Child’s Play by Angela Marsons @WriteAngie @jancramervoice @bookouture

DI Kim Stone and her team face another challenging case, this time one involving former child prodigies. Kim and Bryant are called to the scene of Belinda Evans, a 61-year old academic and former college professor of child psychology. She’s tied to a swing in Haden Hill Park, stabbed to death and secured by barbed wire. Unfortunately, she’s only the first victim of this type macabre killing and it takes a while for connections to be made. The team is hampered somewhat by a new policy limiting their active work hours and new member, Austin Penn, returning to West Mercia for the trial of a case he worked on before his departure.

I have to admit I needed a break from the tension of the last few books where the team members were at risk. It was nice to go back to the basics and see the team in action with lots of humorous moments as they struggle with the new work policy. You just knew they’d find a way around it and one of the remedies was the temporary addition of a new member, Tiffany, who Kim referred to as “Tinks” (think Tinkerbell). Tiffany loved the attention! The case was a real puzzler with any number of suspects and I was still surprised at the outcome. But as engaging as it was, the real thrills came from Penn’s old team as their case fell apart and he had to painstakingly, as only Penn can, revisit and analyze every aspect. The resolution sat me on my heels with unexpected thrills, angst and surprises.

This series never disappoints and I enjoyed everything about this story. Stacey Wood plays a significant role here and I like how she’s coming into her own, gaining confidence to go along with her innate talents. These characters feel like family so I’m invested in all that happens to them…the good, bad and ugly. And, they’re brought magnificently to life by the outstanding performance of the narrator, Jan Cramer, who just adds to my listening experience. Another book that was hard to put down.

Book Info

• Release Date: July 3, 2019
  
• Series: DI Kim Stone #11
• Narrator: Jan Cramer
• Audio Length: 8 hours, 47 minutes
• Publisher: Bookouture

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