Customer Reviews

Cast in Stone (Leo Waterman Mysteries)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

G.M. Ford's refreshingly average-joe P.I. Leo Waterman returns. Leo's old friend Heck Sundstrom finds out that married life can, indeed, be murder when he is killed while investigating the death of his son and new daughter-in-law. Heck's widow hires Leo to find out why Heck was convinced Allison Sundstrom didn't go "down with the ship" when she and Heck's son are supposedly killed on their honeymoon cruise.

A twisted trail of lies, deception, and broken lives leads all the way from Seattle to Wisconsin and back, with an ending that will catch the reader off-guard.

With a return of "the Boys," a group of aging winos that serve as Leo's eyes and ears on the street, Leo does his best to make sense out of a friend's death. Ford's flowing writing style, refreshing characters, and occasional tongue-in-cheekiness makes this another enjoyable read from one of the best new writers in this field.

(Note, if you missed the first Leo Waterman mystery, "Who in Hell is Wanda Fuca?" go back and read it too. You're missing a great time if you don't.) The only thing I didn't like about this book was the unusual cut-out on the paperback-version's cover that sometimes annoyed me when reading. But between the covers is priceless entertainment.

Having read, (and enjoyed), this author's later Frank Corso books, I'm now reading the earlier Leo Waterman series. This is the second in the series tracking the adventures of a Seattle based PI and what a pleasant surprise. The story centers around the mysterious death at sea of a young man and his new wife, (Leo's good friend's son and daughter-in-law), and Leo's investigation to get to the bottom of what happened. The twists and turns of this tale are expertly handled with a unique, (and endearing), cast of characters. The story never flags and Leo's off beat sense of humor kept this reader turning the pages as fast as I could with a healthy number of chuckles and smirks. This is a great book.

This is as good or better than the old Travis McGee stories by John MacDonald. Great plot, wonderful characters, crackling dialogue...author Ford is a superior talent. When someone this good writes a novel, their work almost defies description because the result is like magic. You are transported, informed, entranced, amused, and entertained. Try Ford's series of Leo Waterman, Private Eye, novels. You'll be glad you did. Also... please ignore the luke warm endorsements on the back covers of his books. They don't do the author justice; he is BETTER than they say.

I've just read all 4 Leo Waterman books by this author. I loved them all. I will buy the next one when it comes out. He has created very real characters that you come to adore and worry about. The stories just keep getting better. I hope this turns into a long running series.

Had trouble obtaining a copy of "Cast in Stone" by G.M. Ford from the public library so I ordered a used paperback from Amazon. It arrived in very good condition and was a fun read! What I got a kick out of was that this little book came all the way from England to my door here in Oklahoma. It was once a part of a library collection in England. It made me feel connected to the previous people in England who read this particular book before me. This was the first time I ordered a book from Amazon and it was a very good experience.

I stumbled across this book while browsing in search of a good read to enjoy over lunch. This was my first journey into Ford country and I found it delightful and surprising. For me the plot line and characters carried me back to Travis McGee days. In many ways it was a retread of several of John McDonald's McGee mysteries. A mysterious death and suspicions of foul play. The P.I. slowly unraveling the tapestry of the suspect's personality and discovering a long, dark thread that leads backward into a web of deceit and darkness. If you've read McDonald you know the tale already, but this does not prevent the story being well received. The setting in the Northwest is well-placed and described. The supporting characters are enjoyable. The bad guys are appropriately bad and even if you realize where the plot is going there are a couple of surprises along the way that bring delight. A good read and I will now be hunting for other books of the series.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot reminded me of some John D. McDonald books where Travis McGee backtracks an evil killer. Plus Leo Waterman has a hilarious sidekick--a foul mouthed New York phototgrapher--that helps him Some of the scenes with the photographer are laugh out loud funny. One negative is Ford's characterization of the minister which showed some anti-Christian bigotry on the part of the author.

Since this was my first book authored by G. M. Ford, I was taken back by how much I enjoyed it. In fact I have also just finished my first Mary Higgins Clark book ("I'll Be Seeing You"), and although her's was very good, I actually enjoyed "Cast In Stone" more.

An interesting observation: G. M. Ford, Mary Higgns Clark, and Robert J. Parker, all seem to find the description of clothing their main character wears to be an important element in character development. Has anyone else noticed this or am I bringing up old news