Customer Reviews

Mary Jane's Grave

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I absolutely loved this book. She is one of the best writers that I have read in a long, long time. Her books rank up there with Kim Harrisons and Kathy Reichs. Can't wait for her next book!!

In March 1898, four men killed her infant son, raped her and her daughter Madeline, and burned her as a witch. With her last breath, Mary Jane Hendrickson using her gift and cursed the men and the grounds where they committed their atrocities. The sexual assault of Madeline left her pregnant. In the present, the grave of Mary Jane was buried by a tree in the middle of an old cemetery where teens fool around scaring one another.

Sargent CeeCee Gallagher is called to the Mount Olive Cemetery because the murdered body of Keri Sutter was found on Mary Jane's grave. She had been separated from her friends who swore they saw an old woman and heard the scream of a baby crying though no infant was seen. CeeCee assumes one of the students killed Keri and used the Mary Jane witch tale to frighten the others. Elder Willie Morris suggests CeeCee look up the history . The detective does and learns that twenty years ago another teen was stoned to death on the grave-site; the culprit got away with murder. CeeCee continues investigating into Mary Jane's life and death tracking ancestry and descendants onto the present in order to prevent more homicides.

A CeeCee Gallagher police procedural is always a treat (see THE DEVIL'S CLOSET) as the sergeant gives her readers a deep look at how she runs an investigation and why she takes some of the key steps that she does. The audience also receives glimpses of her love affair with FBI Agent Michael Haggar while he deals with a treacherous former wife who will do anything to get him back. The who-done-it is terrific with its ties to the late nineteenth century atrocities as Stacy Dittrich provides a unique voice with a fresh brisk thriller starring a heroine who resonates with readers.

Harriet Klausner

When Detective CeeCee Gallagher receives a call about a homicide at Mount Olive Cemetery, naturally she must ask about Mary Jane's Grave. Legend tells of witchcraft and her execution by hanging. Some residents think her spirit haunts the grave to this day. The location and the crime details of the young woman's murder bring an urgency to this case. The eyewitness accounts all speak of eerie phenomena, but CeeCee Gallagher doesn't believe in ghosts. She knows she must hunt for the real culprit behind this crime. Her investigation takes her deep into the hidden past of Mansfield, Ohio and a past no one seems to want uncovered. The past leads her on a journey across both time and space as she must look elsewhere to uncover all the links to past crimes committed near Mary Jane's grave. As all the pieces start falling into place, Detective CeeCee Gallagher is in a race against time with her very life at stake to solve the mystery and catch the killer in a case that might even find her believing in ghosts.

In MARY JANE'S GRAVE, the second CeeCee Gallagher thriller, Stacy Dittrich steps up her game considerably. Every element of plot, characterization, and crime detail work together to create an intelligent thrill-ride that keeps a reader glued to the pages. A refreshingly multi-layered detective and a complex, intriguing case to match create a gripping combination. CeeCee is a tough investigator with professional skills and a intuition that keeps her from ignoring the troubling details of the crimes. When others around her may not see all the links, she has the determination to consider all the connections. Her personal life is a mess with as many fascinating twists and turns as the murders she investigates. The cold case element adds richness and complexity and depth, not only to the crime itself but to CeeCee's personal life and choices. MARY JANE'S GRAVE joins elements of the supernatural with archival research to uncover secrets that send chills down the spine from the mind of the killer to the dynmics within a town's history that hide unspeakable crimes.

MARY JANE'S GRAVE can be read as a stand-alone. The author gives enough clues so that a reader captures glimpses of the detective's life without bogging down the story. The main difficulty with reading this as a stand-alone is that the identity of the killer in her debut book THE DEVIL'S CLOSET is revealed. I found MARY JANE'S GRAVE so compelling that I am now reading her first book so that I will know the character's past better before the third book is released in 2010 --a book release I eagerly await. Personally, it works for me reading the books in reverse order to see how much the author's writing style has truly grown but if knowing the identity in advance bothers you, you might want to start at the beginnning. In MARY JANE'S GRAVE, Stacy Dittrich just seems to have gone from the fascinating crime in her debut to truly finding a unique voice and presentation. MARY JANE'S GRAVE is a stunning work of suspense with a refreshingly original look into a horrific crime. If you love engaging suspense, Stacy Dittrich is definitely an amazing new talent in the genre!

COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

I absolutely loved this book! Not only was it a definite page turner and very interesting with it's twist and turns, but it was graphically correct. My friend actually lives in Mansfield and took me to Mary Jane's Grave. His mother gave me a copy of the book and shortly after visiting Mary Jane's grave I started reading the book. I have visited Mansfield several times, Ditrich described the cemetery and the surrounding area perfectly. Definitely will be reading this book again.

I loved this book! Growing up in the Richland county area and living within minutes of Mary Jane's Grave I was so excited to read this book and I wasn't disapointed! This is a great story with lots of twists and turns and surprises. If you'd like to see photos of the actual cemetery that this book is based on, check out this link:
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The crimes aren't lightweight, but the style of writing is easy and enjoyable to read. Unfortunately, Stacy Dittrich doesn't bring the concept and plot to its potential. The ending leaves you feeling like you just read a Scooby Doo book written for an older audience. This would be a good book for an older adolescent or someone who likes the fictional forensic shows on tv. People who read a lot of mysteries and like deeper more involved exploration of the characters and crime (examples: novels by Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, Caleb Carr) won't find it as satisfying.