Rating: 
Summary: Splendid Gothic!
Review: Todd's novels are always excellent reading, and this departure from the Inspector Rutledge series delivers a highly enjoyable story in the best traditions of the old-fashioned gothic. It's got all the elements: the beleaguered heroine suddenly all alone in the world, the creepy old mansion, fog, an elderly dog whining at his dead master's door in the middle of the night, possible ghosts, fog, a brooding and enigmatic hero, fog, a curse -- what more could you ask for? Served up in Todd's exquisite style, this book unfolds at a gothic, not thriller, pace with very much the transitional, unsettled feel of the Edwardian period.
The story takes a few creative risks that are most enjoyable. And who cares if suspicious characters tend to come and go at contrived moments? Francesca Hatton is a gutsy, marvelous heroine, very sympathetic, and never better than at the very end of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful gothic suspense
Review: Although her parents were killed in a traffic accident when she was still a baby Francesca Hatton had a very happy childhood growing up in the River's End estate in the isolated Exe Valley in England. Her five male cousins also lost their parents at a very early age and grew up at River's End where Frances Hatton raised all six grandchildren as one big happy family.That happiness dissipated as one by one the men were called up to fight for their country. During WWI by 1916, all five Hatton males of Francesca's generation were killed by the Germans in France. Francis is dying and Francesca nursed him during his last tormented days. It is only after his death does she learn that her grandfather had very many secrets including the fact that some prominent people think he is a murderer. This is Charles Todd's first stand alone book and it is one of the best works of gothic suspense that this reviewer has read this year. As Francesca learns what her grandfather is hiding, strangers besiege her demanding something from her and threatening her when she fails to deliver. Some readers will not like the ending because it is not black and white but the questions left dangling add to the thrills that this book delivers. THE MURDER STONE is an unforgettable reading experience. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Chilling Novel of Suspense
Review: Charles Todd ventures into this stand alone novel after critically acclaimed success with his Ian Rutledge series. In this midst of World War I, in 1916, young Francesca Hatton returns home to the Valley from London when her grandfather, Francis Hatton, has a stroke. With the death of her grandfather, Francesca is left alone, as her five cousins all previously perished in the War. And at the heart of the novel is a Murder Stone, where Francesca and her cousins played as a child, the same stone which her grandfather's will requests that she send to Scotland. When Richard Leighton descends upon the Hatton estate, claiming that Francis Hatton was responsible for the disappearance and murder of his mother when Richard was but a child, Francesca's innate defense of her beloved grandfather soon wavers, after she discovers he owned two other estates that she knew nothing about, one of which was a home for orphans. With the arrival of fortune hunters in the guise of a Mr. Walsham and a Mrs. Passmore, claiming to be Francesca's former nanny, the plot thickens, as Francesca seeks to discover more about the grandfather she adored. Fast paced twists and turns keep the reader enthralled until the novel's chilling, though somewhat unsatisfactory conclusion, bestowing upon the reader yet unanswered questions.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling Novel of Suspense
Review: Charles Todd ventures into this stand alone novel after critically acclaimed success with his Ian Rutledge series. In this midst of World War I, in 1916, young Francesca Hatton returns home to the Valley from London when her grandfather, Francis Hatton, has a stroke. With the death of her grandfather, Francesca is left alone, as her five cousins all previously perished in the War. And at the heart of the novel is a Murder Stone, where Francesca and her cousins played as a child, the same stone which her grandfather's will requests that she send to Scotland. When Richard Leighton descends upon the Hatton estate, claiming that Francis Hatton was responsible for the disappearance and murder of his mother when Richard was but a child, Francesca's innate defense of her beloved grandfather soon wavers, after she discovers he owned two other estates that she knew nothing about, one of which was a home for orphans. With the arrival of fortune hunters in the guise of a Mr. Walsham and a Mrs. Passmore, claiming to be Francesca's former nanny, the plot thickens, as Francesca seeks to discover more about the grandfather she adored. Fast paced twists and turns keep the reader enthralled until the novel's chilling, though somewhat unsatisfactory conclusion, bestowing upon the reader yet unanswered questions.
Rating:
Summary: Can't Put It Down
Review: Charles Todd's novel is not his usual detective story, but a mystery nonetheless. The themes are the impact on innocent people of one man's hatred of another, and how little we might really know the people we love. Set in World War 1, the story concerns a young lady whose grandfather died of a broken heart after his third grandson was killed in the war. A mysterious man shows up and accuses her grandfather of terrible things. The book relates how she pieces together her grandfather's true story and resolves the unfinished business of his life. I thoroughly enjoyed it and could not put it down. Believe me, that is not typical. Usually I read the first 30 pages and the last 10. If I can easily tell how the author got from one point to the other I will stop reading. This book passed that test, and I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it.
Rating:
Summary: an enthralling and gripping read
Review: From the authour that has given us the immensely popular Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery series, comes a deliciously dark and almost Victorian (in tone only) story about murder and revenge. And in spite of the somewhat negative review from Publishers Weekly, all I can say is that I ENJOYED this novel completely, and am recommending it as a must read. Set in the waning years of WWI, and mostly in a small isolated and self contained Devon village, "The Murder Stone" centers on Francesca Hatton's attempts to come to grips with the fact that because of the recent deaths of her grandfather and all her cousins, she has inherited the family's ancestral home and is really all alone. An orphan, Francesca was brought up by her grandfather, Francis, along with her five male cousins who were also orphans. The war has claimed all her cousins, and now a stroke has claimed the life of her beloved grandfather as well. Still reeling from all these fairly recent deaths, Francesca's world is further tilted when a stranger appears a few days before her grandfather's funeral, claiming that Francis Hatton was responsible for his mother's mysterious disappearance. Richard Leighton was a child of eight when his mother inexplicably disappeared one day. The suspicion on the Leighton family's side has always been that Francis Hatton either knew something that could either explain her disappearance, or else that he had a hand in her disappearance. Having just returned from the wars, Richard immediately makes for River's End (the Hatton estate in Devon) when he hears of Francis's death, in hopes that there might be something amongst Francis's papers that may explain what happened to his mother all those years ago. Except that not only is there nothing new to learn, he also has to contend with a furious and hostile Francesca who is naturally outraged that this stranger is accusing her grandfather of having murdered his mother. Unfortunately for Francesca's peace of mind, she has also recently discovered that her grandfather had had secrets that he kept from his family. Frightened at what Richard may uncover about her grandfather, Francesca begins to do some investigating herself, only to discover that there are some secrets she would have been happier never knowing anything about and that some sinister person seems to be watching her from the shadows... What I really enjoyed about "The murder Room" was the tone and mood of the novel. Charles Todd does a wonderful job of imbuing the book with just the right dark tone that encapsulates everything from the unhappiness and grief that Francesca feels about being all alone, the grief of loss, the fear that she feels at what she may discover about the past and the terrible waste that war entails. The sinister menace that Francesca feels at being watched and stalked is also successfully conveyed. For me the book was a bit of a suspenseful read. I made the mistake of starting to read the book at midnight and found that I couldn't put it down until I finished the book, even though I had to go to work the next morning. In my opinion, "The Murder Stone" makes for a compelling and chilling read, and one that should not be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Strange & goofy
Review: I felt like Barbara Cartland took over the author(s). I missed Ian Rutledge that is for sure.
Rating:
Summary: Strange & goofy
Review: I felt like Barbara Cartland took over the author(s). I missed Ian Rutledge that is for sure.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: I preordered this presuming it would be the next Rutledge and was initally disappointed. But I know authors need breathing space, so I read it for its own merits. I thought the beginning was somewhat slow and repetitious, but the novel grew in strength as it progressed and became darker and more fascinating. The ending gives the book more power. Overall it was an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: A suspenseful story of family secrets
Review: In a departure from his Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge series, Charles Todd's stand alone novel is about a young woman's quest for the truth in a maze of family secrets and lies. Set in 1916 during the Great War, Francesca Hatton loses her beloved grandfather. Still grieving, a variety of strangers show up in her life all claiming in one form or other the wrongdoing Francis Hatton has done to them. Francesca cannot reconcile what these strangers say to the loving memories of her grandfather. The most series of the charges is from a dying ex-soldier, Richard Leighton, who is convinced that Francis Hatton kidnapped/murdered his mother, Victoria Leighton. He is convinced that she would never have left her then eight-year-old son. Francesca wants to clear her grandfather's name so she begins an investigation to seek the truth. THE MURDER STONE is a richly nuanced and multi-layered family story. Francesca's quest for the truth leads the reader through a narrative that becomes more compelling with each chapter. Interspersed in the story are intriguing flashbacks told by her five now dead cousins. These flashbacks move the story along and provide some insight into the times and mind of Francesca's grandfather. I enjoyed the book as I do all the Charles Todd books. I found the characters both interesting and compelling. The climax has a good twist that I was not expecting. Even though the action was not the fast-paced blood and gore variety, this book had me turning the pages until the end.
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