‘Deadly Fate’ by Angela Marsons | @WriteAngie @bookouture

Author : Angela Marsons
Title : Deadly Fate
Series : DI Kim Stone #18
Publisher : Bookouture
Publication date : May 25, 2023
Source : Netgalley

| ABOUT THE BOOK |

Late one evening, as the final church bell rings out, Sandra Deakin’s cold and lifeless body is found in the overgrown graveyard with multiple stab wounds. When Detective Kim Stone rushes to the scene, the violence of the attack convinces her that this murder was deeply personal. What could have caused such hate?

As the team dig into Sandra’s life, they discover she believed she could communicate with the dead. Was that why she was targeted? The last people to see her alive were a group of women who had a session with her the night before she was killed, and as Kim and her team pay them a visit, they soon learn each of the women is lying about why they wanted Sandra’s help…

Kim realises she must dig deep and open her mind to every avenue if she’s going to stand a chance at solving this case. And when she learns that Sandra was banned from the church grounds and had been receiving death threats too, she’s ever more certain that Sandra’s gifts are at the heart of everything.

| MY THOUGHTS |

‘Deadly Fate‘ is book 18 in the DI Kim Stone series and Angela Marsons isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. You’d think she would have run out of subjects by now, but nope. This time around we dive into the murky world of psychics.

The body of Sandra Deakin is found in a graveyard. She’s been stabbed eleven times and her mouth has been mutilated. This murder feels awfully personal but who could possibly hate Sandra that much? The team soon discovers Sandra was known as a psychic. Does her job have anything to do with her death? Did something happen at her last meeting? Is a rival psychic responsible for her murder? Maybe it’s the local Father, whose church is right next to the cemetery. Or does the truth lie closer to home with her husband and stepdaughter? Oy with the options!

There is so much going on in this latest addition. Because, as always, Kim and her team tend to have more than one case on the go and so it is here. Especially because Kim seems to be picking up new ones along the way, much to Bryant’s annoyance. It’s not like they don’t already have enough on their plate. Yet, this is what I like so much about this series. Just when you think you might get an answer about one topic, your attention is drawn back to something else entirely and it really holds your attention and keeps you on your toes.

There’s the case of the homeless John Doe who was found dead under a bridge, but whose appearance seemed somewhat at odds with the life he led. Kim can’t stand people not having a name, families not being informed and she won’t let this one go. Neither will Pen, who’s pretty much like a dog with a bone. I adore Pen, I really do. He will go above and beyond to do the right thing, and he has really earned his place on this team.

Pen’s dogged determination to solve that case leaves Stacey doing a lot of work regarding Sandy’s murder on her own. Along the way she picks up some unwanted attention. That’s all I’m going to say about that, apart from … creepy. We also welcome back Eloise and the ever-fabulous Tink, who should most definitely get a place on the team some day. Or a spin-off. If there’s a petition going to make that happen, I’ll gladly sign it ten times over. She’s such a wonderful character and always brings a smile to my face.

So many threads in ‘Deadly Fate‘. Some might even get tangled up together somehow. The psychic angle is done really well. There’s no judgment here, no mocking or anything like that. There are those who believe, those who would like to believe, and those who are sceptical. There are those who treat it like a joke and those who can’t seem to make a single decision without the guidance of a psychic. A lot of good questions are asked that make you think. Do psychics, whether you believe in them or not, do any harm? Is it mostly about giving people hope? Or the chance to move on? What makes people believe?

I must admit I got a wee emotional at the end. I won’t tell you why, but I’m sure that you’ll know what I’m talking about when you get to that particular page. To be honest, I don’t always appreciate it when my crime fiction leaves me with a lump in my throat, but this was so wonderfully done that I could only applaud it.

Snappy chapters make this one addictive story, and like with any of the other books in this series, I was hooked from start to finish. Of all the mysteries that ‘Deadly Fate‘ had to offer, I managed to solve a measly one. I’d be such a failure as a detective. But all credit to this author, for still being able to keep me guessing until the end. For still being able to keep this series as fresh as it was at the beginning. For still keeping me engrossed, and engaged, and invested in these characters and their lives. For leaving readers on a cliffhanger, again, which promises many more great things to come in book 19. Bring it on, I say!

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Amazon UK [out on Thursday!]

My thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.