Sunday, April 30, 2017

Dead Souls: D.I. Kim Stone Novel



Dead Souls by Angela Marsons is the sixth book in the D.I. Kim Stone series.  Doctor A is a forensic archaeologist who was conducting a training class when she uncovered a skull at Hayley Green.  She quickly halts the training and contacts the police.  D.I. Kim Stone arrives at the scene and discovers D.I. Tom Travis is there as well.  This location happens to be on the border of two police districts.  Kim is told by DCI Woodward (Woody) that it will be a joint investigation (inter-force collaboration).  Kim and Tom will have to work together.  Kim will have the challenge of working without her team.  Tom and Kim used to work together until “the incident” (which Kim refuses to discuss with anyone).  Tom has not spoken to Kim since then and she is unsure why.  Kim puts on a brave face and starts working the case.  Doctor A slowly uncovers the three bodies in the grave.  She is able to discern that the grave was not the original dump site.  Exploring the bones, Doctor A uncovers bullet holes, animal trap marking, and dog bites.  What horror did these three people incur?  Kim and Tom explore the relationship between the land owners and their renters.  It is obvious that they are both keeping secrets.  Will the identity of the victim’s lead them to the killer?  Meanwhile, Kim’s team is working on a series of hate crimes, and it causes tension between Bryant, Dawson, and Stacey Jones.  Stacey wants to prove that she is just as good as the others.  She can do more than use a computer and starts her own investigation.  Then one of Kim’s team members is in jeopardy, she uses all the resources available to resolve the crimes.  Can Kim and Tom find the perpetrators in time and bring Kim’s team member home safely?


Dead Souls is well-written and has a fast pace.  This book engages the reader’s attention from the first page and holds it until the very end.  Kim Stone is a complex and unique character.  We get to know a little more about her in each book and Kim’s character grows or develops a little more.  I appreciated finding out more about Stacey Jones in Dead Souls.  It was also interesting to see Bryant and Dawson work together (very entertaining).  The mysteries in Dead Souls are complex and convoluted (lots of twists).  There are many details and moving parts.  It all comes together in the end.  If you pay close attention, you can identify the main culprit before the reveal.  I give Dead Souls 5 out of 5 stars.  If you have not read any of the other D.I. Kim Stone novels, then I suggest you start at the beginning.   Otherwise, you will not understand Kim, how she works, her team, and the team dynamic.  Dead Souls deals with very sensitive and controversial issue.  The story dives into hate crimes (racism) and how people perceive each other.  It is hard to fathom disliking a person based on their race, sexual orientation, or disability.   It is disturbing what people will do in our society.  Dead Souls is an exceptional novel.  

The first five novels in the D.I. Kim Stone series are Silent Scream, Evil Games, Lost Girls, Play Dead and Blood Lines.  Each novel in this series is better than previous one!  I am off to relax and enjoy the day.   I will be reviewing The Hidden Thread by Liz Trenow on Monday.  May each of you have a lovely day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader

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