36 Hours by Angela Marsons #AngelaMarsons #JanCramer @hachetteuk.bsky.social @hachetteuk @bookouture.bsky.social @bookouture #DIKimStone

the setup…
Newspaper reporter Tracy Frost receives a text in the middle of the night from someone calling himself the Jester. She would normally ignore it but something about it feels genuine…and ominous. She awakens Detective Kim Stone who’s ready to close the door on her until she reads the note. Her cop instincts scream that she take it seriously. She assembles her team (it’s the weekend!) and they get to work trying to decipher the challenge. The Jester is threatening to harm someone if they don’t figure out the clue by a certain time.

the heart of the story…
It’s a race against time and the team is losing the real game, even when they figure out the clues in time. They’ve 36 hours to reach the end game. The team really rose to the occasion and it includes Tracy Frost, showing their investigative skills and smarts as they run from one location to the next, solving each clue. I loved the dynamics and how Tracy developed a new appreciation for what they do and vice versa.

the narration…
Jan Cramer continues to be the voice in my head for this series and its characters. This was a particularly difficult story and she managed all those emotional highs and lows with care and depth.

the bottom line…
I was riveted from start to finish as it’s one of the more unpredictable mysteries in the series. It involved geocaching, which significantly evolved during the pandemic. Who knew there were sites and clubs now? But it was the team that shined, even when they were losing face in the press as they were single mindedly focused on finding the Jester and his prey. I feel pretty smug about having guessed the identity but still wasn’t prepared for the emotional ending. Please let the next book be ready soon.

Book Info

• Release Date: December 10, 2024
• Series: DI Kim Stone #21
• Narrator: Jan Cramer
• Audio Length: 8 hours, 3 minutes
• Publisher: Hachette UK – Bookouture

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(Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette UK – Bookouture for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)