Lost Girls (DI Kim Stone #3), by Angela Marsons
Lost Girls by Angela Marsons
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read “Lost Girls” by Angela Marsons because I really like Kim Stone as an investigator. Stone is often harsh at least, sometimes to the point of callously offending anyone who hasn’t earned her respect. She is also desperately compartmentalising her gruesome childhood and youth to be able to merely “function”.
I simply cannot help but root for such a person. As for the three novels I’ve read by now, I’ve generally found Marsons’ books to be a reasonably decent way to pass the time, offering a reliable dose of police procedural with Kim Stone at the helm.
However, this one felt a bit of a misstep, venturing into territory that, for me at least, felt unnecessarily grim. Marsons herself states, »Each story is intended to entertain and take the reader on an exciting, interesting journey. There are some subjects in the books that are difficult to stomach but I aim to treat each situation with respect and sensitivity and not sensationalism.«
It’s a noble aim, but I’m not entirely sure this novel hits the mark. The rest of this review will be full of revealing quotations and unabashedly present spoiler after spoiler. You have been warned.
The premise of “Lost Girls” hinges on the abduction of children. We follow Kim Stone and her team as they try to unravel the mystery, but we also get glimpses into the world of the kidnappers, a choice that, frankly, didn’t work for me. As one of my notes states regarding the kidnappers’ perspective, it was just too unsubtle and flat-out violent. “Subject One” is depicted as an “evil genius” type of criminal, whereas “Subject Two” is sculpted as a sociopathic “killing machine”. Both remain at this generic level of characterisation. While their respective motives are somewhat clear, there are no convincing explanations and, in the case of “Subject Two”, a strongly hyperbolised attempt to make him feel plausible.
The choice of “Subject Three” seemed completely absurd to me.
I cannot even quote from these passages because they’d display extreme violence against young animals and children.
A level of brutality is shown that I cannot help but feel reflects back on the author.
There were signature “Kim moments” where the dialogue felt amusing, such as this, in which she speaks to her superior:
»She tipped her head. ‘How could you have been so sure?’
‘Because you were told you couldn’t have it – and you don’t like that one little bit.’
Kim opened her mouth and closed it again. For once she could not disagree.«
In “Lost Girls”, however, the relentless focus on the darker aspects often overshadowed the more nuanced elements. For example, I found the parents quite interesting, especially Karen and Robert, but they remain sadly underused.
The level of depravity explored felt excessive, or, as Marsons puts it, it is »a level of depravity that went beyond any case [Kim had] worked«, and indeed, it’s a level I don’t particularly want to read about. There’s a disturbing element to making the victims young children. As a father of three I was deeply horrified. While I appreciate that crime fiction often delves into unpleasant realities, this felt gratuitous at times, leaning towards shock value rather than serving the story.
At around the halfway mark, I even considered a DNF, given the excessive violence.
Kim Stone’s character, while usually compelling in her relentless pursuit of justice, verged on being almost unlikeable here. There’s a scene where she’s contemplating a victim:
»Kim had to agree but this was a crime scene she viewed dispassionately. Inga had made choices. She had been party to the abduction of innocent children. Yes, this pitiful figure had felt fear but she was now free of that fear. For two little girls, it went on. She hoped.«
This reaction seems cold-hearted and devoid of empathy, overstating Kim’s character. While her tough exterior is part of her appeal, the dispassionate view of the crime scene felt a bit much this time around. It’s one of my core convictions that absolutely nobody deserves to die – no matter what someone did. This point of view also was reflected in the first Kim Stone novel. By Kim herself.
The raw fear experienced by the victims, Charlie and Amy, is palpable in moments like this:
»Amy cried out and Charlie pulled her close, unable to speak. The fear had paralysed her throat because a part of her had realised the truth.
Tomorrow they were going to die.«
While undeniably impactful, it ultimately felt unnecessary, included more for pure shock value than any real contribution to the st
There’s a sense that Marsons, in attempting to tackle such a sensitive subject, perhaps lost her footing. She recognised the potential pitfalls, as evidenced by her statement, but the execution didn’t quite land for me. Compared to other crime thrillers, this one felt heavier on the grim details without offering sufficient depth or nuance in other areas.
Ultimately, “Lost Girls” wasn’t a complete disaster, but it certainly wasn’t my favourite from Angela Marsons. The subject matter felt heavy-handed, and the relentless focus on violence detracted from the more engaging aspects of her writing.
Three out of five stars.
