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?
What I thought:
I was beginning to think that I was the only person on the planet who hadn't read this book. Everyone has raved about it, so I had to find out what all the fuss was about.
The story follows DI Kim Stone and her team as they investigate a murder that's swiftly followed by another. Then the remains of a body are found buried nearby where permission had finally been given for an archeological dig. There is certainly no shortage of action in this gripping crime debut.
I loved the personalities the author gave to the characters, particularly that of Kim Stone. She is brusque and abrasive, though touchingly caring at times, but also quick-witted, adding a dash of dry humour to this fast-paced thriller. Her difficult childhood leaves her guarded but chinks in her armour occasionally appear allowing us to see her hidden vulnerability.
For me, what really sets this apart from so many other crime novels is that everything was just so believable. The characters felt like they could step outside the book and come to life. Suspense was expertly drip fed throughout, though I did, very cleverly, think that I'd got it all figured out. I was wrong!
I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this book. I thoroughly enjoyed every page (although some really were pretty gruesome,) and I'm thrilled to have discovered Angela Marsons. How exciting to think I've got all her other books still to read.
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