Great read. I fished in three sittings. The plot just sped along, the characters were rich, and I loved the changes in points of view.

It's always a joy to see a new addition to Angela Marsons brilliant crime series featuring DI Kim Stone of Halesowen CID, and this a particularly harrowing one. Kim is back, welcomed back by DCI 'Woody' Woodward, albeit on light duties after the horror of nearly dying in the last book. She has played the therapist, giving textbook responses that gets her cleared to go back to work, although we see that in reality she is far from recovered, being plagued by nightmare terrors. In her absence, DI Ian Burns has been drafted in to lead her precious team of Bryant, Penn and DC Stacey Wood, and incompetent that he is professionally, he is failing to follow up and investigate cases, in his hunt for the 'big case' that will rescue his career. When it becomes clear that he is on the verge of destroying her team, Kim steps in, taking charge again to her long suffering team's delight. It is going to need Bryant, Ted, and, particularly journalist Frost, to help Kim cope personally in what turns out to be a dangerous, demanding and complex case.

19 year old Jamie Mills is found hanging from a tree, in what initially appears to be a suicide, but something does not sit right with Kim and it soon becomes apparent it is a case of murder. This is followed by the discovery of a dead young woman, 22 year old Sarah Laing. Kim and her team pull out all the stops to find their killer as they dig deep into the lives of the victims, shocked by the response of Jamie's parents to his murder and the startlingly different description of their son compared to Jamie's friend, the exuberant and outgoing River. Their inquiries point them in the direction of conversion therapies, with young people voluntarily undergoing traumatic 'treatments' for being gay, in their inability to accept their sexuality. Additionally, Stacey follows up on a missing person case, Beth Denton's husband, Gabriel, an accountant, it just seems so out of character for him to have walked out on his job and marriage.

Marsons focuses on a distressing and disturbing central theme here of conversion therapies, unfortunately an all too real feature of our contemporary world, here Kim is dumbfounded by what she sees and hears about the so called clinic run by Celia and Victor Gardner, the NDA's that staff and their young, vulnerable clients have to sign have alarm bells ringing. This is a wonderful addition to this stellar series, dark, intense, unsettling, and it's always great to be reacquainted with the courageous Kim and her terrific team, and after so long, we finally learn what Bryant's first name is. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I love it when I see a new Kim Stone novel because I know I will get pulled in from the first few pages and have it read in no time.

Hidden Scars was no different - DI Kim Stone often finds herself solving crimes of quite a heinous nature and this one is no different, murders staged to look like suicides.

Kim is only just back at work after recovering from a vicious attack and her team have suffered in her absence under their interim boss, so everyone i happy to have Stone back - even pathologist, Keats.

This book had me all over the place, pulled me in lots of different directions, had me suspecting a whole host of characters who were displaying bigoted behaviour..

Loved seeing Kim's softer side in this book, especially when she was interacting with the character, River.

Glad things are looking up for Penn in his personal life and that once Kim was back, Stacey was getting the recognition she deserved.

Biggest surprise was discovering what Bryant's first name was - total shocker, not sure that was what I was expecting him to be called, not sure if he even looks like his name!

Bring on Kim Stone 18!

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

It was a good day when I found Angela Marson’s Kim Stone series and every book from the start has been addictive and impossible to leave aside, I’m normally a quick reader but with these I like to take my time and savour every page. Thus one starts off two months after the last one and Kim arrives back to a disillusioned team and soon has their morale lifted, this one focuses on different relationships and the fallout. I just wish there was more than a five star rating as this book delivered deserves more than five.

Absolutely fantastic and great to be back. I just love this mystery series and this was no exception. Highly recommended

I’m a big fan of Angela Marson’s Kim Stone series and Hidden Scars is no exception. Despite being the 17th outing, the series continues to be strong. We know all the main characters now and enjoy their strengths and weaknesses.

We enter with Kim returning from extended sick leave having almost lost her life in a brutal attack documented in the last book. Her team have been placed with the over ambitious corner cutting copper who failed to take the threat against Kim seriously in the last book. She returns to find her team being badly managed and demoralised. Stacey in particular isn’t being given the chance to follow up leads and as always her instincts are on the money.

An initial look at a suicide that has already been brushed aside has Kim certain the boy was murdered and from there, more bodies appear and a link is established both with a gay aversion therapy clinic and a local relationship counsellor.

Kim however is back in the thick of it too quickly and it is taking its toll….

This is an interesting plot dealing with a subject we all assume has been dealt with, the homophobia in society and the lengths people will go to deny their own sexuality or that of their children. There’s a nice little sub plot runs too with the disappearance of a husband from a seemingly happy and secure marriage.

If you’ve not read this series, it’s not too late! Set in the Black Country Midlands, it’s a satisfying read.

I didn't think Angela Marsons would be able to top Book 16 but WOW! She hit this one out of the ballpark. What a fantastic addition to the Kim Stone series. What an amazing group of characters and stories that just keep getting better and better. I read this one way too quickly. Now I'm sad I'll have to wait awhile for the next one.

Keep them coming!!! This is one of my all time favorite series.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

This series is the sort where the characters are so real you miss them when you don't hear about them, it takes literally a few pages and you're right back in the middle of them seeing them all, praying Kim's character has not been too damaged after last time, knowing Bryant will have her back and help her though, a great team with Stacey and Pen trying to figure out why apparent suicides are not what they seem and the reason behind them leave even Kim shocked by human behaviour at times.
By the end of the book it's fair to say Kim is definitely back

A new Angela Marsons book is like opening a Christmas present in June. Unexpected, brilliantly packaged and full of things you are used to and love with some new things sprinkled throughout.

At the end of book sixteen, Kim was alive but badly hurt. We knew that this time it would take some care to piece her back together. When she does return, she’s not really ready. She looks fine, from the outside, but just a few minutes in her company and anyone who knows her understands that she is not doing well mentally. Kim spends some time watching the man who has taken over management of her team abuse each of them. He’s not using them to their full potential, as she does, and he is treating Stacey like the team admin.

Despair at her team’s treatment, together with him ignoring a possible murder case makes Kim return to full time work and full time team management immediately. She verbally attacks the man who nearly caused her team to split up and go their separate ways. She hasn’t come back a moment too soon.

There is a spate of apparent suicides which all need closer investigating. It’s not long before Kim finds signs of foul play and she ensures her team are on the case. Kim realises that there is something wrong with nineteen year old Jamie Mills’s life that doesn’t make sense. He is supposed to have hung himself but with his one straight leg, there is no way he could have got up into the tree. Therefore his death is suspicious. On visiting his parents, Kim feels incredibly unhappy with their views that their son required therapy to ensure his sexuality was “normal”. They had sent him to a clinic to change his sexuality back to “normal” as he was clearly confused and required help.

Kim is shocked that clinics like that existed. The clinic boasts long-term success with changing the individual’s sexuality. Jamie had been a patient at that clinic shortly before his death. Kim is determined to find out whether his attendance at this clinic has anything to do with his death. Another apparent suicide with a link to this clinic ensures that Kim realises she is on the right track.

The staff at the clinic seem to be upstanding and welcoming to Kim and her investigation. However, Kim is not fooled and her team continues to dig deeply into the clinic and their staff.

This was a difficult read at times. Once the team find out what actually happens during their clients’ treatment it makes for uncomfortable reading. Kim becomes increasingly determined to get the clinic closed down as she uncovers more and more abuses linked to their client base.

It was lovely catching up with Kim and her team. It’s like meeting up with old friends. Despite this being the seventeenth book in the series, there is no repetition. Each book confronts Kim and her team with new cases, new depravity and new despicable characters. It is a fantastic series and I am already excited for book eighteen.

I was so excited to see recently that Hidden Scars was finally available to read as as it’s just like switching on your favourite tv drama. That excitement that you have another episode to watch and emerge yourself in.

It starts with an explosive Prologue which was just so good and following chapters draw you instantly in to the familiar setting of Kim and her team. It’s like going home for Christmas.

The aftermath of the previous book has created changes which felt uneasy as that familiarity of the team feel disturbed however it’s not long before Kim is back on top form kicking arses.

The compassion surrounding the main theme is in bucket loads and I really felt the contrast between support and hate. It was so well written that I felt quite emotional and my empathy was peaked from some scenes.

A successful crime series has repeatedly strong storylines which get stronger, better and always succeed the previous. What Angela Marsons has created is the kind of police procedural series if was real, you’d want in your own local constabulary. It’s epic! It’s tight! And it’s the best out there! After seventeen books you’d think you’d get bored but every book brings it something new and you know you’re in for the long haul.

A sensational series which has everything I’d hoped and more! It certainly satisfies that itch since the last one I read!

Fantastic to be back. Kim and the team are like my best friends. As usual, the mystery was top notch. I would highly reccomend the whole series if you are a fan. Now I highly anticipate the next one as this was superb.

WHY DO I DO IT TO MYSELF EVERYTIME????? Why can't I just be a sensible reader and savour every sentence, why do I have to halt the universe, sit in a quiet room, mute the kids and hubby and devour it in one sitting???

As such a massive fan of this series, the minute the 17th installment of the Detective Kim Stone series fell into my inbox I had a little jig, punched the air and then pressed the big red stop button on the world.

For anyone who has read my previous reviews on the other 16 books in this series you'll know just what a huge fan I am, I literally fan girl over Kim stone to anyone who will listen and once again those around me won't hear the end of this new instalment.

I absolutely LOVED the originality of this plot, something that even though I've only read in passing has always held and intrigue to me. Conversion Therapy, what a sad and strange world we live in to know that some people actually believe that you can, as Kim said, 'un gay' someone.

In Hidden Scars Kim returns to her team after her near death encounter with Symes in book #15, still battling physically and emotionally, will she be able to keep her team together, face her demons and get back to being the Guv they all know and love?

A spate of supposed 'suicides' all connect with The Change, a conversion centre for those wishing to change who they are and 'cure' their homosexuality.
I honestly think that this is one of the heaviest subjects that Angela Marsons has tackled across this magnificent series and I personally felt that it was tackled with so much understanding and empathy she needs a round of applause 🙌

I fell even more in love with Stacey in this book, she was definitely the shining light in this story and really stood out. Her tenacity and skills are second to none and after being constantly being belittled and made Tea Girl by. DI Burns whilst Kim was recuperating it was the case she needed to make her shine again.

I adore the relationship between Kim and Bryant and more so in this story as for once there was real vulnerability shown between them, their own guilt and hurt over the past case really affected them both so it needed to be dealt with, in the way those two deal with things anyway!
Teaser alert.... we find out Bryant's real name.. *no spoilers*... how come it had never crossed my mind that in the 16 previous books I never knew his first name?

I could go on and on about this book and every other one that sits before it but I wont. If you haven't read this series than just PICK UP THE FIRST DAMN BOOK, you will not regret it!

The BIGGEST thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC and of course to the fantastic Angela Marsons for once again letting me sit with Kim Stone for a couple of hours in peace and solitude!

When a teenager is found hanging from a tree in a nearby park, the investigation initially concludes that it was a suicide. However Detective Kim Stone soon realises that there is more than meets the eye with this case. Despite still recovering from a near death experience during her last case, Kim resolves to uncover the truth about what really happened. She soon finds out that their victim had been sent to a clinic to "cure" him of his sexuality. As Kim and her team try to get closer to the clinic and the people involved in it they find themselves blocked at every turn. When another victim turns up the team realise just how quickly they need to act to prevent any more deaths.


Having read every single book in the series, it is safe to say I am a huge fan of the Kim Stones books. The seventeenth instalment is no exception - such a fantastic read.

What brings me back to the Kim Stones books is the characters. To me they are the foundation of every single story. In Hidden Scars you spend some quality time getting to know what is going on with each team member's personal life while they handle their work. The real highlight in this story was getting a glimpse into Stacey's opinions and how she reflected on the current case. Angela Marsons often tackles serious topics in her books and this is another perfect example of how tactfully handled and well-researched the writing is.

The plot was brilliantly clever and so absorbing that I couldn't put it down. I absolutely raced through this book to find out how the team solved the case, I have no doubt you will do the same! Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Oh my gosh every time Marsons puts out a new Kim Stone book, I think there’s no way it can be as good as her last and every time it’s BETTER! I’m freaking obsessed with the characters and the backstories and the cases are so dark and twisted! I’m so invested in these people! I had all kinds of emotions ranging from tears by 5% in to outrage to horror to anguish and lots of giggles in between!
I’m dancing in my seat waiting for the next installment!

It’s DI Kim Stone’s first day back at the office, spending 8 weeks healing after getting severely injured during her last case. Her boss DCI Woody has instructed her to take it easy, but seeing DI Burns covering for her and messing up spectacularly by dismissing suggestions that a recent young teenager Jamie’s death as suicide have left her pent up with anger. She quickly dismisses DI Burns, and to their great relief reclaims her team once again. She had discovered that there’s no possibility that Jamie’s death had been suicide which throws open a whole new investigation. After visiting Jamie’s parents, she discoverers that they had sent their son to a special clinic, one which specialises in the treatment of homosexuality, believing he could have been ‘cured’. Upon further questioning of others, this clinic is the centre peace of the story, according to the owners of the clinic, people check in of their own free will, but this isn’t the story that Kim and the team are hearing. When more bodies turn up as ‘suicides’ all fingers point back to this clinic as the other victims have also spent time there. With a no disclosure agreement signed by every patient, can Kim get someone to talk to them and turn everything on its head? What was going on there, and why are people turning up dead?

Absolutely fantastic book, loved catching up with Kim, Bryant, Stacey and Penn again! A great instalment to the DI Kim Stone series, these books are always a must read for me! Wonderful characters, and it’s lovely seeing them come in to their own with each passing book. I really liked that Stacey got an investigation of her own to solve too! It’s also really nice to see Kim finally starting to open up a bit more as she is such a deep character, with time she is starting to show more vulnerability and feeling which just adds nicely to her character.

Thank you so much Angela for letting me pre read this book, I absolutely loved it!

Kim Stone is just returning to work after recovering from a horrific assault by an evil criminal and has been advised to ease back in gently. Her team are being temporarily governed by DI Burns, and it's not going very well. Nineteen year old Jamie Mills has been found hanging from a tree and Burns has accepted the ruling that it was suicide and is expecting the team to move on and forget about it, without asking any questions. Kim's instincts say otherwise and, when she discovers a crucial detail that points to the death being murder, she knows she needs to take back control of her team and lead the investigation herself. When another body is discovered, also looking like suicide, the trail leads them to a clinic which 'cures' people of their sexuality, on the face of it everything seems to be above board, until Kim's team dig a little deeper and discover it's not all as it first appeared, they then realise they will have to act fast before any more former patients are silenced for good.

Hidden Scars is book 17 in the Kim Stone series and, as with all previous books, this one hits the ground running. Right from the prologue Marsons treats us to some criminal activity and it just continues to step up throughout the rest of the book. Once again, the concept is fresh and exciting, there are some very sensitive topics covered and, as always, she is empathetic and compassionate in her storytelling. It was great to see a softer side to Kim in this latest book, clearly the near death experience has had a lasting effect, although I'm sure we will see more of the old Kim resurface as her recovery continues. I love the whole camaraderie of the team, they've always got each others backs, whatever the situation and great to see the return of Ted too. In short, this is a series that I will never stop recommending to anyone that will listen. So Ms. Marsons, is book 18 ready yet?

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

Yet again, another brilliantly written book from this talented author. Angela Marsons still keeps her Kim Stone series fresh and very current with the issues she writes about in her books. This book is set two months after the previous one and Stone is back at work. She and her team investigate a murder that was originally thought a suicide and a missing person case. Could these cases be linked though? This book was a fab read. The author never disappoints and I absolutely devoured this book in less than two days. It had a very believable and well thought out plot line, and I loved being back with Kim and her team and following their investigations and leads. There are some great twists which you always expect from this author, and god does she deliver 😀 and I didn’t want the book to end. I really liked some of the parts between Kim and Bryant which were beautifully written and I thought quite touching, showing how deep and strong their friendship is. Another great addition to the series, if you’ve never read any of Angela Marsons Kim Stone books I’d highly recommend them and say you’re in for a real treat.

5 stars

Book 17 in the outstanding Kim Stone series.

Coming back to work after her harrowing ordeal in book 16, Kim is trying to convince herself as well as her boss that she's ready.

When a young man is found dead and it's ruled as suicide Kim knows something isn't right. With her team under strain after working for a new DI (I wanted to punch him so hard!) she begins to investigate what is a horrific and brutal reality.

This plot was quite dark and at times was totally sickening. But with Angela Marsons trademark touch I was soon laughing at Penn and Stacy as well as Bryant's quips.

I absolutely love this series and no matter what I'm reading when a new book in this series comes out it's devoured right away.

Thanks to Angela and NetGalley for allowing me to read Hidden Scars prior to the publication date.
I confess to reprioritising my reading list to start this page turner of a book and finished it in 24 hours.
Who would have thought that the 17th book in a series could raise the bar even higher.
Angela has taken DI Stone into a new and very alien world of people who claim to be able to cure sexual orientation and it is shocking on every level.

DI Kim Stone has been allowed to return to desk duties to ease herself back into the workplace following her near death experience at the hands of Symes, a psychopathic killer.
DI Burns has temporarily taken over her team. His sole objective is to improve his own image as he aims to climb the career ladder, regardless of the consequences for the team.
Despite her ongoing physical and mental health issues, Stone sees Burns off in no uncertain terms, making an enemy of the man.

There are several storylines in this book with lots of red herrings and an abundance of surprises.

Firstly I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. This is book 17 in the Kim Stone series and once again Angela Marsons has written a brilliant book. It drew me in from the first page and there were plenty of twists in this one, it made me gasp out loud a couple of times and I can't wait for the next one.