Evil Games by Angela Marsons (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal attack, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution. But, as more vengeful killings come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far more sinister at work.

With the investigation quickly gathering momentum, Kim finds herself exposed to great danger and in the sights of a lethal individual undertaking their own twisted experiment.

Up against a sociopath who seems to know her every weakness, for Detective Stone, each move she makes could be deadly. As the body count starts to mount, Kim will have to dig deeper than ever before to stop the killing. And this time - it’s personal."

My Thoughts:

Evil Games is such a great follow-up and has easily secured my love for this series (which wasn't really ever in doubt after loving the first book so much). Silent Scream set the bar high because I thought it was such a great read but this second book came out just as strong. Wow! I cannot get over just how good these books are and how compelling I find them to be. This was a prime example of what a real page turner is (as long as you disregard the fact that I read this on my kindle and didn't actually turn any pages). It was a book that kept me reading long after I should have gone to bed. One that had me thinking about it when I wasn't reading. It was suspenseful and tense and everything that I think a good thriller should be! Obviously I'm going to gush about this book for the majority of this review but really I think this book and author deserve it!

One of my favorite things about a good mystery series is a strong female main character and Kim Stone fits that bill perfectly. I'm not sure why but I am always drawn to female leads who have troubled backgrounds or don't fit quite in with society in some way. Kim is great at her job but she has her secrets and a dark past.....it is those type of things that I find so intriguing! I really loved that in this book we got to learn more about her past and what happened to her when she was young. I loved the way that the author tied this into the current investigation that Kim was working on. I also liked that parts of the book were being told by the viewpoint of the "villain" for lack of a better word. It made it all the more suspenseful because of the way that this book was set up. The ending was great and like I said previously I had a really hard time setting this book down. I found myself unable to stop reading because at that point I just had to finish and see how it would all end. It was totally worth it and I'm left ready to read book three as soon as possible!

Overall, this has fast become one of my favorite mystery series! The author writes books that make your pulse race and heart pound. What more could you ask for?? I loved how this book made me read late into the night. I loved how easily I fell into the pages of it. Basically I just loved this book! I won't be waiting long to continue on with this series. I also can't seem to recommend these books enough. Mystery and thriller fans alike should give this series a try. You definitely could read this book on its' own but I think the reading experience is enhanced if you start with Silent Scream. Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: A book that is very likely to make my top reads list this year!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

Fans of Sharon Bolton's Lacey Flint series and M.J. Arlidge's Helen Grace series will definitely enjoy these books as well. I would also recommend It Takes One by Kate Kessler for a similar type of thriller/mystery.
Here are my thoughts on Silent Scream if you are interested.