Blood Lines (Detective Kim Stone) Paperback – November 4, 2016

A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring, upstanding social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up.When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet.Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother.As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…

Gotta love Kim Stone and crew. I liked that we got to know some characters like Dawson and Stacey a little better, Woody too. It's always nice to find more depth in the ones we think we know so well. The return of Alex Thorne made for many interesting little subplots and it was cool to glimpse Dougie and the Hardwick crew but that reminds me of something I was having trouble with, kept annoying me every time I read about Leo. Wasn't this guy's name Shane? Pretty sure this guy was supposed to be the one but his name wasn't Leo, when Kim finds the notebooks at the house, she even asks David Hardwick "who is Shane?". He has the backstory about the uncle and Alex! I actually liked the addition of him again but the name change kept messing with me. Replacing Frost was a good move because of the last book so it made sense to get a new nosy reporter in there without tainting our new vision of Frost. The continuing saga with Kim's mom took us some new places but I feel like the big moment was a little bit of a copout and it seems like her mother decided to keep giving her that same gift. All in all can't wait til the next one, probably shouldn't have read this one so quickly but they are fast paced and really make you care about these guys.

What a wonderful author! The characters are real and broken but authentic. Kim is hard to get along with but cares very deeply for her team. Although the book is about the case and a confrontation with Kim’s nemesis, Alexandra. Even during her lowest times or hardest times for the case she shows her team respect and caring mentorship, even when they may not deserve it. Dawson does a dumb thing that cost them time and energy but she took the blame for his mistake as it was her team and no she would not reveal who had made the error. I am a real Kim Stone fan. Looking forward to reading all of the books in the series. Keep them coming!!!

Another wonderful tour de Force featuring our beloved D.I.Kim StoneWhat games her antagonist and her playPure joy, never knowing what will happen next.

Blood Lines is one of the more complex books in the series. The main crime follows a spate of seemingly unrelated murders that are stumping Kim. Meanwhile the psycho Alex (from book 2) is in prison and back to her devious ways. Alex has an appeal trial looming and will do anything to be free. The book also contains darker memories from someone... but who? O... and Kim might have a stalker.So there is a lot going on but I liked the novel overall. I thought that the ending was wrapped too fast but at least nothing was left hanging. The Dawson POV's seemed pointless, but maybe they will be used to setup something in the next book.Positives:+ Interesting. Both the main crime and the behind the scenes drama with Alex.+ Kim. I love her.Negatives:+ Ending felt sloppy. Wrapped up way to fast and with not enough detail. Some of the subplots felt half-assed because of this ending.

4 and 1 / 2 starsDI Kim Stone and DS Bryant are called to the scene of a murder at 2 a.m. A woman named Deanna Brightman has been stabbed to death in her car. She worked at Children’s Services. As the investigation begins, another voice from the past is back.Dr. Alexandra Thorne makes a comeback in this book and she’s still up to her old tricks even though she is remanded to a fairly relaxed prison. Frustrated by what she sees as her attorney’s lack of action in freeing her, she makes her own plan. And, of course, that plan involves manipulating DI Stone to insanity. She’s having a grand old time in prison, manipulating the other prisoners and scheming.The investigation of Mrs. Brightman’s death moves forward. Her husband seems truly upset, but her sister is more than a little off-putting. When another body in found in the woods, it steps up the investigation. Although nothing like Deanna Brightman, Maxine Wakeman has the same wound type and it looks to be the same weapon that killed her with a single stab wound. After speaking again to the part-time housekeeper of the Brightman’s, Kim and her team just might have a potential suspect.After learning of the death of a seven-year old boy in the same manner, Kim and Bryant finally come up with the link they needed to move the case forward.After an exciting denouement, the killer is caught. The identity of the killer came as a complete surprise to me.This is a very well written and plotted novel. It starts out suspenseful which gradually increases throughout the novel. I appreciate the way the team gets along. There were a few bumps within the team in this book, but it all was smoothed out in the end. Ms. Marsons is a remarkable author, and I can hardly until I dig into the next in this series.