Believe it or not, today marks the fifth anniversary of the release of Silent Scream, book one in the uber polular Kim Stone series from Angela Marsons. Happy anniversary Angie and happy birthday Kim Stone! And look down there ⬇️ It’s a brand new cover too. Isn’t it gorgeous?
I was late getting to the series, coming to it after spotting a news article on Twitter and realising that Ms Marsons was a relatively local author to me. Curiosity got the better of me, and boy am I glad it did, as this series has fast become one of my favourites of all time. To celebrate this auspicious occasion, I’m re-sharing my thoughts on this first outing for Kim and Co. For those of you not in the know, here’s what it’s all about:
About the Book
Even the darkest secrets can’t stay buried forever…
Available from: Amazon | Kobo | Waterstones | Googleplay | Apple Books
Five figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood …
Years later, a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders which shock the Black Country.
But when human remains are discovered at a former children’s home, disturbing secrets are also unearthed. D.I. Kim Stone fast realises she’s on the hunt for a twisted individual whose killing spree spans decades.
As the body count rises, Kim needs to stop the murderer before they strike again. But to catch the killer, can Kim confront the demons of her own past before it’s too late?
My Thoughts
Silent Scream is a story of secrets that some thought long buried, and the consequences of years of deceit and cover up. When an application to dig the grounds of an long abandoned children’s home is granted, the truth is about to be revealed to the whole world. A face from the past returns, and the five people who kept the secret are being targeted one by one, not to ensure that they maintain their silence, but for the most basic and common motive of all – revenge.
The first victim is found drowned in her own bathtub, the second suffering a far more gruesome fate, one not for the faint-hearted reader. As the link is drawn between the two victims and the site of the dig, the hunt is on to find a killer before they can claim any more lives.
Silent Scream touches upon a complex subject – children left to the ‘system’ when every one in their lives has left or abandoned them – and the actions of adults who were supposed to protect them but ultimately let them down, choosing self gratification, greed and self preservation instead.
Enter, stage left, Detective Inspector Kim Stone, a strong, no nonsense character that you are going to love. She is complex and comes complete with her own demons that she keeps in a dark secluded corner of her mind, seldom to be allowed out to play. You will get a fraction of what drives her character in this book, including her traumatic past, which is given to you piecemeal throughout. No glorification or graphic detail, just a bit by bit reveal, reflective of the way that Kim herself chooses to remember and manage the trauma in her own mind.
The reason I know that people will (and do) love Kim Stone is because she is not a hearts and flowers kind of gal. She is strong, focused, completely lacking in social skills and yet unwilling to be swayed from her mission of solving the case and moving on. She doesn’t invite humour, and the character does not have comedic moments to make you warm to her. In truth she is a very hard character to warm to. She won’t let you. She is disconnected from her emotions and avoids complicated relationships or opening up to people, including her only ‘friend’ DS Bryant. But she has a need to fight for the victims, a depth of understanding that can only come from someone who has ultimately suffered herself, and an underlying tenderness, displayed best when it comes to the character of Lucy, that is extremely well written. She might not be able to show it or say it, but you know that she cares, and she has a team that respects her all the more for it. To be honest, I do find it hard to criticise the character of Kim as I recognise a lot of her traits in myself, and as such, with the way she is portrayed on the page, I have to say she is a truly well developed and observed character indeed.
With a great cast of supporting characters, including DS Bryant, you are in for a real treat. Bryant understands Kim like no other, takes no nonsense from her, perseveres with their friendship even when you think others would walk away and is the only one she will allow to push her. You also have Dawson, a bit of a tart by all accounts, easily distracted but ultimately good at what he does when focused, and Stacey with the thick Black Country accent which I couldn’t help but smirk at. I know a ruck of people who talk exactly like that. All of the local references made me chuckle too. I’ll never look at the Hagley Road in the same way again.
Silent Scream is a brilliantly written, complex story, and a great start to a fantastic series of books. It is fast paced and gripping enough to keep you turning page after page, with several clues along the way as to who the murderer may be, enough red herrings to make you keep changing your mind and a twist at the end that you won’t entirely be expecting. Yes, your protagonist pulls no punches and has all the social grace of an angry rottweiler at times, but heck, she likes bikes. She can’t be all bad now can she?
…
So what was your first experience of Kim Stone? Did you start at the beginning or did you join part way through. It’s hard to believe that in those five years we have been treated to twelve Kim Stone titles that have made us laugh, cry, shout out in disbelief and take us right to the edge of our seats. This is a series that keep going from strength to strength and it is absolutely no wonder that it is a worldwide, multi-million copy bestseller. I reckon I’ll be on #TeamStone for as long as Ms Marsons keeps writing those books. Bring it on.
And look what I received from those lovely folk over at Bookouture – it’s only a Silent Scream Mug!!! I love mugs and I do, indeed, love Kim Stone. Win, win! Thank you guys 😘.
For your chance to win some Kim Stone goodness, head over to the Bookouture page on Facebook where they’ll be running a Facebook live session at 7pm to mark the occasion.
About the Author
Angela Marsons is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the DI Kim Stone series and her books have sold more than 3 million in 3 years.
She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read “Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people’s”.
After years of writing relationship based stories (The Forgotten Woman and Dear Mother) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.
She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 16 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into more than 27 languages.
Many of her books, including Blood Lines, Dead Souls, Broken Bones, Fatal Promise and Dead Memories reached the #1 spot on Amazon on pre-orders alone.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Books in the Kim Stone Series
Jen Med's Book Reviews 
Wow looks like a wonderful read
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