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And it did shed some light on Stone's sexuality, which was kinda ambiguous/avoided throughout the previous books (and trust me, I tried really hard to find some signs she's either straight or queer). Which is kinda interesting, because I don't mind the murders, psychos, blood and gore. But conversion therapy is another cup of tea.
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. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
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The boy’s dark hair shone in the bright lights. His lips seemed about to speak. But his body was cold and his blue eyes would never open again. Kim's character continues to grow in Hidden Scars and the title of the book reflects Kim's circumstances as accurately as several of the other characters who feature. She reveals a certain vulnerability that we have not seen before and which takes a bit of getting used to. She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 28 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into more than 27 languages. It has been two months since Kim's near death experience in Six Graves and she is returning to work. As a DI she knows exactly what the psychiatrist want to hear. Now she has to meet with her boss, DCI "Woody" Woodward, and convince him she is ready. Kim has never let anyone get close ... not even Bryant who is her partner and friend. We see a vulnerability in Kim. Her first case that gets her attention is the alleged suicide 19-year-old Jamie Wells, who her adversary DI Burns has just brushed it under the carpet. She goes to the scene of the crime with Bryant and straight way Kim knows that something is not right, and that the victim’s death is not suicide but murder. When she tells the parents of the victims of her findings, she gets a different reaction than she was expecting. The parents just want to bury him and not think much about it.
When a 19-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. 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. 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?I think this topic resonated with Marsons because she really flexed her writing skills in some sections. She went beyond the usual police procedural stuff and got a lil deep with it, which is nice to see. But then in some parts the writing was pretty lol. There's one paragraph where she starts FOUR sentences in a row with "Megan". And no, it wasn't a style choice, it was just basic writing. Anyways, let's move onto the book. This was one – if not THEE – heaviest topic Angela Marsons has taken on. PSA: I am not gay, so I cannot say with 100% certainty that everything was accurate or the trauma wasn't glorified. BUT, I found it to be handled with empathy (esp. miss Kim who is always a bull in a china shop type person) and sensitivity. Especially John. Oh, poor John.
As the instigation delves deeper into the lives of the three dead people, Kim and her team learn that each voluntarily attended a local clinic. A clinic which has them sign an NDA. A clinic that does conversion therapies. When Detective Kim Stone is called to a local business, what she sees leaves her speechless. The photo on the driving license bears little resemblance to the man laid out before her, and she knows she’s up against the most twisted killer she has ever encountered. In Hidden Scars, Angela Marsons pulls out all the stops and takes on tough topics. The writing is honest, yet handled with sensitivity. Do not enter into this book blindly as the material may not be suitable for all audiences. Hidden Scars is Angela Marsons deepest work and I love it. I congratulate the author on her brilliant novel. Overall though this is a fantastic read. A really serious subject matter that I think is handled with care, enough to entertain but also enough restraint to treat it with the seriousness it should be. Meanwhile, Stacey is trying to find a missing accountant, but feels it may just be a case of him leaving his wife. But she may be missing something.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. There is a real feeling of pace and tension throughout this novel, as well as themes that will make any rational persons blood boil. With a touch of gaslighting, a huge amount of catfishing and an unhealthy dose of obsession, prejudice and murder, it’s a sure fire, action filled investigation, that leads to the high stakes, jeopardy laden conclusion of the case, just the way we like it. There is the usual banter, although it is often muted, understandably, as Kim’s fuse seems even shorter than normal – also understandably. When Kim and her team start investigating they soon prove that Jamie could not have hung himself and soon there are other suspicious deaths. What they have in common is the victims were gay and spent time at clinics that specialize in conversion therapy. Someone is killing previous patients and staging them to look like suicide. After years of writing relationship based stories (The Forgotten Woman and Dear Mother) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.
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