3.5 Stars for Blood Lines

I love this series & the character of Kim Stone. Unfortunately, this is my least favorite installment to date. It's not a bad read. It still has all the elements I have to come to love and expect from Marsons. I simply wasn't as into the case in this book as I have been with the other books though I think it was because I had high expectations.

I was psyched when I saw Dr. Alex Thorne was back - having previously enjoyed the back and forth power plays & mind games between her and Kim. That aspect of the book was definitely interesting and kept me reading. Alex is one hell of a sociopath/villain. I enjoyed delving deeper into Kim's life and how it shapes who she is. I also appreciated gaining more insight into her relationship with her team who I have come to regard as favorite characters.

I just wasn't overly impressed by the whodunnit in this book. I expected more based on all the emphasis put on the precise knife wounds, the lack of emotion displayed in the kills and the nonexistent leads which sent the team reeling. With that build-up, the killer simply didn't add up for me. I expected something bigger and definitely more sinister.

Aside from that, this was still a solid book in the series. It offered invaluable insight on Kim & included some great cat and mouse moments with Dr. Thorne. As always, looking forward to what the next book brings our way in what is definitely a top notch series.