Child’s Play

DI Kim Stone has been called to a crime scene late at night.  DS Bryant shows up a few minutes later.  Pathologist Keats shows the the body of a middle aged woman sitting on a swing.  She is held in place by barbed wire.

The following morning when Stone and Bryant go to the victim’s house, they discover that it is virtually empty.  Then suddenly the victim’s sister is in the house with them.  She explains that the victim actually lived next door.  

Keats, after completing the post mortem, points out to Stone and Bryant the X that has been carved in the back of the victim’s neck.  He also informs them that the victim has genital warts and at some time had been involved in sexual games.  One additional point are the 47 nicks on her left hand, which could have been caused by a ruler.

Meanwhile, one of Stone’s team, DS Penn, is busy with a trial he has to present testimony at.  However, one of the defence witnesses has turned up dead, his body mutilated.  DI Tom Travis wants to keep Penn because he was the SIO on the case at trial.

Having just met with Travis, Stone and Bryant are called to another murder.  This time a man, who also has an X carved into the back of his neck.  What message is being sent and by whom?  The killer has struck a single day after the first.

Due to the fact that Stone’s team is down a member, DCI Woodward assigns WPC Tiffany to help.  Stone is not impressed because the woman looks like a little teenager.

DC Stacey Wood discovers a little secret about the first victim, but will it have any bearing on the case?  She also ties the deaths to a competition for intelligent children.  The original version had been taken over by a new group.  Stone and Bryant go to speak to the man who had originated the competition.  They find him dead and agree that he was likely to be the first victim.

How can they find the killer and what connects the victims?  Author Angela Marsons’ psychological thriller is an absolute page turner involving child prodigies, sibling love and rivalry.  Marsons throws up a few possible perpetrators, yet leaves the finding of the true killer until almost the last few pages.  I couldn’t put this book down, and can hardly wait to get my hands on the twelfth book in this great series.