Guilty Mothers

Detective Kim Stone, Book 20

By: Angela Marsons

Narrated by: Jan Cramer

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

She lies on the floor, her blue eyes wide and unseeing, arms outstretched as if begging for help. Kneeling next to her, wearing a sequined purple 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?

The twentieth book in the international, multi-million-copy bestselling series, Guilty Mothers will have you glued to the pages. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Val McDermid and Robert Dugoni will devour this gripping crime thriller.

Can be listened to as a standalone.

©2024 Angela Marsons (P)2024 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Mothers Behaving Badly

the setup…
DI Kim Stone and DS Bryant are called to the home of Sheryl Hawne where she lies dead, covered in blood and her daughter Katie found holding the knife. It initially looks like an open and shut case, even with Katie almost catatonic and unresponsive. But later that evening, Kim’s called to the site of another murder that’s very similar. What ties the two victims together is their history with beauty pageants. Both had immersed their daughters in that competitive world for years and it appears to not only be the link but the reason behind their murders. Meanwhile Constable Tiffany (Tiff) Moore responds to a call with her sergeant where the significantly decomposed body of James Nixon has been found in a lake. He was reported missing two years ago by his girlfriend Olivia Dench. But when she does the notification, Tiff senses something’s “off” between the woman and her son Logan.

the heart of the story…
I’ve known these little girl pageants were competitive, particularly between the mothers, but never would I have imagined it to be this bad. As Kim and her team explore these murders, it’s clear someone wants to get retribution for mothers behaving badly and it’s not necessarily their abused daughters. Someone is on a mission after the third murder and the list of suspects isn’t short. The secondary storyline was equally compelling as Tiff turns to Kim’s team to share her misgivings and they take her seriously. We get Olivia’s point of view so it’s that kind of mystery where you’re twisting in your seat, hoping the team figures out what you already know.

the narration…
I will only listen to this series because of Cramer and she delivers another outstanding storytelling performance.

the bottom line…
I was completely taken in by this story, equally for both investigations. Not all mothers navigating their daughters through the pageant world were abusive in their approach and not all of the daughters were emotionally damaged as a result so it reshaped my opinion somewhat. The contrast between the pageant mothers and Olivia Dench were remarkable as the situation was reversed. Guilty mothers indeed and it all made for a fascinating exploration, a complex mystery and excellent police procedurals.

Perfect mother's day book

Yet another awesome book in the series. Who kills mothers of pegante girls. I guess you will need to read to find out.

Kim is such a believeable character

I’ve listened to every Angela Marsons Kim Stone stories I can find and I’m always hungry for the next one to come our

Awesome

I love all the books in this series. Kim sounds so difficult but lovable at the same time. Jan Cramer is an excellent narrator and I enjoy her voice.

Always

So great! Excellent storyline, narration wonderful as always! Love these characters and cannot wait for the next one!

Another Hit

Once again, Kim Stone never disappoints. I will always pre-order a Kim Stone book hands down. Jan Kramer is the perfect voice for Kim and hope she will continue the narration in books to come. Good Job Angela & Jan!

gripping story

the double stories were gripping and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoy the Kim stone series.

Great story

I always look forward to new books in the Kim Stone series. This one was a layered examination into children’s beauty pageants - Mothers and daughters. I hope we get more of Tink in future books.