Guilty Mothers
She lies on the floor, her blue eyes wide and unseeing, arms outstretched as if begging for help. Kneeling next to her, wearing a purple sequinned ballgown and holding a knife in shaking hands, is her daughter…
In a quiet kitchen, where two mugs wait by the kettle to be filled, Sheryl Hawne lies in a pool of blood. Her only daughter, Katie, is found at her side, still clutching the murder weapon and apparently incapable of speech. To Detective Kim Stone, the case seems open and shut. But Katie is in no state to be questioned, so Kim and the team must dig deep to understand what triggered this brutal act.
Soon, they learn that Katie participated in beauty pageants as a child, and her mother kept a shrine to her achievements. As Kim gazes at the golden trophies and shiny rosettes, she is forced to wonder if this was what set Katie on the path to murder…
But then Kim receives a shocking call. Another woman is dead. And with Katie safely locked up, she cannot be the killer. The second victim also entered her daughter in pageants, and a broken tiara is found thrust down her throat. Someone clearly feels that these mothers are guilty – and that they deserve to die. Forcing back the memories of her own monstrous mother, Kim vows to find justice for these women, no matter what pain they caused.
Now more than a day behind their killer, Kim races to learn more about a competitive world where appearances are everything and mothers will go to any lengths to ensure their daughters triumph. Buried somewhere in this dark past is the key to unlocking the case… but will Kim be able to find it before another family is destroyed forever?
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Angela Marsons
Angela Marsons is a storyteller whose work delves deep into the complexities of human nature, darkness, and the emotional undercurrents that shape crime and justice. Raised in the heart of the Black Country in the UK, Angela’s journey into writing was a quiet rebellion against convention. From an early age, she was captivated by the stories around her—both the ones told and the ones left unsaid. The crime genre found her in an unexpected way, through her fascination with the psychological intricacies of people and their darkest actions.
Detective Kim Stone
The Detective Kim Stone series invites readers into a dark and emotionally charged world of crime-solving, where every case reveals more than just a killer—but the scars that lie beneath the surface. At the heart of this gripping series is Detective Kim Stone, a sharp, driven investigator whose dedication to uncovering the truth is matched only by her own troubled past. As she uncovers buried secrets in the bleak, industrial backdrop of the Black Country, each case tests not only her intellect but her ability to confront her own emotional demons.
Detective Kim Stone consists of twenty-one books — series is set to expand with the upcoming release of two more books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
