[REVIEW] Blood Lines

title: Blood Lines (D.I. Kim Stone #5)
author: Angela Marsons
genre: adult fiction, crime fiction, mystery, thriller
publish: November 4, 2016 by Bookouture
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 4 / 5 stars
goodreads

How do you catch a killer who leaves no trace?
A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring, upstanding social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up.  

When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet.  

Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother.  

As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…  

A totally gripping thriller that will have you hooked from the very first page to the final, dramatic twist. 

Angela Marsons does not disappoint.

If you've been following my previous blog, the Blacksheep Project, you're probably aware that I LOVE Angela Marsons' D.I. Kim Stone series especially the last two books: Lost Girls and Play Dead. And if you haven't read the series, you can go check my previous reviews from the Blacksheep Project OR read my quick thoughts over at Double the Books's January issue!

Some people were born to make all the tough decisions and others were born to support the people that make the tough decisions. -loc787; eARC

Blood Lines did present a case that kept me thinking. A social worker was stabbed in the heart. There were no traces of the murderer aside from her 'emotionless' way of killing. This paved way for a couple more murders being connected. It was an interesting case and I like how Kim slowly made the connections among the victims. However, this case didn't kept me on the edge of my seat.

BUT setting this case aside, what I like about Blood Lines is the further development of Kev and Kim. Let's talk about Kev first, okay? I mentioned before that I was so glad that Marsons delved into Kev's character. And while, I was hoping that she'd go through Stacey this time, getting more development of Kev is also an okay thing for me. But the thing is, Kev's issue here is kind of the same one he was having before. And I really thought that that he's over it and feels more comfortable and trusted. But then, right here, Kev shows the need to be trusted. He feels that he isn't as reliable as his colleagues and he wants to prove that he is. And surely, Kev made mistakes and did face them head on. Also, the things he went through here are much bigger than before. There's a better understand between him and Kim right now.

The mind was such a vulnerable part of the body. People often had no clue just how much they were being manipulated in everyday life. -loc3211; eARC

The highlight of Blood Lines, for me, is Dr. Alex Thorne's comeback. In my review of Evil Games, I mentioned that Dr. Thorne's a sociopath. She doesn't feel sympathy. She enjoys seeing people's emotions play out and how well her interventions affects them. I also admitted then that I liked the internal battle that formed in Kim because of Dr. Thorne and that certainly made Blood Lines good for me.

I'm genuinely amazed by Dr. Thorne's connections and influence. And I was amazed of the length she actually went through just to get out of prison early -- even ruining the lives of many people (not that she cares anyway. if there's anything else at all, she's extremely amused).

Dr. Thorne's second intervention in Kim's life opened up more things about Kim (that may have been mentioned before and my tiny mind can't remember it). And going through it, I really feel sorry for Kim and the things her mother did. Her mother does seem out of her mind and I cannot even believe what the heck Dr. Thorne is doing -- releasing and comforting Kim's mother. Aside from the fact that the news of Kim's mother's possible release actually ruins her game.

'My ability to solve crimes does not depend on my ability to cook a pizza,' Kim explained -loc3429; eARC

However, the crime presented on this novel did not absorb me. Admittedly, I was not able to guess the serial killer and I find his reasons and solutions to be interesting and quite indirect and still painful revenge-wise. But unfortunately, this just didn't work for me. I'm thinking that it's because Kim's and Kev's personal issues (mostly Kim's though) overpowered this. Aside from Kim's and Kev's dilemma, Dr. Thorne's point of view was also presented along with a couple more characters.

OVERALL, Blood Lines is a great addition to the D.I. Kim Stone series. It was able to develop Kim's character as well as other more like Kev and Woody (and that's certainly a good thing). However, it overwhelmed the crime-plot of the novel that I didn't care much about it but the twist is still well written and I was not able to guess it. SO I'm still highly motivated to read the next novel in this series (because DUH, it's Kim Stone!). If you're looking for a crime fiction series with a strong and stubborn detective and a great team, you definitely NEED to read this.

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