Hidden Scars is the 17th book in the Kim Stone series, but if you're new to the series, I beg you don’t let that put you off! It’s such a cracking series and one that will have you addicted and begging for more. What can I say about Hidden Scars that I haven’t already mentioned in one of my 16 previous reviews? Well, here goes…. OMFG, this book is incredible, thought provoking, emotionally draining, but what a fantastic read!

DI Kim Stone returns to work after recuperating from her previous near death investigation. She is stunned to see the incompetent DI Burns leading her team. They have been investigating a young man called Jamie’s recent suicide. But in Burns incapable hands, he’s quick to lay the case to rest. After Kim has a showdown with DI Burns (go girl!) she’s determined to make sure Jamie gets a proper investigation. She soon links Jamie’s death with another murder, made to look a suicide. Which leads them to investigate a clinic. It’s at this point the investigation takes a very dark and unsettling turn.

Hidden Scars deals with a very challenging subject, set around the beliefs of a person’s sexuality. It’s a subject that feels more suited to the dark ages, but sadly, it’s one that’s alive and kicking. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but as Kim and her team dig deeper into their victims’ life, I felt so many emotions, anger, disbelief, and desperately sad that such things still happen and people can still hold such troubling beliefs.

I have to mention the characters, or rather ‘old friends’ I have felt like I have been there alongside them through the good times, the traumatic ones, they have all grown but I love how the author has managed not to lose Kim Stone’s sassy side that make her such an endearing character. Shocker alert! Bryant's Christian name is finally revealed. I wouldn’t have guessed that one in a million years! If there’s one thing I love about Marsons writing, it has to be she doesn’t just write a story, she creates a plot that is multi-layered, emotive, a plot that has a healthy dose of humour to counteract those darker moments, a plot that begs you to read one more chapter than another. I’ve said it once and I will say it again ‘this is one of my favourite crime series EVER’ and I shall eagerly wait the next book in this brilliant series.

I loved this book. One of the best Kim Stone yet. These books just keep getting better and better. I love getting to know all the characters in a series and coming to care about them. I would love to know these people in person and work with them. Read this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Detective Kim Stone died. After two months of carefully controlled recovery she is back to lead her team.

With 3 dead bodies, apparent suicides, building up, the team have a lot of work to do. All clues link to a clinic, which claims to ‘cure’ people of being gay. Who is the killer and what is their motive?

This is book 17 in the detective Kim Stone series, but is just as good a read as all the others. I really enjoy the suspense and twists and turns.

The team dynamics are as enjoyable to read as ever. The banter between Kim and Bryant and Stacey , is as good natured and a reprieve from the dead! I found myself smiling away-light relief during a heavy and hard hitting book.

A crime series full of variation;
I have already read Volumes 1 and 2 in the German translation of the uncompromising DI Kim Stone series and since I liked them very much, I have now ventured into Volume 17 in the English original. I like it when you recognize the investigators, then you immediately feel at home in the thriller and can concentrate on the case. What I particularly like about this crime series is that the cases I have read so far have been totally different and therefore very varied. Nothing is foreseeable, every case speaks for itself. It would be possible to start with this 17th volume, since each case is self-contained and deals with its own topic. Investigators focus on the case and their personal lives are only mentioned when relevant to the case. I find that very pleasant, as I want to read a thriller and not get to know the complicated private lives of officials. A great crime series and I will definitely read all of the books.

How can this even be the 17th book in the Kim Stone series from Angie Marsons? Honestly it only seems like yesterday that I became hooked after reading Silent Scream. It might be the 17th book but it can be read as a standalone (though you are missing out on some amazing books if you haven’t read the others!). There is always a danger with long running series, that they start to become a bit lacklustre and lose some of their shine but I can assure you this is not the case with this series and I’m just hoping the police do away with retirement age and just let Kim go on forever!
In Hidden Scars, Kim is on a phased return to work, she is meant to be taking things at a slow pace and gradually working her way back into her daily life and for a minute or two we actually do believe she has been listening to instruction (for once in her life!). But we all know Kim Stone don’t we, do we really believe she is going to stand by and watch DI Burns take over? DI Burns who spends his life clout chasing for the sexiest of crimes to make his mark; who writes off victims; who has destroyed the morale of Kim’s team and whose arrogance and incompetence almost got her killed…hell no, of course she is not. Kim is soon itching to take over and when one of the team point out that she is in danger of having no team to return to, Kim Stone, steps up to the plate and well and truly takes her place back from Burns – oh, how I LOVED that scene! I was punching the air with delight at that!
The blurb tells you all you need to know about the story line, for me, these books are more than just a story. Through Kim and her team some important themes and issues are addressed and Angela Marsons always manages to do this without leaving the reader feel they are being lectured to. Hidden Scars addresses what are, sadly, still prevalent beliefs about sexuality and when she uncovers what is going on in the clinic run by the Gardner family my blood really began to boil. While this might be fiction, it is rooted firmly in the truth and the truth is that people like this still exist.
I am always amazed how Angela Marsons manages to weave her stories together, the tight plotting, the little hooky endings to chapters, the clues, the red herrings and all magically come together at the end leaving me feeling completely satisfied and most desperate for the next instalment.
I feel like I’ve grown alongside Kim and her team, I almost feel a part of the investigation, and indeed, their lives at times. It is impossible to read this series and not get caught up in who the characters are as people. The team dynamics are spot on, they are a tight knit team but never afraid to challenge each other or give unwanted truths when needed. In this book we see Penn really start to struggle with his brother’s increasing need for independence and perhaps a hint of happiness for him to come in the future? I loved that we find out Bryant’s first name too! It was not what I thought it would be! But Kim, she is the glue that brings the team together and keeps them together. Her character is just outstanding. It would have been so easy to make her the caricature damaged detective, but she is so much more than that. Each book peels back another layer and shows the reader what a complex and well-rounded character she is.
Hidden Scars, once again, ticks all the boxes for me. It is perfectly paced, devious, dark and disturbing; it is thought provoking and heart-breaking; filled to the brim with characters who will get under your skin, for good or bad and full of the most twisty twists that you could ever want!
Don’t miss it!

Hidden Scars is the latest book in the prolific Angela Marsons' Kim Stone series.........the 18th in 7 years including the First Blood prequel.
Stone returns to work, supposedly taking a back seat,while recovering from her near death experience in the last tale, Six Graves.

With the incompetent D,I Burns in charge ,the man whose arrogance nearly cost Stone her life,the morale of her team is at rock bottom. Burns shows a callous disregard for victims and not even interested enough to launch a basic investigation into what he's happy to accept as the suicide of a young man,Jamie Mills, found hanging from a tree . Despite supposedly only doing office duties on her return Stone investigates and what she finds has her getting Burns thrown out and taking charge again.
The investigation into Jamie's death leads Stone and the team to a clinic that claims to "cure" gay people and when another victim of staged suicide is also found to have links to the clinic things escalate rapidly.

This is a bit different to previous Stone books in that it addresses societal issues that are obviously very important to Angela Marsons that she highlights through the voices of her characters and I'd guess there are some who will accuse her of being "woke" in this book. Usually those who use that expression continuously are lost for words when asked what it actually means.

This is a bit slower moving than the usual Kim Stone book but it's a good story and one that will hopefully make most readers think. There are some quite shocking scenes and explicit violence but as ever plenty of humour and some neat twists.
As ever with this series Hidden Scars can be read as a standalone but if you're already familiar with Kim stone and her motley crew you'll get far more out of it.

Angela Marsons Hidden Scars is book 17 in the Detective Kim Stone series. I love this series and look forward to each addition. They can be read independently. Angela Marsons is on my automatic must-read list. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, give her books a try!

Synopsis:
James Mills is a bright 19-year-old man discovered hanging from a large tree. His death is automatically ruled self-inflicted. James' death haunts Detective Kim Stone. Why would a young healthy man end his own life? As Kim investigates, she discovers that James recently suffered a leg injury that prevented him from climbing trees. James was murdered, but who wanted him dead?

In Hidden Scars, Angela Marsons pulls out all the stops and takes on tough topics. The writing is honest, yet handled with sensitivity. Do not enter into this book blindly as the material may not be suitable for all audiences. Hidden Scars is Angela Marsons deepest work and I love it. I congratulate the author on her brilliant novel.

Hidden Scars (Detective Kim Stone Book 17) by Angela Marsons is available on November 9th.
(4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫)

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for sharing this outstanding book with me. As you follow along with the series, the characters become family. I am excited to read book 18.

#HiddenScarsDetectiveKimStoneBook17

Firstly thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for the opportunity to read an early copy of the book. What can I say another excellent page turner from Angela Marsons, I devoured this book in one day I couldn’t put it down, just like all the other books (I still have three to read, my first time out of sequence!)

Tackling what can only be described as a difficult topic, the story starts out with three instantaneous crimes, brutal murder, a disappearance and an alleged suicide…. Which turns out to be anything but a suicide. We then start on a journey into conversion therapy which brings The Change clinic into the spotlight. The barbaric ‘treatments’ patients endure to make themselves ‘normal’ in the eyes of the sad people that can't accept homosexuality. The story is heart-wrenching at times, and thought provoking throughout, a sensitive topic handled brilliantly. The way in which all the crimes intertwine and manifest themselves is genius.

Kim Stone, often rude and unbelievably blunt, is a wonderful character, her love for her team, again shines through, as does the love and compassion Kim’s colleagues have for her, especially Bryant, who o I realised for the first time has a first name, book 17 and that's the first time I've heard it!

Absolutely brilliant book, from start to finish, you'll struggle to put it down. Read it now, you won't be disappointed.

Cannot believe this is 17 in Kim Stone
A brilliant read
The subject of conversion therapy is something I'd not known much about
As usual, the subject is dealt with in an informative and sensitive way
After Kims near death experience in Book 16, I feel we get to know her character a lot more
She has opened up a bit more with people. She is as courageous and brave as ever
I now see her showing empathy and voicing some of her feelings
This series just gets better with each book
She is my favourite heroine because she is real
Angela Marsons. You're a genius!
Already looking forward to where this will take us next....

This one was quite a shocking book to read. It's Hidden Scars by Angela Marsons which I received from Bookouture via Netgalley. It will be out on the 9th of November.

Detective Stone is back and immediately takes back her team and starts to investigate the cases her substitute neglected to investigate. The case evolves when more apparent suicides turn up. The investigation leads to a conversion clinic. People go there to change their sexuality but the investigation is getting darker by the minute. Will they be able to crack this case and save an innocent woman?

The author managed to tell this dark story in this well written book. The characters have been worked out in the previous 16 books, so I missed a bit of background because this is my first book in the series. That didn't really matter because I was hooked from the very first page. A disturbing fact is that conversion therapy and clinics still exist, even here in the Netherlands. The government is actually trying to make it illegal but I couldn't find wether the proposed bill became an actual bill. Hopefully this will happen soon!

5/5⭐

DI Kim Stone returns to work after recuperating from her previous near death investigation. She is stunned to see the DI that failed to protect her is now leading her team. They seem timid and actively discouraged from investigating a recent suicide. But Kim wont allow Jamie’s death to be swept aside without proper investigation. She gains control of the team again and soon links Jamie’s death with another murder, made to look a suicide. Plus they were both gay and attended a clinic to cure their sexuality. Kim is appalled such a clinic exists and goes to all lengths to see what happens behind closed doors.
Another fast paced, gripping book. Kim, Bryant, Penn and Stacy are a close knit team and obviously missed each other in Kim’s absence. Great to have them back in action, righting the wrongs.

Kim Stone is back! But is she really back? The aftermath of last books events is very present in this book, but as soon as Kim is back at work she is doing what she does best – solving crime. This time she is investigating alleged suicides and soon uncovers a much larger underlying case.

It was nice to read about her working with her team again, I just love how Bryant, Stacey and Penn interact with each other. I always enjoy all the litte side stories. Despite Kims rude nature, people care about her and it was nice to see in which different ways they reached out to her.

The plot was well constructed and there were new developments and relevations every few pages. I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see what comes next for Kim!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Angela Marsons for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Kim’s last case resulted in her being forced to take time out from work to recover - not just physically but mentally too. However, ignoring all advice to take things slowly and only return when she’s ready, those of us who know and love Kim realise that she’s the last one to listen to advice. She returns to find herself mired in apparent suicide cases and inevitably discovers that they’re nothing of the sort. Her regular team is soon on to it, and they’re all shocked and appalled by what they find.

‘Hidden Scars’ delves into something called ‘conversion therapy’ - a tough subject to handle, but it was handled with sensitivity.

Kim and Bryant’s work relationship really comes to the fore this time around, and it’s beautiful to witness, the storyline was distressing yet current. Suspenseful as ever, and with not just the mother of all twists - but three of them! Loved it!

Kim is back. Still broken from her encounter with Symes but with no intention of letting anyone know. Her team is in tatters, nearly destroyed by an officer she hoped to never have to see again. A totally captivating story with some very disturbing undertones.

Hidden Scars was just outstanding, continuing to follow one of the all time strongest female protagonists as she recovers from near death, battles demons and tries to solve a horrific case, which Marsons sensitively deals with issues around some attempting to "cure" sexuality and acceptance of oneself.

It is amazing how these books are crime fiction but amongst that so emotional, with mental health issues included, and a focus on the team, deep connections and friendship. 

I love the short chapters and engaging writing, as always.

Already hanging out for book 18 and highly recommend.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and bookouture for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Where do I start? I really can't find the words to describe just how brilliant this series is. Perhaps if I say that I only discovered the series a few months ago and in that time I've devoured all 18 books in the series it might show just how good they are.
This series focuses on the main character of Detective Kim Stone who is rebellious, rough and rude but despite her faults she is an amazing character. The books also feature some hard hitting story lines but are written so well they are easy to read and fast paced.
This latest book, Hidden Scars, is Angela Marsons at her best and has everything we've grown to love in her books- great plot, brilliant characters and plenty of surprises along the way.

I can not get enough of Kim Stone and team. I didn't figure this one out and kept reading until I finished. Angela Marsons you made me loose sleep.

Another fabulous instalment to the DI Kim Stone series. How is this #17? Kim is severely injured and almost dies in #16. Read it and all the previous books if you haven’t already. So Kim comes back to work but she is not ready. She is furious how her temporary replacement works and mismanages her team. He doesn’t last long! A teenager’s death is first labelled suicide but it is anything but. Other deaths and a missing husband has the team focused on a clinic that claims it can change a person’s sexual orientation. Lots of twists and turns in this one. Please write fast so we have #18 to read soon. Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookoutre and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

Book Title: Hidden Scars
Series: Angela Marsons
Author: Detective Kim Stone #17
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Pub Date: November 9, 2022
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars!

I have only read a few Angela Marsons novels, but I call myself a DI Kim Stone fan!

Detective Kim Stone has been off work recovering from injuries she suffered from a beating while investigating her last case.
She is back to work and although her bones have healed, psychologically she not yet close to 100%, but she is determined to do her job.
She is looking into the last case which was nineteen year old Jamie Mills who was found hanging from a tree in a local park. When DI Stone checks his body at the morgue the evidence board is empty.

Kim decides to visit Jamie's parents as she isn’t so sure his death is a suicide. They tell her that Jamie has been a patient at a Change clinic that specializes in therapy that can help individuals who are "confused" about their sexuality.
Kim sets out to investigate what really goes on in the clinic as she is fearful they may have been responsible for Jamie’s death.

Story is so compelling and also so disturbing.
It is a fast read as I was so curious. There are many characters to keep track of so was taking notes.
Since it is a series there are many familiar characters.

There is a lot going on in this. Although I was expecting twists and turns,
I still said - Wait - I didn’t see that coming!

I always enjoy the Author’s Notes and Acknowledgements.
I was hoping for an inside scoop on the motivation for this story. It seems Angela Marsons has some horror in her vivid imagination. Some parts sure gave me nightmares,
Oh! I did love in the acknowledgement that Ms. Marsons acknowledged author friend Kim Slater.
Interesting since I just read her latest thriller!

It was a great read and looking forward to #18. Hmm wonder if Bradley will be using his first name more.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this great early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 9, 2022

This is book 17 in the DI Kim Stone series. It’s my first book by the author so I read it as a stand-alone. I didn’t feel lost at all and enjoyed the mystery. I would recommend.

Detective Inspector Kim Stone is back to work after nearly being killed. Her team has been struggling without her and is ready to get back to normal.
Kim doesn’t like how the case of Jamie Mills was handled. She decides to have her team investigate this apparent suicide and soon discovers Jamie may have been killed due to his sexual orientation.

Soon, another apparent suicide is assigned to the team. The investigation leads to a clinic that ‘cures’ people who don’t want to be gay. Could this be the link to locate the murderer?

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.