Reviews with content warning for Murder - Stone Maidens

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Stone Maidens by Lloyd Richards

13 reviews

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I picked up this book after hearing about the author on Tik Tok, and I wanted to give a smaller known author a read.
"Stone Maidens" is a crime story that follows Christine Prusik, the chief forensic anthropologist for the FBI’s Chicago field office. There is a serial killer murdering young women in Indiana and leaving a small stone figurine with their bodies. These stones are linked to primitive tribes of Papua New Guinea, tribes that Christine knows more than she cares to remember.
Overall, I felt like this book was written pretty well and read much like an episode of Law and Order. This type of "true crime" feel in a book is not typically the type of book I gravitate towards, but objectively I could see the enjoyment of a book like this and I felt the heart the author put into this story.
One of my biggest hang ups about this book was with Christine. Christine as a character did not feel like a real woman, meaning I could tell that this was a woman character written by a man. Her interactions with the sheriff especially felt very staged and unrealistic. Her dialogue felt robotic and like she was written to say what a cliche FBI woman would say, not what felt true to her character.
The ultimate "why" behind the serial killer's actions and the resolution that was reached felt satisfying and I did like the twist to the story.
I am happy I picked up this book, but I am not convinced this author is for me, and I am not ready to jump into another of his books right away.

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cbrigs99's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I found this book through TikTok, as I’m sure most recent readers did. I am always a bit hesitant reading anything that’s been hyped up on social media, but this book was phenomenal. I loved the detailed writing style, it made me feel like I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds. The small details and story lines woven through the book were phenomenal, and I was on the edge of my seat until the very end. The ending of this book was unexpected for me, even as a self-proclaimed true crime enthusiast. I can’t wait to read the sequel coming in August, and I think I’ve found a new favorite author! Devereux is truly a literary genius in my book

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claireswale's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Like many people, I read this book because of TikTok. I wouldn’t exactly call it a thriller but more of a crime novel. The “twists” were a little predictable or if not predictable, a little far fetched or unbelievable, so it was almost amusing rather than gripping or thrilling. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters and the romance storyline was just a little flat… maybe because the main character is a young woman and the author is an older man. It was kind of obvious that that was the case in some ways. The ending was a little weird but I suppose it tied up loose ends… I still feel like I had questions though! I’m not sure I would really recommend this book to anyone.

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marypetrushko's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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readsbyria's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Content Warnings

sylvestra's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

sdemo08's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Booktok rec. I am surprised how much I enjoyed this. Well written storyline and the plot twists in the second half kept me guessing till the end. An amazing approach to serial killer with multi-faceted backstories for each character.

[Stone person on "black" crocheted book blanket.]

Content Warnings