When a popular author kicks off a new series, it’s a great thing, but when three authors collaborate on a a project, the results are amazing. In this case? New series The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone, with Cast the First Stone releasing first.
Ex-Minneapolis Police Detective Rembrandt Stone walked away from a career he loved—just the price of being sure he can come home to the wife and daughter he cherishes. But he can’t shake the deep regret over a case left behind.
When his mentor, the former Chief of Homicide dies and leaves Rembrandt with a box of cold cases and a mysterious watch, he finds himself thrust into a world he recognizes—a world from twenty years ago—the same world he’s woken from in a cold sweat a hundred times. But is it a dream, or some kind of twisted reality?
If he solves the case that plagues him, and justice is finally served, will it destroy the life he loves?
Rembrandt Stone is the kind of hardcore detective that you want on your case – and Cast the First Stone is the kind of edgy story that will keep you up all night reading about him.
This new collaborative project between authors Susan May Warren, James L. Rubart, and David Warren is like a cross between Blue Bloods and Quantum Leap. Stone has the heart of the Reagan family while his story channels the time-travel elements of Sam’s leaps through time. I love the way that they’ve set the stage for a heart-rending series of cold cases as Stone leaps.
Maybe with a male lead and two male authors on the team, I should have expected more masculine thoughts and actions, but I didn’t, and that threw me a bit at times. Some of those thoughts definitely added an ‘adult’ label to this book for me, although it’s not graphic or inappropriate in any way – even the crime scenes.
It does come with a heavy dose of the trademark Warren writing style, though, and maybe that’s because there’s double the Warrens on the creative team; but you’ll definitely find hunky heroes, quoteable lines, and cliffhanger moments in Cast the First Stone.
In fact, the book ends with just such a moment – to the extent that I yelled when I swiped to the last page and realized I’d reached the end in the midst of a critical scene for Stone. My family was quite concerned until they realized I was just in angst for a fictional character – again – but if you read Cast the First Stone, you’ll be a believer – and you’ll find yourself suffering from a Warren cliffhanger, too.
And that’s exactly why you should read Cast the First Stone: because it’s the kind of book that makes you cheer for the characters, cry along with them, and think about them long after turning that last drama-filled page.
I received a free copy of this book from the authors. All opinions are my own.
I’m definitely a Susan May Warren fan. Want to read my reviews of some of her other books? Click the titles below to check out other recent releases!
