Houses of Stone

Sadly, Barbara Michaels' supernatural novels were popular before compact discs were invented. If, as I am, you are a fan subject to bouts of eyestrain that keep you from enjoying your paper books, you have a tape player, don't have a cell phone on which you can have applications, and the county libraries got rid of their audio cassette editions -- well, this cassette version is definitely worth getting. I knew it was good because I used to check out the library copy. Our heroine, Karen, is a professor of English literature. She once purchased a copy of poems by an unknown authoress who used the pen name "Ismene". Writing about Ismene was a boost to her career. Now the [damaged] manuscript of a gothic novel by Ismene has surfaced. First Karen has to purchase it, then she gets to research the author. Has she actually tracked down the house Ismene used in her book? I like Karen, but I like her older friend, Peggy, more. I Loved the lecture Karen gave to a local society meeting at the little town where she's staying. The tricks played by rival academics hoping to get the manuscript were interesting. I liked the fake book's story. The results of the research were satisfactory. If you're worried that this is one of Barbara Mertz's novels that really should have been published under her "Elizabeth Peters" pen name because it's a mystery with only a whiff of the supernatural, if the supernatural is present at all, don't worry. There really are supernatural phenomenon to savor.

Gothic romance is a fun genre for me and this book proved to be a good one by Michaels. As an English lit major, I enjoyed the background story and had met those professors, I am sure. Houses of Stone certainly does show its 1990s roots, but as long as you remember there aren't cell phones and ubiquitous access to the internet, it is easy to sink into the story. I sort of wish that the "found novel" really existed as I think I would have enjoyed it. There are enough plot twists to keep me going, from love interests to dastardly deeds. I think an important quotation from the book is "A house of stone can be either a refuge or a prison." Reading the book lets you see both sides of the story. If you like romantic suspense, I suspect you'll like this book.

This story is amazing in every way a really great story should be . It's a twisty winding page turning adventurous mystery drama touched with genuine realistic 3 dimensional characters, you will be whisked away into the mysterious , dangerous , and dark past and simultaneously the mysteriously dangerous present ,there is never a dull moment in this thriller . You will find new friends, you'l laugh with them, cry with them and be haunted by them but you will never forget them. This book is a keeper that you will want to revisit - from "time to time."

It's kind of slow getting started and there's a lot of irrelevant rambling that seems to meander all over the place before getting down to the good stuff. I thought the side-kicks were more interesting than the heroine, who seemed somewhat one-dimensional and slightly boring. The gist of the plot is interesting and I was eager to finally learn the identity of Ismene, but was disappointed at the ending. It was just confusing.

Having read "Ammie, Come Home" many years ago and again recently, I'm pleased to discover so many more of Barbara Michaels' books. "Houses of Stone" certainly kept me interested throughout, with its plot twists and well-researched subject matter. "Ammie" will always be my favorite, but I'll read this book more than just once.

I have read all of Barbara Michaels books and most of the Elizabeth Peters books. This was a good story and I enjoyed it but, did not like the main character. She had such a huge chip on her shoulder to the point of not showing any common sense. Still a good story and I liked her friends.

Strong, believable female characters combine with an academic mystery for a very entertaining read. The plot twists kept me guessing, and the "open" ending added realism. Very readable!

The first two chapters didn't catch my interest and I almost set the book down for another choice, but glad I did not. The middle of the book was lots of fun and yes, it did have a feminist overtone which I found interesting and educational. I never stopped to realize how hard female writers had it during the "good old days." Sadly though, the last two chapters or so ended up being anticlimactic--sort of ended with a whimper instead of a bang.

This is an absolutely brilliant plot within a plot. The usual skilful storytelling with humour and big personality characters. This took a while to arrive but it was worth the wait.

A very good read, yet to my mind not five star level as are "Vanish with the Rose" and "Be buried in the Rain". Very well written, an excellent plot, but somehow I found the characters a bit cold and off-putting, and the general atmosphere, though as "Gothic" as the author would have had it, not as irresistible, and also a little lacking the touch of humour, as in the other books mentioned.

Barbara Michael's at her best