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Book Reviews of Orchids and Stone

Orchids and Stone
Orchids and Stone
Author: Lisa Preston
ISBN-13: 9781503952324
ISBN-10: 1503952320
Publication Date: 4/1/2016
Pages: 320
Rating:
  • Currently 2.8/5 Stars.
 2

2.8 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

Linda avatar reviewed Orchids and Stone on + 770 more book reviews
Daphne Mayfield hears an elderly woman calling for Help! She's a bit reluctant to help because she's not sure what's happening. The little old lady says 'they' are stealing from her, but when another woman comes after her, calling her Mother, Daphne backs off.

As she later thinks about it she wonders ... is the old lady a victim of a crime .. or suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's?

Daphne doesn't know what let it go means .. the more she thinks about it, the more she thinks she should have done something, anything. And as she gets involved in watching her house and trying to rescue her, she puts her own life in danger.


PRO: Good premise, a bit suspenseful, a bit of the psychological.

CON: She repeats her story to various cops, her family, her best friend. Gets a little boring.. a little irritating.

Daphne has had more than enough pain and trauma in her life. When she was a child, her older sister was raped and murdered. Her father never stopped grieving ... he took his own life 10 years after the fact. Her sister's killer was never found.

She has a box of her sister's things .. letters, poems, etc. that the police never saw. She tracks down the lead investigator, now retired, to see if there were ever any leads.

PRO: Again, good premise. Interesting take on how these events changed her life.

CON: It was disjointed, never went anywhere.

Daphne is living with her boyfriend, Vic, who is divorced and has two children he shares every
other weekend. They've been together 4 years and she's still trying to fit in.

PRO: She really does love the children .. and an old dog that needs a new hip. While Vic wants to put him down, Daphne says that everyone deserves a second chance.

CON: Relationship between Daphne and the kids are never resolved. The ex-wife is a harpy and does everything she can to keep things stirred up. Personally, I was hoping Daphne would slap the snot out of her. Didn't happen. I wasn't too happy with Vic either .. he was way too passive about the whole thing.

This was an okay read, but I felt that story lines never really meshed. It was like reading separate stories with no satisfying endings. With her family background, I wanted to feel sympathy for her and I wanted to be proud of her for making a good life for herself in spite of how things happened. I just didn't get there with her .... I find it frustrating that only one of the stories had any kind of closure.. the rest just hang there.

My thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.