First Blood (D.I. Kim Stone #.5 by Angela Marsons

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Since I discovered NetGalley’s app (Shelf) has a read aloud function, I’ve been able to dive into books when I can’t use my eyeballs and then pick them up on my ereader later. Or just keep on listening to the very fine computerized voice I’m able to select. That’s how I got pulled into First Blood. I’ve been on a big romance kick the past, well, several weeks and needed a change. First Blood was definitely that.

I just looked and there are already 20 books in this series so getting to start with a prequel seemed like a perfect way to get connected with the team. And I did. I honestly can’t wait to start on Silent Scream to see how they continue to gel and grow together.

First Blood is a gruesome mystery that has the team searching for a serial killer who has been escalating and the clock is ticking if they’re going to save the next victim. The pacing was great – I couldn’t stop reading and stayed up into the wee hours this morning finishing it. That hasn’t happened in a long time. The combination of learning about and connecting with Kim’s team and trying to figure out who the hell the murderer was kept me glued to the page.

So why only 4 stars? Well, the bits that we get from the killer’s POV and the final resolution seemed maybe a bit too much of a twist. I can’t really say too much at this point because of spoilers but I had a “WTF?” moment once all was revealed.

I absolutely recommend the book for anyone who loves a good police procedural that focuses on the characters and the dynamics of a small team of detectives. Oh! I nearly forgot to mention that some of Kim’s lines made me laugh out loud. There’s not a lot of humor in the book but what’s there is lovely.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me get to know Kim and the team.



View all my reviews