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First Blood cover art

First Blood

By: Angela Marsons
Narrated by: Jan Cramer
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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

What listeners say about First Blood

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Fluctuates between bearable and annoying

First prepare to withstand the awful initial narration, with strange intonation and peculiar word cadences. Ride it out. You can do it. Eventually it either improves or you become dulled to it. Persevere.
Next there are the moments where the book becomes a recruitment handbook for the police force, with character's 'thought' text so contrived it makes you cringe. Again, hold firm, ride it through, for there are some reasonably extensive sections, admittedly later in the book, where the narrator finally seems to get to grips with the task in hand, and you barely notice her. If you are fortunate these moments will coincide with a section with an acceptable standard of writing and it's an ok book. Treasure these moments, they are rare.
The story is ok, with a bit of a twist. The characters are almost caricatures.

The worst part about it is the narration, with the portrayal of the baddie winning my personal award for worst narration ever. I don't think I'll ever listen to another book narrated by Jan Cramer.

Don't expect much and you won't be disappointed

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12 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    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.

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10 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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The narrator was so bad

I cannot comment on the story as I could not listen to this narrator passed chapter 3. Waste of a credit

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

I have read all the books in this series but only have the last 2 on audio. This is an awesome series and I can not recommend it highly enough. It’s one nail biting instalment after another.
Absolutely gripping from start to finish. Hope there will be more.
❤️🥰😍

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5 people found this helpful

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Enjoyable listen

I nearly didn't get this book after reading the reviews, no one seems to like the narrator, but I gave it a go.
I'm so glad I did, while she may not be the best I've ever listened to, she is far from being the worst.
Some of the reviews said they would never listen to her again, a little over the top i think.
The story kept me listening, fast paced and believable.
So on to the next book, moral of the story, give it a try, if you don't like it you can always send it back, but I think you will.

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4 people found this helpful

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FANTASTIC!!

Absolutely love this series and this prequel is the icing on the cake. Finding out where it all began for Kim Stone and her team.

Narration by Jan Cramer is excellent as usual, the series wouldn't be the same without her, and the conversation with Angela and Jan at the end is insightful and wonderful to listen to.

Can't wait for more Kim Stone.. .please!!

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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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......

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Already downloaded book One

Just love Jan Craner narrations. if you love Rachel Mclean and DI Finch you'll love this too! Great first book to get to know the characters 🥰

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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*DI Kim Stone*

This is the book before the series starts. I am not sure how I missed this book, I am around 4 books into the series, great to find out how Kim formed her current team after continually failing to stay at a station and being moved around so often, a lot of this is often her cold manner and she never shies away from confrontation.

Kim has a very difficult past and has learned to rely on herself only and never lets anyone in. Her current boss has followed her career since the day he was witness to some of the trauma Kim had to deal with when she was just six years old. He was part of the team to come to her rescue.

The current case compels her boss to request her help and she inherits a collection of staff. At the end of the case Kim has to decide who she wants on her team.

Will this be the team in the format that Kim wants or is she going off to pastures new?

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2 people found this helpful

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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

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2 people found this helpful