Heartstone

This story was a delight to read. It moves fast and stays interesting- full of revelations that leave you curious for more.

This is one hell of a read. From the title, I was expecting a yawner romance, a ripped bodice, maybe an understated murder or two. By the time I finished the opening scene,however,I knew I had badly underestimated what is actually a chase/thriller with pacing and wild action that makes The DaVinci Code seem like a day at Grandma's house. The plotting is deft as Brod weaves the excitement and honor of Arthurian legend into modern times. Drawn to the characters, grabbed by the premise, I was hooked. Brod has pulled the sword from the stone with this one.

I've read other books by D.C. Brod and found them engaging and intriguing, but Heartstone is atypical: heroine instead of hero and pursuit instead of caper. Equally adept at fantasy and mystery, Brod took me on a wild ride as I followed the characters Maxine and Ben through a Celtic land in search of the stone. When you find a book that weaves characters you love and plot(s) that keep you on the edge, you have a page-turner, and this book qualifies! When I got brief glimpses where I thought I knew where it was going, I felt like I'd solved a mystery--had an ah-ha moment. I can only hope there will be a sequel to Heartstone.

Ben Pike realizes that his murder will put daughter Maxine in a precarious position because he didn't have the time to tell her what she needed to know. He goes to his death believing his daughter will have the inner fortitude and strength to follow the path he laid out for her. When word reaches Max and hers sister Olivia that Ben is missing and presumed dead, Olivia teams up with Nick, Ben's step-son, in England to find the stone that has been in his family for generations. The stone comes to Maxine upon Ben's instructions along with a book about the Arthurian legend. Rhys Lewis, a psychologist and Nick's uncle, wants the stone and will do whatever it takes to retrieve it because it is from Excalibur and when the stone and the jewel meet unlimited power will be at the disposal of that person. Max is aided by her father's friends in getting to the Island of Alyssum owned by Arthur Penn where she will meet her destiny. The forces of good, in the persons of Arthur and Nick, who confront Rhys, find they have created a strange twist to the Arthurian legend. Readers who love the King Arthur stories will find this tale a special treat with so many threads of Celtic mythology running through the storyline. Each major player is a symbol of a character from Camelot including Nick who is a descendant of one of King Arthur's knights. Of course there are some modifications made to the actual myths to better set the plot in the present but D.C. Brod is a sparkling fantasist who brings the legend into the present. Harriet Klausner