I think this is possibly the book which has finally done it. Broken my ability to write a review. I mean, how many ways are there to say how fabulous a series this is? How many superlatives can you use before you start sounding like a stuck record? I'll be honest - it's becoming harder and harder to find something original to say because this series just keeps getting better.

Now - and I say this with the best of intentions - if you have not read any of the books in the series before, then this is not the place to start. It would be absolutely impossible to read the book without reading spoilers for all that has come before. If you don't mind that and just want to get a flavour of what the series is all about then read away, but know that when you go back, you'll know whodunnit and for the joy of the journey of discovery you have yet to go on that would be a damned shame. If you are already a fan, read on and marvel as this book will make you glow with a knowing smile, as you drift back to memories of cases past ...

In this book, someone is going to great pains, and deriving great pleasure it seems, from creating little tableaus if events from Kim's life. That would be nice if it was all Hallmark card moments and this was a collection of fun and fluffy pictures and happy memories. As fans of Kim know, her life hasn't been full of shiny, happy people and these are not beautifully crafted découpage pictures. These tableaus feature bodies. Lots and lots of bodies ... But just who could be trying to unsettle Kim so badly and why? Well ... this is book ten. She has amassed a lot of enemies - and that's just in the cases we know about. This investigation will see Kim and the Team come face to face with a lot of familiar names, any one of which could have reason to want to see Kim Stone fall ...

And by god, does that lead us through a fantastically fraught, often emotional and thoroughly tense thrill ride of a read that will see fans clapping their hands in glee, and more than a few folk staggering into work bleary eyed as this is most definitely a sleep stealer that will have you reading late into the night. At least this book is released on a Friday so a good number of people will have an nice weekend to savour it (sorry to those who have to work weekends ...)

I love the characters in this series and they are all on top form. Angela Marsons has a fantastic way of making you care about the people you are reading about, of creating a true emotional pull, even when dealing with the more 'disposable' characters. And when it comes to the 'villains' they go way beyond caricatures of bad guys. There is real depth to their portrayal too, be it in terms of intelligence, pure hatred or sly cunning. They feel authentic - real - so much so that some will make your skin crawl while others will have you lamenting, and yet still understanding, the reasons for their incarceration.

And as for the ending - tense, breath-catching stuff. All action, all marvel, all typical Angela Marsons' styling as she takes the reader to the edge of their seat and holds them in a very uncomfortable position. Not for too long, the action is too fast for that, but long enough to make your pulse race. It's not the first time I've felt my heart in my throat and doubtless it won't be the last. From the gripping opening to the highly dramatic closing scenes, the story will have readers completely drawn in. You can feel every moment of pressure mounting on Kim and the team to solve the murders, and the personal guilt and anxiety that Kim feels in having her traumatic past revisited as she is left completely exposed. Loved it.

And dare I even say, I think I love Penn too?

Does this sound like my other reviews of the Kim Stone series? I don't know. I've given up trying to be original. I think all of my reviews moving forward are just going to be very simple and straightforward.

Just bloody read it - you know you want to.

Someone is recreating every traumatic event in Kim Stone's past, starting with the death of her twin when she was six years old. Some of the events, or at least the detail of them, are not public knowledge, but whoever is behind this has a wealth of information and is using it to evil intent. That might seem bad enough, but the brutal truth of the matter is that people - innocent people - are dying so that these dramas can be recreated. Stone probably - well, certainly - shouldn't be on the case, but who has better knowledge of what happened to her than she does? If her boss can just turn a blind eye to the effect it's having on her for long enough, she can sort it out... Or can she?

There seems to be a vogue at the moment for police procedural series where the past of the senior investigating officer takes centre stage. Most of them are well done, but it's difficult to feel that they ring true to life and I did have that sensation here, but I have to admit that it is a cracker of a story. I had various people pencilled in as the villain of the piece, but I didn't come anywhere near working out (or even guessing) who it really was, although all the clues were there. Part of the problem is that Kim Stone has a lot of people in her life who hate her, who would love to see her come to harm. There's even a hate club in the local prison dedicated to her. Stone put all of them there.

All the usual characters are there: the rather dour Bryant, who regards Kim as a friend as much as a boss. He's offset by a recent addition, Penn, who's fitting in well and overcoming the disadvantage of having taken Kevin Dawson's place when Dawson was killed on an operation. There's clever Stacey, who unexpectedly befriends profiler Alison Lowe who the team think is there to help them - but in reality she's there to keep an eye on Kim Stone.

The chapters are short and nearly everyone ends on a cliffhanger, so it's just about impossible not to read just another chapter, although the next one is rarely a followup to the last. It's an addictive book and one that's very difficult to put down. Suspend disbelief as to whether or not this really could happen and just enjoy the ride.

I'd like to thank the publishers for making the book available to the Bookbag.

This was a gripping Kim Stone novel. The past comes back to haunt Kim as her life is played out in murders. Excellent book.

She ruined their lives. Now they’re going to destroy hers. 

‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’ 

Kim Stone is back in the latest book in this series and this time it's personal. Someone is out there that hates Kim so much they are re-enacting some of the most painful events of her past, what she and the team need to do is find out who that person is before any more innocent people are harmed, but it's not that simple as Kim has made lots of enemies along the way. She is determined to fight to stay on this case and bring the killer to justice but the only way that Woody will allow this is if Alison Lowe, a police profiler, is brought in to work alongside Kim and monitor her behaviour during the investigation, needless to say she is not happy about this and things don't get off to a good start between the two women. Unfortunately for Kim, her hands are tied on this one and she needs to suck it up and concentrate on finding the perpetrator.

Angela Marsons has hit the jackpot again with book 10, just when you think this series can't get any better she delivers something that is beyond perfect. Each time you think you've worked out who the killer is, she throws in another twist which sends you off in a different direction. I was so enveloped in this story that I was feeling all the emotions right alongside her and yes, she made me cry again! I love how following Kim and her team throughout the series has made these people feel like they're my family and each time I open the next book it feels like I'm opening my front door and welcoming them into my home. This series is a must read for anyone that hasn't picked up a Kim Stone book yet, I highly recommend you start from the beginning though to fully understand the background of the characters, and don't be put off by the amount of books in the series because the chapters are short and choppy which makes them such an easy read. Just go for it!!!

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval and will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

This is the tenth book in the Detective Kim Stone series. Detective Stone has one of her most baffling cases as the scene originally looked like an accidental overdose death, but quickly shifts to a murder investigation. Kim was shocked when she saw the scene, the handcuffs, the Coke bottle, the young man dead and the young woman barely alive. Someone had staged the scene to duplicate a tragic event from her earlier life. When the next case involves a middle-aged couple found dead in a burnt car, she knows that someone is sending her a message. Kim is worried that she might be taken off of the case and agrees to have Dr. Alison Lowe, profiler, monitor her behavior during the investigation. Who could be so evil as to take the lives of innocent people to taunt her? She knows the killer might be coming after her next and investigates those that she has helped incarcerate to see who could possibly hate her that much. She comes across a “hate club” at the prison and she is the one they all hate. The story is involved and intense and it took a little while for me to follow the action, although I think it helped that I have read, and enjoyed, all of the Detective Kim Stone books. Ms. Marson knows how to get you “hooked” so that you don’t want to quit reading until the book is finished. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Angela Marsons has created another winner in writing this latest book in her Kim Stone series. We're already at book number 10, I've read all the whole series and they never fail to deliver. I love all the author's books, but I really think this must be one of the best and most engrossing.

Dead Memories was so well written as I felt right there with the team, the characters are so real that you feel that you have known them forever and become drawn into their lives
If you haven't read any of these books yet, I would recommend reading them in order, purely to get full understanding of the background of these characters.

Highly recommend all of Angela Marsons' books she is an exceptional writer. Once you pick up a book you don't want to put it down . I have no idea how she manages to keep writing this brilliant series and making it better and better but long may she continue.

Please keep Kim Stone going! This is one of those series that I cannot get enough of. She’s almost like family, even my husband reads this series and thoroughly enjoys it, which is high praise indeed and he’s not easily pleased in the literary sense. If you like a crime thriller, you’ll love this series!

Dead Memories is the tenth book in the DI Kim Stone series, and wow it's Marson's best novel to date; it's a cracking addition to a fantastic series. I am blown away by how intensely thrilling it was, and the twists, turns and red herrings leave you shellshocked. Each new addition is better than the last and that makes this a pleasure to read. It's cleverly plotted, fast-paced and very creative and original in terms of the murder scenarios. From first page to last I simply couldn't put it down and devoured it in a single sitting then wished I had savoured it a little more.

There is plenty of action throughout which keeps the reader engrossed, and the way it is written provides a large cast of suspects for us to try and pinpoint who carried out such despicable acts, but the author masterfully conceals the true perpetrator for the majority of the book. This made it extra enjoyable for me. In the previous instalments, I felt Kim Stone was rather abrasive, and I failed to warm to her. Here, she has become more friendly although her no-nonsense attitude remains bubbling under the surface and still makes an appearance from time to time.

Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Dead Memories is book 10 of the DI Kim Stone series, a milestone number. I would imagine this is why Angela Marsons chose to incorporate previous cases/villains into this story. I have to admit though having read all ten books I still couldn't recall all of the details of her past cases. It doesn't detract from the storyline but a little bit of fleshing out of these previous characters would have been welcome. Somebody is recreating Kim's most traumatic events in her life. Somebody seemingly with a real hatred for her. In order to solve this case the team need to revisit their most complex cases to find the murderer. I enjoyed Dead Memories and would recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley for my advanced copy.

Brilliant plot, excellent main characters that you invest in. I read this book in one sitting and I would highly recommend it.

First it was two young teens who’d been chained to a radiator, the boy dead, the girl barely alive. Then a middle-aged couple were found burnt to death in a wrecked car. The chills were running up and down Detective Inspector Kim Stone’s spine as the realization came to her that someone was recreating her early years; the years when first her twin brother Mikey had died, then her caring, loving foster parents had perished in a burnt-out car.

How could Kim continue to run the case with the memories from her past flooding her mind? Would she be able to separate those memories from the current case or was there a person out there who hated her enough to destroy her in any way possible?

Working with Bryant, Stacey and Penn, with profiler Alison Lowe called in to keep an eye on Kim, she was determined to rise above the rage; the anger; the frustration; and most of all, the guilt. But would her superior Woody, see it her way? They were trying to protect her – she knew that deep inside. But she also knew she wanted to put this madman away. Would Kim succeed? Or was it far too late for that?

Dead Memories is the 10th in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and once again, it’s a brilliant psychological thriller. The breathtaking horror of the perpetrator’s acts; of Kim’s grim determination to stamp on the memories and give the case her all – Dead Memories is everything I love about this genre. I’ve loved each one in this series and look forward to the next. The important thing for new readers of this author – start from the beginning of the series or you’ll miss out dreadfully. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

“We have to go back to the past to find our killer and to predict our future.”

In Dead Memories, DI Kim Stone must face her past in order to determine her future.

Someone is toying with Kim Stone and it isn’t pretty. They are hitting her where it hurts the most with the intention of destroying her personally and professionally.

DI Kim Stone has put some heinous criminals away. As a result, she has many enemies. When someone begins committing crimes that reenact some of Kim’s personal horrors, she is forced to revisit those who hate her the most--the most violent and evil criminals who have committed the most horrendous crimes imaginable. In doing so, she once again puts herself and faithful team in danger. At the same time, she must face the horrors of her childhood.

This was a fascinating addition to the series, as it unearthed more of Kim’s background. As a result, she is quite vulnerable and forced to share her childhood traumas with those who are closest to her. While the events of Kim’s past are awful and hard to read about, it was fun to revisit some of the characters from previous books. Her team is struggling to keep it together, but they hold a united front while attempting to protect their boss from harm. Penn is fitting in well, and Kim and Bryant’s relationship continues to grow. My favorite scenes are when the team is working together.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about this series; it gets better and better with every installment. With every book, the characters evolve and the cases continue to be compelling. I truly feel like I know this group. I highly highly recommend this series and anxiously await book #11.

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

DI Kim Stone returns in this 10th book in the series with her team. She is called to a flat several floors below the one in which she spent the first six years of her life to investigate the murder of two teenagers handcuffed to a radiator. Immediately Kim suspects that whoever is responsible for doing this to the victims they know a lot about her, right down to small details. They’ve gone to a lot of trouble to stage this killing and let her know that they are making a point. Things have got personal and Kim soon realises that the killer is out to cause her as much pain as possible.

Her team, especially Bryant are aware of much of her horrific childhood, but not all the details. Through this story the horrors DI Kim Stone suffered are brought to light in the most glaring of ways. She is unable to hide from her past as hideous incidents are replayed for everyone to see. Someone wants revenge, but who and more to the point, why?

I loved her strong, independent character. Kim Stone is tough and private, but when the killer stays one step ahead of her and her team, they pull together and have her back.

This is my first Angela Marson’s book and although it’s the 10th book in the series, I didn’t feel like I should have read the previous 9 books, however I fully intend to now! It was fascinating to uncover more about the main character through her relationships that have built up through the series and it only makes me want to go back over the first books to find out exactly what conflict they struggled against or with each other.

I loved this fast-paced, clever story and am delighted to have finally discovered Angela Marson’s books!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#DeadMemories #NetGalley Wow, just Wow!! Angela Marsons has done it again in this, the next thrilling installment of the DI Kim Stone series. I could not put this book down and read it in virtually one sitting staying up late into the night/morning to finish it! In my opinion, the best in the series so far, with so much action and twists and turns that I found myself holding my breath on numerous occasions. The team work well with Kim and the newcomer Penn is starting to fit in nicely, although I do still miss Dawson. Just the right amount of humour to relieve the darker elements. I would give this 10 stars if I could, and excellent read!

Just finished book 10 of this fantastic series! 10!!! I am now eagerly waiting for book 11!

Two teenagers are found cuffed to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is still alive. Hmmm, sound a little familiar!? For Detective Kim Stone, this scene is a little too reminiscent of her past and what happened with her and her brother Mikey. I was instantly pulled in! Kim is called to another scene and any doubts she may have had are now gone, this is all about her! Someone is recreating traumatic incidents of her childhood and making her face the horrible memories of her past.

I love the whole team and I really enjoyed Alison Lowe amongst them! The character development is great. Penn has really grown on me but I still miss Dawson! I wish Alexandra Thorne would have made an appearance in this one! I even like Keats, especially the banter between him and Kim! And even, yes I'm going to say it, even the pain in the --- Frost! :)

I love this series!! 5 stars! I highly recommend you start at book 1 if you haven't yet started this series! And if you haven't read any yet, ummmm !!!??? I'll leave that there...

A huge thank you to Angela Marsons, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book! Bring on Book 11 Angela Marsons!!!

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It's fitting that this tenth book in the DI Kim Stone series should be an anniversary of sorts. Marsons gives her fans and her detectives a chance to look back at previous cases and celebrate fond memories of killers and their victims. Wait, what? Okay there is nothing to celebrate when two young people are found dead, chained to an old radiator. These murders and the ones which follow mimic events in DI Stone’s personal life and it's up to Bryant, Stacey and Penn to hunt down a killer with a sick vendetta against their boss.

Marsons is once again at the top of her game delivering a case so crippling to Stone that she must rely on her team to help her figure out which criminal from past cases hates her to this extent. She is also forced to include profiler Alison Lowe, dropped into the group to monitor Stones ability to function. That Lowe is dealing with feelings of self-doubt from a case of her own adds to the challenges faced by the team. All this and a walk down memory lane with a whole bunch of despicables Stone has successfully incarcerated in the past.

I love what each member of Stones team bring to this investigation. Bryant is Kim’s anchor and sounding board. Both Stacey and Penn can find the background to every perp, witness and victim at lightning speed. Penn is slowly entering the witness interview phase but both have yet to fill Dawson’s shoes. I'm sure their talents will be explored in future novels.

Dead Memories is an amazing addition to a stellar series.

ARC received with thanks from Bookouture via NetGalley for review.

This is the 10th book in the series that i have read and got to be one of Angela's best yet. This book had me gripped throughout. How does someone know so much about Kim? Innocent people are dying and Kim and her team need to find out who exactly wants revenge so badly that they will do anything to destroy Kim. This book had me guessing all the way through and i was constantly changing my mind on who i thought the culprit was. Cant wait for book 11. Well done again Angela for a brilliant read.

Detective Kim Stone #10

On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. Unfortunately the boy has died but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago. Then, bodies of a middle aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car. Kim can't ignore the similarity to the death of Erika and Keith, the only loving parents Kim had ever known.

Wow, ten great reads in just four years is an amazing achievement. In this latest novel, Kim Kim has her work cut out trying to find out who was carrying out these crimes. There's a long list of suspects that might hold a grudge against her. There is lots of twists that keep you second guessing who was committing these horrendous crimes and why. Kim and her team will have to pull out all resources to try and solve these crimes. I'm not sure this book could be read as a standalone as it features on Kim's past of which we have learned about in previous books. I really like this series that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend that you read this series in order.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Angela Marsons for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot believe that we are at book 10 in the Kim Stone series already. And as with all 9 other books Angela Marsons keeps you tied up in knots. Kim is called to the scene of what appears to be a double overdose, but for Kim it brings back memories. In an apartment just a few floors down from where she lived as a child she finds handcuffed to a radiator one boy dead and one girl alive….we’ve heard this story before. The similarities don’t end there and as case after case appears all recreating a traumatic event from Kim’s past her team watch her push all her feelings away.
This book moved really quickly, the writing was very fluid and the story beautifully unfolded and then smacked you in the face! Didn’t see the ending coming at all!
Once again five stars for Kim Stone and her team!

Fabulous instalment of this series. Faced paced and gritty the author nails it once more. I can’t wait for the next one!