Book of the day : "Stone Bruises" by Simon Beckett

Today I would like to recommend you and say a few words about Stone Bruises by Simon Beckett.
Every story has own dark secrets...are you ready to square up to them this time?

 ↑ cover of Stone Bruises

Who knows him or read any his previous book, hand up?

A few words about the author:
Simon Beckett is a British [he is and still lives in Sheffield, UK] journalist and author. Beckett's books, in particular the crime series around forensic anthropologist Dr David Hunter, have sold millions of copies worldwide, and enjoyed particular success in Europe, especially in Germany and Skandinavia, Also he reached No. 1 in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Poland with his thriller The Calling of the Grave.
His an author of David Hunter series and also other great novels. On the list of his books/novels we can find: Fine Lines [1994], Animals [1995], Where There's Smoke [1997], Owning Jacob [1998], Stone Bruises [2014], and from David Hunter series: The Chemistry of Death [2006], Written in Bone [2007], Whispers of the Dead [2009] and The Calling of the Grave [2010].
You can read more about Mr Beckett on his official page .



If you read any book from David Hunter series, you will be a bit surprised because of story of this book. I was. As for me this book is the same good as previous, but it's different, very different.
I thought that there will be more blood, corpse, murders, police inquiries and etc. But don't worry. Even if this book doesn't have these things, still is a great one. If you like good psychological thrillers with extreme emotions  - this book is for you. Trust me.

That's funny because Poland if one of the first places where you can buy and read this book and that's why I was and still I am happy as hell. And I can tell you that if you will be able to buy  Stone Bruises and read it - do it. It's worthwhile.

About what it is? 

If you read any book from David Hunter series, you will be a bit surprised because of story of this book. I was. As for me this book is the same good as previous, but it's different, very different.
The story is simple from the first sight, but then, everything is changing  and our thoughts about the story too. During the whole book, we aren't sure who's executioner and who's victim, who's good and who's bad. And finally, how this book will end.
Main character is Sean, guy from London who's coming to France to forget something from the past, something what is in his mind and heart, something about some girl - Chloe, and to try live with his dark secret. During his trip in France he is settling on the farm in a small village, which has own, darker secrets. Life there isn't easy and nice, because sometimes he is feeling like prisoner or kidnapped, but from the other side he doesn't want to go somewhere else because exactly in this place he is feeling well. Even residents of this farm, nice and calm Mathilde, her son Michel, her younger sister Gretchen and finally, her father and owner of the farm Arnaud - all of them have secrets and they aren't close with anybody from the village or between their family.
During the whole book we are wonder why he's running and why he wants to hide before the word and other people. We just don't know anything, to be honest.
If you want to solve all imponderables, you just must read everything, because everything (ok, almost everything) is in the last chapters.

Why it is worthwhile to read it?

Good question. As I said, if you like this kind od books, good psychological thrillers this book is for you. the story is so interesting that you're reading it quickly and you're pleased with every page, every next chapter. But the end of the book - damn, it's perfect. I thought something else about the end and I thought that it will be different, but Beckett's end just surprised me. Surprised me very positively.
What else? Right - emotions. Extreme emotions and uncertainty but also secrets, which are something like base of the story.
I can say the same as at the beginning: every story has own dark secrets...are you ready to square up to them this time?

 For who this book is?

If you like Simon Beckett, thrillers/psychological thrillers, books with secrets and...surprises - this book is for you.

↑ cover of Polish edition of the book. To be honest, I regret that we've different cover than original which is (don't be a liar) much, much better than this one.

Now I'm waiting for the next book by Simon Beckett and I think that I will come back also to Stone Bruises and to David Hunter series soon, very soon.