Hidden Scars
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- Create Date：2022-11-04 00:51:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Angela Marsons
- ISBN：1803147725
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Summary
While Jamie’s cold， lifeless body lay in the morgue， Detective Kim Stone stared at the empty board in the incident room and felt her anger boil。 Why were there no photos， details， or lines of enquiry？
When a nineteen-year-old boy， Jamie Mills， is found hanging from a tree in a local park， his death is ruled a suicide。 Detective Kim Stone’s instincts tell her something isn’t right – but it’s not her investigation and her temporary replacement is too busy waiting for the next big case to be asking the right questions。
Why would a seemingly healthy boy choose to end his life？
Why does his mother show no sign of emotional distress at the loss of her son？
Still mending her broken mind and body from her last harrowing case， Kim is supposed to be easing back into work gently。 But then she finds a crucial， overlooked detail: Jamie had a recent injury that would have made it impossible for him to climb the tree。 He must have been murdered。
Quickly taking back charge of her team and the case， Kim visits Jamie’s parents and is shocked to hear that they had sent him to a clinic to ‘cure’ him of his sexuality。 According to his mother， Jamie was introverted and prone to mood swings。 Yet his friend speaks of a vibrant， outgoing boy。
The clues to smashing open this disturbing case lie behind the old Victorian walls of the clinic， run by the Gardner family。 They claim that patients come of their own accord and are free to leave at any time。 But why are those that attended the clinic so afraid to speak of what happens there？ And where did the faded restraint marks identified on Jamie’s wrists come from？
Then the body of a young woman is found dead by suffocation and Kim makes two chilling discoveries。 The victim spent time at the clinic too， and her death was also staged to look like a suicide。
Scarred from an ordeal that nearly took her life， is Kim strong enough to stop a terrifying killer from silencing the clinic’s previous patients one by one？
When a nineteen-year-old boy， Jamie Mills， is found hanging from a tree in a local park， his death is ruled a suicide。 Detective Kim Stone’s instincts tell her something isn’t right – but it’s not her investigation and her temporary replacement is too busy waiting for the next big case to be asking the right questions。
Why would a seemingly healthy boy choose to end his life？
Why does his mother show no sign of emotional distress at the loss of her son？
Still mending her broken mind and body from her last harrowing case， Kim is supposed to be easing back into work gently。 But then she finds a crucial， overlooked detail: Jamie had a recent injury that would have made it impossible for him to climb the tree。 He must have been murdered。
Quickly taking back charge of her team and the case， Kim visits Jamie’s parents and is shocked to hear that they had sent him to a clinic to ‘cure’ him of his sexuality。 According to his mother， Jamie was introverted and prone to mood swings。 Yet his friend speaks of a vibrant， outgoing boy。
The clues to smashing open this disturbing case lie behind the old Victorian walls of the clinic， run by the Gardner family。 They claim that patients come of their own accord and are free to leave at any time。 But why are those that attended the clinic so afraid to speak of what happens there？ And where did the faded restraint marks identified on Jamie’s wrists come from？
Then the body of a young woman is found dead by suffocation and Kim makes two chilling discoveries。 The victim spent time at the clinic too， and her death was also staged to look like a suicide。
Scarred from an ordeal that nearly took her life， is Kim strong enough to stop a terrifying killer from silencing the clinic’s previous patients one by one？
Reviews
Julie Lacey
，
Another brilliant book from Angela Marsons。 The book begins with Kim easing herself gently back into work after the traumatic last case。 In true Kim fashion， she’s told the work psychiatrist what they want to hear and has been signed fit for work。 We get a glimpse into her true feelings and she is far from healed mentally and physically but wants to get back to it。 Kim finds her team being led by a man whose getting everything wrong。 Kim observes for a bit but realises she needs to step in quick Another brilliant book from Angela Marsons。 The book begins with Kim easing herself gently back into work after the traumatic last case。 In true Kim fashion， she’s told the work psychiatrist what they want to hear and has been signed fit for work。 We get a glimpse into her true feelings and she is far from healed mentally and physically but wants to get back to it。 Kim finds her team being led by a man whose getting everything wrong。 Kim observes for a bit but realises she needs to step in quickly to save her team from disbanding。 Kim and the team soon fall back into step and with murders that have been staged as suicides， they know they’re after a clever killer。 This series is an absolute pleasure to read and this is a brilliant crime thriller。 I’ll be shouting from the rooftops that there’s a new Kim Stone book out and will be counting the days until the next instalment。 Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended。 Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more
Beth
，
After the dramatic ending of the last book， I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with Kim and the team next。 I was worried that Kim was going to get on my nerves with her acting like nothing affects her and she’s too good for therapy but I was pleasantly surprised。 Seeing her character grow throughout the 17 books has been amazing and I highly recommend reading them in order。 The main storyline was heartbreaking but written extremely well。 I was kept guessing and I could not put it down。 I rea After the dramatic ending of the last book， I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with Kim and the team next。 I was worried that Kim was going to get on my nerves with her acting like nothing affects her and she’s too good for therapy but I was pleasantly surprised。 Seeing her character grow throughout the 17 books has been amazing and I highly recommend reading them in order。 The main storyline was heartbreaking but written extremely well。 I was kept guessing and I could not put it down。 I read it in one sitting。 The heart to heart between Kim and Bryant broke my heart and I loved seeing the team back together。 I’m also kinda loving the potential friendship between Kim and Frost。 I think this was one of my favourites of the series。 I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Sue Purbrick
，
Hidden Scars is a tense and thoroughly enjoyable crime thriller。 Fragile yet tough-as-nails Kim is back after her horrific near-death experience - having expertly faked a full recovery during her psych evaluation。 Instead of heeding the advice of her empathetic boss and taking it easy， she cannot tolerate the inept， despicable， misogynistic and ambitious DI who’s been standing in for her – especially the negative effect he’s having on her precious team。 She soon gets rid of him in her typically Hidden Scars is a tense and thoroughly enjoyable crime thriller。 Fragile yet tough-as-nails Kim is back after her horrific near-death experience - having expertly faked a full recovery during her psych evaluation。 Instead of heeding the advice of her empathetic boss and taking it easy， she cannot tolerate the inept， despicable， misogynistic and ambitious DI who’s been standing in for her – especially the negative effect he’s having on her precious team。 She soon gets rid of him in her typically direct and undiplomatic way and is back on the job in full force， much to the gratitude of Bryant， Stace and Penn。 While her management style is certainly not to everyone’s taste， she sure makes things happen and has the utmost respect of her team。Reading a Kim Stone novel is like being welcomed back into the bosom of a favourite family。 I adore catching up with the personal stories of this diverse police team as much as I enjoy the gritty crimes they tackle。 （Each of the novels in the series， by the way， can be read as standalone books。）In Hidden Scars， Kim and her team investigate a number of supposed suicide victims， each of whom seem to have links to dodgy practitioners who try to change a person’s sexuality。 Marsons turns her considerable skill to exploring conversion therapy， or turning gay people straight。 In parallel with this thread is an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of a seemingly normal husband。 Hidden Scars is written with Marson’s wonderfully fluent and gripping writing style， complete with her trademark humour and a cast of characters ranging from the truly despicable to the absolutely delightful。 It’s clever and surprising and utterly readable。 。。。more
Brenda
，
Detective Kim Stone was returning to work after her two months of rehabilitation after the case that almost killed her， and walking into the room where her team were， Kim was shocked at the apathy， the lack of information on the incident board。 It wasn't long before she booted her replacement， resurrecting the case that he'd deemed unimportant。 As Kim， along with Alan Bryant， Stacey and Penn， dug deeply into the apparent suicide of a young Jamie Mills， she could see things didn't add up。 Finding Detective Kim Stone was returning to work after her two months of rehabilitation after the case that almost killed her， and walking into the room where her team were， Kim was shocked at the apathy， the lack of information on the incident board。 It wasn't long before she booted her replacement， resurrecting the case that he'd deemed unimportant。 As Kim， along with Alan Bryant， Stacey and Penn， dug deeply into the apparent suicide of a young Jamie Mills， she could see things didn't add up。 Finding something wrong with Jamie's parents reaction to his death， it didn't take Kim long to discover it was murder。 Soon she was on the hunt for a cruel and vicious killer; with links to a nearby clinic， each of the victims had been admitted for treatment and left when they were supposedly cured。 The race was on， but could they find and stop a killer before the next person was taken？Hidden Scars is the 17th in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons and once again it was breathtakingly brilliant！ Twists and turns - I didn't pick the perpetrator - and with Kim still trying to overcome the trauma from her last case， I was impressed with the team and how they fell back into place， having Kim's back， and working their hearts out。 An excellent thriller， Hidden Scars （and the series） is one I recommend highly。With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Carly Rushforth
，
I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。To say I was delighted to be approved to read this ARC would be the understatement of the year！。I love this series so much， it’s got a special place in my heart and I’m invested in these characters so much that they feel like family at this point。When you start a new D。I。 Kim Stone book it feels like you’re home at last。Kim is back at work after the devastating events that happened at the end of the previous bo I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。To say I was delighted to be approved to read this ARC would be the understatement of the year！。I love this series so much， it’s got a special place in my heart and I’m invested in these characters so much that they feel like family at this point。When you start a new D。I。 Kim Stone book it feels like you’re home at last。Kim is back at work after the devastating events that happened at the end of the previous book， she’s been going through the motions to be declared fit for work。 Now that she’s back will she ever feel like the old Kim again？。This was another amazingly fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat。 It has everything you know and love from a Kim Stone story， it also had a lot of hard hitting subjects that I found deeply disturbing but feel they should be brought to light and talked about as they happen in real life too。I loved the little reveal at the end and that I think loyal readers will enjoy it so much。Roll on book 18！！。 。。。more
Tove R。
，
Kim is back after the last horrendous case， but she is not fully recovered yet。 Kim does not believe that a young man killed himself， but her replacement think the case is closed。 It is far from closed。 Turns out that there is someone killing people due to twisted beliefs and insane minds。 It is nice to see an author tackling sensitive issues that most people do not even want to think about。 There are many people in the world who are not willing to budge one bit from their "truth"， and in this c Kim is back after the last horrendous case， but she is not fully recovered yet。 Kim does not believe that a young man killed himself， but her replacement think the case is closed。 It is far from closed。 Turns out that there is someone killing people due to twisted beliefs and insane minds。 It is nice to see an author tackling sensitive issues that most people do not even want to think about。 There are many people in the world who are not willing to budge one bit from their "truth"， and in this case， these people think it is fine to， by any means， get the demon of being gay out of a person's system， so that this person can live happily ever after as a "normal" heterosexual person。 Kim is not ready to budge either， and I admire her stubbornness in this case。 She is in fact quite a character。 I love her in these books， but I can imagine that she can be the greatest pain in the arse， if she were a real person。 Once again， I read this book in a matter of hours， just devouring page after page。 The hate in me grew quite strong towards many people in this book， so it did stir up emotions， even though I know it is fiction。 What can I say？ I feel protective of Kim （even though she would never admit she would need my protection）， and I most definitely understand her devotion to this case。Highly recommended！ Thank you Angie for writing about this disgusting subject and reminding the world these clinically insane people sadly exists among us！ Referring to the culprits， not Kim :D 4，5 stars。 。。。more
The Cats’ Mother
，
Hidden Scars is the seventeenth instalment in the constantly compelling DI Kim Stone series， set in Britain’s Midlands。 In some respects these are formulaic police procedurals， with similar elements and tropes repeating in each book， but you can’t really blame Marsons for giving her fans what they want。 She manages to keep the series fresh by introducing a new topic into each book - in this case conversion “therapy” - and coming up with twists that still manage to catch me out every time。Two mon Hidden Scars is the seventeenth instalment in the constantly compelling DI Kim Stone series， set in Britain’s Midlands。 In some respects these are formulaic police procedurals， with similar elements and tropes repeating in each book， but you can’t really blame Marsons for giving her fans what they want。 She manages to keep the series fresh by introducing a new topic into each book - in this case conversion “therapy” - and coming up with twists that still manage to catch me out every time。Two months on from her near-fatal assault by twisted killer Symes， Kim is feeling the need to return to work， despite knowing she’s neither physically nor emotionally ready for it。 Her team are being nominally led by the clueless and lazy but glory-seeking DI Burns， who is only interested in cases which will advance his career。 When Kim discovers that he’s forced Stacey to stop investigating the apparent suicide of a young man， she can’t help but get involved， introducing her to the murky world of sexual reorientation clinics。This was another gripping and fast paced crime thriller， where as ever the character dynamics are the most interesting and entertaining aspect。 Kim’s rock-hard facade （Stone， geddit？） is starting to crack just a little， and she is finally starting to listen and learn from those who care about her - including， always hilariously， surly pathologist Keats and sarcastic journalist Frost， but most importantly she is finally starting to trust her best friend， whose first name we finally learn （okay second best after Barney， obviously！） If you need trigger warnings， this includes apparent suicide， extreme homophobia and emotional and physical torture which is referred to rather than portrayed。 It’s a dark book with light moments - yes the adorable Jasper features in most of them， but there’s also a charming minor character called River that I’d love to meet again。 As with most of the books in this series， there are separate cases going on， which may or may not turn out to be connected。 An author as experienced as this shouldn’t have to resort to coincidence to hold her plots together。 Also， and I know I sound like a broken record complaining about this every time， a serial killer turning up in every book is just too unlikely， and the increasingly untenable no-Covid setting also stretches credibility， but these are my only criticisms and will certainly not stop me eagerly awaiting the next one。Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC。 I am posting this honest review voluntarily。 Hidden Scars is published on November 9th。 。。。more
Amy
，
If you’re a fan of this series you know the previous book， Six Graves was an emotional rollercoaster leaving Kim in a dark place。 I won’t say more just in case you haven’t read it， but IYKYK。 So I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as Kim and her team are concerned but things were definitely off and it was unsettling。 Just another layer added to the multitudes the author already has laid out for us readers and somehow she’s always able to tug at my emotions while reading a thriller， which is not If you’re a fan of this series you know the previous book， Six Graves was an emotional rollercoaster leaving Kim in a dark place。 I won’t say more just in case you haven’t read it， but IYKYK。 So I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as Kim and her team are concerned but things were definitely off and it was unsettling。 Just another layer added to the multitudes the author already has laid out for us readers and somehow she’s always able to tug at my emotions while reading a thriller， which is not an easy task。 She does it with a deft hand too， I never feel toyed with and I trust her process and know that everything is well thought out and handled meticulously。 All of that to say， it’s a rocky beginning for the team when this book begins but soon enough you’re thrust straight into the action per usual。The author usually explores two different cases in each book and this was no exception。 This is such a clever tactic because there is never a dull moment and it always adds even more tension and suspense to the story。 This time Kim and company are investigating murders staged as suicides and it takes them inside the world of conversion camps。 I knew very little about these horrific camps or clinics beforehand but as always Marsons took great care and an empathetic hand when exploring them。 On the lighter side I always enjoy my time with Kim， Bryant， Penn and Stace and I devour any new information revealed about who they are and what makes them tick。 The final chapter answered the long awaited question of Bryant’s name and I loved that it ended on a lighter note。 Overall another fabulous read in an excellent series， if you’re a thriller fan and you’re not reading this series are you even a thriller fan？！ 😉 。。。more
Meredith （Slowly Catching Up）
，
“She wasn’t back yet。 She wasn’t even close。” Kim Stone makes an emotional return to her squad in Hidden Scars。 Hidden Scars is a procedural/mystery about a chain of murders covered up as suicides。 Stone’s team investigates， exposing the brutal practice of conversion therapy。I would not recommend reading this book if you haven’t yet read the previous books in the series。 Book #17 finds a tougher yet， more vulnerable Kim。 She has PTSD from her near-death experience at the hand of her nemesis， an “She wasn’t back yet。 She wasn’t even close。” Kim Stone makes an emotional return to her squad in Hidden Scars。 Hidden Scars is a procedural/mystery about a chain of murders covered up as suicides。 Stone’s team investigates， exposing the brutal practice of conversion therapy。I would not recommend reading this book if you haven’t yet read the previous books in the series。 Book #17 finds a tougher yet， more vulnerable Kim。 She has PTSD from her near-death experience at the hand of her nemesis， and she hasn’t been good about letting people in--which is not a surprise。 When she finally returns to work after an absence from her ordeal with Symes， she finds her team nearly shattered after being under the rule of a DI deemed “the idiot。” The narrative is equally divided between Kim， Stacey， and Penn， with a little less from Bryant。 However， Bryant and Kim share some emotionally packed scenes。 Additionally， Barney gets the star treatment， and some visitors from previous books make an appearance。 There are two mysteries: one involving the staged suicides， the other involving a missing husband。 There are some surprising twists and turns， and I was especially caught off guard by the case of the missing husband。 Marsons explores some dark topics concerning homosexuality and gender through the so-called cure of conversion therapy。 The “therapeutic” methods are sickening to read。 This is a darker and more emotional installment than some of the others in the series。 However， there is a great deal of humor， snark， and joy mixed in。 I loved the final scene between Kim and Bryant--the reader finally finds out his first name。 Overall， this was another solid addition to the series。 I look forward to book #18！I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Louise
，
This series just gets better and better。Kim is back， just but is still haunted by past events。 Her team need her though。Cases that have been ignored in her absence are now taking on a sinister turn and we are taken into a world of discrimination and hatred that is chilling。Great story。
Marion
，
Kims physical injuries maybe vastly improved and though she may well have been able to convince her therapist she has come through the mental trauma and is well enough to return to work gradually， 。this is not quite true as she is still subject to recurring nightmares。 Following her absence she finds her team in a sorry state， Bryan and Penn are not being effectively used and poor Stacy is considering asking to transfer out due to D I Burns， Kims misogynistic replacements attitude。Kim witnessing Kims physical injuries maybe vastly improved and though she may well have been able to convince her therapist she has come through the mental trauma and is well enough to return to work gradually， 。this is not quite true as she is still subject to recurring nightmares。 Following her absence she finds her team in a sorry state， Bryan and Penn are not being effectively used and poor Stacy is considering asking to transfer out due to D I Burns， Kims misogynistic replacements attitude。Kim witnessing one such incident dismisses him from her team， much to their delight。One of the cases he chose to ignore was a 19 year old man Jamie Mills， found hanging from a tree。 It doesn`t take Kim long to realize Jamie was the victim of murder。 An investigation is no sooner underway when another apparent suicide， of 22 year old Sarah Laing， points once again to it being a staged murder。Inquiries reveal both Jamie and Sarah had been attending a clinic " Change" run by the Gardner family。 They are a "Conversion Clinic" allegedly helping cure people of their homosexuality。Slowly but surely they build up a picture of what the patients are being subjected to。 The clinic uses shock therapy， withholding food， even rape to cure them。Can Kim and the team get the proof of what is going on inside "Change"， are people cured and leaving to start a new life or are they just bodies that are being accepted as suicides？This is a dark， intense read。An excellent addition to a fantastic series which just keeps on getting better and better。May there be many more instalments featuring fearless Kim and her terrific team。 。。。more
Sam “My Cosy Book Nook”
，
（4。5 stars）It's now been three weeks since Mrs Book Nook and I got our black Labrador puppy， Bonnie。 During that time， it's fair to say that she's … 'enriched' our lives， would be one way of putting it。 'Filling a space bigger than the one we realised existed' would be another。 Because the seemingly endless cycle of feeds， toilet breaks and demands for attention， all while the inconvenient but necessary task of 'working from home' has to be done， have all conspired to mean that the time availabl （4。5 stars）It's now been three weeks since Mrs Book Nook and I got our black Labrador puppy， Bonnie。 During that time， it's fair to say that she's … 'enriched' our lives， would be one way of putting it。 'Filling a space bigger than the one we realised existed' would be another。 Because the seemingly endless cycle of feeds， toilet breaks and demands for attention， all while the inconvenient but necessary task of 'working from home' has to be done， have all conspired to mean that the time available for sitting down and reading has somewhat dwindled。 And as for writing reviews … I think the only way I can keep on top of them is if I completely abandon the idea of sleep。I wish to make it explicitly clear that I'm not complaining， because she's absolutely gorgeous。 But it says something that despite my new-found distraction， I still read Hidden Scars in two evenings flat。It also says that Angela Marsons must be even more incredible than I had thought。 Because not only does she have not one， but two golden retrievers to look after， but each year she continues to add another two instalments to her DI Kim Stone novels， which have become - and I'm afraid I'll take no argument on this - the best current crime fiction series in publication today。Even by Queen Angie's standards， her last book， Six Graves was something particularly special。 It is， I think， the first book I've read that has actually left me in shock。 The main storyline - which I won't give away in case you haven't read it - was that powerful that it left me feeling curiously numb。 And it was the memory of this feeling that came to the forefront of my mind as I opened her next book。 How the hell， I wondered， could she possibly follow that？Well， she's tried。 Blimey， she's tried。 Hidden Scars deals with - and this isn't a spoiler if you've read the blurb - conversion therapy。 Now， maybe my life as a heterosexual man has left me privileged in this respect but I would have thought that the idea that a person could be 'cured' of their homosexuality is one that should have died out with the plague。 But no。 I've done a little bit of research and it's actually still legal in the UK （though there is a petition to ban it）。Some of the scenes must have been hard to write。 But Angie has done so beautifully and with an almost suprising amount of compassion。 I couldn't help but think that the Kim Stone of old would have been furious at having been steered down a blind alley purely in order to force her to improve her knowledge of the issue。 But maybe today's slightly mellowed， still-not-quite-sure-if-she's-lucky-to-be-alive Kim was that bit more ready to educate herself。As if this wasn't enough， able to present an alternative side to the argument so convincingly that by the end， my mind was just as confused as Bryant's was。 Of course， by end， there could be no doubt and I was left almost feeling annoyed with myself at having been willing to listen。So far， so typically brilliant。 But， I'm afraid that I did have one or two small， but slightly larger than normal problems。Firstly， I said that the main storyline was beautifully written， and it is。 But I still couldn't help but think that it reminded me a little too much of Book 12 in the series， Killing Mind。 Substitute 'cults' for 'conversion therapy' and you have what did seem to be a very similar plot。Secondly， in previous books - Fatal Promise and Dead Memories come to mind in particular - Angie has done a stunning job on the psychology of Kim's character。 Here， though， something seemed to be missing。 I just didn't quite get how Kim felt when she first returned to work。 Her rapid transition to working full shifts was necessary for the storyline， but it did seem rather abrupt。 A single brief appearance by Ted felt as though it had been shoehorned in and overall， I wondered if a bit more of the book needed to have been devoted to this aspect。Dare I go so far as to suggest that it could have come at the expense of the sub-plot。 Perhaps this could have worked better for me if - again - more had been made of the story， including the motivation of the character in question。 However， as it was， I have to say that it felt just a little bit silly。Make no mistake: Hidden Scars is still a really， really great book by a superlative author。 But I think it goes to show that even the amazing Angela Marsons can't always beat herself。My thanks to the author， Bookouture and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book， which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly。 I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon。Review also available on my blog: www。mycosybooknook。wordpress。com 。。。more
Mags
，
DI Kim Stone is back！！ Two months on from her brutal attack。 She's declared fit and ready to return to work。 But Kim knows how to work the system and no one is really sure she's ready least of all Kim。But with the man who played a big part in her attack left in temporary charge and the team in disarray。 Kim has no choice but to step back in， especially when she overhears how DI Burns is referring to their latest case。 A case they wouldn't be investigating if it wasn't for her。And what a harrowin DI Kim Stone is back！！ Two months on from her brutal attack。 She's declared fit and ready to return to work。 But Kim knows how to work the system and no one is really sure she's ready least of all Kim。But with the man who played a big part in her attack left in temporary charge and the team in disarray。 Kim has no choice but to step back in， especially when she overhears how DI Burns is referring to their latest case。 A case they wouldn't be investigating if it wasn't for her。And what a harrowing， eye opening case it is。 As Hidden Scars delves in to the world of alleged treatments for people who are gay and either don't want to be or whose families can't except it。And as Kim， Bryant， Penn and Stacey dig and link a series of supposed suicides back to a clinic called Change。 They learn some shocking and heartbreaking truths。 Which leave them more determined than ever to find the killer and shut the clinic down。Meanwhile， Stacey is also diligently searching for a missing person。 But have they just had enough of life or has something far more sinister happened？And with fantastic pacing， great humour， and twists you won't see coming。 Hidden Scars is a cracking read。 That I genuinely couldn't put down and I'd implore anyone who has not yet read the series to pick it up today！**I was kindly provided with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review** 。。。more
Debra Feldman
，
I say it every time - how can Angela Marsons possibly keep the standard up but she does。 Amazingly。 Kim Stone is back after virtually being beaten to death in the previous book。 And thank goodness for that - where would us loyal readers be without her？
Karen
，
When the death of nineteen-year-old Jamie Mills is ruled a suicide， Detective Kim Stone is not so sure。 He seemingly had no need to take his life so why is his mother so keen to put the death of her son behind her？ After the body of a young woman is found in what initially looks like another suicide， the alarm bells start to ring when a connection is made between the two victims。 Kim and her team soon find themselves involved in a shocking investigation into a clinic whose aim is to ‘cure’ peopl When the death of nineteen-year-old Jamie Mills is ruled a suicide， Detective Kim Stone is not so sure。 He seemingly had no need to take his life so why is his mother so keen to put the death of her son behind her？ After the body of a young woman is found in what initially looks like another suicide， the alarm bells start to ring when a connection is made between the two victims。 Kim and her team soon find themselves involved in a shocking investigation into a clinic whose aim is to ‘cure’ people of their sexuality and it seems that there is someone targeting the patients…The story starts straight after the events of the previous book， Six Graves， and we see a more vulnerable side to Kim， understandable after what she recently had to endure。 Despite this， as we would expect， Kim is soon burying her fears in order to take control of her team and start to investigate cases she feels have been neglected in her absence。 One of the main strengths in this series is the characterisation of the main players and the empathy Angela Marsons makes you feel towards them。 The re-introduction of DI Burns， therefore， made me feel just as angry as it made Kim and I was pleased to see her reaction！Although I have heard about these ‘conversion therapy’ clinics， this was the first time I have read about one in a fiction book。 The author deals with the issue with sensitivity and I was filled with disgust at the lengths some people will go to in order to make people conform to what they feel is the norm。 Angela Marsons makes it clear just what happens at this clinic but spares us the graphic detail， something I was pleased about。This is the seventeenth book in the series and there are references to events in previous books although these are not spoilers。 I liked how the author reminded us of things long-time readers would be familiar with without giving the game away to those who had picked up a Kim Stone book for the first time。 I’m sure that like myself， fans of the whole series will have had a smile at the revel that takes place right at the end of the book！I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: why have these not yet been made into a television series？！ 。。。more
Monnie
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It's safe to say that Detective Inspector Kim Stone has been around the block a few times - this is the 17th book in the series， for goodness sake - but this time she's struggling to get back in the swing of things after being savagely beaten and way too close to death。 There are several concurrent plot lines going on here， and more than a few characters （and all their relatives and coworkers） to keep straight。 Among the first casualties is Jamie Mills， who is found hanging from a tree in what i It's safe to say that Detective Inspector Kim Stone has been around the block a few times - this is the 17th book in the series， for goodness sake - but this time she's struggling to get back in the swing of things after being savagely beaten and way too close to death。 There are several concurrent plot lines going on here， and more than a few characters （and all their relatives and coworkers） to keep straight。 Among the first casualties is Jamie Mills， who is found hanging from a tree in what initially is ruled a suicide by an officer in Kim's department who is intent on finding high-profile cases to work on that will better serve his career mobility。 That and the fact that he's racist， sexist and homophobic mean he really rankles his co-workers， who are not only enlightened but very loyal to Kim （who despises him also）。Meantime， a distraught wife asks Kim's team buddy Stacey to find her missing husband; that， too， doesn't rise to the promotion-oriented officer's level of interest and， were it not for Stacey's instincts， would have been swept under the rug。 With help from her trusty partner and good friend Alan Bryant， Kim digs in her heels （no matter how much they， along with the rest of her body， still hurt） and broadens the investigation into Jamie's death。 That in turn leads to a clinic that purports to use conversion therapy methods to "change" gay people back to what they insist nature intended。 The methods they use are no less than horrific， but the owners continue to tout the clinic's exemplary success rate。 The pro-LBGTQ perspective is a strong focus throughout， by the way - almost overkill， in my mind， given that in this day and age most readers （at least those who want to be） already are aware and accepting of the facts with regard to the basic issues thereof。 When another victim is murdered and has connections to the clinic， though， Kim and her team redouble efforts to dig into what's really going on - forcing Kim to push the limits of her post-injury physical and mental condition to get to the truth。 All in all， another one well done - many thanks to the publisher， via NetGalley， for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy。 I'm ready for No。 18 - bring it on！ 。。。more
Miki Jacobs
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It's a few months after the conclusion of the previous book and Kim is going back to work after recovering from her injuries。The are pleased to see her back as they have been lumbered with a lazy glory hunter， who wouldn't take ono cases in case the "big one" came and they were already tasked with something。 He has also made Stacey the teams tea girl and administrator to everyone's disgust。One of the cases that Burns decided wasn't worth further investigation was a young man who had been found h It's a few months after the conclusion of the previous book and Kim is going back to work after recovering from her injuries。The are pleased to see her back as they have been lumbered with a lazy glory hunter， who wouldn't take ono cases in case the "big one" came and they were already tasked with something。 He has also made Stacey the teams tea girl and administrator to everyone's disgust。One of the cases that Burns decided wasn't worth further investigation was a young man who had been found hanged。 Burns had written it off as a suicide， but Kim notices things he didn't and is it opened as a murder investigation。 Then two other murders that are dressed up as suicide occur and there are links to a clinic that specialises in Conversion Therapy。At the same time，。 Stacey is looking into the disappearance of a husband。 He appears to have vanished。 I love this series， the characters are flawed and it's nice to see。 What person wouldn't be in their jobs？ 。。。more
Joan
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While Kim is still on leave after nearly being killed by a determined， disturbed and evil murderer （in the Detective Kim Stone last story number 16 in the series）， her temporary replacement Burns is becoming ever more disliked by her team， Penn， Stacey and Bryant。 Instead of working on cases that need attention as they come in， all he is bothered about is making a name for himself by waiting for a really juicy， sexy case that will prove to everybody how skilled and smart he is。 He is also belitt While Kim is still on leave after nearly being killed by a determined， disturbed and evil murderer （in the Detective Kim Stone last story number 16 in the series）， her temporary replacement Burns is becoming ever more disliked by her team， Penn， Stacey and Bryant。 Instead of working on cases that need attention as they come in， all he is bothered about is making a name for himself by waiting for a really juicy， sexy case that will prove to everybody how skilled and smart he is。 He is also belittling or berating Kim’s team and they have had enough of sitting around。 They are a great team， never better than when they are on the chase。Kim is due to come back， working in the station and not yet ready for her usual duties。 When she arrives she notices a discarded case， put down as suicide。 She starts investigating the details because instinct tells her there have been mistakes， omissions and lack of professionalism。 She takes her partner Bryant to the scene of the so-called suicide， asking him to climb up the tree， and within minutes she is certain the young boy has indeed been murdered。 She is determined to get justice for the lad， called Jamie Mills。 Jamie’s mother and father do not want her to pursue with her investigations。 Kim cannot believe what she is hearing。 She is totally on the trail。 Jamie couldn’t have climbed up the tree as a recent injury would have made it impossible。 So the case is reopened as suspicious death， and the demise of Burns。The team are reunited and alongside much research and planning they head to a swish clinic that Jamie has recently attended， hoping to find out more about Jamie’s problems。 They feel uneasy about their reception and the secrecy the Gardner family （the founding owner and her family） seem to be hiding。 Gradually they put together the pieces and the case makes progress。 Time is of the essence when another body is found suffocated and also staged as a suicide。 It is the body of a young woman。 More work is done to find out whether the young lady knew Jamie and if so where they met。 This team work well together， sharing their findings and keeping their colleagues safe。 Most of all they know that Kim is fighting to keep her work and her terror of what she has been through apart。 They admire and respect Kim。 It is a dream team， but can they solve the problem before someone else dies？This series is spot on for me。 I wait for each novel to be announced。 I am in awe of the incisive and well researched storytelling and enjoy meeting Kim and her team once again。 Each novel reveals more information about the team。 They are like family to me and I care about what happens to them。 I also enjoy meeting new characters and admire the details of their input into the story。 Angela’s themes are modern， important and her insight is far reaching。 This novel has two separate exciting stories for the reader to enjoy。 The main novel is about Conversion Therapy， gay sex， power and shame。 This novel has two separate exciting stories for the reader to enjoy， and two nail biting， shocking but wonderful finales。I was so excited when I saw this new novel and requested it for review。 I quickly received a complimentary copy from publisher Legend Press through my membership of NetGalley。 Thank you so much for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review。 It’s a 4。5* review from me， and a recommendation that this is a very good read。 。。。more
Samadhee Ismail
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Detective Kim Stone is back！Jamie Mills， a nineteen year old boy was found hanging from a tree。 The death was initially ruled as a suicide and DI Kim Stone was surprised at how his mother didn't seem to be too upset about his death。 However， as further investigation goes on， similar deaths have occured and soon， DI Stone and her partner discovers a ruthless place， where they carry out some horrible acts on people to redeem their "sins"。This was quite a page turner！ So many twists and turns and f Detective Kim Stone is back！Jamie Mills， a nineteen year old boy was found hanging from a tree。 The death was initially ruled as a suicide and DI Kim Stone was surprised at how his mother didn't seem to be too upset about his death。 However， as further investigation goes on， similar deaths have occured and soon， DI Stone and her partner discovers a ruthless place， where they carry out some horrible acts on people to redeem their "sins"。This was quite a page turner！ So many twists and turns and from the first page to the last page， I was literally hooked into the story。 I couldn't even put the book down and I only read this book in a span of two days， wanting to know what is going to happen next and who is the actual killer。 This also deals with LGBTQ issues and how some society is dealing with this issues through brtual schemes。 Overall， I actually enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait to read more of Kim Stone series！ Worth five stars。Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC。 The review is based on my honest opinion only。 。。。more
Carolyn Walsh
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Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this much-anticipated ARC。 I have read all 17 books in the Kim Stone series。 Angela Marsons has made these crime thrillers/police procedurals fresh and compelling。 It has been a pleasure to watch the growth of Kim and her intelligent and likeable team members。 Kim's childhood was marred by abuse and a terrible tragedy。 This resulted in her having difficulties relating to people on a personal level。 She is sympathetic and relates fiercely to victims of crim Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this much-anticipated ARC。 I have read all 17 books in the Kim Stone series。 Angela Marsons has made these crime thrillers/police procedurals fresh and compelling。 It has been a pleasure to watch the growth of Kim and her intelligent and likeable team members。 Kim's childhood was marred by abuse and a terrible tragedy。 This resulted in her having difficulties relating to people on a personal level。 She is sympathetic and relates fiercely to victims of crime。 She has become very protective of her police team and appreciates their varied strengths。 They， in turn， respect and admire Kim's leadership and work well together。 In her last investigation， Kim came very close to death and has been absent from work for two months。 Her recovery from physical injuries and mental trauma has been ongoing。 She is able to convince （f00l） the therapist that she has progressed further along in recovery than in reality and still has disturbing nightmares。 She now has permission to ease herself gradually back into work。 Kim is shocked to return to her office in an unhappy state of disarray caused by her replacement。 He ignores cases that should be further investigated as he is waiting for a high-profile case that will lead to his advancement and glory。 Bryan and Penn are underutilized。 Stacey （a competent detective） has been made useless due to the temporary leader's blatant misogyny。 Kim dismisses him to the delight of her team and rushes full force into work。 The detectives are restored to their former duties。 A 19-year-old man， Jamie Mills， was found hanging from a tree， and the case was written off as suicide。 It takes Kim only a short time to find clues confirming he was murdered。 His parents seem cold and strangely untroubled by his death。 Next， a short time later， 22-year-old Sarah Laing's apparent suicide shows clues that it was a staged murder。 The topic of conversion therapy is the focus of the main mystery。 Conversion therapy aims， by various means of emotional manipulation， behaviour modification， and shaming to change a gay individual to a straightorientation。 A bill was passed in Canada early this year to make conversion therapy a crime。 It was learned that Jamie and Sarah both attended a conversion clinic run by the Granger family。 Kim and team members discover that participants in the therapy were forced to undergo horrendous treatment in an attempt to eliminate homosexual thoughts and behaviour。 Those admitted to the conversion clinic had to sign a non-disclosure clause and were unwilling or afraid to talk about what they endured。 The investigation is complicated。 Kim and team need to find out why former patients are being killed before more deaths occur。 A secondary mystery has Stacey searching for a missing husband， Gabriel Denton， an accountant。 His wife is distraught， claiming he was a wonderful， devoted husband and his absence is out of character for him。 Stacey learns that he was in a emotional but platonic relationship with a co-worker and withdrew a large sum of moey from the bank before he vanished。 Now， she has reason to believe he was killed。 Well， Kim certainly came back to work full force at a very busy time and against all advice。 I am looking forward for her next investigation， and hope she will not be suffering any negative repercussions in her health after all her bravery and hard work。 Recommended！ 。。。more
Linda Wilson
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I am always massively excited to read a new Kim Stone story and this one certainly didn't disappoint。 Kim has just returned to work after nearly being killed and is supposed to be taking it easy。 But when a young man is found hanging from a tree she is convinced this is not a suicide。 When it becomes evident that the man was gay but had attended a clinic for aversion therapy， alarm bells start to ring。 This is a great story that will keep you on the edge of your seat til the end。 Thanks to NetGa I am always massively excited to read a new Kim Stone story and this one certainly didn't disappoint。 Kim has just returned to work after nearly being killed and is supposed to be taking it easy。 But when a young man is found hanging from a tree she is convinced this is not a suicide。 When it becomes evident that the man was gay but had attended a clinic for aversion therapy， alarm bells start to ring。 This is a great story that will keep you on the edge of your seat til the end。 Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy。 。。。more
Gemma Deary
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Another brilliantly written book from one of my favourite series of books going， Book 17 and I’m still hooked。 Kim Stone is back with her team where she belongs and although she may not be the fierce detective that she is in previous books I’ve no doubt in my mind that she will get right back up there in time！ And that last line of the book！ A long time coming， loved it！
Gemma Deary
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Another brilliantly written book from one of my favourite series of books going， Book 17 and I’m still hooked。 Kim Stone is back with her team where she belongs and although she may not be the fierce detective that she is in previous books I’ve no doubt in my mind that she will get right back up there in time！ And that last line of the book！ A long time coming， loved it！
Lynda
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Book 17 in the Detective Kim Stone Series and another cracking police procedural that can easily be read as a stand-alone。 As always the writing is excellent and the storyline great。 Two main strands to the book; a missing man whose behaviour seems completely out of the norm and a young man who appears to have committed suicide。 The main theme of the story is gender identity and the shocking use of conversion clinics。 Briefly， having returned to work on a trial basic following the horrific event Book 17 in the Detective Kim Stone Series and another cracking police procedural that can easily be read as a stand-alone。 As always the writing is excellent and the storyline great。 Two main strands to the book; a missing man whose behaviour seems completely out of the norm and a young man who appears to have committed suicide。 The main theme of the story is gender identity and the shocking use of conversion clinics。 Briefly， having returned to work on a trial basic following the horrific events in the last book Kim is shocked to find the acting DI is treating her team badly and is only interested in pursuing high profile cases。 He has ordered the team to close a recent incident of a hanged 19 year old as suicide， although the team aren’t convinced。 Kim isn’t going to sit back and watch this so after a rather emotional， but accurate outburst， she takes back control of her team。 Time to delve further…This is quite a dark read with issues raised that may be triggers for some but they are integral to the story and not gratuitous。 This was fast paced with plenty of action and some truly shocking scenes。 Some great twists and turns and a shocking conclusion to both threads made this a page turning read。 Loved it。 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
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I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Hidden Scars， the seventeenth novel to feature DI Kim Stone of West Midlands Police。Jamie Mills’ hanging has been written off as suicide， but Kim， recently returned to work after recovering from a brutal attack in her last case， thinks he was murdered and sets about proving it。 A second murder made to look like suicide leads her to a clinic which claims to cure their clients of homosexuality。I thoroughly enjoyed Hidden Scars， I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Hidden Scars， the seventeenth novel to feature DI Kim Stone of West Midlands Police。Jamie Mills’ hanging has been written off as suicide， but Kim， recently returned to work after recovering from a brutal attack in her last case， thinks he was murdered and sets about proving it。 A second murder made to look like suicide leads her to a clinic which claims to cure their clients of homosexuality。I thoroughly enjoyed Hidden Scars， which is an event filled read with several twists and turns that takes on the fairly horrific practice of conversion therapy。 It is mostly told from Kim’s point of view with the odd chapter from an imprisoned person with no explanation more than their experience。The novel centres on Kim and her role as leader of the team。 No， she’s not fully recovered from her ordeal， if she ever will be， but after a day of desk work she’s ready to take the lead in this new investigation if only to protect her team from her replacement。 Soon she’s in her stride and despite some new found empathy she’s as feisty as ever。 There’s a lovely story about her teammate， Penn， to bring a little light into what is quite a depressing investigation。The plot is interesting。 I learned a lot about abuse masquerading as therapy and shared every part of Kim’s thinking on the subject。 I don’t want to get into the detail of the motive as that would mean spoilers， but it also is a kind of brainwashing and I found it fascinating。 The investigation itself moves along at a fast pace with all sorts of developments and reveals and even manages to solve a couple of related crimes。Hidden Scars is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more
Annette
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A very emotive subject dealt with in a very sensitive way， I have read all of Angela Marsons books and never tire of her writing style and the characters she creates。 This is definitely a book that I will re-read， it is that entertaining
Pamela Hutchins
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OMG！ Kim Stone is the best！ Marsons has done it again with an absolute page turner。 This woman is the queen of crime。
Steph Lawrence
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Absolutely fantastic。Totally unputdownable。I love Angie Marsons， she always delivers。I eagerly await every book as they come out， and read them right away…。。I just can’t wait。The plot was fast-paced and I couldn't put it down， reading at every opportunity。 The short chapters are perfect for that。 The quality truly blows me away with each book。 The books are just so effortless to read。 I love them。Fabulous as always， I love Kim Stone and her team。 Absolutely fantastic。Totally unputdownable。I love Angie Marsons， she always delivers。I eagerly await every book as they come out， and read them right away…。。I just can’t wait。The plot was fast-paced and I couldn't put it down， reading at every opportunity。 The short chapters are perfect for that。 The quality truly blows me away with each book。 The books are just so effortless to read。 I love them。Fabulous as always， I love Kim Stone and her team。 。。。more
NICOLA LUNT
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Omg！ Angela Marsons does it again！ Another fab book covering a sensitive topic。 Detective Kim Stone is back - 2 months after she died， she thinks she’s ready to come back and take it easy。 But DI Burns who’s taken over her team - well， he’s incompetent at best！ Kim takes on the case of Jamie Mills - an apparent suicide that Burns was not interested in， and then another supposed suicide leaves a child motherless。 Kim and her team need to find out why。 Meanwhile Stacey has a missing man， and his w Omg！ Angela Marsons does it again！ Another fab book covering a sensitive topic。 Detective Kim Stone is back - 2 months after she died， she thinks she’s ready to come back and take it easy。 But DI Burns who’s taken over her team - well， he’s incompetent at best！ Kim takes on the case of Jamie Mills - an apparent suicide that Burns was not interested in， and then another supposed suicide leaves a child motherless。 Kim and her team need to find out why。 Meanwhile Stacey has a missing man， and his wife to contend with。 Kim learns that the two victims had recently spent time at a clinic that specialises in conversion therapy for gays - and finds that it is more abhorrent than she thought possible。 What is the connection between the clinic and their deaths？ Is Kim up to the job？ Her friends and therapist are all trying to find out， but there is only one way to know for certain！ Great book with twists and turns - can Kim and her team work it out before another tragedy？ 。。。more
Paula
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The book Hidden Scars （Detective Kim Stone Book 17） by Angela Marsons is so good。 It's gratifying to see Kim back in action and to see Kim back with her team。 Angela Marsons writes crisp dialogue and scenes that keeps the story moving forward。Hidden Scars is about the difficult subject of sexual identity and the lengths some will go to keep people from expressing themselves fully and truthfully。 Hidden Scars is smartly written and sensitive to the subject matter。 I would highly recommend this se The book Hidden Scars （Detective Kim Stone Book 17） by Angela Marsons is so good。 It's gratifying to see Kim back in action and to see Kim back with her team。 Angela Marsons writes crisp dialogue and scenes that keeps the story moving forward。Hidden Scars is about the difficult subject of sexual identity and the lengths some will go to keep people from expressing themselves fully and truthfully。 Hidden Scars is smartly written and sensitive to the subject matter。 I would highly recommend this series， this book， and this author。Hidden Scars is definitely a 5 out of 5 stars。 Can't wait to read more from this author。 There is never a dull moment in the stories。#HiddenScars #NetGalley @bookouture @WriteAngie 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Hidden Scars
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Hidden Scars&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Hidden Scars&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0