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nzlisam 's review for:
Little Children
by Angela Marsons
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In Book 22, Little Children, DI Kim Stone and her team head to one of the UK’s most famous seaside towns – but not for the dazzling lights.
Kim is summoned to the office of her boss, DCI ‘Woody’ Woodward, where she learns that his old friend, DCI Miranda Walker of Blackpool CID, has requested their help. Two young boys – Lewis, 12, and Noah, 11 – have gone missing within ten days of each other. With half-term approaching and the town bracing for an influx of tourists, local police resources are already stretched thin.
But that’s only the beginning. An anonymous tip has also surfaced, alleging corruption and violence within Blackpool CID. DCI Walker needs Kim and her team to discreetly investigate whether there’s any truth to the rumours – placing them in the uncomfortable and dangerous position of spying on fellow officers. Both cases will test Kim, Bryant, Stacey, and Penn in ways that cut deeply and personally.
Little Children was packed with tension – a fast-paced, heart-pounding, disturbing, emotional, quick read. The prologue delivered a tantalising glimpse of past events before the narrative rewinded to one month earlier. There were so many cliffhanger chapter endings that had me expelling a breath. And, by the final quarter, the suspense was so intense my anxiety was through the roof. Both the missing boys storyline and the thread of police corruption gripped me equally.
Fair warning: this was the darkest novel in the series so far, several scenes made me sick to my stomach, so check the trigger warnings at the end of this review if you need them (but be aware they contain spoilers). Speaking of spoilers, Little Children also referenced major plot points from the previous book, 36 Hours (Book 21). If you haven’t read that one yet, I recommend doing so first.
On top of everything, Kim faced an irritatingly persistent reporter trying to dig up dirt on her – and received a series of oddly overly friendly, irritating text messages from a certain someone you’ll have to discover for yourself.
I devoured Little Children. It was hard-hitting, traumatic, intense, informative, and utterly riveting. Even though I still have earlier books in the series to catch up on, I’m already desperate for no. 23, as the fates of these characters wear this book left off leave me eager to know what is coming next.
Trigger Warnings:Boys are being abducted, kept prisoner, starved, physically and psychologically abused, and trafficked into an underground fighting league. Abuse of power, intimidation, racism, sexism, rape, and collection and misuse of post-mortem images of women for perverse reasons within the police.
Kim is summoned to the office of her boss, DCI ‘Woody’ Woodward, where she learns that his old friend, DCI Miranda Walker of Blackpool CID, has requested their help. Two young boys – Lewis, 12, and Noah, 11 – have gone missing within ten days of each other. With half-term approaching and the town bracing for an influx of tourists, local police resources are already stretched thin.
But that’s only the beginning. An anonymous tip has also surfaced, alleging corruption and violence within Blackpool CID. DCI Walker needs Kim and her team to discreetly investigate whether there’s any truth to the rumours – placing them in the uncomfortable and dangerous position of spying on fellow officers. Both cases will test Kim, Bryant, Stacey, and Penn in ways that cut deeply and personally.
Little Children was packed with tension – a fast-paced, heart-pounding, disturbing, emotional, quick read. The prologue delivered a tantalising glimpse of past events before the narrative rewinded to one month earlier. There were so many cliffhanger chapter endings that had me expelling a breath. And, by the final quarter, the suspense was so intense my anxiety was through the roof. Both the missing boys storyline and the thread of police corruption gripped me equally.
Fair warning: this was the darkest novel in the series so far, several scenes made me sick to my stomach, so check the trigger warnings at the end of this review if you need them (but be aware they contain spoilers). Speaking of spoilers, Little Children also referenced major plot points from the previous book, 36 Hours (Book 21). If you haven’t read that one yet, I recommend doing so first.
On top of everything, Kim faced an irritatingly persistent reporter trying to dig up dirt on her – and received a series of oddly overly friendly, irritating text messages from a certain someone you’ll have to discover for yourself.
I devoured Little Children. It was hard-hitting, traumatic, intense, informative, and utterly riveting. Even though I still have earlier books in the series to catch up on, I’m already desperate for no. 23, as the fates of these characters wear this book left off leave me eager to know what is coming next.
Trigger Warnings:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping
Minor: Rape, Sexual harassment