Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for sharing this outstanding book with me. As you follow along with the series, the characters become family. I am excited to read book 18. One August afternoon, eight-year-old Grace Lennard skips into the garden of the childcare centre she attends and vanishes into thin air. Rushing to the scene of Grace’s disappearance, Detective Kim Stone finds a chilling piece of evidence: the engraved heart bracelet belonging to Melody Jones – the little girl who was taken from a playground exactly twenty-five years ago. The clinic Jamie was sent to is run by the Gardner family, who appear to run the business by fear as those that attended the clinic are afraid to speak of what happens there. When the body of a young woman is found dead by suffocation, Kim discovers that she attended the clinic and her death was also staged to look like a suicide. James Mills is a bright 19-year-old man discovered hanging from a large tree. His death is automatically ruled self-inflicted. James' death haunts Detective Kim Stone. Why would a young healthy man end his own life? As Kim investigates, she discovers that James recently suffered a leg injury that prevented him from climbing trees. James was murdered, but who wanted him dead?

I loved this one overall. A really dark subject matter that I thought was handled very well overall and got the balance right between entertainment and treating the subject with the seriousness it should be.

Scarred from a previous case that nearly took her life, can Kim unearth the dark secrets within the Gardner family and is she strong enough to stop a terrifying killer silencing the clinic’s previous patients one by one? Outstanding… It is like visiting old friends when you read a book in the Detective Kim Stone series.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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.

I finished this in a day because I couldn’t find a good stopping point, needing just one more chapter until I reached the end. There’s a lot going on with the characters (individually and as a team), the cases and the situation with Burns. I thought I had things figured out but it all fell apart at the end because of subtle clues I’d ignored. It’s an outstanding story that far surpassed my lofty expectations. Thanks to the narrator, she delivered it in a way that I missed none of the nuances, those pesky clues notwithstanding. And…we finally get Bryant’s first name!!! I had to rewind for that and I’m taking that moment as a meaningful signal whether intended or not. It was great to see Stacey finally be allowed out of the office and have a case of her own, Things develop with Penn and his home life and a secret is revealed at the end of the book. One I had to say I hadn't particularly noticed. that would have made it impossible for him to climb the tree. Leaving Kim with the only other feasible conclusion that it must have been murder. Kim is in no doubt that she must take charge of her team and visits Jamie’s parents where she learns that they had sent him to a clinic to ‘cure’ him of his sexuality. The picture Jamie’s mother paints of her son is much different to the one told by his friends. 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. Whereas this one isn't as gory as some? Or am I becoming oblivious to it? But the usual hard hitting amazing writing is still there, humanizing and pulling us readers in to emphasize. This time the main subject matter is conversion therapy, which i have to admit I was ignorant of, not anymore!

A completely gripping crime thriller with a nail-biting twist

While Cher ignores the warning from workmate Dan that Michael is bad news, her friends have their own problems to fix. Sarah is longing to start a new life with a man who won’t commit, and bride-to-be Deb should be looking forward to her wedding, but her future mother-in-law is turning it into a nightmare from hell... If only her fiancé could see it that way.

Look, I will only listen to this series, which means I give up the opportunity to read it for review. It’s worth more than the Audible credit I give up to let Jan Cramer tell me the story in her most talented way. She’s so consistent and her voice for Kim lives happily in my head. Trust me, she’s that good. 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.Two months on from her near-fatal assault by twisted killer Symes, Kim is feeling the need to return to work, despite knowing she’s neither physically nor emotionally ready for it. Her team are being nominally led by the clueless and lazy but glory-seeking DI Burns, who is only interested in cases which will advance his career. When Kim discovers that he’s forced Stacey to stop investigating the apparent suicide of a young man, she can’t help but get involved, introducing her to the murky world of sexual reorientation clinics.