Play Dead (Detective Kim Stone)

by Angela Marsons

The dead don't tell secrets... unless you listen.

The girl's smashed-in face stared unseeing up to the blue sky, soil spilling out of her mouth. A hundred flies hovered above the bloodied mess.

Westerley research facility is not for the faint-hearted. A 'body farm' investigating human decomposition, its inhabitants are corpses in various states of decay. But when Detective Kim Stone and her team discover the fresh body of a young woman, it seems a killer has discovered the perfect cover to bury their crime.

Then a second girl is attacked and left for dead, her body drugged and mouth filled with soil. It's clear to Stone and the team that a serial killer is at work - but just how many bodies will they uncover? And who is next?

As local reporter, Tracy Frost, disappears, the stakes are raised. The past seems to hold the key to the killer's secrets - but can Kim uncover the truth before a twisted, damaged mind claims another victim ...?

The latest utterly addictive thriller from the No.1 bestseller Angela Marsons.


What readers are saying about Play Dead

I read this book in one sitting, yes it really was that good ... the perfect crime thriller, well plotted, great characters, suspense ... and the most deviant and chilling serial killer... Utterly gripping and it's certainly going to be in my top reads of 2016 ... 5 stars out of 5 plus a glass of wine (to steady my nerves, after reading such a heart-pounding crime thriller).' The Book Review Cafe

Wow wow wow I absolutely freaking loved it and without a shadow of doubt this is the best one yet... with this one being more gritty and tense. You crime book fans are seriously going to love it. If you haven't read any yet this can be read as a standalone although I would advise reading the series. It's too good not to miss... I cannot recommend this book enough it's flippin fantastic or like they say in the Black Country Supa' smashin' great read!'Chelle's book reviews

'Hooks you and reels you in ... Life gets put on hold until you've finished the latest offering in her AMAZING Kim Stone series ... utterly fantastic.' Reading Room with a View

Wow. Give me a minute while I catch my breath, because I've just finished the latest Angela Marson's book... Ingest it by any means, just make sure you do. It is a riveting, blood-tingling, pulse pounding read that will take you on the journey that will play on your mind long after you've finished reading. Caroline-Writes

This may well be the best thriller I have ever read. I could hardly breathe with the suspense and it was definitely a hardship to wrench myself away from the action. Redheaded Bookworm

'I defy anyone to turn away from the page. I was glued to this book...a truly gripping and , at times, terrifying story. Book Addict Shaun

'The best book I've read all year so far ...Dark, intense, spine-tingling and absolutely perfect.' The Bookshelf Blog

'A thrilling, tense and nail biting read' Best Crime Books & More

'Wow, I didn't think Angela Marsons DI Kim Stone series could get any better, but this one really has blown me away! Fast paced and tension filled, I loved every second of this rollercoaster of a ride. How soon can the next one be released? A highly recommended 5 star read.' Cal Turner Reviews

'Play Dead is fast paced, has a complex mystery, and great, well-developed characters. I did not want to put it down (so I just kept reading).'Bibliophile and avid reader

• ISBN10: 1786810085
• ISBN13: 9781786810083
• Publish Date: 14 May 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Bookouture
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 392
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leah]

If you read my blog, you’ll know I am a big fan of Angela Marsons. I’ve loved all three of her books in her D.I. Kim Stone series (and if you don’t believe me, here are my reviews of Evil Games & Lost Girls). Angela’s one of my new favourite authors, and each Kim Stone book sees me brimming with delight to read it, although I like to wait to read it, because I know I’ll then have to wait a few months for the next one. It actually makes me ecstatically happy to know we’ll be getting at least 16 D.I. Kim Stone books in total (and before you raise your eyebrows and open your mouth to say that’s a lot of books, there are 23 in the Stephanie Plum series, and that still amuses me and delights me and I’m only up to book 11).

What intrigued me most about Play Dead was the mention of the sometimes odious Tracy Frost. She genuinely got on my wick during Lost Girls, so to see her put in a position of weakness, of needing Kim’s help to help her, was weird to say the least. For me and Kim. But it actually helped me see Tracy as less odious, and as an actual human being instead of a reporter with no ounce of sympathy or compassion. I’ll whisper it: But I hope she’s back in book 5, and after Lost Girls, I never thought I’d say THAT.

You’ll be un-surprised to hear I loved Play Dead. Of course I did. Any book that features Kim Stone will always be a winner in my book, and while she’s still prickly, that’s what I will always love about her. She’s no-nonsense, she wants to get these cases finished, and the perpetrators put behind bars. She’s not even content to solve just one case now, she has at least two on the go, and she battles so fiercely, it’s hard to believe she doesn’t go home at night and just collapse, dead with exhaustion. I would love to be that passionate about my job.

The lovely Daniel was back in Play Dead, a welcome return after no appearances in book two or three, and I can tell this is going to be a slow-burning romance (I mean, there’s 12 more books, so they can’t get married *JUST* yet), but it was nice to see him again, to show he hasn’t been forgotten and left the Kim universe forever. I’m very excited for book five, I feel like we’re being fed more and more info on Kim’s past with each book and she clearly had quite a story to tell, but I’m content to learn it in bits and pieces. I also want to know more of her squad, because I loved them. Bryant, in particular, continues to be hilarious, because he’s just the polar opposite of Kim and he’s just the perfect partner basically. Angela Marsons is such a good writer, and I feel like I’m repeating myself with each book, but it’s true, she’s fabulous, and if you haven’t read her Kim Stone books, I do now know what you are waiting for, because you’re missing out.