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erin_lawless's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. I do love this series - and this installment in particular was even darker and more disturbing than previous entries. Book #6 yet the pace of the series and the interest in the characters just ramps up and up.
Kim Stone books are the sort of books you want to pull sickies for... long may they continue!
Kim Stone books are the sort of books you want to pull sickies for... long may they continue!
philantrop's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I've followed Angela Marsons' Kim Stone series from the beginning, and "Dead Souls" was, so far, its best instalment.
What sets this entry apart is the fascinating dynamic created by forcing Kim Stone to work alongside her long-standing nemesis, Tom Travis, and his team. This unexpected partnership generates tension throughout the story, while Kim's own team tackles separate cases that eventually interweave.The culmination, involving the abduction of one of Kim's team members, had me perched on the edge of my seat.
Marsons has always excelled at pacing, but here she's outdone herself. The narrative flows with the precision of a well-oiled machine, never feeling rushed yet maintaining a constant sense of urgency. While the subject matter is undeniably dark—dealing with xenophobia, racism, and hate crimes—it doesn't descend into the gratuitous territory that sometimes plagues contemporary crime fiction.
It feels almost eerie to have read this in January 2025, considering a convicted felon, an insurrectionist spared jail and disqualification from office by his election, is about to become president of the USA in less than a week. and his “tech bro” is openly supporting Nazis in Germany and the UK.
Back to fiction, though: The character development continues to impress, with both familiar faces and new additions being rendered in compelling detail. I particularly appreciated how Marsons uses the team's separation to spotlight individual character growth while maintaining the series' distinctive group dynamic.
Comparing this to previous entries in the series, such as "Broken Bones" or "Evil Games", "Dead Souls" shows a marked evolution in both storytelling sophistication and thematic depth.
For readers new to the series, while this book can stand alone, I'd recommend starting from the beginning to fully appreciate the character relationships and their development. However, long-time fans will find this a particularly rewarding entry that pushes beloved characters into new territory while maintaining everything we've come to love about the series.
Five stars out of five.
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gharris777's review against another edition
5.0
Full review up!
This detective series is just so damn good!! I've not been disappointed yet while reading a D.I. Kim Stone book.
Dead Souls is another great addition to the series!
Dead Souls starts off with an archaeological dig and the group comes across questionable bones with bullet holes and other unimaginable trauma.
D.I. Kim Stone rushes to the scene of the dig and comes across her old partner D.I. Tom Travis. They both want the scene and then are forced to work together for the first time in years. We come to find out the hostility of their relationship and how it all went down years ago.
I really liked finding out the back story on this old work relationship and it really added to the characterization of both detective inspectors.
While Kim is off working with Tom Travis, her team is investigating horrific hate crimes and it’s tough to read.
Angela Marsons does not go easy on the hate crimes or how Nationalism gets started. It’s an ugly side to human nature and she writes it well. I was so angry at times in this book about racism, how it’s started in young people and how it becomes a national epidemic.
Kudos Marsons for writing well about this subject and all the complexity that goes along with it!
If you love crime detective series, look no further then reading this series. I’ve been impressed with every book so far and each book is a different case along with advancing the characters.
I’ve grown to care for all the characters and I'm so impressed with how the series has evolved!!
I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
Merged review:
Full review up!
This detective series is just so damn good!! I've not been disappointed yet while reading a D.I. Kim Stone book.
Dead Souls is another great addition to the series!
Dead Souls starts off with an archaeological dig and the group comes across questionable bones with bullet holes and other unimaginable trauma.
D.I. Kim Stone rushes to the scene of the dig and comes across her old partner D.I. Tom Travis. They both want the scene and then are forced to work together for the first time in years. We come to find out the hostility of their relationship and how it all went down years ago.
I really liked finding out the back story on this old work relationship and it really added to the characterization of both detective inspectors.
While Kim is off working with Tom Travis, her team is investigating horrific hate crimes and it’s tough to read.
Angela Marsons does not go easy on the hate crimes or how Nationalism gets started. It’s an ugly side to human nature and she writes it well. I was so angry at times in this book about racism, how it’s started in young people and how it becomes a national epidemic.
Kudos Marsons for writing well about this subject and all the complexity that goes along with it!
If you love crime detective series, look no further then reading this series. I’ve been impressed with every book so far and each book is a different case along with advancing the characters.
I’ve grown to care for all the characters and I'm so impressed with how the series has evolved!!
I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
This detective series is just so damn good!! I've not been disappointed yet while reading a D.I. Kim Stone book.
Dead Souls is another great addition to the series!
Dead Souls starts off with an archaeological dig and the group comes across questionable bones with bullet holes and other unimaginable trauma.
D.I. Kim Stone rushes to the scene of the dig and comes across her old partner D.I. Tom Travis. They both want the scene and then are forced to work together for the first time in years. We come to find out the hostility of their relationship and how it all went down years ago.
I really liked finding out the back story on this old work relationship and it really added to the characterization of both detective inspectors.
While Kim is off working with Tom Travis, her team is investigating horrific hate crimes and it’s tough to read.
Angela Marsons does not go easy on the hate crimes or how Nationalism gets started. It’s an ugly side to human nature and she writes it well. I was so angry at times in this book about racism, how it’s started in young people and how it becomes a national epidemic.
Kudos Marsons for writing well about this subject and all the complexity that goes along with it!
If you love crime detective series, look no further then reading this series. I’ve been impressed with every book so far and each book is a different case along with advancing the characters.
I’ve grown to care for all the characters and I'm so impressed with how the series has evolved!!
I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
Merged review:
Full review up!
This detective series is just so damn good!! I've not been disappointed yet while reading a D.I. Kim Stone book.
Dead Souls is another great addition to the series!
Dead Souls starts off with an archaeological dig and the group comes across questionable bones with bullet holes and other unimaginable trauma.
D.I. Kim Stone rushes to the scene of the dig and comes across her old partner D.I. Tom Travis. They both want the scene and then are forced to work together for the first time in years. We come to find out the hostility of their relationship and how it all went down years ago.
I really liked finding out the back story on this old work relationship and it really added to the characterization of both detective inspectors.
While Kim is off working with Tom Travis, her team is investigating horrific hate crimes and it’s tough to read.
Angela Marsons does not go easy on the hate crimes or how Nationalism gets started. It’s an ugly side to human nature and she writes it well. I was so angry at times in this book about racism, how it’s started in young people and how it becomes a national epidemic.
Kudos Marsons for writing well about this subject and all the complexity that goes along with it!
If you love crime detective series, look no further then reading this series. I’ve been impressed with every book so far and each book is a different case along with advancing the characters.
I’ve grown to care for all the characters and I'm so impressed with how the series has evolved!!
I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
teresainohio10's review against another edition
3.0
Still a favorite series of mine, just not the fan of the direction this book takes.
Kim arrives at a crime scene only to see her former partner calling jurisdiction on the case. After some squabbling the higher supervisors think it will be a great idea to work jointly on this case. Only in this case Kim is working with Travis's team while her team is working without their boss on their own crimes.
This book took a long while to get anywhere. It wasn't until the last 1/4 of the book do we get insight into the beef between Kim and Travis, and it is only lightly discussed before they agree mutually to move on from it.
Her team seems to be working a few fractured cases that begin to connect themselves to each other. It was nice to see Stacy stand up to Bryant and Dawson and want to be seen as an equal.
The book finally gains momentum as the team work together to free kidnap victims that are going to be subjected to horrendous circumstances.
Due to pet peeves Female officer going off and doing something stupid and the team being fragmented was factors in my lower rating to an otherwise stellar series.
Kim arrives at a crime scene only to see her former partner calling jurisdiction on the case. After some squabbling the higher supervisors think it will be a great idea to work jointly on this case. Only in this case Kim is working with Travis's team while her team is working without their boss on their own crimes.
This book took a long while to get anywhere. It wasn't until the last 1/4 of the book do we get insight into the beef between Kim and Travis, and it is only lightly discussed before they agree mutually to move on from it.
Her team seems to be working a few fractured cases that begin to connect themselves to each other. It was nice to see Stacy stand up to Bryant and Dawson and want to be seen as an equal.
The book finally gains momentum as the team work together to free kidnap victims that are going to be subjected to horrendous circumstances.
Due to pet peeves Female officer going off and doing something stupid and the team being fragmented was factors in my lower rating to an otherwise stellar series.
tove_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Yet another gripping book by a master storyteller. Old bones are found in a yard which leads to questions. Hate crimes are alarmingly growing. Strange things are happening in the Black Country. Kim has to work closely with someone she can‘t even face talking to. Great read, this time almost fully focusing on police work, very little about Kim herself. Dark, heavy, cruel and addictive. 4+ stars
robinlovesreading's review against another edition
5.0
Dead Souls Kim and her team are forced to work alongside another team, including her nemesis. They are working on trying to identify bones that have been uncovered, especially when it appears that there is more than one victim. While this case is as intriguing as each and every case Kim is faced with, the team faces some serious issues, including prejudice, racism and sexism.
letterkive's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this just like the other books in the series.
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