Ruth Galloway
mystery
Series · police procedural
DI Kim Stone
The DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons has 23 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Silent Scream (2015).
- Books
- 23 books
- First published
- 2015
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Silent Scream (2015) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Silent Scream
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Silent Scream - Book 2:
Evil Games
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Evil Games - Book 3:
Lost Girls
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lost Girls - Book 4:
Play Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Play Dead - Book 5:
Blood Lines
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blood Lines - Book 6:
Dead Souls
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead Souls - Book 7:
Broken Bones
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Broken Bones - Book 8:
Dying Truth
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dying Truth - Book 9:
Fatal Promise
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fatal Promise - Book 10:
Dead Memories
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead Memories - Book 11:
Child's Play
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Child's Play - Book 12:
First Blood
Alternative text for cover: Cover of First Blood - Book 13:
Killing Mind
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Killing Mind - Book 14:
Deadly Cry
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Deadly Cry - Book 15:
Twisted Lies
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Twisted Lies - Book 16:
Stolen Ones
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stolen Ones - Book 17:
Six Graves
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Six Graves - Book 18:
Hidden Scars
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hidden Scars - Book 19:
Deadly Fate
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Deadly Fate - Book 20:
Bad Blood
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bad Blood - Book 21:
36 Hours
Alternative text for cover: Cover of 36 Hours - Book 22:
Little Children
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Little Children - Book 23:
Wicked Women
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Wicked Women
About the DI Kim Stone series
DI Kim Stone runs a Black Country major crimes team out of the fictional West Midlands town of Halesowen, and Angela Marsons builds the series around her: a driven, closed-off detective shaped by a horrific childhood in the care system and a twin brother's death she has never processed. Kim solves each case through sheer refusal to let go, clashing constantly with cautious superiors and protecting her small, loyal team -- particularly DS Bryant, her patient longtime partner -- while her own trauma resurfaces in ways that shape her judgment for better and worse. Marsons writes fast, twisty, emotionally dark procedurals with a strong regional identity, self-published in 2015 before becoming one of Bookouture's biggest digital-first crime successes.
The appeal is pace and emotional intensity over classic puzzle-plotting: short chapters, high stakes, cases that often involve children or vulnerable victims, and a lead whose damage is never fully resolved book to book. It's for readers who want their British police procedurals fast-moving and issue-driven, with a strong sense of place in the Black Country/West Midlands setting Marsons uses instead of the more familiar London or Scotland backdrops.
Frequently asked questions
How many DI Kim Stone books are there?
There are 23 DI Kim Stone novels as of Wicked Women (April 2026), starting with Silent Scream (2015). Angela Marsons is contracted through 36 titles.
What order should I read the DI Kim Stone books in?
Publication order, starting with Silent Scream (2015). Each case is self-contained, but Kim's backstory and relationships with her team develop gradually across the series.
Is there a new DI Kim Stone book coming?
No specific next title or date has been confirmed as of August 2026, but the series is contracted through 36 books and Angela Marsons has published two to three new entries most years, so further books are expected.
Do I need to read the DI Kim Stone books in order?
Not strictly for the individual mysteries, which are self-contained, but Kim's traumatic past and her relationships with DS Bryant and the rest of her team are revealed gradually, so reading in order gives the fullest picture.
Is DI Kim Stone a standalone series or connected to other books?
It's a standalone Angela Marsons series set in the fictional West Midlands/Black Country town of Halesowen, distinct from her other Bookouture crime series.
If you like the DI Kim Stone series
Reading order last verified .