Name: First Blood
ISBN: 9780751579833

Angela Marsons

When the body of a young man is found beheaded and staked to the ground in a secluded woodland area of the Clent Hills, Kim and her new squad rush to the crime scene. Searching the victim's home, Kim finds a little girl's bedroom and a hidden laptop, but where is the child? And why does the man's own sister seem relieved that he's dead?As Kim begins to unearth the shocking truth about the victim, a disturbing resemblance is spotted with the recent murder of a man found beneath the staircase of Redland Hall with multiple stab wounds. Both these men had dark secrets and Kim discovers a link to a women's shelter. As a child of the care system herself, Kim knows all too well what it means to be vulnerable. Could the shelter be the key to cracking this case?

First Blood

In the darkness of a cold December morning, Detective Kim Stone steps through the doors of Halesowen Police Station. She’s about to meet her team for the first time. The victim of her next case is about to meet his killer… When the body of a young man is found beheaded and staked to the ground in a secluded woodland area of the Clent Hills, Kim and her new squad rush to the crime scene. Searching the victim’s home, Kim finds a little girl’s bedroom and a hidden laptop, but where is the child? And why does the man’s own sister seem relieved that he’s dead? As Kim begins to unearth the shocking truth about the victim, a disturbing resemblance is spotted with the recent murder of a man found beneath the staircase of Redland Hall with multiple stab wounds. Both these men had dark secrets and Kim discovers a link to a women’s shelter. As a child of the care system herself, Kim knows all too well what it means to be vulnerable. Could the shelter be the key to cracking this case? With the killer about to strike again, Kim is in deep water with a rookie squad. Inexperienced Stacey is showing signs of brilliance but struggling to hold her nerve and, while D.S. Bryant is reliable and calm, D.S. Dawson is a liability. With his home life in pieces, his volatile behaviour is already fracturing her fragile new team. Can Kim bring Dawson in line and pull her crew together in time to catch the killer before another life is taken? This time, one of her own could be in terrible danger… Discover where it all began for Kim and her team. An absolutely heart-stopping mystery thriller that will keep you glued to the pages, reading late into the night. Perfect for Kim Stone fans and new readers to the million-copy bestselling series. A detective hiding dark secrets, Kim Stone will stop at nothing to protect the innocent. Read what everyone is saying about First Blood and the Detective Kim Stone series: ‘I cannot begin to tell you how god damn good it is. First Blood is so bloody brilliant and so gripping… totally blown my mind…Without a doubt one of my best reads this year leaving me with a book hangover.’ Baker’s Not So Secret Blog⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great introduction to the best crime series on the shelves right now… I loved this book from cover to cover…a brilliant read which will have people turning the pages at a feverish rate. This is a second chance for those of us who follow the series to have that first meeting with Stone and the gang, and it’s absolutely brilliant.’ Nigel Adams Bookworm ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Angela Marsons is a keen observer of human nature, and her wide cast of characters are both fascinating and distinct from each other…it is immediately clear why her books stand out from the crowd. Chilling and compelling plots, brilliant characterisation…addictive from start to finish.’ Rachel Abbott ‘Superb!!! I love Kim – always have, always will!! … breath-taking, heart-pounding, exciting and thrilling!!! I completely and utterly recommend reading not just this book, but the whole series!! Fab, fab, fab, fab, fab.’ Stardust Book Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘There is a smile on my face and goosebumps on my arms. Rarely have I been so satisfied with a novel… breath-taking… a masterpiece, the star at the top of your Christmas tree…get going with the series if you haven’t already.’ Chocolate ‘n’ Waffles ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Oh my life. This is the book that all Kim Stone fans have been waiting for and they didn’t even know it…another class Kim Stone story…a dark and deadly case, high on thrills, intrigue, mystery and tension, perfectly pitched on pace and featuring the dry humour and banter we know and love…Top stuff – Loved it.’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A completely gripping mystery thriller

Denaiir

This book was amazing! Getting to witness how the squad met was such a treat. The plot was extremely good as well, definitely one of my favorites in the series.

In the darkness of a cold December morning, Detective Kim Stone steps through the doors of Halesowen Police Station. She's about to meet her team for the first time. The victim of her next case is about to meet his killer... When the body of a young man is found beheaded and staked to the ground in a secluded area of the Clent Hills, Kim and her new squad rush to the crime scene. Searching the victim's home, Kim discovers a little girl's bedroom and a hidden laptop. Why is his sister relieved to hear he's dead - and where is the rest of his family? As Kim begins to unearth the dark secrets at the heart of the case, DC Stacey Woodward becomes convinced that this murder is somehow linked to a women's shelter. As a child of the care system herself, Kim knows all too well what it means to be vulnerable. With the killer about to strike again, Kim is in deep water with a rookie squad. Inexperienced Stacey is showing signs of brilliance but struggling to hold her nerve and, while D.S. Bryant is reliable and calm, D.S. Dawson is a liability. With his home life in pieces, his volatile behaviour is already fracturing her fragile new team. Can Kim bring Dawson in line and pull her crew together in time to catch the killer before another life is taken? This time, one of her own could be in terrible danger... Discover where it all began for Kim and her team. An absolutely heart-stopping mystery thriller that will keep you glued to the pages, reading late into the night. Perfect for Kim Stone fans and new readers to the million-copy bestselling series. A detective hiding dark secrets, Kim Stone will stop at nothing to protect the innocent. Read what everyone is saying about First Blood and the Detective Kim Stone series: 'I cannot begin to tell you how god damn good it is. First Blood is so bloody brilliant and so gripping... totally blown my mind...Without a doubt one of my best reads this year leaving me with a book hangover.' Baker's Not So Secret Blog ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A great introduction to the best crime series on the shelves right now... I loved this book from cover to cover...a brilliant read which will have people turning the pages at a feverish rate. This is a second chance for those of us who follow the series to have that first meeting with Stone and the gang, and it's absolutely brilliant.' Nigel Adams Bookworm ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Completely Gripping Mystery Thriller

Lynn Braden

Detective Inspector Kim Stone arrives at her new placement about to meet her new team. Her boss, DCI Woodward is not what Kim expects, but she knows that with her track record, it won't matter. She probably won't last any longer with this team than she has with her others. Woodward wants her to take time to get to know her team, but much to her relief, they are presented with a case almost immediately. The corpse of a man has been found with his head and genitals separated from his body. Kim isn't sure if she can trust her team to help her solve this case. DS Bryant is steady and pleasant, but not very dynamic. DC Stacey Wood is young, newly promoted, but inexperienced, and too much of a people pleaser. DS Kevin Dawson is lazy, arrogant, slovenly, and essentially homeless. Kim knows she has her job cut out for her if she is to make them into a team, and this case is going to be trial by fire for them.
First Blood is the prologue to the D.I. Kim Stone series. It works well as an introduction to the characters, whose backgrounds we get through their memories of and interactions with family members and previous colleagues. In this book, the killer's voice is in italics throughout the story, giving hints as to his or her identity. The clues all point to one place, but the killer's identity remains a mystery right up to the end of the book. Overall, this is a very good beginning to this series whose main character reminds me of J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas and Marie Force's Sam Holland.