Customer Reviews

A Likeness In Stone

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Opting for a fair amount of character development and a solid plot, the author has created a thoroughly enjoyable book that I completed in one sitting. Avid mystery readers will probably ID the killer about half way through the book.

The supposed similarity of this book with those written by Minette Walters must be owing to plot elements such as: three suspects and a body found in water (the Breaker); or, a long dead body that brings a formerly frustrated cop back to harass the main suspects (The Ice House). However, the depth of character development found in Walters' better books is missing. And, the reader probably won't learn much from this book, unlike those by Deborah Crombie (last two), Minette Walters, or P.D. James -- or even Elizabeth George for that matter.

The book reads like a screenplay -- which should be appreciated by TV buffs. Each chapter is an act, containing a 'scene or two. The set descriptions are good, although are a bit misplaced, i.e. the setting sun as mango hanging in the sky dripping juice at the soon-to-be death scene might have worked better in the scene where Cora was thinking about her long-dead RAF lover.

The writing in "Likeness in Stone" is not as rich as text by P.D. James, however, the plot moves along at a reasonable clip to a solid ending. In some of her books, James lingers over detail at the expense of a tangled ending, although she seems to have overcome that in her last two books.

What a neat book. I was browsing through Amazon's ". . .customer's also bought. . ." portion of the book reviews and found this book. I couldn't put it down and in fact read it in one marathon sitting on a long flight. Julia Wallis Martin has managed to write a dark and compelling mystery with an ending (and I usually guess who did it) that was in hindsight sort of obvious but so well masked in ambiguity that I wasn't really sure. Now that's a mystery! On top of that I realized that none of the characters were at all likeable, (except for maybe the intrepid Detective Driver) yet I really could not stop reading or caring about the outcome. I highly recommend this book---and am looking forward to reading her next book asap.

A review compared "A Likeness in Stone" to Minette Walters fantastic psychological suspense novels, so I thought I'd give it a try. The reward was more than I had hoped for.

Twenty years ago a student had gone missing. The police suspected murder but weren't able to prove anything. Now the body has surfaced and with it the old allegations and suspicions.

This is not a classical 'Whodunit'. The focus is less on finding the culprit (though that happens in the end as well) than on how the three student under suspicion at the time have dealt with the disappearance of their friend and lover and how it has influenced their live since. Joan and Ian especially were portrayed so well that their actions even if questionable became understandable.

If you like psychological suspense, I encourage you to read Julia Wallis Martin. She may be the coming star if her first novel is any indication.

Darkly atmospheric, with intriguing characters and a particularly repulsive murderer, "A Likeness In Stone" is reminiscent of such Ruth Rendell masterpieces as "The Lake of Darkness" and "A Judgement in Stone." In my opinion, comparisons to Minette Walters do Julia Wallis Martin a disservice because Ms Walters will never be able to create the kind of creeping horror that Martin makes the reader feel in this novel. The identity of the murderer is not hard to guess, but whodunit is less important than why, how (and how often!).

A twenty year old cold case heats up quickly when a recreational diver discovers the victim's skeleton, in the closet of a submerged house in a geographically isolated reservoir. The detective who reluctantly closed the case, DCI Driver, knows who killed the victim, but failed at the time to turn up sufficient evidence to snag the murderer. Driver's now retired, but his heart leaps at the chance to rectify the situation. The murder involved four college friends, and although they separated after Helena's death, their paths now converge, as they each realize that the police will be invading their lives yet again.

A Likeness in Stone is an intelligent, tautly written mystery in which the suspense builds chapter by chapter, as once air tight alibis crack at the seams. The general aura of uneasiness at the novel's beginning morphs into menace and, ultimately, horror as the truth bubbles to the surface and the dark side of human nature is exposed. Likeness was published nearly 20 years ago, and like the murder at its center, it is a book that deserves new attention.

A Likeness in Stone is an intelligent and well-written suspense. It's hard to believe this is a first book. Wonderful setting, well fleshed-out characters and pieces of the puzzle given out fairly and timely. This is a writer that I look forward to reading many times in the future. Keep it up. You have found your calling!

A twenty year old, unsolved murder is brought to light again when a body is found in a submerged house. Enter the original suspects and retired Detective Bill Driver.

A Likeness in Stone is a well crafted story, intelligently written, and well paced. A book you are sorry to see end and an ending that may surprise you!

It took almost two decades before the corpse of college student Helena Warner was found by divers in a building submerged by a reservoir. The news of the discovery reaches retired Detective Chief Inspector Bill Driver who never liked leaving a case open. He was positive what happened to her when the coed disappeared and still remains certain that her lover Ian Gilmore is Helena's killer.

Bill is driven to join the investigation, something the current force does not appreciate. Two other suspects besides Ian surface Helena's best friend Joan Poole and another former student. As Bill seeks the connections between the deceased and her three potential culprits, another dead body is found that is eerily similar to the Warner case. Bill realizes that he must quickly uncover the killer's identity before the individual becomes a mass murdering serial killer.

A LIKENESS IN STONE combines the best of the British police procedural with a chilling psychological drama into an incredibly well-written and exciting debut novel. Bill and the rest of the cast are all top rate characters, but it is the cleverly designed story line which constantly forces readers to reevaluate what they think is going to occur that turns this book into something special. Keep an eye out for J. Wallis Martin because if this novel is any indication, she has a great career ahead of her.

Harriet Klausner

This is an engrossing mystery. If you are a fan of Minette Walters dark mysteries, A Likeness in Stone is also a book that you will enjoy. It is well written, with a sound plot that keeps the reader turning pages. I passed this book along to a friend, which is a good sign, because I share only the best! The author did a good job here, and I look forward to reading her next work.

Julia Wallis Martin has created a fantastic psychological suspense novel in A Likeness in Stone! The comparisons to Minette Walters are deserved, and I've just had one of those wonderful moments, upon finishing this book, of having found an author I'll have to keep reading!

A body of a once-beautiful young woman is found in a house submerged in a reservoir. How she got there is a fascinating story of sexual jealousy, rage, guilt, and psycopathology. Our protagonist is not the senior investigating officer assigned to the case--no, it is the now-retired DCI Driver, who never let the suspicious disappearance of a stunning Oxford undergrad die in his mind, even when his superiors demanded he stop investigating it.

The writing is excellent! There's enough detail and background sketched in so we appreciate the misty, gray landscapes in these southern British communities, but not so much that the story's pace slackens. The characters are carefully drawn, and the suspense steadily builds in this moody novel as all the policemen ever involved in this disappearance chase down the murderer.

The final explanations are very satisfying, and the details of how the crime was committed and what lead the criminal to do such horrible things are believable and psychologically sound. One finishes reading this thriller with a deep sense of satisfaction and a wonder as to how we'd passed her by till now!