Oh wow! The 17th book in the series and it was fabulous..really on the edge of your seat reading, lots of twists and turns, the subject matter made me sad to think that there are people in this world who think like this regarding the gay population.

Another hugely successful story and I really cannot wait for book 18!!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

A new Kim Stone book from Angela Marsons is always a reason to drop everything and read. And that is exactly what I did with Hidden Scars. Saturday night at home, glass of wine and Kim and the team - what could be better. Another fabulous read, book 17 and absolutely one of my favourite series. I have been reading these books since the first book came out and the excitement never fades. If you haven't met Kim yet - what are you waiting for? You will not be sorry.

Kim is finally returning to work after the events at the end of book 16. Her team is missing her desperately, her replacement has taken all the spark out of them all. She is told to take it easy, take her time. But if you have met Kim then you will know that is not going to happen. Looking into apparent suicides, Kim immediately finds signs of foul play and get her team on the case. This book deals with some really tough themes, that at times made me so angry at these characters.

I always feel at home with Kim, Stacey and Bryant. Such wonderful characters that I could read about forever, so please Angela, keep writing about them forever,

Big thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book. I couldn't hit send to kindle fast enough. Another brilliant, 5 star read. Published November 11th.

The author just keeps getting better and better. This was another hit. She does a great job of smoothly integrating a number of storylines and weaving them together. Full of fun mystery and suspense with an occasional twist thrown in. This is a book which I would recommend to all.

Firstly, before anything else, I’d like to dedicate this blog post to my friend, Emily. I introduced Emily to the Kim Stone books last year while she was going through chemotherapy. She absolutely loved them and tore through the whole series, right up to the last book released. Sadly, Emily succumbed to her cancer and died in August, aged just 38. There were lots of books I introduced her to, but being a Black Country girl, these were her favourites. This review’s for you Em!

This is book #17 in the Kim Stone series. I would recommend reading the books in series order for better understanding of the storyline! If you’ve not read any books from this series yet…,where have you been??!! Every time I say this was the best book so far, and yes, I’m going to say it again! We meet back with Stone who, following what happened in the previous book, is reunited back with her team. I started the book a tad worried that we’d lost the Kim Stone that we all know and love, and, as I’ve come to see her as part of my fictional family, it was quite sad to find her spark hadn’t yet returned. The team are looking into an apparent suicide, but there are some things which don’t quite sit right for Stone – could this be the investigation she needs to find herself again?

Well, what I can I say! This author has done it again! I love this series, and I love Kim Stone!! Not once in any of the books have I ever thought that it wasn’t working any more…the author keeps the momentum going with original storylines, fantastic writing and characters that are your best friends! Kim is back with her team; Bryant, Stacey and Penn and an additional member, DI Burns who’s been holding the fort in her absence. I’d like to see if there is any further storyline concerning Burns in future books as their storyline did seem to be left a bit up in the air. The main storyline in this latest instalment revolves around sexual identity and features a clinic who specialises in changing people’s sexual preferences – in other words, turning someone who is gay into someone who isn’t! I mean, honestly, how completely original! I’ve never read anything like that in a book, and to link it all into a murder investigation is just pure genius!

The team all work well together, as they’ve always done. The Acting DI has caused some ripples though and we do get to see some insecurities across the team, particularly with Stacey. Penn has troubles in his personal life with his brother, Jasper and it would be nice to see if his encounter with a former colleague leads to a bit more happiness for him. And as for Bryant, well…yet again I loved the banter between him and Stone, and I loved seeing how deep their friendship really is! Oh, and of course I couldn’t not refer to the great mystery for the past 16 books which is finally revealed in the last couple of lines! I must admit I did make a little squeak of excitement when I read it!

The storyline was gripping, thrilling and horrifying – in equal measures! There were plenty of suspects to chose from and lots of dead ends and red herrings to keep you on your toes! Even with the added chapters from the perspective of an unknown character, I still couldn’t work out what was going on until the author decided it was time for me to find out! Being in the Black Country, the locations were recognisable and well known, and I shall be keeping my eyes peeled in Tesco’s at Cradley Heath next time I head over that way! Fast paced and captivating, I was hooked from the very first page! The Queen of Crime has done it again! Fab, fab, fab!!!

Wow! Angela Marsons does it again! Well done! Fantastic read! This book stays with you long after you close the book it is well worth the read I promise you won’t be disappointed. Bring on the next one!

Hidden Scars is book 17 in the DI Kim Stone series by the very fabulous Angela Marsons. It’s billed as a completely gripping crime thriller with a nail-biting twist and it certainly lives up to that statement. I found I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. Kim is still recovering both mentally and physically from her last case and is supposed to be easing herself into work gradually. But with a body in the morgue and finding a crucial overlooked , it’s not long before Kim is itching to be involved. A fantastic novel that kept me enthralled throughout. Can’t wait for book 18! Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Wow what can I say this series just gets better and better. This is the 17th book in the Kim stone detective series but these can be read as standalone but I fully recommend reading and immersing yourself in the whole series for full enjoyment of just how good this crime series is.

Kim stone is back and on a mission to get her teeth into new cases in this instalment. Once i had started this book I couldn’t put it down and finished it In one sitting. I always know to start reading these books when I don’t have anything else to do as get so enthralled in them.

This story focuses on Kim’s return to work after events which happened In the last instalment and it also gives us more of an insight into other characters in the team such as Stacey and Bryant who are a big part of this new instalment.

These books would make a fantastic tv serial. I am already eagerly anticipating the next one.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Mystery and intrigue…murder…family and friends…starting over…love and romance…tragedy…although this author is talented at writing a murder mystery, the story moves slowly at times…there are so many characters, it is difficult to keep up…there were red herrings which made it difficult to discern the ending…that is good…

It’s hard to believe that Angela Marsons just wrote the 17th entry in her Kim Stone series and it is just as suspenseful and engrossing as ever. This marks Kim’s return to work after the horrific events she barely survived, and her physical scars are still painful. The psychological ones, even worse. But she has to step in when her replacement fails to step up. I’m so invested in these characters, that I wanted to punch someone in the face for sidelining Stacey, and I cheered when a character I love finally made a decision I’ve been hoping for for a long time. And the procedural side? Just as suspenseful, unpredictable and insanely addictive as always. Every clue is there, insignificant and ignored until the plot reveals the final twist. Actually, the last revelation is something that longtime readers have been wondering for years. For people who haven’t read this series, I’d recommend starting at the very beginning but they can all be read at standalone novels. Every single book is great and Hidden Scars is no exception.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Bookouture!

Wow! Angela Marsons does it again! She just never disappoints. The subject matter here was difficult to read about but so well done. I was totally invested in the story and could not stop flipping pages.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

After the huge impact and storyline of Six Graves, I did wonder how Angela Marsons would come back with the next instalment to this fabulous series.

And how did she come back?….. She came back with an absolute corker of a storyline and with the characters we all know and love, and also new characters that are just as endearing, just as menacing and just as bloody brilliant as all her previous characters!

What I love about Angela’s characters is the way they are all so different, yet so brilliantly written that they just capture your heart and attention the whole way through the book.

I love that we see a slightly different side to Kim initially and that all the “regular” characters in the series just keep on developing as the series goes on. For me, this isn’t just a series focusing on Kim Stone, for me it is also about Bryant, Keats, Ted, Stacey, Penn and even Jasper because I feel totally invested in all their stories.

My words will never be enough to do any review good enough to express how much this series hits every single spot as I read it. They just have everything I love about a book, all wrapped up in one.

Thank you so much Angie for yet another spectacular book! Long may this series continue 💕

Thank you Boukouture for the fastest NetGalley approval so I could read this book in one sitting like the obsessed Marsons fan I am. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

One sentence review: Marsons gets deep in this one and tackles "conversion camps" with empathy and sensitivity

SYNOPSIS

After a gruelling case, Kim finds herself back in action quicker than expected. The case? A spate of alleged suicides that connect back to The Change, a controversial "conversion" center that can "cure" people from their homosexuality.

MY OPINION

Okay, I just finished #12 and now I'm realizing how this was pretty much the same formula but swap cults for "conversion camps." And YES, I will keep using quotation marks for "conversion camp" because it's a bunch of nonsense and I don't believe it in PERIODTTT. Your sexual preferences CANNOT be converted – and for the "oKaY bUt ThEN pEdOs..." STFU. As a grown ass adult, you cannot be in a consensual healthy relationship with a child. But two grown ass adults of the same sex can be in a consensual healthy relationship. So if you're a homophobe, you can block me back.

Anyways, let's move onto the book. This was one – if not THEE – heaviest topic Angela Marsons has taken on. PSA: I am not gay, so I cannot say with 100% certainty that everything was accurate or the trauma wasn't glorified. BUT, I found it to be handled with empathy (esp. miss Kim who is always a bull in a china shop type person) and sensitivity. Especially John. Oh, poor John.

Similar to #12, there were some intentionally "lalalal I can't hear you" moments where everyone was shooketh that "conversion camps" existed. When I say intentional, I mean it was done so to educate the reader in a more "natural" way through the characters learning about it.

I think this topic resonated with Marsons because she really flexed her writing skills in some sections. She went beyond the usual police procedural stuff and got a lil deep with it, which is nice to see. But then in some parts the writing was pretty lol. There's one paragraph where she starts FOUR sentences in a row with "Megan". And no, it wasn't a style choice, it was just basic writing.

I'm a fan of Marsons for several reasons, one being she usually gives us two mysteries instead of one. Here we have the case of the missing husband, which had its own shocking ending. I really wasn't expecting that LOL. And tbh, I could read an entire book about it.

All in all, another solid installment from Marsons. Other characters continue to get their shine and we watch Kim's recovery journey from #16. And now I'm ready for #18 TYSM!!!!

PROS AND CONS

Pros: interesting topic handled with empathy and sensitivity, Penn's relationship with his brother Jasper will always warm your heart, 2 for 1 mystery, fast paced, twisty twists

Cons: writing was basic in some parts

Every time I see this authors books I get excited because these books have a great storyline and yet again this did not disappoint me. Well done to Angela Marsons for a great read. The characters are a favourite of mine

Thank you to Angela Marsons, netgalley and bookouture for advanced copy of Hidden Scars.

As with all the other books in this series I totally loved it. Started of with Kim Stone attempting to ease herself back into work however with her replacement not wanting to investigate a young man’s death and the rest of team not being valued Kim is straight back in there.
Kim begins to investigate the clinic in which Jamie is associated with and what she finds out is disturbing to say the least trying to change someone’s sexuality by unconventional methods. Thankfully Kim has compassion and knows something is very wrong she will not rest until she finds out what is exactly going on.

It was great to have the team back and finding out more snippets about Kim herself how she was feeling in herself mentally and physically . The subject of the book must have been so hard to write and certainly will make the reader think about all of the issues raised. What I found personally was the compassion the care the love that Kim has for people and the determination to do what is right. Angela Marsons has nailed it!

Thank you again for advanced copy and cannot wait for next one.

Hidden Scars by Angela Marsons is book 17 in the Detective Kim Stone police series and it was an outstanding storyline, which I enjoyed reading, as I have all the other books in the series.
This storyline was about correcting the ‘gayness’ out of people, until they were able to lead ‘normal lives’ in the community. The problem was the clinic to which each patient was referred to, used unorthodox methods to try to make individual patients to lead more orthodox lives as heterosexual people.
It then led to former patients of the clinic being targeted and killed and their deaths made to look like suicide. Then the accountant who had been working at the clinic disappeared and the police believed he to was caught up in the murdering spree. Fortunately Stacey managed to work out who was responsible for his disappearance.
It is like visiting old friends when you read a book in the Detective Kim Stone series and check up and see how they all are. Kim, Bryant, Penn and Stacey are once again all back to working as a team.
Highly recommended

What to say, where to start?
Will never get tired of reading Kim Stone novels, 17th in the series and Angie has written another cracking book. Each book has a new fresh storyline.
In this novel, following her traumatic ordeal in book 16, Kim plans to slowly ease herself into work, but with an incompetent acting DI she realises she'll have to put herself back in the game quicker than planned. DI Burns was quite happy to announce Jamie Mills death as suicide despite, Bryant, Penn and Stacy thinking otherwise, when he dismisses their thoughts Kim steps in and investigates further, leading to a morally disturbing case.
It's a case of stop everything else I'm reading when an Angie Marsons book lands on my kindle, this book was no exception and I read it in a matter of hours.....who cares about housework and cooking🙂
Thanks as always to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced copy, my opinions are my own and not expected

Angela Marsons hits the ground running with the next amazing installment in her incredibly successful Kim Stone series. Off the job for the past two months, Kim is a bit worse for wear as she is recovering from a brutal beating while on her last case. Nonetheless, Kim is determined to jump right into things. Never one to take anything at face value, Kim notices two things about her unit's latest case: the dead body of nineteen-year-old Jamie Mills in the morgue, and an empty evidence board. Never one to get along with others easily, her temporary replacement Burns has left a bad taste in her mouth, so Kim intends on making tis investigation her own.

Kim is not going to just wipe away the death of the young man, even though it was ruled a suicide. As the investigation apparently went nowhere, Kim decides to look into Jamie's life. By so doing, she begins to see that something was terribly wrong. In short, Kim is certain that Jamie had been murdered and she is determined to find justice for him.

Glad to be back with her team, one of Kim's first actions is to visit Jamie's parents. This is when she learns of a clinic that specializes in a form of therapy with long-lasting results, and these are not always positive results.. The clinic boasts the ability to change the sexuality of "confused" individuals, and Jamie had been a patient there before his death. Kim is determined to turn over every rock she can to find out what really goes on in that clinic, and if Jamie's association with it had anything to do with his death.

Not at all liking what she is finding, Kim is further dismayed when another body is found, which also looked like a suicide at first glance. Kim now has no doubt the two cases are connected, and that these unfortunate deaths are related to that clinic. While the staff at the clinic seems upright and devoted to their patients, Kim's instincts tell her otherwise.

Not only did compassion for the victims break my heart, it was also hard to see the effect that this case had on Kim and her team. It was painful to watch Kim unravel the uncouth methods employed by the clinic's owners and staff. As the therapy at the clinic left many scars, Kim's determination to make sure no other young people lost their lives was paramount. This showed her concern on a very deep level, thus revealing yet another layer in this remarkable character. Meanwhile, the story had a few surprise twists along the way, as well as a pleasant surprise for long-time fans of this illustrious series.

I love how Ms. Marsons presents Kim with strikingly different cases with each book, making each book in this series fresh and smart each and every time. Seventeen books in and the series grows stronger with each one. For lovers of the compelling Kim Stone series, Hidden Scars is a must-read.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Angela Marson and Bookouture for the advanced copy!


Bloody hell. I really don't know what to say. Kim and her brilliant team cured my reading slump. I'm 100% going to binge read all the books of this series but first thing first, it was Marvelous. The plot was haunting with vivid mentions of trauma, gruesome details regarding tortures but oh-so-addictive. It's my first time ever reading a book of Angela Marsons, I haven't read the previous 16 ones but it didn't pose any problem. I wish I had though. The premise was a unique one and the twists and turns were intense. I couldn't figure out a thing. Kim has my utmost respect. Not to mention, Penn, Bryant and Stacey - they are all amazing. What a wonderful team! Highly recommended.

Without exaggeration this is the best book I’ve read.
It may be because it’s written by my favourite author.
It may be because it’s the latest in a cracking series.
But I think it’s probably because the author put a lot of emotion into what was written
Kim Stone nearly died at the end of the last book. This one starts several months later and finds Kim struggling psychologically.
Her team is in the hands of another DI whilst she recovers, and she can see the team being slowly destroyed by his incompetence as a detective, a boss, and his failing as a human being.
Will she recover in time to take the team off him whilst it’s still intact
It takes a nasty murder, which he is happy to pass of as suicide, to tip Kim over the edge and try to bring the old Kim Stone back.
Will she manage to do it.
Read the book and find out
You won’t be disappointed

Finally back to work after the case which almost killed her, Kim Stone is present in body but not in mind. Until she realised what her temporary replacement has done to her team...

Demoralised. No real work done. Deaths going uninvestigated.

And she's back.....

Kim isn't satisfied with the fact that the death of Jamie Mills was ruled a suicide with no investigation. And she quickly discovers the one fact which would have made it impossible for him to hang himself.

Meanwhile, Stacey is embroiled in the matter of an accountant who has disappeared...

The team's investigations into both matters lead them to places they never thought existed. And to other deaths staged to look like suicides.

Brilliant and compelling