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… 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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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The central mystery of this novel begins with a young man beheaded and genitally mutilated. Enter DI Kim Stone, heading up a new and untried team. Aptly named Stone because her face gives away none of her emotions, she quickly figures out how to pull her team together. They soon link this murder with one that occurred six years earlier. She and her team find the serial killer within four days–hard to believe but credibly plotted. Other mysteries about Kim unravel: Why she lacks empathy, how she got chosen to work in this new location, what she doesn’t know about the connection between her and another pivotal character, and finally what drives her. In short, she’s a character we root for.
Detective Inspector (DI) Kim Stone is transferred yet again to another West Midlands police station. This time is Halesowen under the leadership of Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Woodward. Her style and lack of social norms are responsible for her being dispatched from one station to another. She’s also got a new team who, on the surface, don’t look promising, especially since their first case is not only gruesome but has all the makings of being the work of a serial murderer.
I started this series a couple of years ago and meant to continue but, as usual, got waylaid by others. This prequel was written after more than ten books into the series and now I’m pretty happy I waited as it’s not only an interesting investigation but a remarkable story of the team and its origins. Instead of proceeding into stories involving a well-functioning detective squad, I got the opportunity to meet them at their most vulnerable and infancy as a group. It was equally as, if not more, interesting as the troublesome case they were handed. Each member’s strengths and weaknesses were on display, including DI Stone who is the enigmatic team leader you’re either going to embrace or be annoyed by.
I’m so glad the author decided to tell their early story as I’m now even more excited to continue. The backstories provide an intimate look into each and how they eventually came to trust and work well with each other, among other revelations. The mystery was a puzzler even though it didn’t seem so at first. It kept me engaged and I had a handful of suspects without correctly solving the identity of the killer. Sometimes a prequel written late in the series is best read in published order. In my opinion, this works well as the intro and should be read first before starting as I have a fresh new perspective about the continuing characters and their working dynamics. I chose to listen to it and the narrator was great. She gave each of the characters a voice that felt well suited to the author’s design and was a good storyteller. Highly recommend the book and the audio version. 4.5 stars
I love the Kim Stone series
I love the Kim Stone books, cannot wait for the next one,