Angela Marsons is a British novelist best known for kim stone's detective stories. Over three years, over three million copies of her novels were sold.
The gripping narrative unfolds with a chilling scene where a mother lies lifeless on the floor, her daughter beside her in a striking purple ballgown, knife in hand. This moment sets the stage for a deep exploration of familial bonds, trauma, and the complexities of love and desperation. As the story progresses, it delves into the psychological turmoil and secrets that lead to this harrowing event, revealing the characters' struggles and the impact of their choices on their lives.
A chilling scene unfolds with a victim found beneath the trees, seemingly lifeless yet not fully dead. The eerie stillness and vacant gaze suggest a deeper mystery, inviting readers to unravel the circumstances surrounding this unsettling moment. The narrative promises a gripping exploration of suspense and the complexities of life and death, setting the stage for a thrilling journey into the unknown.
A striking image of a woman's lifeless body, with bright blonde hair contrasting against the soft green grass, sets a haunting tone. Her unblinking brown eyes gaze at the sky, hinting at a tragic fate, while a dark, bloody cut across her mouth suggests violence and a story of silence. This description evokes themes of loss, violence, and the stark reality of death, inviting readers to uncover the mystery surrounding her demise.
: An absolutely heart-pounding and addictive crime thriller
When a nineteen-year-old boy, Jamie Mills, is found hanging from a tree in a local park, his death is ruled a suicide. Detective Kim Stone's instincts tell her something isn't right - but it's not her investigation and her temporary replacement is too busy waiting for the next big case to be asking the right questions. Still mending her broken mind and body from her last harrowing case, Kim is supposed to be easing back into work gently. But then she finds a crucial, overlooked detail: Jamie had a recent injury that would have made it impossible for him to climb the tree. He must have been murdered. Quickly taking back charge of her team and the case, Kim visits Jamie's parents and is shocked to hear that they had sent him to a clinic to 'cure' him of his sexuality. According to his mother, Jamie was introverted and prone to mood swings. Yet his friend speaks of a vibrant, outgoing boy. The clues to smashing open this disturbing case lie behind the old Victorian walls of the clinic, run by the Gardner family. They claim that patients come of their own accord and are free to leave at any time. But why are those that attended the clinic so afraid to speak of what happens there? And where did the faded restraint marks identified on Jamie's wrists come from? Then the body of a young woman is found dead by suffocation and Kim makes two chilling discoveries. The victim spent time at the clinic too, and her death was also staged to look like a suicide. Scarred from an ordeal that nearly took her life, is Kim strong enough to stop a terrifying killer from silencing the clinic's previous patients one by one?
"One August afternoon, eight-year-old Grace Lennard skips into the garden of the childcare centre she attends and vanishes into thin air. Hours before, Steven Harte walks into Halesowen police station and confesses to having information that will lead Detective Kim Stone to Melody Jones - the little girl who was taken from a playground exactly twenty-five years ago. But something about his confession is off and Kim dismisses his claims. Arriving at the scene of Grace's disappearance, Kim finds a chilling piece of evidence: the heart bracelet belonging to Melody. Now Kim must play Steven's twisted game if she is to find Grace alive. But they're going to play by Kim's rules. With only twenty-four hours to make every second of Steven's interrogation count, and scan his behaviour for hidden clues, Kim and her team soon link Steven to the abduction of several vulnerable girls - two were kept for a year and then released, unharmed - but where are Melody and the others? Then small bones are discovered in the grounds of a local park, and Kim fears the worst. Kim may be close to convicting a killer, but there's another who wants revenge against her - Dr Alex Thorne - the evil woman Kim did her best to keep behind bars. Alex is about to reveal a shocking secret to Kim that will hit her where it hurts the most. And if Kim lets Alex mess with her head, she might not be able to save Grace and find the other missing girls in time"--Back cover
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 victims 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?
Cher is determined to make Michael Hunter fall deeply in love with her, envisioning a connection so strong he can't stand to be apart. However, as she pursues this goal, she begins to question whether her quest for happiness might be misguided. The story explores themes of love, friendship, and self-discovery, as Cher navigates her feelings and the complexities of relationships.
"In a busy shopping centre, a little girl clutches a teddy bear, clinging to it in the absence of her mother, Katrina. Hours later, Katrina's body is discovered in an abandoned building. For Detective Kim Stone, it looks like a quick, functional murder. But Kim's instincts tell her there's more to this senseless murder than meets the eye. What was the motive for killing a young mother out shopping with her child? Days later, a second victim is found in a local park, her neck broken just like Katrina's and her six-year-old son missing. But with her colleague, Detective Stacey Wood, working on another unsolved crime and a member of the team grieving the loss of a close relative, Kim is struggling to make inroads on what is fast becoming a complex case. And when a handwritten letter from the killer lands on Kim's desk addressed to her, and pleading for help, she knows time is running out to bring the little boy home alive. With the support of a handwriting analyst and profiler, Kim and the team begin to get inside the mind of the killer and make a shocking discovery. Some of the victims have scratch marks on their wrists. But these are no random scratches. The killer is using them to communicate with someone. The question is ... with whom?"--Provided by publisher
"When Detective Kim Stone is called to the home of Samantha Brown, she finds the young woman lying in bed with her throat cut and a knife in her hand. With no sign of forced entry or struggle, Kim rules her death a tragic suicide. But a visit to Samantha's parents rings alarm bells for Kim - there's something they're not telling her. And, when she spots a clue in a photograph, Kim realises she's made a huge mistake. Samantha didn't take her own life, she was murdered. Then a young man's body is found in a local lake with his throat cut and Kim makes a link between the victim and Samantha. They both spent time at Unity Farm, a retreat for people seeking an alternative way of life.Beneath the retreat's cosy façade, Kim and her team uncover a sinister community preying on the emotionally vulnerable.Sending one of her own undercover into Unity Farm is high risk but it's Kim's only hope if she is to catch a killer - someone Kim is convinced the victims knew and trusted. With Bryant distracted by the emergence of a harrowing case close to his heart, and an undercover officer in way over her head, Kim's neck is on the line like never before. Can she protect those closest to her before another life is taken?"--Publisher description