Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

First Blood

By: Angela Marsons
Narrated by: Jan Cramer
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

In the darkness of a cold December morning, Detective Kim Stone steps through the doors of Halesowen Police Station. She’s about to meet her team for the first time. The victim of her next case is about to meet his killer....

When the body of a young man is found beheaded and staked to the ground in a secluded area of the Clent Hills, Kim and her new squad rush to the crime scene.

Searching the victim’s home, Kim discovers a little girl’s bedroom and a hidden laptop. Why is his sister relieved to hear he’s dead - and where is the rest of his family?

As Kim begins to unearth the dark secrets at the heart of the case, DC Stacey Woodward becomes convinced that this murder is somehow linked to a women’s shelter. As a child of the care system herself, Kim knows all too well what it means to be vulnerable.

With the killer about to strike again, Kim is in deep water with a rookie squad. Inexperienced Stacey is showing signs of brilliance but struggling to hold her nerve and, while D.S. Bryant is reliable and calm, D.S. Dawson is a liability. With his home life in pieces, his volatile behaviour is already fracturing her fragile new team.

Can Kim bring Dawson in line and pull her crew together in time to catch the killer before another life is taken? This time, one of her own could be in terrible danger....

Discover where it all began for Kim and her team. An absolutely heart-stopping mystery thriller. Perfect for Kim Stone fans and new listeners to the million-copy best-selling series.

This audio edition includes exclusive bonus content. In conversation with narrator Jan Cramer, Angela Marsons talks about her writing process, her journey to being published, and never-before-told insights into the series and Kim Stone’s character. Not available in other formats.

A detective hiding dark secrets, Kim Stone will stop at nothing to protect the innocent.

©2019 Angela Marsons (P)2019 Bookouture
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Forgotten Woman cover art
Dear Mother cover art
The Girl in the Ice cover art
The Murderer's Son cover art
Dark Game cover art
A Litter of Bones: A Scottish Crime Thriller cover art
The Missing Ones cover art
The Lost Girls of Penzance cover art
A Long Time Dead cover art
Nemesis cover art
The Crossing cover art
Detective Sebastian Clifford, Books 1-3 cover art
The Black Echo: Special Edition cover art
Blood Stained cover art
Perfect Remains cover art
Last Gasp cover art

What listeners say about First Blood

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    195
  • 4 Stars
    47
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    157
  • 4 Stars
    41
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    10
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    162
  • 4 Stars
    48
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really glad to have this prequel.

Really great for fans like myself to get this prequel, it was great to learn how it all began for Kim and her team, it was also great to get an interview between the author and the narrator of the series. A lot of questions were answered in this book. We also find out more about the other members of kim’s team and there careers before coming together.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant v

First book I’ve listened to by Angela Marion’s.but I intend to complete the series a steady build up to grand finish
Look forward to the next book
Popeye ( that’s my cat)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Too obviously and origin story

This is the prequel novel to the DI Stone series and as before is excellently read by Jan Cramer. Stone is given a new team and is immediately thrust into an horrific case when a mans body is found staked to ground with genital mutilation. As the bodies start to multiply Stone is struggling to get the best out of the team as she isn't fully up to speed with the strengths and weaknesses. This is an fully engaging police procedural with an interesting plot line and although the motive becomes all too obvious very early one, the culprit is somewhat less that obvious. The book moves along at a good pace and keeps the reader/listener fully engaged.
My only problem with the book (to which I would preferred to give 3.5 stars) is that it is too obviously written as an origin book written (based on date) after the first 9 or 10 main books. Some of the development of scenes where character back stories are produced feel a little bit forced to me and not naturally occurring. It's as if Marsons, aware that this is being billed as the book to "Discover where it all began for Kim and her team" she is in a rush to bring that discovery to her audience. Overall it doesn't detract over much from the enjoyment as it's still a good book, I just feel it could have been done better.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Absolutely brilliant. I am so looking forward to reading the other books in this series.the narrator is brilliant in every way. All the voices were different and it was so easy to keep up with the different characters
Absolutely brilliant book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent as always

Great listen .Love Kim Stone .Gives u an insight into damaged lives.great read.cant wait for the next

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another fantastic book

Another fantastic book in the Kim Stone Series. Thank you Angela Marsons I really enjoyed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

best Kim Stone book so far

although this is the start chronologically, i really enjoyed reading it after Childs Play, and all the books in the series. Already knowing and liking the characters meant this was a journey into how they all jelled in their first case as a team. i listen while i walk, and passers by must have thought me mad laughing out loud at Kims wonderful dry wit. Angela Marsons, dont ever stop writing Kims story......

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Thriller

Brilliant narration, and another great book from Angela Marsons. Thrilling and chilling a fabulous read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really enjoyable

Great story line, characters and narration.
Not an author I have listened to before but will again.
Really interesting interview at the end too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story - dreadful narration

I always enjoy the Kim Stone stories, but they really are marred by the dreadful narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful