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namitakhanna's review against another edition
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Detective Kim and her team are back in action when they arrive at Haden Hill Park to the scene of a horrific crime where a woman is tied to a swing with barbed wire . The victim Belinda Evans was a retired college Professor of Child Psychology and when two more victims are found Kim discovers that they are all involved in annual tournament, Brainbox, for gifted children . Kim is racing against time to find the serial killer but is one man short as Penn is called back to his old team to look at an old case he was in charge of which falls apart in court.
Child’s play is the 11 book in DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and is as addictive as the others .Even though not as intense as the last few the plot is well crafted , fast paced and keeps you guessing till the end . Looking forward to reading the next one in the series !
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Detective Kim and her team are back in action when they arrive at Haden Hill Park to the scene of a horrific crime where a woman is tied to a swing with barbed wire . The victim Belinda Evans was a retired college Professor of Child Psychology and when two more victims are found Kim discovers that they are all involved in annual tournament, Brainbox, for gifted children . Kim is racing against time to find the serial killer but is one man short as Penn is called back to his old team to look at an old case he was in charge of which falls apart in court.
Child’s play is the 11 book in DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and is as addictive as the others .Even though not as intense as the last few the plot is well crafted , fast paced and keeps you guessing till the end . Looking forward to reading the next one in the series !
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
baileys_bookstagram's review against another edition
5.0
As usual another 5 star book from Angela Marsons. In this D.I. Kim Stone novel we enter the world of child geniuses, not a topic one would match with serial killers but here we are!
I continue to love the character growth with each new book. The book is written in a way where you can’t put it down, just one more chapter, then you get hooked again to keep going. Palms sweaty, heart beating you don’t know what’s going to happen next and I love it! Always a surprise at the end.
This book could be read on its own but I would recommend starting with book one so one can see the amazing character development.
Thank you to Bookouture through Netgalley for the complimentary copy to review.
I continue to love the character growth with each new book. The book is written in a way where you can’t put it down, just one more chapter, then you get hooked again to keep going. Palms sweaty, heart beating you don’t know what’s going to happen next and I love it! Always a surprise at the end.
This book could be read on its own but I would recommend starting with book one so one can see the amazing character development.
Thank you to Bookouture through Netgalley for the complimentary copy to review.
angelod24's review against another edition
3.0
Child’s Play is the 11th novel in a series about Detective Kim Stone. It follows as the team races to stop a killer who has been murdering former child prodigies. .
I’ll preface my review by saying that I’ve never read any of the previous books in the series, My perspective is entirely from someone who simply read the blurb and thought it sounded interesting.
I felt that my lack of prior history became a bit of hindrance to understanding all the intricate relationships between the team members. I enjoyed Tink’s character as it added some levity and humor. I enjoyed Kim’s banter with Bryant.
I wasn’t a fan of the secondary storyline with Penn, I just wasn’t emotionally invested in it. I was far more interested in the main killer. I wish there were more chapters like the first one. The first chapter had me all revved up for the book.
I’ve read plenty of crime novels to know this is a good one. It just didn’t have my full attention throughout to garner a higher rating. The novel did interest me enough that I’m going to look into reading Book 1 in the series. Might be unconventional but there’s something about these characters that make me feel like the series overall has probably been very thrilling.
Thank you to Bookouture and #NetGalley for providing me a copy of #ChildsPlay .
I’ll preface my review by saying that I’ve never read any of the previous books in the series, My perspective is entirely from someone who simply read the blurb and thought it sounded interesting.
I felt that my lack of prior history became a bit of hindrance to understanding all the intricate relationships between the team members. I enjoyed Tink’s character as it added some levity and humor. I enjoyed Kim’s banter with Bryant.
I wasn’t a fan of the secondary storyline with Penn, I just wasn’t emotionally invested in it. I was far more interested in the main killer. I wish there were more chapters like the first one. The first chapter had me all revved up for the book.
I’ve read plenty of crime novels to know this is a good one. It just didn’t have my full attention throughout to garner a higher rating. The novel did interest me enough that I’m going to look into reading Book 1 in the series. Might be unconventional but there’s something about these characters that make me feel like the series overall has probably been very thrilling.
Thank you to Bookouture and #NetGalley for providing me a copy of #ChildsPlay .
anionce's review against another edition
4.0
I skipped this book by accident and started #12 before realizing my mistake. It was good, as usual. Not my favorite case, but Veronica was an intriguing character and I loved the dynamics between her and Kim. Also, DS Penn's storyline was fantastic.
I never get tired of this series.
I never get tired of this series.
lit_with_leigh's review against another edition
4.0
BEEP BEEP! Honda Civic Reliable book coming through!
Writing: 3/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 4/5
SYNOPSIS
DI Kim Stone and her squad are tasked with hunting down a serial killer who poses his victims playing games for children and marks them with an X in their neck. Meanwhile, Penn is back on loan to West Mercia to give evidence at a trial, but do they have the right man?
MY OPINION
After my hellish return to a home with no power, I reached for an author who's seldom let me down. I think if I had endured a bad book, especially one from NetGalley, I would've had a complete meltdown LOL. As usual, Angela Marsons came through with two juicy cases and lots of good bants amongst the squad.
We've all heard of child prodigies before, but it was cool to see "behind the curtain" if you will. I've never thought about how their mind-boggling intelligence would negatively impact their lives as adults, so this was an interesting deep dive into the topic. Also, I liked that Marsons didn't have an agenda and made it clear that there's pushy parents everywhere – not just in the world of academia. If you've ever been to a child's sports game, you'll know exactly what she means. Nothing like screaming at your six-year-old for not winning and inconsequential game. Totally worth getting worked up about! Btw, if you want to see some truly horrible Tiger parents, watch the documentary Trophy Kids. My heart literally broke when mans called his NINE-year-old daughter a "bitch" for missing a put during a golf tournament. Get stuffed my man!
Anywayzzz let me get back on track
Writing: 3/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 4/5
SYNOPSIS
DI Kim Stone and her squad are tasked with hunting down a serial killer who poses his victims playing games for children and marks them with an X in their neck. Meanwhile, Penn is back on loan to West Mercia to give evidence at a trial, but do they have the right man?
MY OPINION
After my hellish return to a home with no power, I reached for an author who's seldom let me down. I think if I had endured a bad book, especially one from NetGalley, I would've had a complete meltdown LOL. As usual, Angela Marsons came through with two juicy cases and lots of good bants amongst the squad.
We've all heard of child prodigies before, but it was cool to see "behind the curtain" if you will. I've never thought about how their mind-boggling intelligence would negatively impact their lives as adults, so this was an interesting deep dive into the topic. Also, I liked that Marsons didn't have an agenda and made it clear that there's pushy parents everywhere – not just in the world of academia. If you've ever been to a child's sports game, you'll know exactly what she means. Nothing like screaming at your six-year-old for not winning and inconsequential game. Totally worth getting worked up about! Btw, if you want to see some truly horrible Tiger parents, watch the documentary Trophy Kids. My heart literally broke when mans called his NINE-year-old daughter a "bitch" for missing a put during a golf tournament. Get stuffed my man!
Anywayzzz let me get back on track
nannyf's review against another edition
5.0
This is book 11 in a series and therefore it should be read in order.
Given that this is such a long series you would think that maybe the author would begin to slack a bit, but no. Instead she just gets better and better. What makes the author such a brilliant one is that she continues to give Kim, and the other characters, such believable things to investigate and solve. She also still has the ability to throw me constantly with twists I do not see coming.
This series is one of my to 3 of all time and a highly recommended one to lovers of police procedurals.
Given that this is such a long series you would think that maybe the author would begin to slack a bit, but no. Instead she just gets better and better. What makes the author such a brilliant one is that she continues to give Kim, and the other characters, such believable things to investigate and solve. She also still has the ability to throw me constantly with twists I do not see coming.
This series is one of my to 3 of all time and a highly recommended one to lovers of police procedurals.
_marian_'s review against another edition
5.0
Descubierto el asesino nada más aparecer. Aún así, trepidante y ligero de leer, como siempre con Kim Stone
laurenjodi's review
4.0
Child's Play
4 Stars
DI Kim Stone and her team investigate a series of murders related to former child prodigies. The team must work without the help of DC Austin Penn who is called away to testify in court on a case from his days on the West Mercia force. Unfortunately, the case begins to unravel, and Penn suspects that the accused man may just be innocent.
It has been a while since I read the last book (this often happens after I am caught up and wait for several new installments). Nevertheless, it was easy to get back into the swing of things as Marsons' writing is fast-paced, her plotting is clever and she often manages to catch me off guard.
I enjoy the way in which Marsons incorporates factual events within the narrative, and this particular tale raises interesting questions about parental expectations and the notion of "tiger parenting". It also emphasizes the emotional stress that child prodigies experience themselves but also their effect on parents and other children in the family.
While much of the focus in the book is on the police procedural elements, there is also some character development for Stacey and Penn. However, the most compelling element is the possibility that Kim may finally be coming to terms with the death of her twin.
All in all, another excellent addition to this wonderful series. Looking forward to the next one.
4 Stars
DI Kim Stone and her team investigate a series of murders related to former child prodigies. The team must work without the help of DC Austin Penn who is called away to testify in court on a case from his days on the West Mercia force. Unfortunately, the case begins to unravel, and Penn suspects that the accused man may just be innocent.
It has been a while since I read the last book (this often happens after I am caught up and wait for several new installments). Nevertheless, it was easy to get back into the swing of things as Marsons' writing is fast-paced, her plotting is clever and she often manages to catch me off guard.
I enjoy the way in which Marsons incorporates factual events within the narrative, and this particular tale raises interesting questions about parental expectations and the notion of "tiger parenting". It also emphasizes the emotional stress that child prodigies experience themselves but also their effect on parents and other children in the family.
While much of the focus in the book is on the police procedural elements, there is also some character development for Stacey and Penn. However, the most compelling element is the possibility that Kim may finally be coming to terms with the death of her twin.
All in all, another excellent addition to this wonderful series. Looking forward to the next one.
denaiir's review against another edition
5.0
Jan Cramer's narration is flawless as usual, and the plot of this one was great, this series is still going stron, probably my favorite