Every time I read an Angela Marson novel, I feel like my review is an ode to her talent. A love letter from a fan to an author who just gets it. Angela writes people. Real people, real problems, real life experiences, realistic crimes and psychopaths. The best compliment I can always give Angela is I buy your books in paper format to gift to my family. I obsessively ask if they have read the next one; what title are you on in the series; why are you reading other books I gave you - you must read this series first.

Kim is back - as well as Dr Alex. And yes - you MUST read this book!
A wealthy philanthropist walks into the station, confessing to kidnapping a young girl on the 25th anniversary. But he will only talk to Kim. On his terms. Oh and yeah she's about to become busy - another girl has disappeared.
Alex is up for possible early release. And she is not pausing her devious plan to get out. No need to fret - her obsession with Kim hasn't eased. At all.
I just love these characters - they are absolutely part of my family. I can't wait to hear how they are doing, how their lives have moved on, and of course the deviant Angela has created for Kim to take down.

Another corker that doesn’t disappoint. I’ve been reading Angela’s books from the start. She is one of my favourite authors. If you like crime thrillers, then these are for you. Her characters come to life and jump out of the pages at you. Highly recommend.

Another fantastic instalment to the Kim Stone series. This time Kim and her team are racing around the clock to crack the case to save a young girl and every page is a real page turner. For once I didn’t get the plot until it unfolded. An excellent read for new to the series or regulars in the world and life of Kim. Thank you for my advanced copy.

I have read all the books in this series and I have loved them all. This was an exciting thriller that I could not put down. I can’t wait for the next instalment. Highly recommended. Five stars.

Many thanks to netgalley and Angela Marsons for the advanced copy of this book. I was asked to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Twenty five years ago Melody Jones was abducted - she’s never been seen again. Now a young girl has been taken from the grounds of a nursery. Shortly after the abduction a man walks into the police station and asks to speak to DI Kim Stone. Steven Harte claims that he has information about Melody Jones’ abduction but is very cagey in interviews. When a skeleton is found by builders working in a local park a connection to Harte is found but he continues to play games with the police. Kim’s nemesis Alex Thorne is playing games with her too - willing to share information about Kim’s family in return for her recommendation for parole.

I’ve read all of the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and I’m never disappointed - another great read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Angela Marsons for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Angela Marson has a knack for writing complex, gripping and entertaining thriller that keep you on the edge. I still have to read one of her story that failed to keep my attention.
This is the last one and one of the more complex and adrenaline fuelled.
There's suspence, there're some heartbreaking moments, and there's a lot of emotions.
Kim Stone is at her grumpy best and we read about her weaker side as she risks of being hurt in a terrible way.
The plot flows, fast paced and full of twists. I wasn't able to guess any twists or the solution.
An excellent story that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

How does author Angela Marsons manage to come up with something totally novel each time? Books in a series often start sounding formulaic. Not the Kim Stone novels. In Stolen Ones, we get to know who is implicated in the crimes of child abduction right near the start. It’s then Kim’s job to prove that he is guilty, not only of abducting a seven-year-old twenty-five years ago, but also of this latest abduction. In parallel, Kim faces another challenge, and this one she’s keeping from everyone. Her old nemesis, the psychopathic, smart and totally evil Alexandra Thorne, is trying to contact her from prison.
Marsons cleverly pits Kim against two cunning, intelligent people, both of whom try to manipulate her. I loved the thrust and parry between both Kim and Alex as well as between her and her suspect.
As usual there are many red herrings, crimes with a difference, lots of fascinating titbits of information, short chapters with endings that simply compel you to keep on reading, fabulous understated humour and an ending you won’t see coming.
Revisiting Kim’s team was like meeting up again with old friends. Bryant continues to be the perfect foil for Kim, with his good interpersonal skills and natural caution. No wonder she doesn’t tell him about Alex’s attempts to contact her.
We learn even more about Kim’s dysfunctional childhood, and meet behaviourist Alison Lowe again. She helps Kim to understand and interpret Steven’s careful performances in the interview room, giving the reader fascinating insights into body language and interviewing techniques.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Angela Marsons for my ARC of Stolen Ones in exchange for my honest review.

This is Book 15 in the DI Kim Stone series and I have read all of them. The series keeps getting better and once again, Angela Marsons has blown me out of the water with this. What a read!

On the 25th anniversary of the disappearance of Melody Jones, who was taken from a local playground, a man walks into Halesowen police station claiming to having information about the whereabouts of Melody Jones.

An 8-year-old, Grace Lennard, has vanished from a childcare centre. At the scene a disturbing piece of evidence is found that links to the Melody Jones case. Everything seems to be linking up.

The twists and turns mount as Kim fights against time and a previous adversary to convict a killer.

For anyone who hasn’t read the series, this can be read as a standalone. However, I would advise reading the lot. You will not be disappointed.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Stolen Ones’ by Angela Marsons in exchange for an honest review.

This is Book 15 in Marsons’ DI Kim Stone series of police procedurals set in the West Midlands. With this kind of novel I always try to be cautious about plot details in order to avoid spoilers.

On the 25th anniversary of the disappearance of Melody Jones, who was taken from a local playground, a man walks into Halesowen police station claiming to having information that will lead Detective Kim Stone to Melody Jones. She is naturally suspicious of Steven Harte as anniversaries tend to bring out people seeking attention by falsely confessing to crimes.

However, then 8-year old Grace Lennard is reported missing from a childcare centre. At the scene a disturbing piece of evidence is found that links to the Melody Jones case. The clock is ticking for the length of time that they can hold Harte for questioning as well as for Grace.

This was a superb police procedural that built and built on the tension and completely delivered with some fantastic twists. Once started I couldn’t put it down and ended up finishing in a single day.

I have great confidence in Angela Marson’s ability to deliver a fast paced compelling crime thriller and will be patiently awaiting the next in the series.

Stolen Ones is the fifteenth instalment in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and once again it was amazing in its brilliance. I adore reading about Kim and her beloved dog Barney, who we see snippets of, her acerbity and her passion and relentless drive for always getting the baddie. The chilling twists and intense chapters kept me enthralled and entertained until the very last page. An exceptionally good tale and very highly recommended. I hope this fabulous West Midlands based series just keeps on running.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

How are we already at book number 15?? When a Kim Stone story comes up to be read, I never hesitate to get it as I know that I am going to get a quality read. So it was with this one as well. This book can easily be read as a standalone but I strongly suggest starting from the beginning because all the books are terrific and you can get a much better idea of why Kim is the way she is and it is also nice to have some background on her team as well.

Steven Harte is a bit of an interesting character. He is smug, rich, connected and for some strange reason wants to play mind games with Kim. She is more than a match for him, and with her terrific team around her, she uses all the tools at her disposal to figure out what happened to Melody some 25 years ago, and also little Grace who has very recently disappeared.

Great tension, some twists that I didn't see coming and just a superbly crafted novel.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Ahh it feels SO good to be back with Kim and the team again but there is a downside to being reunited with the gang. Now it’ll be months before a new book is released so I’ll have to wait!! At book fifteen though maybe it’s time for a series reread while I’m impatiently waiting. 🤔 The whole series is so strong and each book separately is a powerful read so maybe I’m onto something…Anyhow, enough of my tangent but maybe my rambling has you intrigued about this series (hopefully!) and although I’ve said it fourteen times let’s make it fifteen, this is my new favorite Kim Stone book!

Have you ever read a crime novel where someone willingly drops into a police station to offer help as to information on a crime? I sure hadn’t and that wasn’t even the most original part of the plot here. So needless to say I was intrigued immediately and if you know an Angela Marsons book you know that the intrigue just keeps on building as you read, along with the tension too. Maybe you’re thinking that revealing the who in a thriller would be a bad move but you would be wrong because when you’re in the hands of an incredibly talented author like AM you know she will have not only a solid reason for letting a story unfold in a certain manner, but she’ll also have several tricks up her sleeve. Besides the unusual start you also have a deep look into interrogation techniques which was a facet of police work that I hadn’t given much thought before maybe besides the standard good cop/bad cop routine. Little did I know until reading this but there are so many things a suspect can reveal about themselves during an interview and things I never would’ve guessed. I don’t want to ramble on too much about that aspect but it was fascinating and per usual I learned something new due to the authors impeccable research. Before I wrap this up I always have to talk about the characters because while I loved everything about this book I adore the characters the most. While the Kim and Co. are incredible the subplot with Alex Thorne laid some seriously interesting groundwork for subsequent books and she’s the ultimate love to hate character for me. Overall another flawless read from one of the best, highly recommended!

3.5 stars. I'm still very on board the Kim Stone train but can't say this one was quite as strong for me as the others. The twist was really strong and I did not see it coming but the lead up was slower for me than Marson's other Kim Stone books. The Alex situation seemed a little stale/repetitive to me, esp with a cliffhanger, although I did feel the reappearance of Alice added to the story. The barely dipping in the main characters personal lives felt unsatisfying - it really only helped to remind me on their stories vs give me more which I would have liked. However, I can alway jump into a Kim Stone book and know it'll be a solid read. I mean I've never read this many books in a series before and I would definitely read the next!

OMG ….. what can I say these books just keep getting better and better all the characters are written very well …… we are on book 15 and I don’t think we are anywhere done with Kim Stone ……. I could not put this book down I just needed to see where this story took us and what a ride we had ……. FANTASTIC I would give it 100 stars if I could

Detective Kim Stone and her partner, Bryant were called to a nearby childcare centre where eight-year-old Grace Lennard had seemingly vanished. They knew they were in a race against the clock if Grace was to be found alive. When Steven Harte walked into Halesowen police station and demanded to speak to Kim, she wasn’t at all prepared for what he had to say. Immediately Kim’s team of Stacey and Penn, plus psychologist Alison, were working behind the scenes while Kim battled with Harte and the game he wanted to play. Melody Jones went missing twenty-five years prior – what did Harte know about her abduction?

Then bones were found at a construction site – small, childlike bones. Was it Melody? Or another child who’d been missing for a long time? Arresting Harte was all well and good, but they needed the evidence within 24 hours for it to stick. Could they do it? And what was the evil Dr Alex Thorne doing? Why did she need to speak to Kim? Alex Thorne was a person Kim had locked up, and she needed her to stay that way. Kim didn’t have time to have Alex Thorne messing with her mind – and it was something she did well…

Stolen Ones is the 15th in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and once again it was breathtaking in its brilliance! I can’t get enough of Kim Stone and her beloved dog Barney; her snarky ways which her team embraced (that was just Kim) and her passion for always getting the bad guy. The chilling twists and intense chapters keep right on going until the last page! Highly recommended.

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

Oh wow ! It’s been 15 books.This series never gets old. This one has a complicated plot so I’m skipping the blurb here.

Stolen ones is yet another great addition to the series. As usual Kim stone is amazing. However due to the complexity of the plot , we don’t see much of a character development on this one. Bryant appears very less as well . As the series progresses, Bryant has basically become the one who drives Kim. If Angela reads this , it’ll be great if she could make Bryant a better character. As a police officer of experience, Bryant should be talk/investigate a little more ? It feels he is totally overshadowed by Kim.
Stacey and Penn Shine in this book and Alison plays her part as well .
And we get to see Alex.oh, the cliffhanger with Alex .. I’m looking forward for the next one.

Now to the story part . The plot has lot going on and it keeps us guessing throughout. As with every Kim stone book, It was unputdownable.The twist at the end was good and I never saw it coming .

Kim stone never disappoints!

EXCERPT: 'Hope your lunch was okay,' Kim said stepping back into the interview room with Bryant right behind her.

Alison had instructed her not to bait him, and her boss had warned her to go gently. Do whatever it takes to find Grace Lennard had been his instruction.

It was clear that she was expected to play nicely with a man who, in her mind, had kidnapped two girls, killed Melody Jones, and knew the whereabouts of Grace Lennard. She'd certainly give it her best.

ABOUT 'STOLEN ONES': 25 years ago he took a girl. Today he takes another.

One August afternoon, eight-year-old Grace Lennard skips into the garden of the childcare centre she attends and vanishes into thin air.

Hours before, Steven Harte walks into Halesowen police station and confesses to having information that will lead Detective Kim Stone to Melody Jones – the little girl who was taken from a playground exactly twenty-five years ago. But something about his confession is off and Kim dismisses his claims.

Arriving at the scene of Grace’s disappearance, Kim finds a chilling piece of evidence: the heart bracelet belonging to Melody. Now Kim must play Steven’s twisted game if she is to find Grace alive. But they’re going to play by Kim’s rules.

With only twenty-four hours to make every second of Steven’s interrogation count, and scan his behaviour for hidden clues, Kim and her team soon link Steven to the abduction of several vulnerable girls – two were kept for a year and then released, unharmed – but where are Melody and the others?

Then small bones are discovered in the grounds of a local park, and Kim fears the worst.

Kim may be close to convicting a killer, but there’s another who wants revenge against her – Dr Alex Thorne – the evil woman Kim did her best to keep behind bars. Alex is about to reveal a shocking secret to Kim that will hit her where it hurts the most. And if Kim lets Alex mess with her head, she might not be able to save Grace and find the other missing girls in time.

MY THOUGHTS: #15. That means only one book to go in this series.... 😬

Stolen Ones completely different to any other book in the Detective Kim Stone series, but every bit as good. It's psychologically more subtle, more cat and mouse, but no less thrilling. It is deliciously challenging and puzzling. I stayed up a good part of the night to finish it.

Why would a man walk into a police station and confess to having information that will lead Detective Kim Stone to Melody Jones and then not provide it? Is he telling the truth? Or is he lying?

Alison Lowe, Consultant Behaviourist, is called in to study the man's body language, those little 'tells' that give away more than the words that are said. I always enjoy Alison's involvement in the series and she really proves her worth here.

Stacey acts a part brilliantly in an effort to get Harte to open up and, sorry Penn, but I figured out the password for his phone well before you.

Psychopathic psychiatrist Dr Alexandra Thorne is once again needling Kim, trying to gain advantage. She's a dangerous and devious woman who, I believe, has a major role to play in the next book. Her machinations here will be nothing compared to what she has planned for Kim, and while her inclusion in Stolen Ones seems extraneous, I believe Marsons is setting the stage for the final denouement.

I wish Kim could just ignore Alex, but it seems that she has a way of getting under her skin and manipulating her. But then, that is Alex's talent. They are very well matched as opponents and when it comes to the final showdown, although I know who I want to win, I would not be confident in picking the winner.

Stolen Ones has left me both longing for and dreading #16. While I want to know how it all ends, I don't want this brilliant series to end at all.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#StolenOnes #NetGalley

I: @angelamarsonsauthor @bookouture

T: @WriteAngie @Bookouture

#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #mystery #policeprocedural #psychologicalthriller

THE AUTHOR: Angela is the author of the Kim Stone Crime series. She discovered a love of writing at Primary School when a short piece on the rocks and the sea gained her the only merit point she ever got.
Angela wrote the stories that burned inside and then stored them safely in a desk drawer.
After much urging from her partner she began to enter short story competitions in Writer's News resulting in a win and three short listed entries.
She used the Amazon KDP program to publish two of her earlier works before concentrating on her true passion - Crime.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Stolen Ones by Angela Marsons for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Been feeling in a bit of a reading slump however nothing better than a new Angela Marson book to help shift that. This is the next book in the Kim Stone series and just wow.

It did not disappoint, I always think the next book can’t be better than the last and I’m happily proved wrong. I had developed some theories as I read however I was totally shocked with the twist. Even better was the return of Dr Thorne and her relationship with Stone! Would highly recommend this series.

Thank you to Bookouture & NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

When I finished the last book in the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, I knew what was coming for Kim next. I practically dropped my Kindle in excitement when I read those last few lines. Hence to say I was very excited to read this book, and when Stolen Ones landed on my Kindle, I wasted no time in picking it up. It’s always great to catch up with Kim Stone and the team, and Angela Marsons always leaves me hungry for more with each book.

This time, Kim Stone’s arch nemesis, Dr Alexandra Thorne is back. I was so pleased to see that she would be making an appearance again after finishing the last book. I have never been able to forget her, and she is always on my mind whenever I read a book from this series.

Kim faces another complex investigation in this book. What makes it even more intriguing, is that the man who might be responsible for the crime that has taken place, Stephen Harte, hands himself into the police very early on. He claims to have information on a missing child case which is decades old. A young girl, Melody Jones, disappeared twenty five years ago without trace. Kim has no idea how to approach this. Is this man the person who they’re looking for, or is he simply a time waster? What is really going on here? What heightens the tension even more is that another child, Grace Lennard, has gone missing. Kim knows they have a very limited time frame to find her alive.

Once again Angela Marsons delivers on tension in this book. I wanted to know why Stephen had handed himself into the police. It appears quite early on that he is playing a very twisted game, and I wanted to find out more about who he was.

And of course, Dr Alexander Thorne is once again a thorn in Kim Stone’s side. I wanted to know what was going on here with Alex, as she is desperately trying to get hold of Kim. Although this isn’t easy for Alex as she is still in prison. It appears that she is willing to do anything to achieve that, but what was her real goal here? I was so desperate to find out what it was, that Alex was so keen to talk to Kim about; it makes this book really tense. You can see clearly the affect this has on Kim. She is already working hard to find Grace and she doesn’t want anything else to distract her from that.

Stolen Ones is a real treat for long-time fans of this series. Angela Marsons does a fantastic job of keeping the suspense ticking up a notch. I always love the race against time element in her books, which is what makes them so entertaining. Another brilliant book in this series. I can’t wait to see where Angela Marsons takes her characters next.

Book fifteen guys! If you haven't read the others you should because 1. They are fab and 2. There is a huge backstory, the team have been through a ton. However you could read this as a standalone but as we see characters from previous stories and they are epic anyway, go read them.

Stone is on the case, a child goes missing from a public place and it looks like she hasn't been the only one, this has happened before. When Steve Harte, millionaire, walks into the police station voluntarily, hinting at knowing about child disappearances, teasing clues/information about an old missing child case. Stone has no time for his crap, she has a kid missing and an old case has no bearing on this or does it? When kids disappear, when crimes happen folk often say they have information, the admit to know, they know stuff so Stone has no time for Harte's nonsense and all Harte wants is to talk to Stone, tell what he knows, under his conditions.....

So this is different, we know a kid is missing, taken and someone rocks up to the police, wanting Stone and hinting at knowing stuff. It isn't often we have a potential bad guy coming into the cops espesh at the beginning so you immediately distrust what he is projecting and we, along with Stone have to go at his pace to see if he knows anything. Plus we have the investigation into the kid and if that isn't enough the B*TCH is back. Crack pot Alex since her arrest has never been able to quite let go of Stone and now she is reaching out, why now?

I love that we have two parts if you like, the investigation/Harte and Alex. Alex is the kind of character you love to hate, I mean she is a sicko who will use any and all people and means to get what she needs and just to entertain herself.

This book takes us in new directions, cat and mouse and you don't really know what is the end game, sometimes you can work out where the book is going. From the kidnap side I had no idea and Alex always keeps you on your toes. Page turner as always - suspense, shocking behaviors from some of the characters, twists, turns - you name it - you will be entertained as always and kept going from the start. Marsons always delivers that, when we were on the investigation I wanted more Alex, when on Alex I wanted to know what was happening with Stone and the team. 4.5/5 for me this time, I cannot wait for the next installment.