As a huge fan of Angela Marsons I was so excited to get my hands on Dead Souls, the 6th book in the Kim Stone series. Ms Marsons is the master of Dark Tales, often centering on subjects other authors tend to shy away from and Dead Souls certainly is dark.

The team is separated, Kim is forced to work with arch enemy and previous work colleague DI Travis after bones are found on farmland on the West Midlands/West Mercia border. Hostilities rise and Kim is at her most challenged.
A spate of racial hate crimes, a suicide and several serious assaults builds tension between Bryant, Dawson and Stacey and the clash of personalities come to a head without the crack of Kim Stones whip and mistakes are made. Life threatening mistakes.

I would give this 10 stars if I could. I loved it. I really enjoyed exploring some of the other characters a little deeper and would love to watch it as a well made, prime time televised drama one day.
As I said it's the 6th book in the series. It could be read as a stand alone but I urge any reader to start at the beginning, you really don't know what you are missing.

*warning - This book will make you put your life on hold until the final page, it scared me, made me feel sick, made me cry, angered me and it also made my heart thud a little faster*

Another fantastic Kim Stone book and a truly gripping thriller. The slight change to the personnel set-up kept the book fresh and it was nice to see some characters getting more of the limelight. (I love Doctor A!) The story is chilling and some of the characters are stomach-churning. The story rips along at a great pace and I could hardly put it down so it was finished pretty quickly - I can't wait for the next instalment!

Thank you to Angela Marsons, NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of Dead Souls.

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Dead Souls

DI Kim Stone is one of my favourite series and I think it just keeps getting better and better, Angie Marsons consistently delivers.

Tackling the heinous subject of hate crimes, this is a grippingly intense and harrowing read that will sweep you up and suck you in. Full of action and difficult to read in some places, this is definitely a must read that you won't be able to put down.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, 5*.

This is book 6 in the British police procedural/thriller series featuring DI Kim Stone and there is no sign that this is running out of steam anytime soon. This series is so consistently excellent, I sound like a broken record proclaiming its praise with each new addition.
When bones are discovered on the border between two police jurisdictions, Kim is forced to conduct a joined investigation with DI Tom Travis. They used to be colleagues years ago, but now there is a lot of animosity and bitterness between them. Meanwhile, Bryant has to team up with Dawson while Stacey is left to her own devices and starts her own private investigation into the suicide of a young man.
I liked the greater focus on Stacey, Bryant and Dawson this time round. While I was initially unsure whether I would enjoy Bryant and Kim being split up, it actually was a really good move and I enjoyed the storyline with Kim and Travis. As their history was revealed and Kim was trying to deal with their tense relationship, it provided another dimension to Kim's character development.
Angela Marsons incorporates the very topical issue of hate crimes and does this extremely well. It's uncomfortable reading at times and an intense experience, the last 40% so gripping, it was impossible to pause.

My thanks to Bookouture for providing an ARC via NetGalley.

As the 6th installment in this gripping and emotional thriller series I was impressed as the characters stayed true to form and kept you guessing at what would happen next.

Exactly what I expect from Angela marsons another great book.

This series just gets better and better.
I like the fact that the protagonists are real people with real, sensible lives.

This story is about hate and is chillingly relevant in our world today. Great.

Another corker from Angie Marsons! Kim Stone is back with another intrigue but like a fish out of water as she ends up working with a colleague that she doesn't get on with -- and without her team around her... although it's the 6th in the series it can be read standalone...

A rattling good read, couldn't put it down.
5* stars, now bereft that it will be a while before I get to read another Kim Stone book...

Angela Marsons delivers once again with a gripping thriller, this time based around quite a current topic of hate crime.
Superby constructed with the usual characters making us root for them time and time again.
An edge of the seat tale which kept me up until the early hours and concluded in an explosive ending. looking forward to the next one already.

This is the sixth in the D.I. Kim Stone series, following on from: Silent Scream, Evil Games, Lost Girls, Play Dead and Blood Lines. I have followed this series from the beginning and it just seems to get better and better – or, at least – to stay at the same high standard as previous books.

In this book, Dr ‘A’ a forensic archaeologist, is teaching students when she unearths a human skull. The bones are found in the exact middle of two different police forces, meaning that Stone is forced to work with D.I. Travis. The two worked together years ago and nobody seems to know why there is now so much animosity between them, but Stone finds it difficult to work with him, and her team find it hard to work without her.

As Stone heads up her investigation with Travis, Bryant and Dawson have a tentative partnership, investigating the assault on a Polish man in a car park. Their attempts to protect their colleague, Stacey, from the hate crime leads to tension within the group and Stacey sets out to investigate an incident close to her heart with unintended consequences.

The cases investigated by Stone, and her team, gradually begin to tie up in a devastating way. I really cannot stress how excellent this series is. I love the characters; not only Stone herself and her team (it was nice that Stacey got a more central role in this story), but the way she fleshes out even minor characters in the plot. This is an unsettling crime novel, with some very dark themes, but you finish it just waiting for the next one. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as an arc.
This is the 6th in the Kim Stone series and the the writing just gets better and better. Sometimes with a series like this, you feel the author is struggling to maintain the pace and standard of the early books, but definitely not with Angela Marsons. I just love the character of Kim Stone and her interaction with her team, although in this book, Kim is forced outside her comfort zone and has to establish some new relationships. Here, race hate crime is featured and it is a powerful, disturbing theme. The discovery of long buried human bones sets off an investigation from decades ago. Brilliant mystery/suspense/police procedural novel. If possible, it is best that the series is read in sequence as the characters have been developed so well over the books, but it could also be read as a stand alone.

Most times you read a series because you love the characters and the author gives you interesting, intriguing and/or entertaining plots that keep the characters fresh and growing. Sometimes there may be a book that doesn’t move you as much as the others, but you continue to read the series because the characters are like family.
Occasionally you get a book in a series that is a so well done that you know it will live on in your memory because it makes you question basic humanity. No matter the first or the tenth book in the series, you will recommend it to everyone, whether they have read the whole series or not. DEAD SOULS (Detective Kim Stone #6) by Angela Marsons is that book!
During a routine archaeological dig, human bones are unearthed. As Dr. A evaluates the grave site, both Kim and Tom Travis show up to the scene and once again battle over control of the investigation. Ms. Marsons shakes up this book in the series by separating Kim from her regular team. She has been ordered to work alongside Tom, who she has had a troubled past with.
Bryant, Dawson and Stacy are left to work on a series of brutal attacks and work out their own interpersonal relationships without Kim as a boss and referee. The investigations all start to tie together into one connected hate crime conspiracy. When one of the team does some investigating on their own, it leads to dire consequences that start the clock ticking on solving both cases and saving one of their own.
This addition to the series is definitely my favorite to date even with the uncomfortable look into prejudice and hate crimes. Ms. Marsons handled the subject perfectly. It is especially poignant considering the current climate in society today. In addition to the author bringing together two mysteries separated by over twenty years, this story is rich on character development and backstory. It also could not have had a better title that covers people both literally and figuratively. I give this author and series, especially this book, my highest recommendation!
Thank you very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. It was definitely my pleasure!

Detective Inspector Kim Stone is forced to work with an old partner, with whom she doe not get along. Her team works on their own. Trouble, of course, brews. This is a fantastic series.

In Dead Souls, Angela Marsons has definitely mixed it up by taking, her protagonist, Kim Stone, out of her comfort zone and giving her team a bit of independence... wonder how that works out?
Buried bodies, discovered by chance, a young boy's suicide, racist attacks all lead to a high octane read in Dead Souls. Marsons has created a delightful edginess in her current novel by splitting the team up. Instead of heading up her own team DI Kim Stone is forced to work with her nemesis, DI Travis,in a joint investigation into the remains discovered in a Black Country farm field, whilst her usual sidekick DS Bryant heads up the local investigation into a racist attack.
This mash up in the teams dynamics works so well as we see Stone operating outside her comfort zone with a DI with whom she shares a mysterious history... delicious!
Meanwhile back at the ranch the residual resentment between Bryant and Dawson is entertaining, especially when Bryant gets made up, against his wishes, to acting DI and Stacey, without Stone's balancing presence, comes into her own.
The two-pronged investigation leads to a beautifully layered narrative dealing with some of the most contemporary societal issues.
A thoroughly enjoyable read with a sound 5 stars from me.

great read and easy to follow story line. always enjoy reading books by angela .

Although i am new to the Kim Stone fan club (only one other book besides this one), i was thrilled to start reading it, having seen many great reviews from friends.
But i was not prepared for such an intense story! I mean i read a lot of thrillers, about how people can be cruel to others in countless ways. But Angela Marsons brought this to another level!

So, we find again Detective Kim Stone with a new case that started with uncovering a grave, holding the bones of many persons. To make it worse, she was obliged to work with Detective Travis in a joint investigation. Meanwhile, her team was investigating a wave of Hate Crimes. Nothing seemed to be connected, and leads about the bones did not lead them far.
None of them was prepared for what they uncovered!

I really enjoyed this book, and once more i was tearing myself away from the book, repeatedly,to do other things. I don't like it when working or studying comes in the way of reading a good book!

The plot was interesting. Ms Marsons, obviously made a great deal of research about this kind of sick people. In a way this particular kind of crimes made the book seems less of a fiction and more of a real life account. In other cases there always seemed to be a "twisted logical" reason that still can be explained. With racists, i don't see any reason, twisted or otherwise.
And i think this is what i liked most about this book, it was not just a nice thriller to enjoy, it made me think a lot about the people around and how they live and think.

The end was a bit of a surprise, but i think it was kind of expected. It made sense for me anyway.
And i would definitely be waiting for the next in the series, and trying to work my way backward with the earliest books.

I recommend it a lot!

I know that I’m a huge book pusher, but if you ever take one of my many recommendations seriously, please choose this one. Marsons Kim Stone series is amazing and it’s one where you really need to read all of the books in order to fully appreciate the talent of the author. This is book six, but fear not! These are such gripping reads that you will power through them in record time, go ahead, have a binge. I don’t think you will regret it for one second.

I think these books need to come with a prescription for Xanax, I swear every time I finish one my anxiety levels are through the roof! I do mean that as a compliment, any book that can get my heart racing is a winner in my book. This time around Kim is facing her biggest challenge yet, she’s separated from her team and is forced to work with her rival, Tom Travis. This is a struggle not only for her, but also for her team. Bryant and Dawson are now partnered up and Stacey is alone as usual, but something about not having Kim at the helm makes them all uneasy and shaken up.

There are three different cases here, Kim is looking into bones that were unearthed during an archeological dig, Bryant and Dawson are looking into a string of hate crimes, and Stacey is going rogue looking into the suicide of a young man. With so much going on, one would think things would be confusing or disjointed, but that’s not the case here. Instead, the way the narratives change almost every chapter really kept me on my toes and had the pages flying by.

I don’t want to delve too deep into the plot, but Marsons handled an extremely sensitive issue with grace and humility. Hate crimes are terribly prevalent at the moment and tackling such a timely issue was smart. It was certainly thought provoking for me, and while parts were difficult to read, it’s important that things like this aren’t ignored any longer.

This is a first rate, brilliant series and no one does tension quite like Marsons. There are plenty of nail biting, heart stopping moments, but there are also so many deep, emotional moments as well. With every book you find out more about Kim, but you also find out more about the rest of the team, making the connection to them so deep and strong. Each book has a fresh, unique viewpoint and things never falter or feel stale. Bravo, Angela Marsons, bravo!

Like the rest of the fabulous DI Kim Stone series, Dead Souls is another gripping, fast-paced thriller that kept me captivated from start to finish.

The book kicks off with quite a disturbing scene. After writing a letter to his mother, a teenage boy commits suicide. From his words, it's evident he's done something terribly wrong for which he feels guilty, but what? Why does he say that he's become a monster?

In the meantime, human bones are accidentally unearthed in a field. Kim Stone rushes to investigate but there she locks horns with her arch nemesis, DI Tom Travis of West Mercia police. Owned by the wealthy Preece family, the patch of land where the bones are found lies directly on the border between the two police jurisdictions. So who has the right to take on the case? Eventually, it's decided to go for a joint investigation between the two forces. Kim is ordered and forced to work with Travis and his West Mercia team on the case. Her own team will be left out. Whose bones have been uncovered? Who buried them there? How long have they been there? These and many other questions invade Kim's mind. I was curious to see how Kim would manage in a situation where she's not allowed to have the last word.

While Kim is working on the bones' case, her team back at Halesowen police station is investigating a string of vicious hate crimes. It was interesting to see how the dynamics between Kim's team members would change in her absence. How they would manage without her. How they would interact with each other and work together without a leader.​ Why is Kim being pestered by her sense of foreboding? What's it trying to tell her? Nothing could have prepared her for what was about to happen.

While Bryant and Dawson take charge of these cases, Stacey seems to become obsessed with the teenager's suicide. But why? That case is closed as far as the police is concerned, so why can't she seem able to get over it? What's bothering her? In this book we learn much more about this brilliant police officer as she takes a central role.

The Kim Stone series just seems to be getting better and better and with every book I read I find myself caring more and more for Kim and her team members. Over time she has undoubtedly become my most favourite fictional character and I feel like I can never have enough of her and her feisty character.

Angela Marsons never disappoints and once again with Dead Souls she has awarded us with a breathtaking, roller-coaster ride, this time skilfully tackling hate crimes like racism and homophobia. As per the other books, the author draws the reader into the story right from the very beginning. Her brilliant writing kept me pinned to my kindle throughout.

Great realistic characters, believable dialogue and storylines, ongoing tension and laugh out loud moments thrown in from time to time to ease the tension, together with short chapters, many of which ending in cliffhangers, are just some of the elements that make this book so interesting and intriguing. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop and when I came to the last part my heart was literally in my mouth with apprehension. I was so engrossed by the story that I found myself looking behind my shoulder numerous times.

Dead Souls is yet another fantastic addition to the series. If you're in for a boost of excitement and a nail-biting thriller, then I highly recommend you this book. Though sixth in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

With thanks to Bookouture for approving my request to read and review this book through NetGalley.

As a huge fan of Angela Marsons and DI Kim Stone, the bar was set very high for this, the sixth book in the series. I’m always excited to read a new Kim Stone book, but a little bit worried that I might not like it.

I certainly didn’t need to worry about Dead Souls. Right from the start, it sucked me in and I absolutely loved reading it. The book talks a lot about hate crimes, something that is not always easy to read but feels so very topical in a post-Brexit world. Marsons had clearly researched the subject at length and this shone through in the writing and storyline and giving the reader plenty to think about.

I loved how Stone was given new challenges and taken away from the comfort of her team and especially her sidekick Bryant. But we also got to know more about the rest of her team which was great, especially Stacey who until now has been a small but important character in the books, this time she got to do a lot more than sitting at her desk searching the computer, it reminded the rest of the team, and the readers, that she is a police officer and not just a computer geek.

Of course, things for Stone and her team don’t go smoothly and the finale is a tense and shocking read. I really don’t know how Marsons manages to keep the standard of writing so high, so many times you start a new series and love it but as time goes on they start to become a bit old and predictable, not so with this series, each one has been a brilliant read and this one, I think, might just be the best yet.

Thank you to the publishers, Bookouture, and the author for a copy of Dead Souls.

This is the 6th installment for the Detective Kim Stone thriller series and it starts out just as suspenseful as the others. A grave is discovered during a teaching lesson for some archeology students and it is soon obvious that the grave contains more than one victim, as well as some horrific markings that seem to lead to some terrible things for these victims. Detective Stone is forced to work with Detective Travis to uncover who these victims are as well as who are to behind these killings. While Detective Stone is trying to figure out these murders, her team is working on some hate crimes and who is behind them when one of her team mates falls into some trouble.
This book is just as intense and suspenseful as the previous other novels in the series. This was one of those that you hurry and read through to get to the end so you know what happens. A really great story line, and a few twists along the way; I always enjoy books that the storyline isn’t too predictable. Marsons’ books are usually dark thrillers, but if you can handle that type of storyline, her books really are fantastic.