Book Review: "Sticks and Stones" by Susan Meissner

Innocence lost

Rachel Flynn is a lawyer who is getting over her last case which nearly killer her. She thinks things will start to return to normal when she receives an anonymous note saying a body will be found in a construction site. When the body is revealed to have been killed 20 years ago, Rachel starts to investigate who sent the note and why only now. As Rachel is drawn more into the mystery, she discovers the horrors that a bully can cause and the pain, suffering and emotional damage that stem from it.

This was an excellent book. I haven't read the first book in the series, Widows and Orphans, but I never felt lost in this book (although I definitely want to pick up a copy of it now). I felt like I was watching a mix of Cold Case and Medium. I could actually see this book being made into a TV episode. This is one of the few books that I felt creeped out while reading, I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was standing behind me especially whenever Rachel got one of her "feelings." What made the story even more scarier was that situations like this take place all the time. I was teased a lot due to my ethnicity but I was fortunate that I was never bullied. Reading this book really gives an insight to what the victims of a bully go through. It really is scary when you think that these children felt so helpless and that every adult turned a blind eye and wouldn't listen to them. Rachel is a very good lead character and she's also one of the bravest female leads I've ever read. I really like Rachel's husband Trace and his friends. They're very different from her but they don't clash and they're very eager to help Rachel out. They sound like a really fun bunch to hang out with. (except for Fig's eccentric taste in food!) I really enjoyed reading this book. I'm definitely going to go read the first book and I'm looking forward to more of Rachel Flynn's mysteries.

Sticks and Stones by Susan Meissner is published by Harvest House (2007)