Kim's team are waiting to find out what their next investigation will be - a body has been found in a fishing pond, but has been there for a while and a woman has been murdered, but that seems to be an open and shut case. But, as always things aren't what they seem and they have two cases on their books. The woman's murder leads them in to the world of child pageants. They discover that all is not sweetness and light when you're a child in that world.
The other case being dealt with by Penn and Tiff turns out to be very different from the first assumption.
Compelling and readable as expected from this author.

Yet another brilliant Kim Stone instalment. I can hardly believe this is book 20 and the quality of the writing is still excellent. The characters are all very believable and the banter between the police characters is a little light relief. I honestly didn’t guess the killer and the other twist came out of nowhere. If you’ve never read this series, you are in for a total treat.

Another brilliant instalment in the Kim Stone series, I really can’t believe this is book 20 in the series they really do get better and better. Although you could definitely read this as a standalone I would highly recommend reading the series from the beginning as you really get a better insight to Kim and her team old and new you really won’t be disappointed.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Guilty Mothers by Angela Marsons in return for my honest review.

I can’t believe we’re at book 20 of Detective Kim Stone and Angela Marsons is still able to captivate me with a banger of a novel.

A fantastic police procedural underpinned by the murky depths of the UK pageantry circuit. A deep dive into the morality of child performers and its flaws. Of course, I’m sure in real life something as dramatic as a pageant mother serial killer hasn’t occurred, but it’s a brilliant way to discuss how dangerous and deeply disturbing the industry can be.

As always with a Detective Kim Stone novel you are reintroduced to many of the side characters which pop up time and time again. Any of her books which doesn’t include Alex Thorne is a win in my eyes!

Excellently written, stirring discussions and a fast paced and thrilling plot to go with it. Thank you Angela for 20 books!

I started reading Angela Marsons' series at the beginning of the year, and it has been a fantastic journey getting to know Kim Stone and her team. "Guilty Mothers" is a masterpiece that has left me with a deep sense of loss now that I've reached the end of the series. The characters have developed so much over the course of these books, and it's been a joy to watch them grow.
Each book has been better than the last, which is saying something considering how brilliant the early ones were. Just when I thought the series couldn't get any more gripping, Marsons managed to surprise me again and again. Her storytelling is top-notch, with twists that keep you on the edge of your seat and characters that feel incredibly real.
The emotional depth in "Guilty Mothers" is profound. The way Marsons explores the complexities of motherhood and guilt is both touching and thought-provoking. Kim Stone's relentless pursuit of justice and her unwavering loyalty to her team make her one of my favourite fictional detectives. The dynamics within the team have always been a highlight, and they are particularly strong in this book.
I am now eagerly awaiting the next instalment. Angela Marsons, please hurry and get the next book written! The series has been a highlight of my reading year, and I can't wait to see what you have in store for Kim and her team next.

This is the 20th book of the series and it still continues to be such a joy and thrill to read. So disappointed … because i have to wait now for the next book by Angela Marsons!

Once more Kim and the team have been the centre of an amazing story which is rich in details and depth. With the focus on mothers, reading it on Mother’s day in Australia, was perfect timing. The main supporting characters continue to grow and feel like extended family at this point, and the cast of potential suspects were all rich with the detail provided. Some of the mothers involved in this story were very scary characters; and this led to another chilling look at Kim’s own relationship with her mother.

I’m suffering a sense of book grief now that i’ve finished because the wait for the next book is hard. Thanks so much to Angela Marsons for another fabulous story; and to Netgalley and Bookouture for letting me read an advanced copy.

Another brilliant crime thriller from Angela Marsons.
This is the twentieth book in the series and I’m pleased to say this one is just as good as they always are.
This book begins with Kim finding a woman dead on her kitchen floor in a pool of blood, with a woman next to her.
The other woman is her daughter and she’s in deep shock.
Kim and Bryant suspect it’s too easy that the daughter killed her mum, and they’re right when another woman is soon murdered.
They identify that both victims are the Mums of daughters who took part in beauty pageants and they learn this is not always a positive experience for the girls.
Tiff also has a case that she asks Kim for help with, as she suspects all is not what it seems, so Penn is asked to work with her.
This is a gripping crime thriller and one that definitely had me racing through the pages.
I’m looking forward to the next book already!
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

DI KIM STONE BOOK 20
W.O.W Another great read by Angela Marsons.
The team are back, to get their teeth stuck into a new case, but do they have a connection?
When a girl is found covered in blood sitting on the settee with a knife in her hand and her mother killed on the floor, there has never been so much blood.
When other women are being murdered, kim and the team see a connection, to beauty pageants. We're their daughters forced to compete or did they do it willingly?
The team begin to question their own relationships with their moms. As always the author has researched the topic beauty pageants well and another fantastic read.
Kim stone is a bit of a rebel but is always rooting g for the underdog...
Highly addictive series......LOVED IT........

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Is this really necessary anymore. Angela Marsons Kim Stone series remains my ultimate favourite of all time. There was one hiccup a few books earlier but with Guilty Mothers everything is back on track to severe awesomeness.

WOW, some might say by book 20 the stories would be getting a bit stale, but that is not the case, the stores are getting better and better, I am loving the characters and the dynamics of the team, I am so jealous of anyone just finding this series and starting from number 1, if you haven't read this set of books, giver yourself a treat and enjoy, i am now waiting eagerly for number 21

This book marks a milestone as the twentieth book in this fantastic detective crime thriller series by this incredibly talented author.

With twisty, suspenseful plots and seemingly obvious suspects, this story will demand all of your attention as accidents and murders merge.
Pageant Mums and their once child prodigies become the focus of attention when murder motives are being sought.
The story revolves around some of the shocking truths behind the dysfunctional relationships of mothers and daughters, where the mother has narcissistic tendencies which hugely impact on the lives and development of their daughter/s.
This is a story that will keep you guessing, a real look into the unfortunate lives and upbringings of some girls raised at the mercy of their disturbed and troubled mothers.

Angela Marsons’ D.I. Kim Stone series is the gift that keeps on giving. An incredible twenty books in and still going strong…that’s just awesome!
It’s incredible that each of those books is totally unique and compelling in its own right…and they just keep getting better.
Book #1 came out in 2015 and in the nine years since, I’ve felt Angela Marsons’ writing go from strength to strength, with each successive book somehow outdoing the last!
Each time I think “this is her best book yet” and each time I’m just amazed all over again, how can you write two books a year and still keep the stories vibrant and original?….and yet she does.
I have eagerly awaited each new release and devoured every single one of them, grabbing them the moment they become available because I know they will not disappoint.

Congratulations on your twentieth D.I. Kim Stone book Angela Marsons, all five star reads for me!

5⭐️s

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my copy to read and review.

Another brilliant instalment from DI Kim stone and her team. I love all the characters and it was particularly lovely to see that of ‘Tink’ develop more in this book.
While this is part of a series (and I’d recommend anyone to read it all) it could easily be read as a stand alone. Another winner from Angela Marsons!

When a woman is found brutally murdered in her own home, her daughter kneeling beside her, clutching a knife, DI Kim Stone thinks that this is an open and shut case. When another woman is found dead in similar circumstances, however, the detective has to reassess her theory due to the fact that her initial suspect was in police custody at the time. It is soon discovered that both women had, in the past, entered their daughters in child pageants, an industry where girls must win, no matter the cost. Could this part of their past have contributed to their death? Kim and her team know that to prevent any further deaths, the answers lie in the past.

One of the things I like most about the books of Angela Marsons is that despite now being on book 20 in the Kim Stone series, she has the knack of making each book different, coming up with novel crime ideas. In Guilty Mothers, the author takes us into the world of child pageants and the effects it can have on participants throughout their life. There is a strong theme regarding the relationship between children and their mothers and we see Kim comparing her traumatic start in life to the more stable upbringings of her colleagues.

This plot alone would be worthy of any good read but, as always, we are treated to a sub-plot, also involving the mother and child theme when the body of a man is found in a lake. Here, we see fairly new recruit, Tiff, come into her own when her instinct tells her that all is not well in the household of the deceased man’s partner. It was great to see Tiff really sinking her teeth into a case and for Kim to trust her to do this. Tiff is really embedding herself into the team and I’m looking forward to seeing her character develop.

It is always a real pleasure to read a book by Angela Marsons and Guilty Mothers is another 5-star read that fans will absolutely love. This series just continues to go from strength to strength and I hope it continues for many books to come.

Book 20 in the fabulous DI Kim Stone series and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. Reads well as a stand-alone but you will want to read the others after reading this. Kim Stone is back and again there are two distinct threads with the team working on two separate cases. Well written and well plotted this was a quick read for me - one sitting story!

Briefly, Kim and DS Bryant attend a murder scene where the victims daughter is found covered in blood and holding the murder weapon. An open and shut case or is it? Meanwhile, recent addition to the team Tiffany ‘Tink’ Moore attends the recovery of a body from the river. It appears accidental but after visiting the woman who reported the victim missing she is uncomfortable about the relationship between the woman and her son and Kim gives her the go ahead to investigate further.

The main case turns out to be connected to child beauty pageants, something I’ve always thought to be a breeding ground for insecurity in the children and unhealthy competitiveness in the mothers, but never murder! The author introduced a character I absolutely hated in this book, Logan really is the most despicable person ever, made my skin crawl. As always the main case was full of red herrings that led me in completely the wrong direction, full of tension this is another cracking police procedural. I loved it.

Yet another fabulous Kim Stone book from Ms Marsons. I always think there‘s got to come a time when one book isn‘t as good as the previous one, but they‘re always better.

This one is particularly twisty-turny, in both the cases featured. The titular storyline concerns young girls competing in beauty pageants and, of course, anything to do with mothering brings up issues for Kim.

I also really enjoyed learning more about Tiff - hopefully she will become another valued member of the team

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Guilty Mothers’, book 20 in the Detective Kim Stone series written by Angela Marsons, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DI Kim Stone and DS Bryant have made an arrest in connection with the gruesome murder of Sheryl Hawne but when a second and then a third murder take place in as many days it’s obvious that their suspect is innocent. As DC Stacey Wood researches the victims’ backgrounds they realise that they’re all involved in beauty pageants. Meanwhile, the body of a man is pulled out of Donkey Pool and classed as suicide, but Tiffany (aka Tink) is convinced that something feels off and after asking Kim for advice Penn is enlisted to take charge with Tiff assisting.

‘Guilty Mothers’ is an impeccably written crime thriller dealing with mother-and-daughter relationships that gets a bit too close to home for Kim’s liking. It’s great to once again meet up with Kim, Bryant, Penn and Stacey, Tiffany who training to become a detective, and ‘Dudley Star’ reporter Tracy Frost who makes a brief appearance. Yet again the wonderful Ms Marsons has shown her phenomenal ability to introduce excitement, drama and suspense into a thriller that’s kept my heart racing, with so many twists and turns that I’ve been unable to close my Kindle and stop reading. This is an unbelievably addictive thriller that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading and didn’t want to end, and I can’t wait for No. 21.

Here we are at book 20 in the Kim Sone series, but works well as a stand-alone. As with the whole series it’s a genuine diamond! Knowing nothing about children’s Beauty Pageants, it was fascinating to learn about the jealousy, rivalry and sheer money involved and the damage done to the children, as the ‘Tiger Moms’ promote their daughters.. Kim and her team who have become to feel like friends have to get to grips with the murders of mothers killed even though the daughters are now adults. Alongside is another case investigated by two of the team where there is coercion and abuse of a family member, which is heartbreaking but shows Kim’s leadership style. Totally absorbing and wonderfully written, Angela is up there as one of my favourite authors.

When Sheryl Hawne is brutally murdered, her daughter Katie is the prime suspect. But, as Katie is suffering from shock and isn’t speaking, Detective Kim Stone and her team need to try and find a reason for Katie to kill her mother. Then while Katie is still in custody, another woman is killed in a similar way, clearing Katie but leaving Kim with an even bigger problem.
The only link between the two women is that their daughters used to compete in child beauty pageants. As Kim and the team dig deeper, they find that far from the pageants being a fun chance for little girls to dress up, they can be brutal and over competitive. Especially on the part of the mothers.
Could this seemingly innocent pastime hold the key to the case and will they find the killer before any more people die.
This fast moving, gripping story is full of twists and turns. As you’d expect from Angela Marsons the characters are strong and the story line is brilliant. I was totally absorbed from start to finish.

Angela’s books get better and better and she always manages to come up with a fresh idea, not the normal run of the mill murders. In fact Angela sent me her new short novella, and I read it, then started with Book 1 ! If time permitted I would love to re-read the whole series again. I love Kim. The only slight disappointment was the cover, I used to love the near perfect photos of Kim on the front, just as I imagined her!

Anyway, I digress, the story starts off with a lady being murdered and her daughter standing over her with a bloody knife. Then another woman is killed and it all appears to link to the world of pageantry and the jealousies and competitiveness involved. Kim and her team have her work cut out to find the killer before it’s too late and more are murdered.

This is another gripping read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It can be read on its own, as the reader doesn’t really need to know all of Kim’s history, but if you’ve time, do read them all, they’re fabulous.

My thanks to Angela, the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

Oh wow, this book was bloody brilliant I loved every minute of reading it. I really enjoy the Kim Stone stories and even after 20 books in the series it’s not getting old and stale. Angela Marsons knows how to suck the reader in and keep them engaged until the end. This is the type of book that keeps me up reading very late into the night saying to myself, just one more chapter, just one more chapter! Six chapters later I try to sleep. This books deserves 5 stars, I really enjoyed it. Highly recommend this author and the whole series.