How far would you go to protect your darkest secrets?When teenager Sadie Winter jumps from the roof of her school, her death is ruled as suicide – a final devastating act from a troubled girl. But then the broken body of a young boy is discovered at the same school and it’s clear to Detective Kim Stone that these deaths are not tragic accidents.As Kim and her team begin to unravel a dark web of … her team begin to unravel a dark web of secrets, one of the teachers could hold the key to the truth. Yet just as she is about to break her silence, she is found dead.
With more children’s lives at risk, Kim has to consider the unthinkable – whether a fellow pupil could be responsible for the murders. Investigating the psychology of children that kill brings the detective into contact with her former adversary, Dr Alex Thorne – the sociopath who has made it her life’s work to destroy Kim.
Desperate to catch the killer, Kim finds a link between the recent murders and an initiation prank that happened at the school decades earlier. But saving these innocent lives comes at a cost – and one of Kim’s own might pay the ultimate price.
The utterly addictive new crime thriller from the Number One bestselling author – you will be gripped until the final shocking twist.
Readers are loving Dying Truth:
‘Possibly the best in the Kim Stone series yet!…Dying Truth gives us an abundance of secrets, lies and intimidation…She will have you gasping, crying and reeling in shock as she draws you in and spits you out broken at the other end! You have been warned!’ (5 stars) Chapter In My Life
‘Wow! What a book! Absolutely addictive and emotional. This book left me with a heavy heart…There are so many police procedurals out there…nothing has impressed me as much as this one… This will definitely be one of my favorites this year.’ (5 stars) A Sip of Book over Coffee
‘Just wow. This is police procedural at its best…It is complex, intriguing, and the writing hooked me in completely. I read the majority of this book in a few short hours not pausing for breath’ (5 stars) Rachel’s Random Reads
‘Love love love Kim Stone…I read this book in one sitting, and it just kept me guessing till the end…another 5* read from Angela Marsons.’ (5 stars) Goodreads Reviewer
‘Grabbed me from the very first page with an ingenious plot and storyline, you are on one hell of a rollercoaster ride…LOVE LOVE LOVED this fabulous novel…roll on the next in the series, I CANNOT WAIT!!!’ (5 stars) Goodreads Reviewer
‘5 Bloody Beautiful Stars! How can I talk about this book when my heart is in my throat?…I was captivated…Did I mention the ending? God, my palms were actually sweating as that played out.’ (5 stars) Novel Deelights
‘Wow this book was bloody brilliant, I loved it. I was on the edge of my seat hanging on to every word. It was full of tension and suspense and I couldn’t put it down.’ (5 stars) Bonnie’s Book Talk
‘These books just keep getting better and better!…The ending was so exciting I really had to hold my breath whilst I was reading…I am now waiting eagerly for the next book in the series!!’ (5 stars) Goodreads Reviewer
‘A gripping and tense read and by the end I was an emotional wreck…Without a doubt my new favourite book in the series.’ (5 stars) By The Letter Book Reviews
‘Addictive, fast-paced and intriguing and the storytelling is absolutely superb…As for the final few pages, well suffice it to say they hold the most unexpected and jaw-dropping twist of all.’ (5 stars) Goodreads Reviewer
‘I am truly at a loss for words with this one, meaning it was beyond brilliant and going straight to my favorites. If you have to pick one series to read, make it Kim Stone.’ (5 stars) Goodreads Reviewer
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DYING TRUTH (D.I. Kim Stone, #8) by Angela Marsons is a tour de force!
With every book in the Kim Stone series, I have come to love all of the characters more. I have been intrigued and tricked by the mystery/crime plotlines. In book #8, Ms. Marsons covers the short time period of six days which left me with a severe book hangover and the knowledge that I will remember this Kim Stone book far into the future.
Heathcrest is a prestigious private school for children of the elite in British society. Perfect appearance is everything, but a crime from the past has come back to haunt the children of today. D.I. Kim Stone takes a call of a potential jumper. When she arrives on the scene, the broken body of Sadie Winter is on the ground, but Kim cannot justify what she sees with the testimony of witnesses. Soon after, another child is dead and Kim and her team know they must hurry to find who in Heathcrest is killing the children.
Ms. Marsons covers many emotional hot topic issues in this book. Heathcrest displays the divide between private education for the rich and public education. Scholarship students are accepted, but always know they are different. Peer pressure, bullying and the expectations of parents are laid bare in a forthright manner. The pros and cons of secret societies that last for a lifetime plays a major role in a murder from the past tied to the murders in the present. The topic of “if a child can kill” is also covered candidly.
Beside the riveting and emotional intertwined plots from past and present in this book, I always read this series to catch up on some of my favorite characters. Kim and her team not only have to solve this case, but Kim also has to turn in her personnel evaluations. Kim, Bryant, Kevin and Stacey are each very different and yet when put together make the perfect unit. After eight books, I have watched each character grow and become more vivid, but there is a gut-wrenching shake up at the end of this book. Was it needed? That is for each reader to decide, but in my opinion it was entirely believable when you consider that character’s growth and personality.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series. While I may never get over some of the emotional wreckage from this one, I want more!
Thanks very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book was great. I wasn’t happy about what happened to one of Kim’s DC’s. He was just coming into his own.
I preferred this to the earlier books I’ve read in the series. It’s a very intriguing, well-plotted story with a harrowing ending. The characters are now firmly established and the writing has an even flow. But as the number of accidents/murders started to add up it started to become less believable.
DI Kim Stone and her team race to Heathcrest Academy, an elite boarding school, thinking they will be intervening in a student’s suicide attempt. When they arrive, they discover she’s already jumped from the building rooftop. As Kim examines the scene more closely, she suspects that 13-year old Sadie Winter’s death may not be what it first appears, even more so when a second student is killed.
This was one of the more perplexing cases to date because we are given the “what”and some parts of the “why,” but the underlying reasons for Sadie’s murder were elusive and the identity of the killer was equally challenging. They quickly discover that the school has a secret society comprised of four groups, two for each gender, and their power runs deep and strong. The idea that there might be children killing other children was difficult to imagine but it was always in the background as so many presented themselves as potential suspects, which was distressing in itself.
The case was compelling enough but the dramatic conclusion shocked me to my core. I never saw it coming and I’m still reeling from the aftermath. I’ve said it before but I’ll keep repeating that this series continues to best itself with each new book. Yes, the cases are complex and interesting but the true brilliance is in the character development, both with the recurring ones and those secondary who resurrect themselves from time to time. I’ve come to care strongly for these men and women and feel like I have a stake in their continued progress. What happens to them matter to me and it can sometimes be an emotionally wrecking experience as it is here. Thank goodness I’m listening to the stories because the narrator does a fantastic job in controlling these emotions as her storytelling skills are outstanding.
As Detective Kim Stone’s investigation into a young girl’s death at a prestigious boarding school deepens, she uncovers evidence that it may be linked to exclusive clubs within the school. As the body count rises and other student’s lives are put at risk, she makes it her mission to stamp out whatever it is that is going on. This story is extremely well written, full of surprises and heartbreak, and wonderful characters!
THERE IS A SPOILER ALERT SO DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE GOING TO READ THE BOOK BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO RUIN IT FOR YOU…YOU CAN READ DOWN TO WHERE I SAY..SPOILER ALERT..
This book, last for now #8, caused me to check more boxes in this review. TEAR JERKER – yes very much so…obviously because teens dying is not easy to read about…always have a hard time with books with bad things happening to children, guess being a mom and grandma does that to me.
Haunting because of the end and because of the reasons WHY it was all happening.
Her stories are complex so you do not figure them out. This is no different.
SPOILER ALERT…
This was where Dawson truly showed what he was made of. His instincts were not to be messed with…he knew something was off. Kim being so hurt and STILL trying to get to him. INSPIRATIONAL BECAUSE OF HIS SACRIFICE…the ending made me BAWL..NOT CRY BAWL….
I can not wait for the next once, but I will miss the team member now gone….so tragic..I got it but I did not and was angry for a bit after because I saw several ways it could go without having to have someone die….
THANK YOU ANGELA MARSONS FOR SOME OF THE BEST READS I HAVE HAD IN OVER 5 YEARS….I could not put a single book down.
You are a hard author to follow and with over 300 books in my library now, I am having a horrible time finding something that is grabbing me….
Dying Truth by Angela Marsons is the eighth book in DI Kim Stone series. DI Kim Stone and DS Bryant are heading back to headquarters when they get a call to the exclusive Heathcrest Academy where a student is on the roof. By the time they arrive, Sadie Winters is dead. It looks like a suicide until Kim notices details that are inconsistent with that ruling. Despite pressure from above to quickly close the case, Kim and her team question the students and teachers. Kim is surprised when one of the teachers is Joanna Wade (who likes to flirt with Kim). Kim gets a call from Joanna to meet, but she arrives too late. Someone got to Joanna before she could talk with Kim. DS Kevin Dawson connects with Geoffrey Piggott, a student who is similar to Dawson at that age. Geoffrey provides a key clue to what is happening at this privileged school. An old tradition has been kept alive and what is happening in the present is connected to a past death. Kim and her team race to stop another death, but it will come with a great sacrifice.
Dying Truth is another great installment in the DI Kim Stone series. The novels in this series build upon each other. You need to start with Silent Scream and work your way up to Dying Truth. I thought the book was well-written with complex characters. The characters continue to evolve as the series progresses. I enjoyed getting to know more about DS Kevin Dawson. I did find the pace a little slow in the beginning of the book, but it picks up as you get into it. As the mystery develops, the suspense amps up and the pace picks up. I will say that I was not immediately drawn into Dying Truth as I have been with the other novels in this series. It took me a couple of chapters to get thoroughly into Dying Truth. The mystery is multifaceted. There are several parts (layers) to it and it can be challenging to figure out all the details (I love a twisty mystery). I have to admit to some tears at the end (I wish I could say more, but I do not want to spoil it for anyone). I am giving Dying Truth 4 out of 5 stars. Dying Truth is an intense suspense novel that will have you up very late to find out it turns out. I am eager for the next adventure with DI Kim Stone.