Dead Souls by Angela Marsons

Hold on tight for another nerve-shredding, emotionally draining roller coaster of a story in this original and exciting series.

When human bones are unearthed during an archaeological dig, DI Kim Stone has no idea of the horrors that await her. As the site lies on the boundary between two police forces, she’s forced to work with a former colleague and his team. It’s soon clear that these two officers have unresolved issues from the past.

While working away, her team begin to investigate a series of hate crimes, encountering prejudices that repel them. Innocent people are being harassed, attacked and killed. Determined to uncover those controlling the violence, one of the team finds herself in danger.

Meanwhile, Kim Stone is slowly uncovering evidence from the past that has shocking echoes with current investigations, leading to an exciting climax that left me emotionally and physically drained.

Like previous books in the series, this is one where you care about the characters more than you realise as the story hurtles at pace towards the climax. It’s original, gripping, full on and impossible to put down. While some of the issues dealt with are difficult to read, they drive Kim Stone and her team to deliver justice.

This is a series that will surprise you, take your breath away, and leave you delighted that you discovered it.

Description

The truth was dead and buried… until now.

When a collection of human bones is unearthed during a routine archaeological dig, a Black Country field suddenly becomes a complex crime scene for Detective Kim Stone.

As the bones are sorted, it becomes clear that the grave contains more than one victim. The bodies hint at unimaginable horror, bearing the markings of bullet holes and animal traps.

Forced to work alongside Detective Travis, with whom she shares a troubled past, Kim begins to uncover a dark secretive relationship between the families who own the land in which the bodies were found.

But while Kim is immersed in one of the most complicated investigations she’s ever led, her team are caught up in a spate of sickening hate crimes. Kim is close to revealing the truth behind the murders, yet soon finds one of her own is in jeopardy – and the clock is ticking. Can she solve the case and save them from grave danger – before it’s too late?