Six Graves - Angela Marsons

Author: Angela Marsons

Series: DI Kim Stone, Number 16

Genre: Crime Fiction, Police Procedural.

Rating: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: Worked just as a good thriller should. Well-written, fast-paced, great on thrills, gripping.

Story:

DI Kim Stone has been called to investigate a house fire. However, the fire isn’t as innocent as it seems. Four members of the Daynes family have been found dead, and each of them has been killed by gunshot, with the mother holding the gun. While Kim and her team are working on this case, they hear that a dangerous psychopath whom Kim had arrested a few years ago has escaped from prison and is out for her blood. With a protection officer by her side, Kim has no choice but to stay away from the limelight and yet find out what happened with the Daynes family.

Where the book worked for me:

✔ Quick-paced. Short chapters. Kept me gripped from start to end.

✔ No needless subplots. Everything is written keeping in mind the two main investigations - the Daynes murders and the psychopath’s escape.

✔ I loved Kim’s character. She is snarky and over-confident while still being vulnerable. I can see why she is such a beloved character in police procedurals. The rest of her team members - Bryant, Penn, Stacey Wood, Leanne – are also memorable.

✔ Two thrilling cases in a single crime book. “Buy one, get one free”!!

✔ No alcoholics, no sex sirens, no woman character who is described mainly by her looks. Also, no phones dying out at the last minute.

✔ Very inclusive and diverse.

✔ The prologue was brilliant and creates the right amount of suspense.

✔ It does complete justice to its “police procedural” genre. The focus is steadily on the investigations and the entire police team, even though Kim is the star of the show.

✔ It is surprisingly humorous for a thriller! And I mean, intelligent humour, not cheap cracks on someone's looks. The repartee between Kim and her team is superb.

Where the book could have worked better for me:

❌ Well, this isn’t the book’s fault. But I would have loved the book had I felt a oneness with Kim and her team. I felt a bit like Penn, the new joinee to her task force. The group has a smooth camaraderie and I felt lost trying to put everyone in their right roles. With a lot of characters to focus on, this took time. Mind you, the book works wonderfully as a standalone. Wherever there are references to any of the past books, the author provides enough information to help you bridge the gap. But being the series freak that I am, I still felt like I was watching a movie with an ensemble cast at the midway mark.

MINOR SPOILER:

Too many adopted/foster children for the plot to be believable. A couple of tracks involving foster parenthood or adoption would have been fine. This went OTT. 

I had almost given up on Angela Marsons after reading her romance book “If Only” last year. But a friend told me that she is fabulous in her crime thrillers. Having read this book, I heartily agree. This was my first Kim Stone book, and it won’t be the last. But I’ll make sure I will follow the series order now onwards.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the DRC of “Six Graves”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.