So… I’m not going to review this book just yet. Not properly. Nope. You can’t make me.
But I am going to say this. As soon as I saw this little beauty was available on NetGalley I was all over it. Downloaded straight away (clearly not while I was at work, that would have been terribly naughty 😉 ), I was right onto it the minute I got home. If I hadn’t had to be up at 01:30 the following morning I would not have stopped reading until I was done. As it was, I had to wait to finish until the next evening but it was absolutely worth it.
For anyone familiar with the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, I would say this: if you haven’t yet pre-ordered (and if not, where have you been?), you want to get straight to Amazon and make sure you are ready for this wonderful little book’s November 4th release date. You won’t regret it. If you’ve read Evil Games then you will already know one of the stories main protagonists, Kim’s ultimate nemesis, Alex Thorne, the one person able to take Kim right to the edge. And to say she hasn’t lost her edge would be an understatement.
If you aren’t familiar with the series, then I would recommend you go out and buy books 1-4 (Silent Scream – currently 99p – ridiculously good value, Evil Games, Lost Girls, and Play Dead) then come back and order this one, just for good measure. This is probably the first book that I would say you need to do that for, in order to better understand the story in itself, Kim and Alex carrying on the merry dance first started in Evil Games. And if you just go back and read that, you are missing a treat by not reading the other three. They’re great entertainment and a real bargain to boot, so what are you waiting for?
So no, this wasn’t a review. Other than the fact you may have recognised that I enjoyed this book, I will say no more. Yet. It’s great to see my favourite characters back and if anything I have grown to like them more, especially Kev, bless him. And I still can’t help but smile at all the local references, places I know so well. So. My review will come a bit nearer the time but for now know this:
This is, on the purest level, a murder investigation where the team struggle with finding any clear suspects or motive. But at its heart, it is a beautifully sculpted, full on, twisted mental battle between two old foes. Kim v Alex. Who could ask for anything more?
‘Blood Lines’ is published by Bookouture on November 4th and can be pre-ordered here for readers in the UK and here for US readers.
Happy Reading All
JM
Jen Med's Book Reviews 