Broken Bones - Angela Marsons

Reading Challenge Category: Seventh book in a series

Official Blurb:

They thought they were safe. They were wrong.
The murder of a young prostitute and a baby found abandoned on the same winter night signals the start of a disturbing investigation for Detective Kim Stone – one which brings her face to face with someone from her own horrific childhood.
As three more sex workers in the Black Country are murdered in quick succession, each death more violent than the last, Kim and her team realise that the initial killing was no one-off frenzied attack, but a twisted serial killer preying on the vulnerable.
At the same time, the search begins for the desperate woman who left her new-born baby at the station – but what at first looks like a tragic abandonment soon takes an even more sinister turn.
When another young woman goes missing, the two investigations bring the team into a terrifying, hidden world, and a showdown puts Kim’s life at risk as secrets from her own past come to light.
As Kim battles her own demons, can she stop the killer, before another life is lost?

My Thoughts:

Broken Bones by Angela Marsons was a somewhat satisfying read, although it felt relatively tame compared to the earlier instalments in the series. The crimes, while still dreadful, lacked the graphic detail that I had become accustomed to from Marsons. The shock factor, which usually keeps me on the edge of my seat, was noticeably absent this time around.
The narrative alternates between the investigations led by Kim and Bryant, and those by Stacy and Dawson. This structure, although familiar, felt disorienting when I had to put the book down for any length of time. Picking it back up and trying to remember what happened two chapters ago was a bit of a struggle. I've encountered books with this format before and managed just fine, but for some reason, this one felt particularly challenging to follow.
One of my main issues with this book was the revelation of the main culprit. Once again, the resolution seemed to come out of nowhere, with Kim miraculously figuring it out with little to no evidence. There were no clever red herrings or misleading clues to keep me guessing, which was disappointing. I had hoped that Marsons had moved past such abrupt conclusions, but it appears this tendency has returned in Broken Bones.
On the positive side, there was notable character development, which I appreciated. However, despite being a decent addition to the series, it wasn't the strongest entry overall. Still, for fans of Kim Stone and her team, it's worth a read, even if it doesn't quite hit the high notes of its predecessors.