Hall of Fame Review: Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

Tuesday 3 November 2015
Title: Lost Girls (DI Kim Stone, #3)
Author: Angela Marsons
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 6th November 2015
Pages: 425
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon
The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die.

When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping.

And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the squad.

Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour…

Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families’ past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone’s child pay the ultimate price?

Lost Girls is the third DI Kim Stone novel from Angela Marsons with the first, Silent Scream, only being released in February of this year (2015). Evil Games followed in May and they are two of the best crime novels I have ever read. I had extremely high expectations when picking up Lost Girls, and if I'm honest I felt that Angela really had her work cut out for her in trying to write something even better than her previous two novels. How stupid was I? I was blown away by Lost Girls and it is easily one of the best books I have read this year. I sometimes find that when I love a book too much I'm scared of my review being too OTT so apologies if this ends up a jumbled, repetitive mess.

There is so much I want to say in regards to the story in Lost Girls but of course the spoiler police would be out in force. It's books like this that make me wish I was part of a book club as I could discuss this book all day long. Kim Stone takes on one of the toughest cases of her career when she is tasked with saving the lives of two girls who have been kidnapped. It soon becomes clear that the kidnapper doesn't intend on returning both children and offers the families an ultimatum. The family that offers the most money will see their daughter again. The other couple will not. This is such an emotional story because we get an insight into the minds of the two kidnapped girls and their families who were united before the demands of the kidnapper. Once the demand is made, the families completely fall apart and buried secrets come tumbling out. One of the girl's mothers is someone Kim shared a foster home with which just adds to the drama.

I sometimes try to think a few steps ahead in order to work out those twists before they come but more often than not I am wrong. This time around I had an idea knocking around in my head and, as the book progressed I was convinced that I might be right. Well, then came a huge slap in the face and I was well and truly proved wrong. What I love about Angela's books is that she is an author who isn't afraid to push boundaries, and you should never assume anything with this series. Rather than be annoyed at being proved wrong however, I felt that the reveal in Lost Girls was pure brilliance. Something that I didn't see coming and in the end, everything made perfect sense. This series of books would work really well on TV and I would love to see it made into a series one day.

I like to think that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to crime fiction, and that, having read hundreds of books since my early teens, I can easily recognise when an author comes along with a character and a series that is a little bit more special than all the rest. That author is Angela Marsons and the character is the formidable and inimitable DI Kim Stone. Something that stands out to me is that each book in this series offers something different, each certainly offering an insight into some truly damaged minds but in terms of character development I am thoroughly enjoying following Kim Stone on her journey. I've said it before but how is it possible to love a fictional character this much? She feels like a real person. The odd thing is, she isn't one of those characters that most people would instantly like, she's quite cold and standoffish on first appearance but with the fierceness, tenacity and determination that you would expect from somebody holding the rank of detective inspector. For her, the job and justice come first, no matter the cost. And she really doesn't care about who she offends or upsets whilst she's trying to do that. I think that's another reason why I love her so much. She speaks first, thinks later and isn't afraid of just telling people exactly what she thinks of them. She's brilliant!

For those that are yet to pick up one of Angela's Kim Stone books, the sheer amount of praise should surely convince you that it won't be a decision you will regret and, the fact that this is the third (third!) book from Angela in 2015 alone and for me it still isn't enough should also give some idea of just how amazing this series is. I finished Lost Girls and immediately wanted more. I am excited to see where Angela takes this series next. I'd love to read more about Kim when she was first starting out on the force, or to read more about her troubled upbringing. That said, there are some really interesting developments in her personal life in this book and I can't wait to see those explored in the future. If you have already read the previous two Kim Stone books, I guarantee you will love Lost Girls. If you haven't read them then stop what you are doing right now and go and buy them. Three faultless novels that I wish I could read for the first time all over again. Regulars to my blog will probably know that Chris Carter is my favourite ever crime author, well Angela Marsons is hot on his heels and actually, there are lots of similarities between the two which I think is another reason I love this series so much.

3 comments:

  1. Shaun, I don't know what to say. I am so blown away by your comments. Thank you so much for this fantastic review and for your incredible support. Truly appreciated. X

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  3. This looks fab, I will try and check it out soon! Great review :)

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