Child's play by Angela Marsons

Finally we’re playing a game. A game that I have chosen. I give one last push of the roundabout and stand back. 'You really should have played with me,’ I tell her again although I know she can no longer hear.

Late one summer evening, Detective Kim Stone arrives at Haden Hill Park to the scene of a horrific crime: a woman in her sixties tied to a swing with barbed wire and an X carved into the back of her neck.

The victim, Belinda Evans, was a retired college Professor of Child Psychology. As Kim and her team search her home, they find an overnight bag packed and begin to unravel a complex relationship between Belinda and her sister Veronica.

Then two more bodies are found bearing the same distinctive markings, and Kim knows she is on the hunt for a ritualistic serial killer. Linking the victims, Kim discovers they were involved in annual tournaments for gifted children and were on their way to the next event.

With DS Penn immersed in the murder case of a young man, Kim and her team are already stretched and up against one of the most ruthless killer’s they’ve ever encountered. The clues lie in investigating every child who attended the tournaments, dating back decades.

Faced with hundreds of potential leads and a bereaved sister who is refusing to talk, can Kim get inside the mind of a killer and stop another murder before it’s too late?

The addictive new crime thriller from multi-million copy, number one bestseller Angela Marsons explores the dark side of child prodigies and will have you absolutely hooked.

(From Goodreads)

My thoughts:

I was initially reluctant to pick up a book which is number 11 in a series, but my friends insisted that AngelaMarsons' writing is incredibly good and I would be hooked. Indeed, the writing in this final instalment of D.I.Kim Scott series is simply superb, and the book provides enough background to ease in a reader who is new to the series.

Kim Stone is my new favourite character. She is not flawless, in fact, I really enjoyed the pages where her domestic life is described. She is not charming, although her team would do anything to earn her approval. The respect she commands comes from the simple fact that she cares about the work she does and the people she does it with and for. We get a glimpse into her complicated background and meet the person who helped her when little Kim was in need of somebody who would listen to her without pressurising her into dealing with her childhood trauma. We also learn more about the people on her team and how each and single one of them is valuable and valued.

The case the team is dealing with in this instalment brings them into the world of child prodigies and their families. Not all parents know how to ensure the gifted child is allowed to develop their abilities as well as fulfilling their emotional needs. Sometimes the family dynamics becomes twisted and other siblings suffer.

I loved  everything about this book: the premise, the pace, the characters, the twists and turns, the suspense and the final resolution. I will definitely be looking forward to the next part in the series. My friends were right. Once you read an Angela Marsons novel, you become addicted and will keep coming back for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.