About the Book
To sleep with stones can reveal history...or get you jailed for murder.
Dylan McBride is one of the Hollystone witches, a Wicca coven that practices ritual magic in Vancouver, Canada. He has a unique gift. When he touches rock, it reveals its secrets. Stones are silent witnesses that hold the memory of the land and its people. Sometimes he hears voices; sometimes he sees visions. This ability draws him to archaeology and Kilmartin Glen, a megalithic sanctuary in Argyll, Scotland, where he spent his teen years. For Dylan, Argyll is home.
While digging there, with radical archaeologist, Sorcha O'Hallorhan, the team unearths an ancient Egyptian artifact: the broad collar of Meritaten, daughter of King Akhenatan and Queen Nefertiti. That night, while celebrating the find at a local pub, Dylan tangles with Alastair Steele, a nasty Glasgow journalist who wants more than the story. He wants the artifact. Back at camp, Dylan spends the eve of Summer Solstice communing with the standing stones in a nearby field. He falls asleep before sunrise, and is awakened by police. Steele's battered body lies in a cairn, in the adjoining field. Dylan is arrested for murder and incarcerated. The artifact is gone: stolen from Sorcha's tent. Fearful and forlorn, he summons his friend, Estrada, to solve the crime and set him free.
Sexy and flawed, Estrada is a free-spirited magician by trade, and high priest of Hollystone Coven by vocation. He's just upset his best friend, Michael Stryker--the eccentric manager of a goth club, who likes to play vampire and thinks he's the reincarnation of Lord Byron--so, Estrada fears what will ensue in his absence. But Dylan is an innocent man in jail, and he fears for his life. He must go to Glasgow, solve the murder, and set him free. Meanwhile, back in Canada, Michael romances a younger version of Estrada, embarks on his own adventure, and discovers that playing vampire can suck the life out of you.
In Scotland, Estrada is tempted by two women: Sorcha, the bawdy archaeologist that Dylan loves, and Rachel Erskine-Steele, a slick detective who happens to be the victim's wife. Can Estrada discover the killer and prove Dylan's innocence? Get him released from prison before it's too late? Can he find the thief who stole the artifact? Or, will he succomb to his flaws?
To Sleep with Stones is a unique story that crosses genres. It's a cozy murder mystery with a fast-paced, edgy bent. It's also urban fantasy: a contemporary story that explores spirituality, homophobia, and opens portals into the realm of myth and faery. Book Two in the Hollystone Mysteries series, it picks up six months after To Charm a Killer.
About the Author :
W. L. Hawkin writes edgy urban fantasy with a twist of murder. Described as intoxicating, lush, magically-edgy, page-turners, her Hollystone Mysteries series features a coven of local witches who solve murders using their wits and ritual magic with a little help from the gods. Wendy is also a published blogger, a regular reviewer with the Ottawa Review of Books, Indie publisher and poet, with a background in Indigenous Studies and English literature. She loves myth and magic, so when she's not writing, she's studying Druidry, shamanism, and mediumship. Although she is an introvert, in each book, her characters go on a journey where she has traveled herself. Wendy completed a BA in Indigenous Studies at Trent University, and later, Post-Baccalaureate Diplomas in Humanities and a Teaching Certificate at Simon Fraser University, Canada. Fascinated by her Celtic and Tuscarora ancestry, she explores history, myth, and spirituality in her work. Born in Toronto, Canada, she currently lives in British Columbia.
Review :
True Blood meets Outlander.Though the second book in the series; this novel stands alone. Hawkin has flawlessly woven in essential background and characters from her first novel as well as introducing new ones: a female detective (Rachel Steele), a half fey Druid dwarf, who deals in antiquities (Magus Dubh), and a rough Viking (Kai Roskilde). Though her characters are fictional, her settings are authentic: Argyll, Kilmartin Glen (rife with cairns and stone circles), Ballymeanoch (megaliths), and Her Majesty's prison Greenock.
Hawkin's tight and well-paced writing, knowledge of Celtic myths (Robert Graves, The White Goddess) combined with multi-layered characters, lush language and plot twists and turns, draw the reader in. No spoiler alert - the ending is surprising and satisfying. In fact, the hallmark of this novel is the author's seamless interweaving of myth and reality. She appeals to our intellect and our desire for vicarious adventure. Blank Spaces, Ottawa Review of Books.
Sexy Supernatural Mystery! Puppy-cute and totally innocent Dylan McBride is arrested for murder. His friend and Coven-mate from Canada, Estrada flies to Scotland, where Dylan has been working on an archaeological dig, to help. The hot bisexual, polyamorous magician vows to save his friend by finding the real killer.
Estrada finds himself in a foreign land with an eclectic cast of suspects. His pursuit of the true killer requires his magic--both theatrical and Wiccan. He has to make peace with his past and forge new alliances while facing danger at every turn.
This beautifully written, sexy mystery takes many twists and turns. Fans of the first book's befanged vampire wannabe Michael Stryker will be pleased to hear he has his own adventure in this book. The entire book is alive with myth and magic. Hawkins delivers a paranormal treasure trove of ghosts, faeries, vampires, and gods. It's an incredible escape into a lush, mysterious world. Amazon
Original and Interesting. This book takes an original approach to both mystery and fantasy genres. While the story is part whodunit, it's also linked to mythology, ancient history, and a variety of interesting people and creatures. It's not often I read a book that contains both vampires, faeries, ghosts, some of which are helping the protagonist solve a crime. Add LGBTQ issues into the mix, and you can see why this is a unique story.
Aside from the amazing Scottish setting, I really liked the characters. They're gifted, flawed, intelligent, and fall in love easily, which adds to the drama and intrigue. The killer's identity wasn't a complete surprise for me, but it was great fun to see how that individual was identified and eventually caught. If you're looking for a unique blend of mystery and fantasy, then To Sleep with Stones is a great choice.
