Captive by circumstance.

Nothing holds us to the mat more than Motherhood......our own or the one to which we have been born into. We are a product of its caresses and nurturing or we are at the receiving end of indifferece, neglect, and an array of abuse on so many levels.

Angela Marsons has switched gears in this #20 edition to her wildly successful DI Kim Stone Series. Marsons takes on the heavy-duty subject of Motherhood and it's not going to go down easily. Through Kim's eyes (and we already know of Kim's mother from Hell), we'll delve into the greatest show on Earth.......the pageant circuit. Beauty competitions have long been under the microscope for years. In America, we've been subjected to Toddlers and Tiaras and have viewed the ins and outs of such stage presence.......benefitting more mothers than daughters. Trophies, sashes, and crowns eventually are put to the sidelines. But in some cases, the scars can't be covered up by sequins.

Kim and Bryant are called out to a murder scene. Katie, devoted daughter, bends over her mother's body with the murder weapon in her hand. Cut and dry. Not so fast. Kim isn't totally convinced. And when more pageant mothers are found brutally stabbed, kitchen cereal turns into serial. The killer also leaves a token shoved down the mother's throat. Plenty of suspects here to sift through.

Angela Marsons also adds a parallel murder that glimmers in the mix. A middle-aged man's body is found in the river after a day of fishing. Looks to be a possible suicide or at least an accidental drowning. That is until Stacey has an unsettled feeling about the mother/son combo who are supplying information to the team. Things just don't jive.

Initially, Guilty Mothers seemed to be taking on a well-worn subject of beauty pageants from the '80's and '90's. Didn't think that it would have much lift-off here. But in the brilliant hands of Angela Marsons, it skyrocketed. Even at #20, Kim Stone wears the badge of "doesn't play well with others". And it continues to work. Why? Because Marsons presents a marching band of analytical prowess with Kim and her team. Marsons gets even the smallest detail right. All in all, Marsons respects her readers......time and time again. And it shows, time and time again.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Bookouture and to the talented Angela Marsons for the opportunity.

Another brilliant book from an incredible writer. One of the things I love is that even though Kim Stone had a traumatic childhood, she never allows it to cloud her judgement.
She and her partner Bryant are a force to be reckoned with, she is often loudmouthed and impetuous while Bryant is the voice of reason.
It was clever that there was two different plots and that Stone allowed Tiff (who wants to join the C.I.D) and Penn to take on one of the crimes and together they manage to solve the crime. The main storyline was intricate and cleverly executed.
The author’s writing is often funny with dry humour thrown in.
I have read all twenty Kim Stone books and every one of them are different and that makes me want to read more from this author..

As usual this series of books never lets me down. I love the characters and the different stories with them. Roll on the next instalment!#GuiltyMothers #NetGalley

Absolutely brilliant! I’ve been enthralled by this book since I picked it up. I loved the two storylines running alongside each, connected by the mother/child relationship. Angela Marsons never fails to deliver a cracker of a book!

Guilty Mothers is the latest book in the Detective Kim Stone series. As usual we have a brilliantly constructed crime thriller with a cast of well developed characters with great depth, from Kim’s team to the suspects and criminals.
With the brutal murder of a woman who has been stabbed repeatedly and her daughter is found in a fugue state with the body we enter a world involving Child beauty pageants which is a real eye opener.
Secondary to this a male body has been found submerged in a fishing lake. Although the post mortem fails toreveal any other cause of death other than drowning,Tiff now newly in CID and the wonderful Penn feel there is much more to this case than it seems when their initial investigation raises concerns. This is an engrossing side story which shows how gut instinct can play a part in police work.
As usual superbly written, each book is like meeting old friends and very entertaining ones they are.
My thanks to net galley and publisher Bookouture for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this new addition to the team. Kim and her team are investigating mothers being killed. All of these mothers were mothers of baby beauty queens. I found the depth of information interesting. Tiff has joined the team and feels a death knock she attended didn't feel right. This team are encouraged to follow their instincts. This was an interesting side story.
And the exploration by the whole team of mother and child relationship. Excellent stuff. Thank you for the opportunity. Already looking forward to the next book in this series!

Another absolute banger from Angela Marsons!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.

I have followed DI Kim Stone since her very first outing and often find myself "stalking" Marsons for details on when the next instalment will be released. I read her books always without reading the blurb. I don't need to know what the book is going to be about. Kim Stone could be going on a hiatus to Disneyland and I'd still read the book!

Why? Simply because this is a brilliant series and I know that Angie Marsons will never disappoint.

This book was no different!

This time, Kim and her team are dragged into the rather bizarre world of beauty pageants when they are called to a crime scene. A mother is dead and sitting over her holding a knife is her daughter, a former celebrated child beauty queen. At first, it seems to Kim that they have their culprit bang to rights, but then another mother turns up in similar circumstances and a strange web of lies and deceit begins to unravel.

Alongside this, new team member Tink, tasked with investigating an apparent suicide finds that things are not all as they seem. Teamed with Penn, she endeavours to uncover that she is worthy of her new role and can prove herself to be an integral part of Kim's team.

I enjoyed the beauty pageant story but, I must admit, I found the subsidiary tale more sinister and would have loved to have seen further development there. The culprit there was quite insidious and watching them get their comeuppance was incredibly satisfying!

As always, the only question I have now is: when will the next one be ready???

Guilty Mothers is the 20th book in Angela Marson's Kim Stone series. It is another great crime thriller featuring the characters from her previous books, The main plot revolves around the world of child beauty pageants and the relationship between girls and their ambitious mothers. A controlling and abusive mother/son relationship also features as a sub-plot.
The book is well-written with a lively pace that kept me turning the pages.
Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Goodness me! These books just get better and better, I was beyond thrilled to be offered this 20th book in the series to read and gulped it down. A complex story of mothers, beauty pageants, mother/son relationships and siblings all torn up by mothers thinking they were doing their best. Totally believable, beautifully written and heartstopping as the stories unfolded to their unexpected climax.

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

I can’t recall ever reading a book about murder that has had me with tears of happiness rolling down my face before.
This one did.

I love all of the Angela Marsons books that I’ve read, and this was no different, except maybe it’s my favourite so far.

This was my first Kim Stone book and despite it being late in the series it didn't disrupt my enjoyment and ability to slip into the team. It just made me want to read the rest of the books to catch up with the dynamics and past of the characters.
A well written, fast paced investigation with a team you want to support and protect. I loved the two ongoing investigations rather than just one with many tense twists and turns that kept me gripped. Not only was it a fab thriller it provided a thoughtful insight into the world of pageantry

Complex and fast paced murder investigation with red herrings and twists at every turn - 20th book in the series and just keeps getting better. Crack team and strong female lead, feel I know these people! A must read!

Was very excited about this new one in the Kim Stone series. This was just as great as all the others, they're easy to read, have great characters and have great twists and surprises throughout.
There's two stories running and they are both clever and they follow the same theme of family coercive behaviour. If you haven't read this series I thoroughly recommend it.
My only gripe was the use of 'mom', it's a UK book, a few occasions it said mum then returned back.

Another amazing book by Angela Marsons in the Detective Kim stone series! I love these books as they constantly keep me guessing, and suspecting everyone! I completely devoured this in less than a day and I already can't wait for the next one.

Never been one for short crimes but this was amazing! I couldn’t let myself put the book down I just needed to get to that next chapter.
This was my first read of the ‘ D.I Kim Stone’ books and I will be reading more , this was amazing!

It reminds me of the short bbc dramas you get on the tv that are like 3-6 episodes wrong and a ‘who’s done it’

There were so many twists and turns I didn’t know what was going to happen next and I loved that about this book.
Angela Marsons, this book was everything and more I’ll definitely be recommending these books.

Thank you to Netgalley & Angela Marsons for this ARC and for the opportunity to give my honest opinion.

Guilty Mothers is the 20th book in the Detective Kim Stones series. Whilst it is possible to read each book as a standalone, there have been a number of multiple-book plot points and returning characters that reading them in order definitely adds to the reading experience.


With book 20 the team - Kim, Bryant, Penn and Stacey - are led to what appears to be an open and shut case; a woman lies dead on her kitchen floor, her bloodied daughter Katie crouched by her side holding the murder weapon. However, they soon receive the news that another women is dead, a crime that Katie could not have committed. Their investigations lead them to a common link between the two women - the world of child pageants.

A returning character, Tiff, investigates the death of a missing man, a death initially believed to be accidental. However, something about the situation doesn't seem quite right to her, and she recruits Penn to help her investigate what may have truly happened.

Marsons seamlessly intertwines these two parallel investigations, writing twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end!


I really enjoyed the latest installment of the Kim Stone series. The return of Tiff was a pleasant surprise, and I hope that we see her again in book 21! The way Marsons wrote about the world of child pageants was intriguing, an area that I had never before considered as the basis of a detective novel, but it worked brilliantly!

I rated Guilty Mothers 5 stars & look forward to reading whatever Angela Marsons writes next!!

Thank you to Bookouture, Angela Marsons and Net Galley for the ARC

Honestly was it ever going to be anything other than five stars for a Kim Stone book? Would be rude if it wasn't really.

I was in such a reading slump. Every book I picked up just wasn't catching my attention until I found book 20 in this series was avaliable! This grabbed me by the shoulders and just would not let go until I finished.

A whole new topic for me in regards to pageants for children. I've heard about them but never really know what goes into it, and now that I know I've never been so against the whole thing until Angela Marsons educated me. Whoops!

Kim and her team are set one of the most confusing cases I've ever seen them in. I didn't know who to trust was shocked at the outcome I never saw coming.

As ever I will look forward to the next installment, that in my opinion couldn't ever come quick enough. Always sad that I am up to date with the series and have to wait SO long for the next one.

As soon as I receive an ARC of any Angela Marsons novel, it gets promoted straight to the top of my TBR pile. Guilty Mothers is the twentieth novel in the DI Kim Stone series and it’s every bit as great as its predecessors. This novel explores the world of child beauty pageants but it’s not all sequins and smiles as Kim and her team are on the hunt for a killer. It’s another gripping, compelling thriller of a book. It’s fast paced and impossible to put down. A fabulous five star read. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

I love this series but my honest opinion is I couldn’t get into it unfortunately, the style of writing has changed from her and in the last 3 books I have struggled which is a shame as I love her as an author

Mystery and intrigue…a page turner…realistic characters…red herrings…this author has written a story that while fiction reads like true crime. Somewhat confusing at times but worth the reading. Thanks Netgalley.