‘Twisted Lies’ by Angela Marsons | @bookouture

Author : Angela Marsons
Title : Twisted Lies
Series : DI Kim Stone #14
Pages : 350
Publisher : Bookouture
Publication date : May 10, 2021

| ABOUT THE BOOK |

When the lifeless body of a man is found on an industrial estate, Detective Kim Stone arrives on the scene and discovers he’s been tortured in the worst way imaginable.

But as she breaks the devastating news to the victim’s wife, Diane Phipps, Kim can’t help feeling that something isn’t quite right about the woman’s reaction.

Twenty-four hours later, the victim’s family disappears into thin air.

| MY THOUGHTS |

When a new DI Kim Stone drops, you just know you’re in for a treat. This series is consistently brilliant with great plotting, excellent pacing and fantastic characters.

But quite honestly, I’m running out of words that will heap sufficient praise on this series and its author. It’s becoming harder and harder with every book and since this is book 14 in the DI Kim Stone series, I’ve been doing this for a while now. If you’re looking for a solid crime fiction series that after all this time is still as fresh as ever, then you should not look any further. This is it.

If you’re wondering how Angela Marsons keeps things interesting, this time it’s by giving Tracy Frost, journalist and pain-in-Kim’s-proverbial, a starring role in Twisted Lies. The trial of a man convicted of killing his wife seems to be heading to a foregone conclusion but Tracy isn’t willing to let that happen. I have to say this is probably the first time I actually liked Tracy and it was a real treat seeing a bit of a different side to her. Honestly, a dog with a bone has nothing on her.

Kim and her team are kept busy with something entirely different. A man’s body is discovered in an abandoned building on an industrial estate. It looks like he’s been tortured. Then, a mere 24 hours later, his family disappears. Vanishes without a trace. Where did they go? Did they leave willingly? Or was it an (alien) abduction? What is going on? It’s up to DI Kim Stone to find out but it seems she’s met with a wall of silence everywhere she turns.

It probably goes without saying that this may not quite be for the faint-hearted or the squeamish. Torture is torture and it’s every bit as brutal as you imagine it to be. I often caught myself making faces at my book while reading and being extremely happy I wasn’t eating anything. This is a killer who is extremely inventive, meticulous and patient. They are also on a mission and they will not stop until that mission is completed. But what is it they want and why?

I figured part of the story out quite early on but that didn’t ruin my enjoyment of Twisted Lies at all. There were still plenty of twists to keep me entertained and I never quite grasped the full picture until Angela Marsons revealed it to me. This is one of those books that really deserves the ‘unputdownable’ word. It definitely was for me. Once I started, I just couldn’t stop and I flew through it in one afternoon. Twisted Lies isn’t always an easy read and I’m not just referring to the torture. There are some disturbing background stories where both cases are concerned.

If you’re following this series, you’ll undoubtedly love this. If you’re not following this series, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that you really should be. If you’re in the middle of catching up, you have so much awesomeness still to look forward to.

And in the case of Twisted Lies, to end, two words : HOLY CLIFFHANGER! If that doesn’t get people coming back for book 15, I don’t know what will. I know I’ll be waiting at the front of the line!

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Twisted Lies is available to buy!

Amazon UK | Kobo