Twisted Lies by Angela Marsons

Today I’m delighted to share my thoughts on Twisted Lies, the brand new Kim Stone thriller from Angela Marsons. I’ve never hidden how much I enjoy this series and I look forward to each book. You know my pre-order will be in as soon as is humanly possible, but it’s still nice to be given that sneak peak so a big thank you goes to Bookouture for furnishing me with an advance copy and to Kim Nash for inviting me to join the tour. Here’s what the book is all about:

About the Book

Her stomach lurches as she sits in the windowless room. He throws her phone to the ground, grinds it against the floor with the heel of his shoe and brings his face closer to hers. There was no turning back now, her life as she knew it was gone.

When the lifeless body of a man is found on an industrial estate, Detective Kim Stone arrives on the scene and discovers he’s been tortured in the worst way imaginable.

But as she breaks the devastating news to the victim’s wife, Diane Phipps, Kim can’t help feeling that something isn’t quite right about the woman’s reaction.

Twenty-four hours later, the victim’s family disappears into thin air.

Then a second body is found staked to the ground in a local nature reserve.

Desperate to crack the case open quickly, Kim and her team unravel a vital clue – a fiercely guarded secret that links both victims and could cost even more lives.

A secret that some police officers are also protecting.

Faced with deceit from those she should be able to trust, family members who won’t talk, and local reporter, Tracy Frost, opening a can of worms on the case of a woman murdered by her husband a year ago – Kim is in deep water like never before.

Kim must find the motive if she is to find the killer who is systematically targeting and torturing his victims. But can she unlock the shocking truth and stop him before he strikes again?

An absolutely jaw-dropping crime thriller from the number one, multi-million-copy bestselling author of the incredibly addictive Detective Kim Stone series.

My Thoughts

You know that moment when you pick up a book and start reading and you know, with all certainty, that nothing else is getting done that evening? That’s what happened to me the moment I started reading Twisted Lies, and aside from a quick stint on the exercise bike (where I continued reading the book, obviously), from the moment I finished work, to the moment I went to bed, my whole focus was on Kim Stone and the team and the latest, very twisted and enthralling offering from Angela Marsons. Yes, I love the series – losing myself in the books is not hard. But this one is probably one of my favourites, a perfect blend of intoxicating investigation, absorbing and intriguing mystery and the damned fine humour that this series is renowned for. All of your favourite characters are back, but be prepared to see one of two of them in an entirely new light. Angela Marsons still has surprises up those sleeves of hers and is using them to absolutely brilliant effect.

Now without going into too much detail about the story, it is fair to say that Ms Marsons has been particularly cruel to the victims in her story this time around. Very inventive murders that, for me at least, were a combination of plenty of ‘ewww’ and a teeny bit of ‘cool’. Maybe the occasional bit of gruesome appreciation too, which says more about me than I should probably admit on the internet … I like my stories on the dark side, and the perpetrator in this book has a very twisted imagination. It’s not just the murders which will get your stomach churning though. There is an element to the story which is very much a case of ‘ripped from the headlines’ and the reveal, at a very crucial moment in the story, halted the laughter, even if only temporarily, as the implications and the stark reality sinks in.

And that’s what I like about this series. The fact that in amongst the investigations and the camaraderie and banter between the team, Angela Marsons explores subjects which are sometimes very relevant, very much grounded in the harsh reality of modern life. Always with care and respect, and always with enough humour to keep me hooked and invested in. the outcome of the book. There is nothing gratuitous in the story, in spite of the manner of dispatch, but there is enough for the very clear picture to be revealed. If you are of a weak disposition, then brace yourself. This is possibly one of the most grizzly yet.

Character is key in these novels and from the victims, to their families to the investigative team, Angela Marsons once again excels at bringing us a whole array of folk to love, loathe, mistrust and wonder over. The team are on top form as ever, the banter between Bryant and Kim balanced perfectly against the sombre nature of the case, as is the humour between Stacey and Penn. It’s a team that has really bonded and whilst I’m still not forgiving Angela Marsons for that book, I am liking the dynamic that is developing. I am also liking that in this book we get to see a very different side to the relationship between Tracy Frost and Kim. For once Frost isn’t dogging their every step, trying to get a scoop on the investigation. Her focus takes her in a very different direction, with a sub story that is very, very pertinent in the current climate. I’ll say no more about it, but it is fair to say that the author is right on the money when it comes to this story, sensitively handled and in a way that surprises and really drives the story onward.

The pacing is spot on, the tension palpable, the shocks and surprises coming thick and fast. Yes, I twigged part of the story before the team did – benefit of being a voyeur with a suspicious mind, who knows they are reading a crime novel and is looking to expect the unexpected. But is genuinely doesn’t matter, not in this case. It actually just pushed me to read more quickly, even more intrigued as to the who and the why. And there are some red herrings thrown in here and there, little structured details which will have you looking in one direction whilst the truth is scurrying off in another just out of your line of sight. And just when you think there are no surprises left to be delivered … Never underestimate this author. She delivers every single time. Twisted Lies is right. Perfect title for this one.

So, in case you haven’t twigged, I loved this book. Finished it in one night. Am both happy and sad about this as it means I have longer to wait for the next book, but by ‘eck, it was a brilliant bloody read. Highly recommended to fans of the series. And it gets one of these.

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 4 million in 5 years.

She lives in Worcestershire with her partner and their 2 cheeky Golden Retrievers.

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 28 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 and the translation of Dead Souls, La Verita Sepolte, recently won the prestigious Primo Bancarella award.

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