I was really happy to be back with Kim and her team for another wonderful story! This time Kim and her team were investigating a new age cult, to find out what had happened to certain people who had gone missing from it and some people who had died in relation to it.

I really enjoyed this book. I had been finding it to be a slower read than Angela's others books and I was going to give it 4 stars, however, the last quarter of the book picked up the pace and was more exciting and this made me give the book 5 stars. I was surprised at who the killer was and I enjoyed the psychology in the book and learning more about how a cult and mind control works.

I am looking forward to reading the next installment of Kim and her team when that time comes! Angela Marsons is one of my favourite authors and I have read nearly all of her books now.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

As expected, Killing Mind is utterly fantastic.

It never ceases to amaze me how Marsons manages to make each instalment of this series better than the one before. Not only are the crimes and criminals more twisted but the development of the plots and characters running through each book is outstanding.

Killing Mind not only focusses on a new wave of killings for the team to investigate, but our beloved Bryant is going through the most heartbreaking of times thanks to a previous case.

Until now, Bryant has been the steadying yin to Stone's fiery yang. He is the calming, rational thinker. The one who stops Kim jumping head first into everything so it was shocking, and somewhat refreshing, to see the roles reversed when the convicted killer from one of his first ever cases is up in front of the parole board. For twelve (technically thirteen if you count First Blood, the secret prequel released last year) we have grown to love and adore how he looks out for Kim and the team. He's the one who you just know you'd turn to for help if you knew him in real life and it was heart-wrenching watching him go through so much turmoil.

While Bryant is slightly distracted, Kim and Co are investigating what originally looked like a suicide but which soon becomes a multiple-murder enquiry and as the body count rises, the team find the link between the victims to be a local farm/retreat. As there's a huge secrecy about what goes on there, Kim has no choice but to send in an undercover officer. But at what cost?

What follows is an unparalleled thriller where nothing is as it seems and where the emotional side of Kim comes to the fore... we see her in a new light, one we've only seen glimmers of in the past but which Marsons is showing us more and more of as each book (not that Kim would admit that, mind!)

This team have been so much together and following their journey is an honour. It really is.

There's something magical about opening these books for the first time. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's like going to family gathering and catching-up with people you haven't seen for a while but who you love and miss every day. If you haven'tread one yet, don't be put off by how many there are, you can start at the beginning (I'm beyond jealous of those who have this wonderful world to discover for the first time) and you will fly through them... Or you can start from this one and not be floundering as Marsons is wonderful at telling you what you need to know from the previous books without ruining the new plot.

Once again, Killing Mind is beyond brilliant and you need to read it. NOW!

HUGE thanks to Kim and the Bookouture team for my advanced review copy, and of course, to Angela and Julie for keeping this wonderful series going and making it stronger with each instalment.

What a bloody team. I bloody love it!

I've come to trust the Angie Marsons/Kim Stone brand so much that I hit request on NetGalley, without bothering to read the blurb. I knew it would be awesome and it sure was! Settling in with a Kim Stone book is now synonymous with having a guaranteed thrilling & suspenseful time. This is one of the best series out there!
Killing Mind is an apt title for the book that focuses on a case where vulnerable people are chosen for victims & have been more than brain-washed into joining a cult-like group. Like always, all team members pull their weight & race against time to solve the case. The sub-plot involving Bryant & his first case as a cop was great too. I was happy to see the return of Tink. She's a refreshing new addition to the team & I hope she stays. I loved every chapter of this book, building the suspense with every page turn. Coincidentally, I was also watching Wild Wild Country on Netflix, so the timing was great and made it impactful! I honestly can't wait for the next!
Thank You NetGalley, Bookouture & Angie Marsons for an arc!

This series just gets better and better. Angela Marsons manages to keep thinking of twists and turns to keep us guessing right to the end.

As always Angela Marsons was amazing.

This 12th installment in Detective Kim Stone series talks about Cults.

This book explores the world of cults - psychology, the manipulation, the grooming, etc. It's quite fascinating and frightening at the same time. The book opens as Detective Stone is called to the apartment of Samantha Brown whose death is believed to be a suicide but then things begin to not add up and soon DI Stone and her team find more victims and the clues all point to a place called Unity Farm.

In addition to the cult case, Bryant finds himself haunted by one of his past cases. This installment also prominently features Stacey, Penn, and Tiff “Tink” who appeared in book 11, and of course Barney, the dog. I love all of these characters, but I have really grown to love Penn. I would love to see more of him. One character who works to deprogram cult members seems to have the potential to appear in a future installment, but I might just be reading too much into things.

Engaging, captivating, well written and thought-provoking. I look forward to more books in this series in the future.

Once again Angela Marsons has brought us another excellent instalment of the Kim Stone Series. We are on Book 12 now and I have loved every one. This instalment was no different. Kim Stone is definitely one of my favourite characters and once again we are treated to the delights and insecurities of her character.

I absolutely adore the character dynamics between Kim and Bryant. I love how their friendship has developed over time, and shows that main character need not fall in love with each-other to create an excellent relationship which runs central to every storyline. The team as a whole are all slight misfits who have been joined together and the dynamic is fantastic. It truly enhances the story every time.

This book delves into the murky world of cults, and life at Unity farm, a retreat for people seeking an alternative way of life. Someone is preying on people's vulnerabilities and it is up to Kim and her team to solve the case before it's too late. The team are called to the scene of an apparent suicide of a young woman, Samantha Brown , but after talking to her distraught, and suspicious parents, and going over the crime scene photos, Kim has the case re-classified as a murder. When another body is discovered, found in a lake with its throat cut, the race is on to find the killer. Roads point to Unity Farm, can Kim infiltrate the place and find out what is actually going on before it's too late?

As a run along story, this book sees Bryant re-face one of the most harrowing cases from his past, and this allows us to see more of Bryant's character and how his career as an officer developed. It is a very good side story, tha itself could have been turned into a book.

Angela Marsons is a fantastic crime writer who NEVER disappoints. She has an incredible talent and I cannot wait for Book 13!. A must-read, I highly recommend.

Thank you to Angela Marsons, Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Angela Marsons does it again. Yet again another 5 star book. Another fantastic book by Angela in the Kim Stone series. This series is absolutely brilliant with each book leaving you wanting more. Totally engrossing with extremely believable characters .Love how the characters have their own sub plots. I really hope this series runs and runs and cant wait for the next installment.

Featuring Detective Kim Stone, this book was a fast-paced suspense/police procedural about dealing with a cult and its effects on its members. Stone ends up sending one of her officers into the cult undercover and puts Tiff in grave danger. The clues are there for this well-written whodunit, but you have to read carefully to follow them to their logical conclusion. At first, I was a little put off by the whole cult theme because I didn’t want to read about a cult group. But this book was so well done, with the them of mind control but also the underlying theme of the dangerous effects of this control. Kane was an interesting character, a man who is tasked with taking young adults from the cult and re-training their minds. The spooky good parts of the book are when Kane is being interviewed. I enjoyed the book although I did think that it had a slow start. The pace picked up quickly as Stone moved from one suspect to another and after the second body was found. Fans of police procedurals and suspense will enjoy this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning The Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Starting this book in the afternoon was a mistake. As it grabbed my attention from the start, there was no slow chapters, no place to pause, so I read all the way through. The action in the book was sometimes subtle but easily switched into tense, high drama quickly. Detective Kim Stone does not stop until the crime is solved. 5 stars

From page one I was glued to this book. The research done by Marsons is very clear as she really captures the psychological dependence of the cult members and the slow yet insidious programming that occurs to make them so dependent.

This was a real exploration into vulnerability and the mechanics of the human mind. The variety of characters made this compelling reading. I was so wrapped up in each storyline that I barely took a breath.

I have to say, I didn't see the ending coming ... I also didn't expect many of the twists and turns along the way either and this was because the story was so tightly plotted. It led you to one conclusion, only to whip it away from you leaving you reeling.

Marsons very subtly keeps you on edge not quite sure of which characters to trust and which not to trust.

I think the thing I love most about these novels though is Kim Stone. She is a work in progress (aren't we all) and I love the way her relationship with her team shows how she is developing as a boss and a friend. Her support of Bryant, in particular , in this one was beautiful to read and being privy to Kim's thought processes makes it all the more delicious.

Five Big Ones from me!

Angie Marsons NEVER disappoints! I genuinely have no idea how she does it – every book is different. This installment sees Kim reluctantly putting a young, overly eager and seemingly naïve Tiff (affectionately known as Tink) undercover following two suspicious deaths; both of which had links to a community known as ‘Unity Farm’.
I physically gasped in places, convinced Tiff would crack or would be found out, I couldn’t bear to think of the potential consequences for this relatively new character who has completely stolen my heart. The level of manipulation of these people is fascinating but horrifying at the same time.
I really hope we get to see more of Tiff – there is definitely more to her than meets the eye. I also really found a genuine warmth for Penn in this book, it felt like he naturally fitted into the team for the first time. No one can ever replace Dawson (oh boy I still miss him!), but I’m glad he is on the team.
Having read this series numerous times, Killing Mind is definitely my favourite to date. Clear your diary – you will not want to stop reading!
Roll on Book 13!
Thank you, as ever, to Bookouture for providing this book in exchange for a review.

I am a huge, huge fan of Angela Marsons books. I jump right on board every time she publishes a new one. The Kim Stone series is fantastic. Having read from book 1 I have adored and hated the characters in each book and Kim and her team always keep my on my reading toes! Book 12 was no different from those that came before it. Fast paced, full of twists and turns and an altogether brilliant book.
Kim and Bryant are called to an apparent suicide, the barren apartment of the victim raises some questions. Within days there is another body with the same cause of death. And once again the race is on to find the killer. The team work seamlessly together and through it all you are left standing there trying to figure out what’s going on before Angela Marsons smacks you over the head with a Ta-Dah and an ending you just didn’t expect.

I have read Angela Marsons many times and will never stop!
I love her writing, her style, the storyline development, the characters, the way the story flows... I love Kim Stone.

Amazing! This book was even better than the previous one!

You'll be on the edge of your seat!

Really well written captivating fast paced thriller!

Can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Another brilliant installment in the Kim Stone series and another excellent read that sees Kim overcome many hurdles in her quest for the truth. I really enjoyed this but cant help feeling like Angela's books are getting shorter each time a new one emerges - either that or I am getting faster at reading! Either way, still love Kim and her crew and look forward to the next one! Also secretly praying she finds a little bit of love soon but thats the romantic in me!! Many thanks to netgalley for an ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Huge fan of Angela Matson's, thoroughly enjoyed reading from start to finish. Kept me gripped and on the edge of my seat

This is the 12th novel in the fabulous D.I. Kim Stone series. If you haven’t yet started the series…. why haven’t you?

Marson’s characters are becoming more and more like family to me. The series just seems to go from strength to strength. I highly recommend though that this series be read in order to fully realize its brilliance and appreciate the evolving dynamic between the characters.

This time out, the subject matter was particularly disturbing to me as any reference to ‘cults’ and any type of mind control or manipulation makes me unsettled and distressed.
Thankfully, Angela Marsons balances her disturbing subject matter with liberal lacings of witty sarcasm which I thoroughly enjoy.

As I devoured this 12th novel in the series, I felt even more invested in the characters than I was with the previous eleven titles. I will certainly recommend the series to all lovers of gritty crime fiction. I have read all twelve novels in the series, but have not yet read the prequel. I look forward to reading the future installments in this brilliant crime series. Oh, and in case you didn’t already guess… “Killing Mind” is very highly recommended by me.

#KillingMindDetectiveKimStone #NetGalley Another brilliant installment in the DI Kim Stone series. This series just keeps getting better and better. Fast paced with plenty of action and a well researched storyline. Could not put it down. A brilliant 5 stars.

KILLING MIND is the 12th book in the D.I. Kim Stone crime-thriller series by best-selling author Angela Marsons. Angela Marsons remains one of my favorite mystery authors, and her publisher, Bookouture always publishes the very best novels. I have read all of her books…and she keeps getting better. I don’t want this series to end!

The characters are so well-developed and continue to grow with each new instalment in the series. In Killing Mind there are two plotlines. The first one is devoted to a new case that three of Kim’s four team members (Bryant, Stacey and Tiff, a new character) are assigned, while Penn, the SIO on a case is giving evidence in court, with the guys he used to work with. With DS Penn immersed in the murder case of a young man, Kim and her team are already stretched and up against one of the most ruthless killer’s they’ve ever encountered.

When Detective Kim Stone is called to the home of Samantha Brown, she finds the young woman lying in bed with her throat cut and a knife in her hand. With no sign of forced entry or struggle, or note Kim rules her death a suicide.

Kim visit’s Samantha’s parents’ house, and feels they are holding back information. She notices a clue in in photograph, and the realizes she’s made a huge mistake. Samantha didn’t take her own life, she was murdered.

Then a young man’s body, Tyler Short is recovered from the bottom of a local lake with his throat cut and Kim makes a link between the victim and Samantha. They both spent time at Unity Farm, a retreat, a cult for people seeking a new way of life.

“A cult has two objectives: recruit and make money. That’s it.”

The imperative skills of a cult leader are skills of persuasion and ability to manipulate. They don’t use treats or violence. They use seduction and promises. They prey on people’s weaknesses, their vulnerabilities.

Kim makes the high -risk decision to send in a undercover cop, a new recruit, Tiffany Moore, (Tiff-a new character) to Unity Farm to check out the place, and see what information she can uncover.
With Bryant focused on the emergence of a distressing case from the past, an undercover officer in trouble, Kim must protect her team before another life is taken.

This was an amazing read! A gripping crime thriller that is sure to please and have you hooked right until the bitter end! It was like old home week to go back and visit all my friends…and now we have a new character, with the introduction of Tiff, a nice addition to the group. It should be noted that it is quite apparent that a lot of research went into the making of this novel. In this book the author explores the ways that cults are able to remove people from their current surroundings/life and how these victims react/cope when they choose to return to their previous life.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for my digital copy.

Thanks to Angela Marsons, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the ARC of KILLING MIND.
Another great story in the Kim Stone Series. The suicide of a young girl quickly escalates into a murder enquiry when Kim links the girl with Unity Farm where eople live as though on a kibbutz. When a young guy's body turns up in the river and he is also linked to Unity Farm, Kim and her team know there's a problem. Very readable. Anther page-turner from this author.

Love these series of books
Kim stone is called to Samantha Browns flat to find a woman with a slit throat. They believe she has taken her own life. But after speaking to her parents Kim is sure they are not telling her something. And on closer inspection they find out that Samantha was murdered.
And just as they find out that another body turns up with the same M.O as Samantha.
Kim and her team discover that both the victims have been at the cult at Unity Farm.So Kim sends Tink a policewoman in undercover. Will she find anything out or will the cult draw her in.
This book will keep you gripped
Thanks NetGalley