Member Review

First, thank you to Angela Marsons and NetGalley for the advance copy to read on my Kindle!

I ADORE this cast of characters, and normally read each and every Kim Stone book within 24 hours of its release in the U. S. The team are an eclectic group that bring their own storylines from outside of work into each case which seems to deepen the readers interest and keeps bring us back to see what private details we can lean in each book.
Kim, the team leader, who was horribly abused by her mother as a child has her no nonsense, blunt, super guarded manner tempered by her right hand man, Bryant, who is a married father that seems to be Kim’s humanity and often voice of reason. They bicker like an old married couple but complement each other like the left and right in a comfy, old pair of slippers.
Stacey, the computer whiz is youngest of the team and least experienced, a black lesbian married to Devon a more reasonable, emotionally balanced woman you just have to love.
Penn, is the logical element that balances everyone. Caretaker of his younger brother, who has Down’s Syndrome and loves to bake, has recently opened his heart to Lynn a patient and truly kind woman who accepts the brothers and keeps the little family going.

This case brings the team what begins as 2 cases- a young murdered mother of a very lovable disabled girl, and Martha, a frequent flyer known to the whole station as much as for her lack of hygiene as her hatred of her neighbors- against whom there has been a “Hatfield and McCoy-esque” feud for generations. Unfortunately for Kim, just as she catches Ashley’s ( the young mother)murder, Martha refuses to speak to anyone except “inspector Sow” about shooting her next door neighbor.
For some reason Kim keeps turning back to Martha and her feud while working the murder (and others with the same MO, which seem to be stacking up. She can’t explain why but she’s determined for there to be an end to the feud and the family “curse” causing all of the men in Martha’s family to die by the age of fifty.

The imagination and level of detail in these two cases, much less how there are intertwined blows me away. It’s much more involved than just finding the killer. Both have back stories and multiple characters that seem completely unrelated until final few chapters… in a way I didn’t see coming!

Bravo, Angela! Another win for Kim and the team!