn. The new character Tiff (or Tiffany or Tinkerbell or Tink) is introduced to cover for Penn's absence and begins to gel with the team so it will be interesting to see if she stays or the team builds up to Kim, Bryant, Stacey, Penn and Tff or she goes.

Roll on number 12.

If there were more than 5 stars possible this book would get them. I love every single book in this series. Kim Stone is one of my all time favorite character and her team is great. Stone's past has shaped her and makes her a flawed human just like all of us. Solving a crime that seems to have roots in childhood, Kim Stone and team are at their best.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Child’s Play’, eleventh in the Detective Kim Stone series written by Angela Marsons, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DI Kim Stone and DS Bryant are called to a playground where the body of Belinda Evans is discovered sitting on a swing with a stab wound to her heart, her limbs tied with barbed wire and an ‘X’ carved into the back of her neck. When more bodies are discovered murdered in a similar fashion and all appear to be connected to childhood games, their investigations take them to ‘Brainboxes’, an annual gathering for gifted children. Meanwhile, DS Penn is greatly missed when his presence is requested by his old team when, as Senior Investigating Officer, Penn arrests Gregor Nuryef for the murder of Devlin Kapoor and the case goes to Court.

‘Child’s Play’s is an incredibly exciting crime thriller with Kim Stone leading her team of Bryant, Stacey and Penn, with their boss Woody in the background. Kim’s investigations and Penn’s old case run concurrently throughout and work very well together, and the new constable Tiffany (nicknamed Tinkerbell) give us some light-hearted moments which to the story. I was gripped from the beginning, through each twist and turn, trying to guess the identity of the killer but failing, until the thrilling conclusion. Marsons is one of the best crime writers I’ve had the pleasure to read and each book proves her amazing ability to introduce intrigue and drama into each novel. I hope there’ll be more of Kim Stone as her absence will leave a big gap.

As if this series needed a hook to get you into a book. Yet Angela Marsons has started this one with the most original, and toe curling, murder of the series.

The book starts with a murder in a kids playground. It’s a bit of a mystery where this murder fits in as its set years before the main body of the book, but fit in it does, and it’s part of a brilliant mystery.

Moving forward to the present day Kim and her team are called to a murder in a local park (and when I say local its where I take my dog for a walk most days). The murder victim is posed and the murderer has left a signature, but what does it all mean.

Kim lets her team work to their strengths. Stacy is set to work trawling the internet, whilst Kim and Bryant hit the streets.

The newest member of the team, Penn, is called back to his old team, and the story that unfolds for him is every Police Officers worst nightmare. Has he put the wrong man in jail. This story alone would have made a great book.

Kim is also fighting the Brass in the Police force. Owing to recent reviews showing that officers are burning out, along with the constrictions of austerity, she is forced to make her team work the case on a 9-5 basis, she and they hate it.

To make up for the lack of Penn, and the lack of available work hours, Kim is given a new officer, a 24 year old PC called Tiffany, who is a bubble of energy and enthusiasm. At first Kim, and Stacy, try to reject the help but soon realise they are stuck with their new yappy (and for us from the Black Country Yampy) puppy of an officer.

As the bodies mount Kim’s team are stretched to the limit. Will burn out claim any of them?

Book 11 in the DI Kim Stone series and again Angela Marsons has given us a brilliantly crafted book.

It’s no secret this is my favourite series in the crime fiction genre. I do wonder sometimes if it’s because the books are set where I live, but then I read the blogs from other reviewers around the world, and realise that if they were set in Mongolia I’d still love the stories.

Angela Marsons has created a fictional team in a real world. The crimes she writes about are all too realistic. The worries and concerns of the Police Officers, the Victims, the Witnesses, and the Criminals are written in a way that lets the reader engage. Empathy and sympathy for some characters, and anger at others are emotions which each of the books evokes aplenty.

In my very first blog, about my life and how reading has been my companion, hobby, and at times escape, I recall how I read all of the Sven Hassle war books on my first ship. I wrote how when I’d finished the series I felt like I’d lost some friends. I don’t know when this series is going to end, I hope not for a while yet, but I have the feeling I’m going to miss Kim and her Team just as much, and probably a lot more.

Pages: 397
Publishing Date: 11th July
Publishers: Bookouture

As DS Penn headed to court for a case that was his before he joined Detective Kim Stone’s team, he little realized what would happen in his life in the next few days. Meanwhile Kim, Bryant and Stacey were up against a murder of a horrific nature. Barbed wire, a ritualistic marking of the flesh and a playground. As Kim and Bryant discovered the identity of the woman, they also saw her sister, Veronica. The vibes that rippled across to Kim felt uneasy; wrong…

With two more bodies murdered in the same fashion, Kim knew the race was on. But they needed to find the motive. Perhaps that would give them more answers. And as the clues led them to a conference for gifted children, Kim and her team knew they couldn’t stop until they had the killer. They had to put an end to it - now. But could they?

Child’s Play is the 11th in the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and once again I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast paced with lots of action, the two cases (Kim’s and Penn’s) running simultaneously worked well. A highly entertaining thriller from an author who’s a definite favourite! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 11th novel featuring Detective Kim Stone and just as fantastic as the previous. When Professor Belinda Evans is round murdered and tied to a swing Kim is called to investigate. Other murders follow and seem tied to a tournament for gifted children.
I have to say the description of the first murders was gruesome but I loved the story as it unfolded. I like that it gave a balanced view of the parents of gifted children as well.
Highly recommended and if you’ve not read Detective Kim Stone you have the previous ten books to catch up on.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #Childsplay