Another cracking read from Angela Marsons, she never fails to deliver, this series just gets better and better with every book. She always puts just enough background information to keep you up to date with the characters.
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Brutal deaths. Competition. Rivalry. Lots of unpleasant rich people. Of, course I speaking about a boarding school. Let's face it kids are mean and nasty and boarding schools make excellent crime novels (or movie and TV episodes...).

FULL REVIEW TO COME ON PUB.DATE!

Great series. Loved reading this was just as good as the others can’t wait for the next book hopefully soon

Can't believe this is the 8th in the series, as it is still as fresh as ever. The investigation of an apparent suicide takes Kim Stone and Bryant to a private school. The body of a 13 year old girl, Sadie Winter has been discovered and she is thought to have jumped from the bell tower. The investigation leads to further revelations about the school. The elitist groups of Cards hold many secrets within this school. A great plot in this gripping crime thriller, which grabbed my attention from the start and held it throughout. A superb series!

Oh boy, I don’t even know if I can discuss the details of this one because I’m still an emotional wreck (yes, a crime novel has me shattered, I’ll get to that later) so I’m going to try something I’ve only ever done once before, and that is with my review of The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter. I’m going to tell you why Angie Marsons is at the very top of her game and all the reasons why this series should be on your immediate TBR.

She always comes up with fresh, unique premises that pull you in instantly and don’t let you go.


This time around Kim and team are working a case in an elite private school and they’re dealing with the type of people that are not used to having their perfect little lives disrupted, even for a murder. The possibility of a child killer simultaneously sends chills up my spine and makes me want to learn more, the psychology behind this type of thing is endlessly fascinating. She also always rips stories straight from the headlines, here she dives into hazing and brutal initiations, a dark and dangerous side to an otherwise glitzy, privileged world.

Her characterization is phenomenal.


Is there a more badass fictional detective around than Kim Stone?! I can’t think of one, and I also can’t think of another character that I feel like I know quite as well as I do her. Marsons has more than peeled back the layers of Kim by this point, this is book eight after all, but as much as I feel like I know her, there are always new revelations that only serve to make me like her even more than I already did. The epilogue of this had some disclosures that gave even more insight into the woman she is and she is incredible. It’s not just Kim who is so well drawn, the rest of her team is just as fully formed, if I take a break from reading one of these books I always think that I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bryant come walking past me in my hallway. These people are larger than life and wonderfully authentic.

Her plotting is fastidious and seriously impressive.


I think any avid reader of crime fiction is tired of gimmicky twists that feel like they’re thrown in just for the sake of saying there’s a heart stopping twist. While Marsons is no stranger to said heart stopping twist, they are purposeful and extremely well thought out, nothing is added for shock value, they add real value to an already fantastic plot. Don’t get me wrong, she has the ability to make me gasp in surprise (and I was definitely biting my nails in the end) but her books are not dependent on a crazy turn, they stand strongly on their own merit.

Her writing and pacing is top notch.


Crime thrillers for the most part should be fast paced, right? Yeah slow burns can be fun, but excitement is key and no one does short, snappy chapters better than Marsons. She’s the queen of the one more chapter read because most are just a few pages and it is SO easy to get sucked in and talk yourself into just a few more pages. She also cleverly ends many chapters on mini cliffhangers so HOW can you just stop reading?! You just can’t.

She evokes emotions in the reader that are not commonly associated with crime fiction.


Karin Slaughter is one of the only other authors who has made me cry while reading a thriller, until now. I am not a weepy sort of person, books don’t effect me that way in general but this one? This one absolutely broke me. I honestly am fearful of saying anymore, but this prompted a strong emotional reaction that I won’t forget.

I’ll stop here because I’m verging on spoiler territory, but I hope I’ve encouraged you to give this series a try. If you’re one of the millions of people who are already a fan of it, then just let me assure you that you are SO in for a treat, this is Marsons best book yet and when you finish I would love to discuss THAT ENDING!!!


Dying Truth in three words: Exciting, Brilliant and Riveting.

Another 5 Star winner from Angela Marsons. Kim Stone has been one of my favorite detective novels since book 1. And this book keeps the streak going.

The death of a 13 year old girl at a posh boarding school is initially thought a suicide, but the post mortem puts a lie to that. However, the powers that be want the truth brushed under the rug. “Aah, poor Sadie. She was a troubled lady, he said, shaking his head. Kim felt that if she heard that word used one more time to describe the child she might scream. It was as though a memo had been circulated listing key words and phrases.”

I just love how Kim and her team interact. The performance reviews give a special glimpse into their relationships and I especially loved the scene between Stacy and Kim.

This is a very timely book. There have been numerous instances in the news about kids killed in hazing instances. And Marsons uses those stories as the inspiration for this story. The team is frustrated by the silence the kids keep about what is happening. Kim wonders over and over whether a child can be truly evil.

It’s not often (if ever) that I’ve cried over a mystery. But I did here. I wavered as to whether to rate this a four or a five. The emotional pull is strong. In the clear light of day, a few plot aspects seem implausible. But the book is such an engrossing read, I opted for the full five stars.

My thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.

Angela Marsons is on the top of her game in this harrowing and emotional heartbreaker of a case in this, the eighth addition to the incomparable DI Kim Stone series. Heathcrest is an exclusive private boarding school for the children of the powerful and privileged where something rotten to the core resides. 13 year old Sadie Winters is troubled and self harming, so when her body is discovered at the bottom of the belltower, it is assumed she has tragically committed suicide, but Kim does not agree with this assessment. She is proven to be right when the body of a young boy is discovered soon after. She is going to need her tenacious police team to help uncover the macabre truth that lies behind the horrors that unfold.

Kim faces obstacles from the police hierarchy and Heathcrest, a school determined to preserve its reputations at all costs, intent on burying anything that threatens to tarnish it. A teacher that was on the cusp of opening up about the school is murdered and the suspicion grows that perhaps the children could be suspect. This leads to the return of Kim's nemesis, the sociopath that is Dr Alex Thorne as we gain psychological insights into the disturbing psychology of young minds. There is an atmosphere of terror amongst students from the past and the present. We learn of secret societies that one can never leave, brutal rites, and a school riddled with bullying, rivalries, pregnancy, and fear. Amidst a tense and suspenseful multi-layered narrative with twists and turns, the truth comes as a shock and totally unexpected.

Marsons reputation continues to grow with this stunning novel which packs a powerful punch with its ingenious plotting. It grabs a vice like grip on the reader right from the start and the action packed story is intense, tense and suspenseful. At the heart of the appeal of this popular series are the characters we have come to know and love, and continue to get an in depth insight through their character development. Kim Stone could not operate on her own, she relies on her close knit team, and in this nightmare of a investigation, Kevin Dawson gets the spotlight as we see how he bonds with an overweight boy. An absolute thrill ride of a complex and entertaining novel that brilliantly makes you think and leaves you emotionally bereft. All hail the Queen of Crime, Angela Marsons. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Angela Marsons has delivered a cracker of a thriller with her eighth book in the Kim Stone series! Delving into the world of an exclusive private school and that of the privileged children who attend it, she explores the dark side of secret clubs, initiation rites and ritual bullying.

Kim is called out to the death of a young school girl. An unhappy, misfit of a child, thought to have taken her own life by jumping off the bell tower. But Kim feels that something is not right with the scene and after a little investigation believes they have a murder on their hands. Her senses also tell her all is not right at the school and she and her team start to unearth long kept secrets and hints of past and present damage to students. What unfurls is chilling and results in a shattering climax that will make you gasp.

I think this may be best instalment in the series to date. One of the things I enjoy most about this series is the ongoing development of the secondary characters as more of their personality is allowed to shine though and in this novel Kim and her team almost get to share equal time. The events unfold in a neat linear fashion as the team carry out a thorough investigation of current and past events. Kim even has to delve into the world of child psychology to help her understand the actions and motives of children who are cruel to other children. There was never a slow moment in the narrative which moved at a perfect pace making it too hard to put aside for long.

Hands up, I've knelt down and worshipped at the altar of Angela Marsons for some years now, but with 'Dying Truth' she LITERALLY brought me to my knees, brought me down reeling in disbelief, and that's all I'm gonna say without giving anything away!

The setting this time around is an elite private boarding school for the children of the wealthy - the lawyers, the politicians, the successful businessmen. It begins with the death of pupil Sadie Winters, initially thought to be suicide, but nothing is ever that simple for Detective Kim Stone. Here among the claustrophobic corridors of Heathcrest Academy, could it be that one of their own is a killer?

I'll let the synopsis speak mainly for itself, but I just want to say that occasionally a book comes along that reinforces one's joy of reading, and Ms Marsons has reached that accolade with this one! The narrative introduces a group of people, who with hindsight, are not who they present themselves to be, and given that some of the characters are children, it makes for a very chilling read. The vivid characterisations are hugely insightful, particularly regarding Kim's team, it's like they've become people that we know - friends that we enjoy spending leisurely catch up time with, and yes, people we care about. The storyline itself was certainly complex, yet intriguing, as it veered off in various directions, leading us to the heart pounding conclusion - and it was the conclusion that had me in bits! I'm not saying any more than that, but writing this review, I have tears in my eyes!


* Thank you once again to Netgalley, Bookouture, and Angela Marsons for my ARC. I have given an honest review in exchange*

Angela Marsons takes things to the next level in The Dying Truth, book eight in the D.I. Kim Stone series. This is a top-notch police procedural built around compelling characters, a fascinating mystery, dark twists, and a heartbreaking ending.

The mystery revolves an exclusive boarding school, Heathcrest, with underground elite societies (think the Skull and Bones). When 13-year-old girl commits suicide at the school, Kim and team are brought in to investigate. While this case should be cut and dry, Kim notices what others do not, resulting in her looking at the death from a different angle. When another child dies, the school and parents want to bury what’s going on (no pun intended), but Kim will not push her hunch that more is going on aside. Her determination and drive cause long-buried secrets to be exposed.

As the investigation depends Kim feels like there is a new kind of evil at play, resulting in a meeting with the most evil of all, Dr. Alex Morgan.

Kim, Dawson, Stacey, and Bryant are the reason to read this series. I love all of them, maybe a little too much, and feel like I know them. We get little snippets here and there woven in about their personal lives, and I am always left wanting more. There’s not as much as Kim in this book as in the others; she is at the center of the investigation but we are not as enmeshed in her personal life as in previous books. We do, however, get to see the softer side of Dawson, as we learn about his childhood which was a surprisingly sweet storyline.

Packed with action, tension, and suspense, I was completely riveted by this book. Marson’s writing just sucks me in--I love how I get lost in her books! I was especially intrigued by the secret societies. The ending broke my heart--It was unexpected, and damn it, it hurts! With that being said, I am quite anxious to read the next book to see how things play out.

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

Another brilliant mystery from Angela Marsons. Set in a pretentious private school Kim Stone and her team must uncover the secrets that some may kill to protect before another person is murdered. This is one of my favorite series. I can't wait for the next one.

Oh my gosh. I’m definitely not giving away any spoilers for this. You will need to read it yourself.
Needless to say, I also need the #DyingTruthSupportGroup like a few others who’ve reviewed it.
I'll post the full review on my blog on publication day.
The eighth in the D.I. Kim Stone series, continuing in the same way….brilliant and gripping.
I was hooked in from the start, there is just no let-up in the action.
There was one particular chapter where I was totally shocked, I may have shed a tear and I definitely shouted out loud! This one will stay with me for a long time.
Angie Marsons is definitely one of my favourite authors, I think the books are just fantastic.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest review.

I love the D.I. Kim Stone books but this one has to be the best one yet! It had me gripped from the very first page and I am tired today after staying awake long past my bedtime because I HAD to finish it.
The writing once again is sublime. I can't wait for the next eight books in this series!

Each time I read the latest Kim Stone book I wonder how Angela Marsons can possibly top the last. And each time she does. What a fantastic read. Gripping from the first to the last page.

This book is set within an exclusive boarding school where 13 year old Sadie Winters is murdered. But why? Along comes Kim Stone and her team to investigate. Fast paced and gripping. If I could give six stars I would

I really enjoyed this book. I am a fan of Kim Stone so I jumped at the chance to be able to read the next installment. I found the the claustrophobic nature of the private school was really well created and I enjoyed exploring the back story of another character. A good read.

This is my first book from this author. I read the summary for this book and had to check it out. Well, I have to say that this book does not suffer from "new readers" like me. I was able to jump right into this book and series with no problems.

Kim is a strong female lead. I was instantly drawn to her and so impressed with her way of thinking. Due to my excitement for this book and Kim, I want to go back and start from the beginning to see how Kim got her start. There is nothing gory about the killings. This is perfect for those readers who don't do gore.

The storyline was not dragged down by mindless conversations. It moved along at a good pacing. Plus, there was enough happening that it kept it interesting. A nice ending. This book is worth your time

OH MY GOD. I am sorry for shouting but there is no other way to express how I feel about this book! It was more than awesome and more than gripping. I have put on hold everything that was possible to put on hold in order to be able to continue reading. I love the way the author builds up a story and slowly reveals everything. She really keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole book through.
Then suddenly there was that certain chapter ... I shouted 'NOOOO' out loud, but to no avail.
5 out of 5 stars does not seem to be enough to quote this masterpiece.
I am already looking forward to the next book.
Thank you Netgalley, bookouture and Angela Marsons.

I'm not sure I like you very much right now Ms. Angela Marsons! I shed a few tears reading this book and that's not what I expect from my mystery/thrillers. I will forgive you though because this was a great book!
I loved the plot, the elitist attitudes of the wealthy and how that is passed on to their children. The atmosphere of a private school that teaches these wealthy children. The way the school staff handle the fact that children are being murdered, all so interesting. I liked the characters- Kim Stone and her team of detectives. I really liked Kim's assessments of her team, she knows them so well.
This series is amazing, 8 books in and EVERY one of them is so good. I've read a lot of series and there's always one or two books that just don't measure up. Not this series. Angela Marsons is a seriously talented writer!
I feel like I'm gushing, but honestly this is a novel that deserves it!
I can't wait for book 9 and I have a feeling we'll be seeing a different Kim Stone to the last few books...

This bank holiday weekend, I spent getting #KimStoned - a trio of the last three in the series to catch up with DI Kim Stone and her amazing team. A full review will be posted on my blog after publication day...but HOLY SH*TBALLS - what a book!

Angela Marsons ripped my heart out, ground it up and chucked it out with the latest in the series! I need to be sedated now! DAMN ...that prologue had me reeling, mind was racing and I was thinking WTAF is happening here! The master of OMFG moments, Angela Marsons just killed me...blew me away...and messed with my head.

I abso-friggin-lutely recommend this book and this series as this author just nails it every-single-time! I can't wait to share my full review on my blog!

When Detective Inspector Kim Stone and her partner DS Bryant were called to the apparent suicide of thirteen-year-old Sadie Winter, the elite school of Heathcrest was one they had only heard of; never visited. But that would change over the next days and weeks as the second death in a matter of days followed. The shock to Kim and Bryant was that these deaths weren’t accidents at all – someone was murdering children in the school.

Dark secrets; restricted, invitation only clubs; brutal initiation rituals; students both past and present who were terrified – what on earth was happening at this school? When more deaths followed, Kim and her team knew they were in a race against the clock. But would the killer level anger towards Kim's hard-working team if they came too close?

Dying Truth is the 8th in the DI Kim Stone series by author Angela Marsons, and another brilliant psychological thriller! Twists you wouldn’t believe; a pace which is electric and a result that is breath taking! Outstanding, intense, gripping, heartbreaking - so glad I found this author’s work – bring on #9! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read and review.