Evil Games – Angela Marsons
The greater the evil, the more deadly the game …
When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal attack, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution. But, as more vengeful killings come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far more sinister at work.
With the investigation quickly gathering momentum, Kim soon finds herself exposed to great danger and in the sights of a lethal individual undertaking their own twisted experiment.
Up against a sociopath who seems to know her every weakness, for Detective Stone, each move she makes could be deadly. As the body count starts to mount, Kim will have to dig deeper than ever before to stop the killing. And this time – it’s personal.
Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy which I received through Netgalley
After a strong debut appearance in last year’s Silent Scream DI Kim Stone returns in Evil Games and it is a well named book!
There is a lot going on for DI Stone, a successful operation which her team worked hard to pull off is now under jeopardy. A violent rapist is attacked yards from his home, despite his previous crimes Kim and her team need to ensure he receives their best efforts in finding his attacker.
As investigations proceed Kim finds herself coming into contact with a dangerous sociopath. Her own personal traumas still haunt Kim so facing an adversary who has the skill (and the inclination) to undermine a person’s weaknesses for entertainment places her in a vulnerable position.
Kim tries to explain to her colleagues that the sociopath (no spoilers) is not all that they may appear, however, her suspicions seem so unlikely that she struggles to convince anyone that there is substance to her suspicions. It seems that Kim’s own lack of social skills make her an unlikely candidate to identify issues in someone else’s behaviour.
Two books into a series and Angela Marsons has established a lead character that you will fully get behind. Readers cannot fail to engage with DI Stone and, despite her obvious character flaws, you know why she behaves the way she does and it just makes you root for her more.
Evil Games are just that – Kim is facing an ‘Iago-esk’ opponent who can manipulate the weak and vulnerable. These victims are turned into weapons by the sociopath and set off back to their tormented lives to lash out and harm others – just to see what they do. It is quite troubling reading at times but Angela Marsons handles it brilliantly – my sense of injustice was roused many times during Evil Games.
Evil Games is highly recommended. I grudged any time that I had to stop reading it and was disappointed when it ended – if that is not a sign of a good book then I am not sure what is!
Evil Games is published by Bookouture and is available now.
Angela Marsons is on Twitter: @WriteAngie