Kindle Price:	$4.99
Sold by:	Amazon.com Services LLC

Promotions apply when you purchase

Add an

audiobook with Audible narration for $7.49

Audiobook Price: $17.46

Save: $9.97 (57%)

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the author

Angela Marsons

+ Follow

More books from this author

First Blood: A completely gripping mystery thriller (Detective Kim Stone) Kindle Edition

by Angela Marsons (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 9,602 ratings

Related to: Detective Kim Stone

See all formats and editions

Meet Detective Kim Stone. A detective hiding dark secrets. She’ll stop at nothing to protect the innocent.

‘This book has killed me!!!!… There is a smile on my face and goosebumps on my arms. Rarely have I been so satisfied with a novel… First Blood is a masterpiece.’ Chocolate ‘n’ Waffles Blog,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

Searching the victim’s home, Kim finds a little girl’s bedroom and a hidden laptop, but where is the child? And why does the man’s own sister seem relieved that he’s dead?

As Kim begins to unearth the shocking truth about the victim, a disturbing resemblance is spotted with the recent murder of a man found beneath the staircase of Redland Hall with multiple stab wounds.

Both these men had dark secrets and Kim discovers a link to a women’s shelter. As a child of the care system herself, Kim knows all too well what it means to be vulnerable. Could the shelter be the key to cracking this case?

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…

An absolutely heart-stopping mystery thriller that will keep you glued to the pages, reading late into the night. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Mark Billingham and Robert Dugoni will want to binge the multi-million copy bestselling Detective Kim Stone series now!

Read what everyone is saying about First Blood and the Detective Kim Stone series:

‘The jack, queen, king and ace of crime fiction… you can't stop reading it until the fantastic ending… Another mesmerizing and riveting read! I find it insulting to even rate it giving between one to five stars, because how many stars should you give to the sun?’ The World Is Ours to Read, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘**A word of warning** you will struggle to put this book down, forget about eating, drinking, sleeping, and work, this book will consume your every waking moment… it’s the perfect crime thriller.’ The Book Review Café, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Superb!!! I love Kim – always have, always will!!… breathtaking, heart-pounding, exciting and thrilling!!! I completely and utterly recommend reading not just this book, but the whole series!! Fab, fab, fab, fab, fab.’ Stardust Book Reviews,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I cannot begin to tell you how god damn good it is. First Blood is so bloody brilliant and so gripping… totally blown my mind.’ Baker’s Not So Secret Blog,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Quite simply, Angela Marsons is THE QUEEN of Crime Fiction…Every book of Angie’s is a masterpiece of storytelling.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘As always, another brilliant book by Angela Marsons featuring Detective Kim Stone and her team… Fast paced and dark, it kept me gripped from the first page to the last. Utterly superb.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I couldn’t put the book down… completely addictive.’ Rachel’s Random Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The most fabulous crime series ever written.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Marsons is a top-class crime writer, and she knows exactly how the keep the reader turning the pages."―The Bookbag, "Angela Marsons is in a league of her own in this genre."

About the Author

Angela Marsons is the USA Today bestselling author of the Detective Kim Stone series, and her books have sold more than four million copies and have been translated into twenty-seven languages. She lives in the Black Country, in the West Midlands of England, with her partner and their two Golden Retrievers. She first discovered her love of writing at junior school when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read "Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people's." After writing women's fiction, Angela turned to crime—fictionally speaking, of course—and developed a character that refused to go away.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07ZDG34ZC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (November 14, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 14, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2345 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 353 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #95,161 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #348 in Noir Crime
- #886 in Vigilante Justice Thrillers
- #1,711 in Murder

Customer Reviews:
4.6 9,602 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Angela Marsons

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Angela Marsons is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the DI Kim Stone series and her books have sold more than 5 million in 7 years.

She lives in Worcestershire with her partner and their 2 cheeky Golden Retrievers.

She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read "Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people's".

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.

She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 28 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into 30 languages.

Many of her books, including Blood Lines, Dead Souls, Broken Bones, Fatal Promise and Dead Memories reached the #1 spot on Amazon on pre-orders alone and the translation of Dead Souls, La Verita Sepolte, recently won the prestigious Primo Bancarella award.

To receive news of upcoming releases follow this link http://angelamarsons-books.com/email/

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

9,602 global ratings

1 star

0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Kindle Customer

Gripping

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024

Verified Purchase

This book was immensely satisfying to read. The murder mystery was a very good, action packed approach to a very interesting subject line. Great characters.

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

This was an unexpected book for me. Though written this year, it takes place when Kim is just tasked with her band-new team. It give you the low-down on all the people she works with. Not only does she have to deal with all new personalities but they also have to deal with a young man who is found beheaded and staked to the ground. While searching the man's home they find a little girl's bedroom and a hidden laptop. From here it gets even more gruesome as more mutilated bodies appear and Kim believes that some older unsolved crimes fit the bill for this killing also. This book will help you to discover where it all began for Kim Stone. Her books are always entertaining and hold your interest. One of my favorites in a series. The quality of the writing never gets bogged down.

Helpful

badDog4

Fantastic Main Character, Engrossing Story

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024

Verified Purchase

I can see how people are die hard Kim Stone fans. The audiobook is fantastic and I guessed totally wrong but I will be reading more books in the series. I’m hooked.

Helpful

The LitChic

PREQUEL: DI Kim Stone's newly assigned team of 'misfits' gets their 1st case - DON'T MISS IT!

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2019

Verified Purchase

I read this book in one sitting like I did every book written by Angela Marsons. She is by far, my favorite author, and the DI Kim Stone series is my favorite series of all time! This book was a surprise and a bonus all wrapped up in one because I didn't even know there was a prequel in the works. (I'm going to consider this an early Christmas present! Thanks Ms.Marsons!!! 🎄🎁 )

I won't rehash the plot, but in summary, we learn how Kim's team was originally formed and the circumstances that brought them together. Their first crime was of course, unique, and each team member wanted to work the case differently. How do they sort themselves out? Read the book!

Every character the author creates is as human as you and I. Fully formed and realistic. Each has their own pasts, trials, triumphs, flaws, fears, dreams, and even their own sense of humor. I find Kim the most intriguing, in part because of her personal history, but also due to her sense of humor and somewhat prickly attitude. I admire her for the way she manages her team and earns the respect of her subordinates, coworkers, and superiors alike.

Every case (and therefore each book) in the series is unique, fast paced, and left me on the edge of my seat, breathless to the last page. I can't imagine ever tiring of this series!

There aren't many series of this length that manage to keep me entertained and still leave me wanting more, but that's exactly what happened here. Don't worry, there are no cliff hangers.

What amazes me the most is the flawless continuity. The entire series is spot on which is essential. When I'm reading, the world around me disappears completely and I get tunnel vision. The downside to such intense focus means it's impossible not to notice continuity errors, no matter how small. Once identified, I'm unable to continue reading until I find the source to confirm my suspicion. Only then can I move on. It's come as no surprise to me that I haven't found a single mistake or continuity error anywhere in this series.

And now, I have a confession. Despite my keen eye for detail, I've never correctly guessed who committed the crimes or why in any of her books (before the reveal), despite my many guesses....Ms.Marsons is that good!

I truly hope Ms. Marsons sees this review because the day this series ends will be a sad day indeed!!!
Please keep writing about DI Kim Stone and her team. I can't get enough!

If you have yet to dive into anything written by Angela Marsons, I highly recommend not waiting another minute and starting with this series!
.
.
.
GO! What are you waiting for????

One person found this helpful

Helpful

SusanN NYC

Kim Stone fans needed this book and did Angela Marsons ever deliver! .

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

In this incredible prequel to the Kim Stone series Angela Marsons has indeed given us the story we have waited for. This is the making of Kim Stone, the Kim we have loved and followed for all the series. This Kim is the one we saw in the first books- hating to deal with people, moving from station to station because she is too impatient to get along with others, at ease only when working on her motorcycle, driven to the point where she forgets to eat (how I hate that, I've never forgotten a meal in my life),working non-stop until she solves a case.

Here she's been transferred (again) to another station and given a new set of officers with whom she has to work-newbie Stacey,who finds her forte in computer investigation, Bryant, stalwart and a steady support (and slowest driver in town), and Dawson ,who is dealing with a personal crisis which so distracts him from work he might get thrown off the team. And Woody, their boss at the station, who we learn has requested her and who Kim doesn't recognize when she arrives.

As wonderful as prequels are, and as satisfying it is to see the formation of the team we have come to love, we who have relished the entire series know things that will happen, which makes this book bittersweet, and for me there was a sadness over much of the story.

The case the team is assigned is a series of horrific torture murders, and the investigation takes the reader in many directions. I thought I had figured out the killer and the motive, but was wrong on at least one count.
You always learn something in an Angela Marsons book: I now know the meaning behind many prison and gang tattoos (something that should stand me in good stead next time I meet a man with a tattoo-I won't have to Google him to find out if he's been in the Big House or was a member of the Bloods or Crips). There are other interesting facts we learn as we go along, things that resolve the case but I won't spoil it for the reader.
Suffice it to say, I am beginning to suspect there are hidden depths to Angela Marsons!

There is another mystery that runs through the book, leading to an absolutely stunning twist at the end-another hallmark of a Kim Stone book.

This book makes you love Kim Stone more than ever. We get more of her back story and it can break your heart. Poignant because we know what fate awaits the team, happy because we will see glimmers of how far Kim comes in future books, transforming from a woman alone , hating Christmas, not even wanting to shake hands with a colleague, to a compassionate, brilliant, loyal friend and true leader- and who is able to give her heart to a rescue dog who rescues her in turn.

This is a stand alone book, but if you haven't, read the books in order-you will be all the poorer if you don't.
Thank you Angela Marsons for this unexpected gift of First Blood and we await the next installment of this fabulous series.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Strachan

Much more than a murder story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2024

Verified Purchase

DI Kim Stone is in charge of the team tasked to find a brutal murderer. This is her first case, her team are thrown together, don't seem to fit together, and all are misfits in their own way. This is a fabulously written story, which goes into the team members back stories as well as the murderers. The writer has a way of making you care about every character in the book, giving reasons and background on all of their behaviours. The plot has many twists and turns as well as a few red herrings that will keep you guessing till the end. This is the first book I have read by this author, but based on this I will definitely be reading more in the series.

2 people found this helpful

Margarete Krammer

Good start for the series.

Reviewed in Germany on April 1, 2024

Verified Purchase

Reading the prequel to the series gives you a much better inside and understanding of the various individuals in the books of the serie. You even get to know Kim Stone herself a little better.

Michael Radhey

Brilliant story of a new CID taam

Reviewed in Canada on December 2, 2020

Verified Purchase

Each character in this new unit of four officers is a imperfect character but each one of whom radiates as a real person. The most intriguing crime situation . Reading the book is like watching a made for Netflix series. Think that's crazy. Give it a try. Somehow the whole story is visible before your very eyes.This is written by a brilliant author.

Cliente Amazon

O início

Reviewed in Brazil on January 25, 2020

Verified Purchase

Depois de 11 (ou 12?) livros, descobrimos como tudo começou e seguimos Kim Stone no seu primeiro dia de trabalho como Inspetora. Adorei saber de alguns detalhes desconhecidos até então e ver a formação da equipe.

One person found this helpful

Translate review to English

Helene Fabre

FIRST BLOOD

Reviewed in France on January 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

I could not put the book down ... quite well written ... it is obvious, I think, that the author knows very well its subject. The suspens is incredible and it really is a "page turner" .... this book is responsible for going to sleep in the wee hours of the morning !!! Can't wait to read many other book of this author.

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

First Blood: A completely gripping mystery thriller (Detective Kim Stone) Kindle Edition

Customers who bought this item also bought

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Angela Marsons

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries