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ianmcnamara's review against another edition
5.0
This series just gets better and better with every book. Really enjoyed the twists and turns in this one and with the case Pen was working on with his old team that was a good addition to the main story. This was an action packed book that kept me guessing til the end. I just managed to finish during my lunch break. Can't wait for the next offering in this series.
myrdyr's review
4.0
4.3/5 stars. An excellent addition to the series. I didn’t really get the motivation behind the killings, but I enjoyed the story overall.
lianareadsblog's review against another edition
4.0
Being the first book that I've read by the author, I didn't knew what to expect and the fact that this story is part of a series worried me when I started reading but after a few chapters I just got so engrossed and realised that I don't necessarily need to read the previous books to enjoy this great story.
It was a very interesting story, maybe the first of this kind that i've read, well written, great characters and interesting dynamics between them, some funny moments made up for the drama and heartbreaking situations in which the victims are dragged.
It opened my interest to go back and read the other stories as I want to read more and know more about each character for sure.
Looking forward to more books in the series.
It was a very interesting story, maybe the first of this kind that i've read, well written, great characters and interesting dynamics between them, some funny moments made up for the drama and heartbreaking situations in which the victims are dragged.
It opened my interest to go back and read the other stories as I want to read more and know more about each character for sure.
Looking forward to more books in the series.
noveldeelights's review against another edition
5.0
And Angela Marsons strikes again! What a belter of a book!
Somewhere near the top of the “some things Eva gets really excited about” list, you’ll find this series. Whenever a new Kim Stone book arrives, I get immensely giddy because I know I’m in for a treat and I know that Angela Marsons will just knock it out of the park once again. Isn’t it a wondrous feeling to know you’re safe in an author’s hands?
Kim and Bryant are called out to a murder scene in one of the most innocent places you can think of : a children’s playground in a park. The identity of the victim is quickly discovered but that’s also where things become immensely intriguing. The victim’s appearance seems at odds with her lifestyle and the team struggle to find the truth amidst all this mystery. The victim’s sister is of little help, cold and distant, and refusing to talk.
Meanwhile Penn is forced to spend time with his former West Mercia colleagues when a case he worked on gets its day in court. But things do not exactly go to plan. Did Penn make a mistake? The only way to find out is to go through the entire investigation again with a fine tooth comb.
It’s absolutely remarkable when you realise this is the eleventh book in a series. But what is even more remarkable is how Angela Marsons is able to keep this eleventh book seem as fresh as the very first one. This plot is as compelling as ever but there are also other things that keep me, as a reader, utterly hooked. One of those things is splitting up the team. Having Kim, Bryant and Stacey work on one investigation and Penn on something else feels realistic and when both of those investigations grab your attention, well, you just can’t flip the pages fast enough. There’s also the introduction of new characters, for instance. Now I won’t say anything about the character the team is forced to work with but their arrival and the reaction of the team genuinely made me laugh.
Above all else though, are the topics Angela Marsons tackle. In Child’s Play, we find ourselves in the world of child prodigies. This quickly turned into quite the thought-provoking issue for me as Angela Marsons somehow made it easy to see the points of view from various sides. The parents, often ruthless and competitive, do they have their child’s best interests at heart or not? The child prodigy, often isolated, forced to study for hours on end, what sort of impact does this have on them? And what about siblings who aren’t as smart? And all the while, you’re left to wonder how the utterly brutal prologue fits into it all. I had no idea. Both investigations left me guessing until the very end.
This is what Angela Marsons does best. She always manages to come up with a hard-hitting topic that makes me think, that makes me feel rather emotional sometimes, that isn’t always easy to read. And throughout, there is Kim and her team, guiding the reader safely through an intense and intriguing investigation. Of course, there are light-hearted moments too. Thank goodness! The relationship between Kim and Bryant is one of my favourite things ever and there’s a lot of muttering going on that made me chuckle. And let’s not forget the absolutely delightfully snarky Keats!
Child’s Play is another utterly brilliant addition to this series. It’s gripping, compelling, super tense and extremely addictive. The kind of book you pick up and don’t put down again until you’ve finished it, no matter what time of night it is. I so can’t wait for the next one!
Somewhere near the top of the “some things Eva gets really excited about” list, you’ll find this series. Whenever a new Kim Stone book arrives, I get immensely giddy because I know I’m in for a treat and I know that Angela Marsons will just knock it out of the park once again. Isn’t it a wondrous feeling to know you’re safe in an author’s hands?
Kim and Bryant are called out to a murder scene in one of the most innocent places you can think of : a children’s playground in a park. The identity of the victim is quickly discovered but that’s also where things become immensely intriguing. The victim’s appearance seems at odds with her lifestyle and the team struggle to find the truth amidst all this mystery. The victim’s sister is of little help, cold and distant, and refusing to talk.
Meanwhile Penn is forced to spend time with his former West Mercia colleagues when a case he worked on gets its day in court. But things do not exactly go to plan. Did Penn make a mistake? The only way to find out is to go through the entire investigation again with a fine tooth comb.
It’s absolutely remarkable when you realise this is the eleventh book in a series. But what is even more remarkable is how Angela Marsons is able to keep this eleventh book seem as fresh as the very first one. This plot is as compelling as ever but there are also other things that keep me, as a reader, utterly hooked. One of those things is splitting up the team. Having Kim, Bryant and Stacey work on one investigation and Penn on something else feels realistic and when both of those investigations grab your attention, well, you just can’t flip the pages fast enough. There’s also the introduction of new characters, for instance. Now I won’t say anything about the character the team is forced to work with but their arrival and the reaction of the team genuinely made me laugh.
Above all else though, are the topics Angela Marsons tackle. In Child’s Play, we find ourselves in the world of child prodigies. This quickly turned into quite the thought-provoking issue for me as Angela Marsons somehow made it easy to see the points of view from various sides. The parents, often ruthless and competitive, do they have their child’s best interests at heart or not? The child prodigy, often isolated, forced to study for hours on end, what sort of impact does this have on them? And what about siblings who aren’t as smart? And all the while, you’re left to wonder how the utterly brutal prologue fits into it all. I had no idea. Both investigations left me guessing until the very end.
This is what Angela Marsons does best. She always manages to come up with a hard-hitting topic that makes me think, that makes me feel rather emotional sometimes, that isn’t always easy to read. And throughout, there is Kim and her team, guiding the reader safely through an intense and intriguing investigation. Of course, there are light-hearted moments too. Thank goodness! The relationship between Kim and Bryant is one of my favourite things ever and there’s a lot of muttering going on that made me chuckle. And let’s not forget the absolutely delightfully snarky Keats!
Child’s Play is another utterly brilliant addition to this series. It’s gripping, compelling, super tense and extremely addictive. The kind of book you pick up and don’t put down again until you’ve finished it, no matter what time of night it is. I so can’t wait for the next one!
mandylovestoread's review against another edition
5.0
A new Detective Kim Stone book is always exciting for me. I know that no matter what it is going to be good. Child's Play is book 11 in this series and it is absolutely as strong as the very first book. I don't know how Angela Marsons manages to keep it so fresh and addictive but she has done it again with this instalment. Here's to a very very long life to this series. As always I struggled to put this book down. It opens with a cracker of a murder scene and doesn't let up until the very end. If you have never picked up a Kim Stone novel and you like police procedural books then you seriously need to start from the beginning and get into this series. I highly recommend all of them!
This time we see and Kim and the team called to a crime scene in a children's playground. A woman in her 60's have been killed and left tied to a swing with barbed wired. We learn that the woman is Belinda Evans, a retired college professor of child physcholgy. There are soon 2 more horrific murders and all the victims have ties to gifted children. Meanwhile, the newest member of the team Penn is called back to his old team as a case he was in charge of goes to court and falls apart. The 2 stories go well together and we watch with anticipation to see how they will both end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
This time we see and Kim and the team called to a crime scene in a children's playground. A woman in her 60's have been killed and left tied to a swing with barbed wired. We learn that the woman is Belinda Evans, a retired college professor of child physcholgy. There are soon 2 more horrific murders and all the victims have ties to gifted children. Meanwhile, the newest member of the team Penn is called back to his old team as a case he was in charge of goes to court and falls apart. The 2 stories go well together and we watch with anticipation to see how they will both end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished November 20th 2021
"It's like my sock drawer at home. However full it is I can get one more sucker in there."
Spoiler
I'm getting closer to finally catching up with this series, and I've been having a great time while doing it. I still can't believe I've only started reading the DI Kim Stone books earlier this year, but it has quickly grown into a detective thriller favorite and the series hasn't let me down yet. Child's Play is yet another solid sequel where we dive into the world of gifted children. Not only that, but the team has a murder investigation on their hands and Penn has been sent to deal with an old case of his. As a result, we have a new member to help with the murder investigation, and I really like what Tiffany added to the dynamics. Both storylines add a lot of suspense to the plot, and I had a great time unraveling both mysteries. I'm looking forward to the next book!P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
bookedupgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Overall: Angela has done it again - yet another epic spine tingling, on the edge of your seat crime novel! Child’s Play has a gruesome plot, continued fantastic character development - and of course some humour. I love the dynamics between Bryant and Kim …There was also a secondary storyline centred around Penn - what a great way to give this ‘new’ character some limelight! This was such an addictive read and the Kim Stone fans won’t be disappointed!
ingera's review against another edition
2.0
I’m a big fan of Marsons, but this book was just boring.
syren1532's review against another edition
5.0
Started this book at 4pm this afternoon and just finished it at 10.20pm!
Belinda Lucas is found dead - tied to a children’s swing with barbed wire and stabbed. DI Kim Stone and her team can’t find a motive for her death and her sister is not very forthcoming about their past. Then another body is found - a former child counsellor and he’s connected to Belinda through a competition for child geniuses. The team are a member down as Penn has had to return to his former force for a court case. Unfortunately for Penn things aren’t going well in court and he soon realises that the evidence they had is not as robust as they thought and they might have the wrong Manag in the dock.
Absolutely brilliant read from start to finish. This series just gets better and better.
Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Angela Marsons for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Belinda Lucas is found dead - tied to a children’s swing with barbed wire and stabbed. DI Kim Stone and her team can’t find a motive for her death and her sister is not very forthcoming about their past. Then another body is found - a former child counsellor and he’s connected to Belinda through a competition for child geniuses. The team are a member down as Penn has had to return to his former force for a court case. Unfortunately for Penn things aren’t going well in court and he soon realises that the evidence they had is not as robust as they thought and they might have the wrong Manag in the dock.
Absolutely brilliant read from start to finish. This series just gets better and better.
Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Angela Marsons for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.