Silent Scream by Angela Marson

This is an excellent novel but should I rate it, it would receive 4 out of 5 stars. Why? Because I considered it "long". It was actually not long but given my impatience, I almost read the end and start reading backwards. I usually do this if I find the material a little bit "lengthy" for my taste. However, since the plot and the energy of the story line was great, I actually surprised myself by reading it non-stop. The character , D.I. Stone, is extremely obnoxious but not us bad as the daughter in "Dream with Little Angles" by Michael Hiebert. The daughter was so horrible that I actually would have applauded if that brat was  the next victim of the serial killer. D.I. Stone was very abrasive but still had a lot of good qualities that redeemed her.

The story starts with a murder that happened 10 years ago. Then the scene fast forwards to the present with new murders apparently tied to this previous murder. The first victim's last movement shows her being interested in an archaeological excavation that was finally approved. When human remains were discovered on the site, Stone discovers that the first victim  and eventually, the next victim worked in this site when it was still a home for troubled teens. Hence, D.I. Stone and her assistant try to hunt down the former employees of this children's home as well as some of the former residents who are now adults. By the time you thought the end was finally revealed, some more surprises appear before the actual end explains every single detail you thought the author missed to explain. An excellent read!