Fatal Promise

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 killers 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. 

Read what everyone is saying about Child’s Play: 

‘The must-read thriller for the year. Fabulous characters and well written. I can't wait to read more by this author.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I have nothing but praise for this amazing series, 11 books and counting and the series keeps getting better with each instalment. I highly recommend this series to all fans of original high -quality mystery thrillers.’ Bookish ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Angela Marsons pushes the limits again to bring us the best of crime fiction! To me, reaching a point where you trust an author this much with your precious time, is invaluable… This is why finding your happy place, your go-to people, your - rather deadly - dreamland is the best feeling in the world and I must thank Angela Marsons for never letting me down…’ Chocolate’n’Waffles ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Loved loved this book, Angela has done it again, just brilliant. This story is great pulls you in from the first page and never lets go…Get it, read it, you won't be disappointed.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The quality of Angela Marsons writing has never diminished over the entire series. The release of a Kim Stone novel is an event to look forward to. Full of engaging characters and humour this series is fast becoming one of my favourites. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars because it certainly deserves it. Excellent and I happily recommend it and the series to anyone.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Superb!!... one of the best openings to a book I have read…DI Kim Stone is one of my favourite all time characters in this genre… This is one of the best books in the series and as this is already book 11 in the series that says a lot as not a lot of authors can keep producing books this strong and so well written - very, very highly recommended!!’ Donnasbookblog ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow, Wow, Wow, Wow Wow!!! How did I not see any of that coming!...I could barely put the book down…’ Rachel’s Random Reads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Marsons for me is the QUEEN of this genre. She knows how to add the human touch to each story and I just adore her. Bloody FABULOUS.’ Postcard Reviews

Five figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood …

Years later, a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders which shock the Black Country.

But when human remains are discovered at a former children’s home, disturbing secrets are also unearthed. D.I. Kim Stone fast realises she’s on the hunt for a twisted individual whose killing spree spans decades.

As the body count rises, Kim needs to stop the murderer before they strike again. But to catch the killer, can Kim confront the demons of her own past before it’s too late?

An absolutely gripping, darkly compelling, and nail-bitingly tense mystery thriller that will keep you racing through the pages long into the night. A Kindle Chart #1, million-copy, international bestseller, Silent Scream turns fans of Rachel Abbott, Val McDermid and Mark Billingham into Angela Marsons addicts.

Watch out for more from Detective Kim Stone

A detective hiding dark secrets, Kim Stone will stop at nothing to protect the innocent. Silent Scream is the first book in the series.

What readers are saying about Silent Scream:

'I absolutely loved it!...This one is one of the best crime thrillers I've read in a long time, and that includes mainstream authors such as James Patterson! I would seriously put this book in the same league.' Fiona’s Book Reviews

‘Wow. That's all I need to say... one of the best books I've read so far this year... gripping... hooks you in from Chapter One... you won't want to put it down... fantastic.’ Little Northern Soul

‘I found myself biting my nails numerous times... to say that this book is brilliant is an understatement.’ Relax and Read Reviews

‘I have not been so impressed by a debut novel in a long time, and I'm actually now itching for more …D.I. Kim Stone is like the British Jane Rizzoli. She's so ballsy and doesn't understand the meaning of the word no. I LOVE heroines who just do what they want and sod the consequences and Kim did that, right from the beginning... I can't wait for the second book, because this one was a top-notch crime thriller.’ Leah Loves

’I don't think I've been so hooked by a new author since the discovery of Mark Edwards or Mark Billingham… Silent Scream gets 5 stars from me - if you finish a crime thriller feeling like you just need to have a lie-down and a cup of tea to get your breath back, then the writer has done their job. Angela Marsons, I still don't have my breath back.’ Reading Room with a View

‘Normally when I see everybody rating a book five stars I think 'Is it really that good?' Silent Scream is that good, and then some… The only problem Angela now faces is keeping up this standard as the series progresses, but if she does than she's going to be an author to watch and a huge star within the genre.’ Book Addict Shaun

‘I started reading Silent Scream thinking I would just read a few chapters. I ended up reading it all…An excellent read and one I would happily recommend.’ Northern Crime

‘This is a fantastic debut novel by Marsons. The blurb said that if you were a fan of Val McDermid and Mark Billingham you would love this book and being a huge fan of both I thought I would give it a go and I was pleasantly surprised…With lots of twists and turns this is a real page turner.’ The Laughing Librarian

‘It's highly unusual for me to find a book that leads me to put my life on hold. But Angela Marsons' Silent Scream has led me to virtually abandon work for the last day, even with deadlines looming...ticks all the boxes for a 5 star rating from me: a well written flowing story; strong but vulnerable protagonist; fast pace; intrigue; twists and turns until several final OMG moments; plenty of action; and the revealing of a brutal murderer.’ Off the Shelf

'Stunning.' Mail on Sunday

When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal stabbing, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution.  But as further disturbing events come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone even more sinister at work.

With the investigation gathering momentum, whilst also trying to expose the secrets of a sick paedophile ring, Kim finds herself in the sights of a lethal individual undertaking their own twisted experiment.

Pitted against a dangerous sociopath who seems to know her every weakness, for Detective Stone, each move she makes could be deadly. As the body count starts to mount, Kim will have to dig deeper than ever before to stop the killing. And this time - it’s personal.

The rising star of the British thriller scene returns with a novel that will enthrall fans of Rachel Abbott, Val McDermid and Mark Billingham.

Watch out for more from D.I. Kim Stone

A Detective hiding dark secrets, Kim Stone will stop at nothing to protect the innocent.  Evil Games is the second book in the series – see where it all began in SILENT SCREAM - out now.

What readers are saying about Evil Games…

‘Angela Marsons has done it again! Evil Games is an absolutely cracking, five-star read - I devoured it in one sitting. Kim Stone has rapidly become one of my favourite ever detectives, and in this second novel in the DI Stone series she kicks ass more than ever, and I have, once again, been left panting in the corner in dire need of a cup of tea!’ Reading Room with a View

‘I'm a little bit speechless to be honest at just how incredible this book was… one of the best new crime authors of 2015, maybe even the decade ... Evil Games is a must read book, and probably one of the best I will read this year.’ Book Addict Shaun

‘Silent Scream (Book 1) was quite brilliant. Evil Games (Book 2) is EXCEPTIONAL. Clearly, the current rating system is broken as it’s unable to accommodate books of this calibre. So I give you – 6/5’  Little Bookness Lane

‘Evil Games is a clever, action-packed journey into some of society's darkest places, crackling with tension and wit. And DI Kim Stone is the most fascinating character to arrive on the scene since Val McDermid gave us Tony Hill. This is a no-brainer. Read Evil Games. You won't regret it."  Mark Edwards

‘Evil Games is a fabulously dark and chilling read… I am a huge fan of D.I. Kim Stone and can't recommend this series highly enough.’  By the Letter Book Reviews

‘Yet again Angela Marsons has written a 5* crime novel. I loved Silent Scream... Evil Games is certainly as good as the first, if not better, and I wish I could give it a higher rating than 5/5’  Off the Shelf Book Reviews

‘Once again, Angela Marsons takes us into the life of the brilliant loner DI Kim Stone and gives us an exciting, slightly chilling and totally thrilling read. This is one book that exceeded all of my expectations … Get yourself ready to take a day off and immerse yourself in this book. It is worth it.’  Northern Crime

‘Angela Marsons is fast becoming THE one to watch in this genre and I would defy anyone not to read and enjoy her writing… She truly has a brilliant mind and this book did not disappoint … This story has everything, it is riveting, emotional, sad and most of all it has a depth that not many novels can claim to have…  I highly recommend this one, Simply brilliant.’  Postcard Reviews

'This book, with every page you turn gives you goose bumps. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up and I just didn't want to put it down. It's fantastically written, it's gripping right to the last page and I just can't wait for book three now.’ It’s All About the Books

The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die.

When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping.

And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the squad.

Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the deadliest she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour…

Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families’ past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone’s child pay the ultimate price?

The latest utterly addictive thriller from the No.1 bestseller Angela Marsons. 

Watch out for more from Detective Kim Stone

A detective hiding dark secrets, Kim Stone will stop at nothing to protect the innocent. Silent Scream is the first book in the series.

Read what reviewers are saying about Lost Girls

‘Love it, love it, love it! If I could give this more than 5 stars I would. Suffice to say this is a 5++++++++ star read once again for me. The author has done it again, produced a story which kept me reading, in one sitting, until I reached the end … I would put this story alongside books from authors such as James Patterson. It has instantly gone to the top of my favourites list, as has the author.’ Fiona’s Book Reviews

‘Lost Girls was yet another brilliant read … Angela Marsons' books get better and better … This is gripping and addictive reading, hard to put down … a roller coaster ride with plenty of twists and turns.’ Off the Shelf Book Reviews

‘Angela Marsons is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors ever. Ever since I read the AMAZING Silent Scream, I have been addicted to her slick and compelling narratives… Compelling, addictive and frightening, Lost Girls is a book you can’t afford to miss.’ A Bookseller Blabbering

‘For anyone new to Angela Marsons, where have you been? This is one author that stands out from the crowds … a corker of a book. It will keep you hooked and anxious until the last page.’ Bye the Crime

‘Oh my days... I didn't know this series could get any better, but this is by far my favourite so far. This book will certainly be in my top ten books of 2015… This was an absolutely brilliant read… Angela, I don't know how you do it, but by God please keep doing it.’ I Love Reading

‘Another superb, thrilling novel by Angela Marsons. This lady absolutely rocks, and every book keeps getting better and better!’ Reading Corner for Book Lovers

‘Wow, I didn't think Angela Marsons’ DI Kim Stone series could get any better, but she has really outdone herself here. A fabulous and fast-paced thriller with twists and turns galore. Once started I could not put it down until the last page had been turned … I don't give books a 5 star rating unless they have that special something that blows me away, but Lost Girls was a very easy 5 stars for me.’ Cal Turner’s Book Reviews

‘Lost Girls kept me up late into the night as I just couldn't bear to put it down. Angela Marsons has written a tightly woven thriller, that will keep the reader riveted to the last page.’ The Book Review Café

'A fantastic debut: dark, addictive and original. I couldn't put it down'
Robert Bryndza, author of The Girl in the Ice

Do you want a thriller that grips from the first line?

Do you want a thriller to leave you gasping for air?

Connor Laird frightens people: he's intense, he's fearless, and he seems to be willing to do anything to protect himself and those he loves. He arrives in the Longacre Children's Home seemingly from nowhere, and instantly becomes hero and villain to every other child there.

Thirty years later, someone is killing all of those who grew up in the Longacre, one by one. Each of them has secrets, not least investigating cop DI Ray Drake.

One by one the mysteries of the past are revealed as Drake finds himself in a race against time before the killer gets to him.

Who is killing to hide their secret?

And can YOU guess the ending?


'Grips from the start and never lets up'
The Times

'Wreaks havoc with your assumptions. Hill has a hell of a career ahead of him'
Alex Marwood, author of The Wicked Girls and The Darkest Secret

'A cracking debut. I can't wait to see more of Ray Drake.'
Mark Billingham, #1 bestselling author of Love Like Blood and In The Dark

'Utterly gripping, packed with unforgettable characters - and SO well-written. The twists had me reeling!'
Louise Voss

Carl Whittley is seemingly a murderer without a motive. He's just tortured a beautiful, young TV presenter to death and now he's planning to blow an anonymous commuter to pieces. Who will be next? What is the motive behind the attacks? And how will he strike?

DCI Mark Lapslie needs something to do. He suffers from a rare neurological condition that has forced him to leave his family and avoid the police station. For his superiors, he is nothing but a nuisance to be avoided - and the spate of unconnected murders is just what they need to send him into retirement.

Carl wants every death to be different. More violent, bizarre and shocking. But as Lapslie gets on the scent and the force brings in a profiler, Carl makes a new plan. He hasn't killed a policeman yet . . .

Discover the other books in the DCI Mark Lapslie series: Core of Evil, Scream, Thirteenth Coffin and Flesh and Blood.

"An unforgettable—and Hollywood-bound—new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy."
—Entertainment Weekly

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

When a young woman’s body found hanging upside-down from a crucifix in an abandoned church, Detective Lucy Harwin is plunged into a case that will test her to her very limits.

Before Lucy even has time to get started, another body is found. And this time it’s someone Lucy and her team consider one of their own; the chief’s mother. Her body too is hanging upside-down, so Lucy fears there’s a serial killer stalking the streets of her small coastal town.

Lucy knows the chief is a good man. She trusts him, but can’t pin down his alibi. Just as she’s beginning to suspect the worst, she pushes for a test on some animal hairs, and uncovers a link to an old unsolved murder.

Lucy knows she’s getting close, and works around the clock to catch this killer before he strikes again. But then the trail leads her to the church where her teenage daughter volunteers. Can Lucy prevent a tragedy that will tear her world apart again?

An addictive and unputdownable crime thriller that will hook fans of Patricia Gibney, LJ Ross and Angela Marsons from the very first page.

What readers are saying about Last Light:

‘Explosive straight out of the gate… I loved everything about this book… This is a seriously good book… in my top 5 of my favourite books of 2018, I loved it, it was really good. If I could give it more stars I would.’ Bonnie’s Book Talk, 5 stars

‘Brilliant… A must-read book, twisty, gripping and one hell of a read.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘I was captivated… kept me engrossed from start to finish… if this is the first DI Lucy Harwin book you read, I can guarantee you will read the rest of the series and wait for the next instalment as eagerly as me.’ Nigel Adams Bookworm, 5 stars

‘Honestly, I will read anything by Helen Phifer. She didn’t disappoint with her latest book. There were amazing twists and turns.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘A first-class read, fast-paced, well-constructed and with believable characters… Recommend it highly.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Another non-stop read for me. Very tightly paced and great, great characters… that's what makes these books "must reads" for me.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Wow! What a brilliant read!… I finished Last Light in just a few hours.’ Booking Good Read, 5 stars

‘A real page-turner, I read this book in one sitting. This is a book you can't put down. I was hooked from the first page… OMG what a case… I honestly had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed. This is a real rollercoaster of a read… will get your heart pumping. I absolutely loved it.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Outstanding... More ups and downs than the big dipper.... Lots of twists and turns and I was up several nights late desperate to find out what happened. Cannot wait to read more books in this series.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Fabulous … a real unputdownable read which I just ploughed through. This author can really write one heck of a good plot and I hope the next book won’t be too long in coming so if you want a terrific read well here you have it look no further it’s brilliant!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer