Stone Maidens Paperback – November 6, 2012

I owned a bookstore for 25 years and obviously was an avid reader. Haven't been able to read much lately due to eye issues. I originally bought the book because I saw a "reel" from the author's daughter. I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. Fought through the eye issues to finish it. Anybody that is a fan of Patricia Cornwell, or the Lincoln Child/Douglas Preston books will like this book. It has interesting twists that played out well. Looking forward to reading more of this authors books.

A single TikTok video blasted off The Stone Maidens from an unknown mystery-thriller novel to a bestselling book in February 2023. The video has 55.2 million views as of this writing.Marguerite Richards' Tiktok video made me believe in his father's book, The Stone Maidens. In the video, I could feel the love and appreciation she had for her father. As someone who grew up without a father, her words touched me deeply. If Lloyd Devereaux Richards were my father, I would do the same to show him the same love and appreciation. The video was so heartwarming that it went viral.But, is the book any good?I didn't expect much from the book after reading some reviews before the Tiktok video. Some enjoyed the story, while others didn't. However, I was surprised to find the story of Christine Prusik a pleasure to read. She exudes a strong female lead character but she's relatable. She is intelligent and resourceful, highly skilled, and persistent despite her struggle with anxiety, being underestimated by her male counterparts, and the setbacks she encountered along the way.I also find the serial killer and his proclivities fascinating. He displays the complexity of the human brain which is capable of great things, but it can also be a source of great harm. Mental disorders can drive people to commit acts of violence. What's even more intriguing was his relationship with another person, as their mysterious actions contributed to the shocking twist at the end. I didn't expect that I would keep turning the pages until the end.Personally, the book was enjoyable but it also had flaws. Some parts are unbelievable and predictable. I was pulled out of the story when Christine encountered the serial killer for the first time. I believe she could have caught him sooner, but then the story would have been over too quickly.I also found one sentence to be unnecessary. It felt like I was told what to think, rather than letting me come to my own conclusions. This somehow affected my excitement for the story.On the whole, The Stone Maidens is a unique and exciting suspense thriller that reveals the intricacy of the human mind, the politics and traditional constructs in the male-dominated nature of law enforcement, and the power of parental influence. The characters are well-written but the plot was predictable. However, the story is still enjoyable. The novel is a must-read for anyone interested in police procedure, strong female lead, and the complex nature of human beings.

I thought this was a great read. I enjoy police and FBI shows and felt it read like an episode of CSI. Tells the story from various characters POVs and some flashbacks to get the backstory on the special agent and the suspect. I had a hard time putting it down! Very good!

This is a must read!!!Backstory: I'm browsing the social medias. At the time, I had TikTok. I trained my feed to give me certain content and weed out unnecessary content that didn't peak my interests. I'm scrolling and scrolling until this one video comes acrossed my feed. A daughter bragging to the world about her dad (well deserved too) and his book that he released and didn't have the attention it REALLY deserves. So I checked it out. I don't check out things from TikTok. I surprised myself when I did. So, I went to amazon. "A thriller". "Okay, I haven't read a good thriller in a long while... I could use a break from the same plots of romance and drama, I'll give it a try." I thought as I ordered it. I finished the previous book and naturally, when you don't spend all hours of the day reading because life catches up to you...I forgot about the book. That didn't stop the slight excitement I had to read the book. Eventually, I finally picked up the book and spent time reading it. OH GREAT HEAVENS, WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS IMMIEDATELY!?!?!This book is great, The author did amazing, this is now my top favorite book. NOT JUST GENERES- BOOKS in my list. I am bragging about this book! I'm not spoiling the book (trying not to). but I'm so happy with how everything played in the end. Given this was focused on a Crime, it gave the perfect taste of the extra relationships in the book (platonically and romantically). WHEN I TELL YOU GOOSE BUMBS WOULDN'T STOP EVERY CHAPTER OF FINDING OUT THE TRUTH- OOOOHHHH!!! It was AMAZING! Get this book. you won't regret it. AND THE TWIST!? I knew (like every crime shows and books out there) it couldn't be that easy when they got a suspect BUT THAT - I love how the Author didn't involve the characters you grow to love weren't a betrayal and heartbreak - I think that's why I loved this book so much, not to say I don't like it in general. but as the facts connected within the book, I love how he didn't force something amongst the main characters into a betrayal of something (like other books do)Now.....The only thing I didn't like.... WAS THE FACT I DIDN'T PURCHASE BOOK 2 WITH IT. You think, being in my 20's and loves reading when time is available and made for it- That one would learn to buy the series. Especially a small one, this being the small series of 2 books. BUT NOOO now I have to wait until book two comes in to read it! And Come to find out he has another book getting released this year!? PREORDERED!This book is amazing. Get it.

It was fine up until the twist in the story came. It was too fantastical and unrealistic for a police procedural. The repeated focus on the random romances turned me off also- the book would have been better without the half done romance. Overall, an okay book.