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Release date: August 12, 2025

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

The boy keeps walking, his curl-covered head down and his arms folded protectively across his body. The arcade is full of happy families but he is all alone. It’s the last time he is ever seen… Can Detective Kim Stone bring him home again?

Twelve-year-old Lewis Stephens walks out of a seafront arcade and disappears. A week later, eleven-year-old Noah Reid vanishes from the pier stretching out over the beach. There are no leads and no clues.

Detective Kim Stone doesn’t play well with others. But she has been sent halfway across the country to Blackpool, to join the hunt for the two children – and to find out if the dark whispers about corruption in the local force are justified. Her boss insists it must be he knows she won’t stop searching for the truth no matter who gets in her way. Kim just wants to find these lost children before it’s too late.

On arrival, she knows instantly something isn’t right. Why is everyone so convinced Lewis ran away? Why don’t his family seem to care that he’s missing? With time running out, she and her team work tirelessly to prove the abductions are linked – a job made harder when a list of cases is left for them in secret. The list proves one of their fellow cops is rotten to the core… but who?

And when another boy turns up dead back home, his body bruised and broken, Kim learns that the criminals she’s facing are more ruthless than she could have ever imagined. She and her team must solve the case before more children are taken. But the closer they get, the greater the danger – and they cannot trust a single soul…

A completely gripping page-turning crime thriller from no.1 multi-million-copy bestseller Angela Marsons. Perfect for fans of Val McDermid, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni.

Review:

Angela Marsons has done it again with Little Children, the 22nd installment in her phenomenal DI Kim Stone series. While jumping in at book twenty two might sound daunting, rest assured it’s possible—and even rewarding—to do so. That said, this is truly a series worth starting from the beginning if you love compelling police procedurals, page turning thrillers, and character driven storytelling. Marsons has a gift for keeping this long running series fresh, unique, and emotionally resonant. Her books never feel like filler; each new installment adds depth and richness to an already exceptional body of work. For readers who love sinking deep into a cast of characters until they feel like family, this series delivers every single time.

In Little Children, Kim and her team are temporarily sent outside their usual jurisdiction to assist in the heartbreaking investigation of two missing boys. At the same time, they’re covertly digging into anonymous corruption allegations, adding a layer of tension and secrecy to the case. As if that weren’t enough, Kim is also being pulled back into another investigation closer to home, stacking the pressure in a way that makes the pacing absolutely relentless. Yet despite the layered plot, the writing never feels rushed or chaotic. Marsons maintains total control, balancing urgency with emotional depth and ensuring every subplot feels essential. The missing persons case leads the team, and the reader, down some dark and emotionally devastating paths, but the author’s sensitive and thoughtful approach to difficult subject matter ensures nothing feels gratuitous.

One of the most compelling aspects of this book is how it pushes familiar characters into new dynamics. Because the team is working with unfamiliar officers, we see them shifting their behavior slightly, adapting to the unfamiliar environment and navigating interpersonal politics in new ways. I found myself especially captivated by Bryant in this installment, his actions and decisions revealed sides of him we haven’t seen before, and it was genuinely fascinating to watch unfold. The plot is gripping, the emotional stakes are high, and the writing is sharp and assured. Little Children is exactly what I’m always hoping to find when I pick up a thriller: fast paced, emotionally resonant, and expertly executed. Truly, no notes.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Author bio:

Angela Marsons is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the D.I. Kim Stone series. Her books have sold more than six million copies, and have been translated into over thirty languages.

She lives in Worcestershire with her wife, two cheeky Golden Retrievers, and a Bernedoodle.