Angela Marsons

A fast paced, gripping thriller novel

Lost Girls

Denaiir

another great story, I loved getting to know the team better
4.5 stars

Eleanor Luhar

This was my first experience of Marsons' D.I. Kim Stone series, even though it is the third installment. I love thrillers and crime/detective novels, so I'm incredibly grateful to the authors for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley.
A year ago, two young girls were kidnapped. Only one came home.
Two more girls have gone.
There are several obstacles for the team to overcome: Is it the same persecutor as last time? Will they be using the same location? What do they want? Are the girls even alive still? 
Stone knows one of the mothers from her younger years spent in care. They never got on, yet she still requests Kim to lead the investigation.
Marsons gives an in-depth insight to the workings of the case, including the emotional effect on the workers. The use of a "profiler" was a nice touch, even if she was constantly hated and insulted at the start. (I'm looking into some kind of psychological side of crime for a uni course, so it was interesting to see what role she played. My psychology course at A Level also means I understand some of the references mentioned, which made me rather happy.)
With the help of a negotiator, a crazy psychic and the survivor of the last case, Kim manages to narrow down the search location. But the clock is ticking.
Throughout the course of this investigation, Kim is hung up on a previous failure. She'd always blamed a reporter for the death of a young man, but what if it wasn't her fault? What if someone else was really to blame?
We also see into Kim's past through small installments of memories. Bit by bit, we conjure an image of her character, her experiences and feelings. She comes across as bit of a bitch, but shows her tenderness when trying to save the girls. Her relationships with different characters in the novel also reveal different strengths and weaknesses.
While the investigation is going on, the couples go through several different domestic issues. Leads are being found and extinguished all around, and the previous case notes provide little help. The tension builds as they struggle to keep hope alive.
The end includes a few somewhat predictable twists, but isn't bad. Some non-crime-related developments are quite unexpected, though, proving that this is more than a simple detective novel.
An interesting read, but not particularly outstanding. 3.5 stars out of 5.

When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping. And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the squad. Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realizes that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive are getting smaller by the hour. Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families' past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone's child pay the ultimate price?

Lynn Braden

Kim and her team are called in when two girls have been kidnapped in a case that resembles another abduction case from a year ago. Even though kidnapping is not the kind of case Kim usually works on, a woman named Karen who was once in foster care with Kim is the mother of one of the missing girls and requests that Kim be placed in charge of the investigation. Just like the case the year before, the two girls have been taken in order to pit their families against one another in a bidding war over which family will provide the highest ransom. In the previous case, only one of the girls was returned to her parents. As the search continues, the tension mounts, but Kim is determined to make sure that both girls are brought home safely.
In Lost Girls, we learn more about Kevin Dawson and his past that created someone who is unwilling to trust anyone or commit completely to a relationship. In addition, a negotiator named Matt is brought into the case that not only has a personality that mirrors Kim's, but also sparks a powerful reaction from her. The family dynamics add to the story, especially when the previous case is explored and both of the mothers are contacted. Overall, a well-written book with lots of potent emotions and persistent clues to keep the reader interested from beginning to end.

Lost Girls A fast paced, gripping thriller novel

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