Cast The First Stone

Detective Mike Croft #2

by Jane A. Adams

Eric Pearson claims he is being persecuted because he has the journal of the late Simon Blake JP, which exposes a child pornographic ring that could topple powerful figures. DI Mike Croft is called in to investigate. Then poachers in nearby woodlands find the body of a naked young boy.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, British Literature, Ebooks, Thriller, Procedural, Crime

Paperback

First published August 23, 1996

About the author

Some of her early books were published under the name of Jane Adams. This should not be confused with this Jane Adams who is a different author.

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS BEING REPUBLISHED UNDER THE NEW TITLE - THE SECRETS

Mike Croft #2

Eric Pearson claims he is being persecuted because he has the journal of late Simon Blake JP, which exposes a child pornographic ring that could topple powerful figures.

The second book in this series has DI Mike Croft involved in a legal appeal of a convicted child abuser. Eric Pearson and his family lived in a commune called Children Of Solomon but was asked to leave due to his mistreatment of boys. The author has done a great job dealing with this delicate subject. She has also covered the effects on people who have to investigate these types of crimes.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Jane Adams for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note this book was first published as “Cast The First Stone.”

DI Mike Croft and his team are back investigating a case they thought was long over.

Eric Pearson and his family are being tormented and intimidated and bullied in the home they have just moved into. They're receiving threatening phone calls and smash windows. It seems like everyone is out to get them.

Eric Pearson claims he is being persecuted because he has the journal of the late Simon Blake JP, which exposes a child pornographic ring that could topple powerful figures.

And then the body of a young boy wrapped in a black trash bag is found. When this gets out, people immediately rush to judgment, some of them almost rabid in their hate.

But is Pearson guilty of what he was accused of ... even though he was never charged? Or does he really have the proof that this scandal and shame reaches those higher up in business... even law enforcement?

Second in the series, it does read easily as a stand alone. There are some hints about what has happened recently, so I would highly recommend starting at the beginning.

It's well written with memorable characters.... especially Mike Croft. There are some twists and turns and the ending is quite a surprise.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley / Books n All Promotions for the advanced digital copy of this crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the Mike Croft series but does work well as stand-alone.

An old case comes back to haunt Mike as he is asked to investigate the Fletcher case. Fletcher was imprisoned several years ago but many involved went free amid rumours of police corruption.

This is a fast paced thriller with child paedophile rings being the main part but many side stories are running in tandem before all linking together in an edge-of-your-seat ending you will not anticipate.

The case is difficult for Mike as it brings back memories of his lost son but that makes him even more determined to get justice for the abused and murdered children.

I like how Mike's character is developing and the insight into his personal life. I also love Price I think the two make up a very effective team and I love the humour Price brings to the book.

An excellent read and I love this series already - next book please

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Secrets, the second novel to feature DI Mike Croft, originally published in 1996.

Mike is busy dealing with Eric Pearson, a persecuted man with big secrets and investigating the appeal of a convicted paedophile when he is sent to investigate a body found in a field. It is up to Mike to make the links.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Secrets which is a fast moving procedural with a few surprises. I must admit, however, to being surprised at some of the praise in the blurb as it is not a particularly profound novel. It tries to touch on the effects of sexual abuse on the victims but is more interested in the plot which centres on Eric Pearson and his persecution and Mike Croft’s efforts to solve the murder. It seems to me that the novel is very much a reflection of the preoccupations of the time.

I like the way the author builds her plot with hints of Eric’s problems and Mike nibbling at various questions as it arouses the curiosity and keeps the reader intrigued and only gradually unveiling the secrets. I loved the big twist at the end but was disappointed with the police investigation which seemed to tail away with a whimper rather than the expected bang.

I found the period detail fascinating as we have come so far in the past twenty years that 1996 seems like the dark ages with film negatives and no mobiles, DNA or computers. How did we get by?

The characterisation is not very strong except Eric Pearson who is disintegrating mentally in the grip of an obsession. It is an interesting portrayal in light of another character dismissing him as a nobody and it made me wonder about his motivations and truthfulness. This is a subject I could discuss much further but won’t as it would involve spoilers.

The Secrets is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Joanna Larum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series with Detective Inspector Mike Croft. It works as a stand alone but I would recommend reading both as there are details which make things clear in the story.
Eric Pearson and his family are being bullied in their home in a cul-de-sac. The locals are throwing stones, breaking windows and frightening Eric's children. He fights back by hosing them down and throwing home-made petrol bombs. This seems to be an over-reaction on his part until the reader learns that he is in possession of a journal which names many paedophiles in the area, people of high social standing, who haven't been brought to book for their offences. Then a teenager boy is found murdered and dumped in a wood, wrapped in a black bin bag. Mike Croft has to delve deep to find the links between this case and the cases brought against Fletcher, who is serving time for child abuse but is ready for a re-trial. I like the character of Mike Croft and I have a great deal of sympathy for him as he has lost a son, making this case particularly difficult for him.
I'm glad that this novel doesn't have any of the slightly-supernatural elements which are in the first book as I found those to be out of place in that story.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and couldn't turn the pages fast enough! I am hoping that there are more in the series and that I will get to read them. Great book!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 4.5 star read.

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t a most inspired choice. I wasn’t especially wowed by Greenaway, the first book in Mike Croft series and I’m not a fan of series as a format in general and yet, it was an easy choice, because Getaway was decent enough, its sequel was readily available on Netgalley and I wasn’t in the mood to make decisions. This one, however, just didn’t grab my attention at all. Wherein Greenaway was a perfectly serviceable procedural of a sort that would make a very nice BBC adaptation, this tale of a small community with dark secrets was about as bland as its title. Child abuse and peado perversions and strange communes should have made for a more compelling drama and frankly I’m not quite sure why the book didn’t work for me and I’m willing to admit it might have been my mood at the time. But on the off chance it wasn’t, it might be down to the fact that it just wasn’t a very thrilling thriller…too tepid, too underwhelming, too sedate. Nothing to really go crazy over. It was a quick read and probably also quick to fade from memory. Not even the entertaining supernatural undertones of the first one. Nothing really to recommend itself, outside of being surprisingly mild for such strikingly horrid crimes against children. Pass. Thanks Netgalley.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Mike Croft is a dedicated, likeable detective, with a tragic past, which makes him empathise with the crime victims he comes into contact with. Croft works with the other characters in his unofficial team to solve his latest investigation into a child abuse ring. This is a sensitive subject but handled well by the author. Corruption and a cover-up are suspected, but difficult to prove.

The plot is well written, with suspense and police procedural details. Set in the late 1990s, the retro element gives it another layer of authenticity and interest. There are many strands to the investigation, which all become connected as the story progresses. It deals with issues prevalent in the nineties, as they are today. The pacing is good and the story flows well, making it easy to read.

I received a copy of this book from Joffe Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Nadine Rose Larter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am struggling to properly interpret this writer which is kind of a stupid thing to say because why do I even need to do that? It’s a niggle though. She feels progressive for the 90s but at the same time a bit old fashioned as well. Both this one and the last one left me a little wanting in the motive department but still both refreshingly different in that the last one combined human evil with paranormal mysticism (I expected it to be either one or the other!) and this one had a cult in it which was not at all villainous! Both remarkable choices to me though I have been encountering paranormal elements in British crime lately. Three in a row actually! I remained rather emotionally unaffected by both though which I suppose is to be expected for someone who binges casual murder stories the way I do. Readable but emotionally tepid works for me sometimes I guess. Or perhaps I am suddenly a little numb?

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

D.I. Croft is given a case to review - the Fletcher case. Meanwhile friend and ex-D.I. Tynan is asked to look for a missing uncle. Then a body of a boy is found. Is there any connection between the events. Croft and D.S. Price investigate the killing. But will it be the last.
An interesting and well-written mystery, another good story in this re-issued series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please note this book was first published as "Cast The First Stone".
Book one The Greenway had slightly spooky goings on but this second DI Mike Croft story is much harder hitting and I absolutely loved it! Keeping the great partnership of Mike with ex DI John Tynan is a real winner as the older man has a wealth of wisdom and local knowledge, It is lovely to Mike in a relationship with Maria, the psychiatrist doctor he met previously.
Croft is given the unenviable task of working through a past case, that of Fletcher, a paedophile whose conviction is coming up for appeal. He has previously claimed to know the names of influential people involved in a child pornographic ring although he has never revealed the names, preferring to believe that his contacts will rescue him rather than be implicated themselves. Eric Pearson, a teacher who escaped similar charges, has had to move his family out of the religious group home he and his brother had lived at for years in disgrace, and has been rehoused several times after local residents have found out who he is. This time at Portland Close is no different, and he claims has a journal written by the late Simon Blake JP exposing powerful people in the abuse ring, stating that Fletcher stole the journal and gave it to Pearson as insurance. Sadly Pearson is such a horrible bitter person that no one even wants to believe or help him.
Then comes the horrifying discovery of the body of a teenage boy who has been seriously abused and dumped in a rubbish bag in the woods. Both the case and the mob threatening Pearson turn very nasty as it seems that anyone who might be able to expose the truth is in mortal danger. There is a real race on to discover the truth before there are no witnesses left. This is a great story, although the subject matter is always a difficult one, and I think the author has done well through her discussions between Mike and Maria to portray some theories behind it. There is lots going on the book but it was never overcomplicated and the characters are so well described that I came to know them very quickly. The ending was very satisfying and I can recommend this book. I have already just had to order books three and four in this series!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last year, I read The Greenway by Jane Adams and liked it for the characters and for the puzzling case. The Secrets also kept me engrossed with the plot and with more development of the characters I enjoyed the first time.

Several threads must be untangled as Mike Croft finds himself assigned an old case that has the possibility of coming to light again with new information.

From description: "WHAT DOES HE KNOW? Threatening phone calls, smashed windows, physical intimidation. Eric Pearson and his family have only just moved into a new home in a sleepy cul-de-sac, but they already have dangerous enemies. How could a respectable family become the focus of such hatred? Detective Inspector Mike Croft knows the Pearson family well. Eric Pearson claims to own a journal which gives evidence of a horrifying ring of abusers. If true, it would be a high stakes case for DI Croft, and expose awful secrets that the town has buried deep."


Actually, the blurb isn't quite accurate that Mike Croft knows the Pearson family well, but he has been reading the files before the disturbances at the Pearson home require Mike's face-to-face involvement. And things are about to get murkier.

Kindle Unlimited
Police Procedural. 1996; 2019. Print length: 250 pages.

[Shanon Yeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC by Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Secrets was a throughly enriching psychological thriller, which follows Mike as he investigates the chilling children abuse claims brought forward from the Pearson's case. As you go through the book, there is evidence of a cover up and misdoings which are happening within the police force, that are attempting to cover up who was involved in these claims. As Mike investigates the Fletcher case files, Pearsons has an unfriendly welcome to the neighbourhood, as frequently young children came to the house to throw stones and other materials through the windows of their home. Pearsons reacted by throwing out homemade petrol bombs, calling the police, and a newspaper company called chronicle. One thing that stuck out to me, was why Pearsons was acting in such a way to cause trouble, when he was trying to proclaim his innocence (not being involved in the child abuse claims). Fletcher, whom is in prison, gave Pearsons a journal filled with information of people who were involved. As Mike realises that Fletcher was telling the truth, he finds himself a victim of a car accident as a result of digging deeper.
When I was reading this book, I was kept on the edge of my seat as I didn't know what the next page, or chapter was going to bring! I really enjoyed the fact, that Jane Adams wrote just enough in each chapter to give you information that answers queries, but creates new questions.
https://literacyindulgence.wordpress....

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the DI Mike Croft series and it got my attention from the start.
DI Croft has been asked to relook at all the evidence connected to the case of Fletcher, a convicted child abuser who is about to launch an appeal against his sentence.
A man Eric Pearson claims to have a copy of a journal belonging to the late JP Simon Blake, given to him by Fletcher.
He claims it exposes a ring of paedophiles, powerful individuals connected to Fletchers case and other cases of child abuse and murder.
As DI Croft investigates he uncovers evidence of some kind of cover up and begins to suspect Fletcher and Pearson could be telling the truth.
His enquiries obviously make someone jumpy as he falls victim to a hit and run as he digs deeper.
Pearson himself was accused at one point and when his community discover his identity all hell breaks loose in the neighbourhood.
A well written tense thriller which kept me turning the pages . DI Mike Croft is a likeable character and I certainly want to read more about him and his cases.
Thanks to Joffe books for sending me this as an ARC in return for my honest opinion.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed this book, I did find it slow to start and it took me a little while to get into it. This is the second in the Mike Croft series by Jane Adams and was previously published under the title of “Cast the First Stone” which in my opinion was probably a better title, however the story itself was interesting and once it got going I found it hard to put down. Once again, we joined DI Mike Croft and John Tynan in their efforts to solve this very involved and intricate case with plenty of twists and suspense to keep the reader interested. A story of police corruption is, I believe, always one of interest and this is exactly what we have here and one that came to a satisfactory conclusion. There was also a side story of a personal nature for Mike Croft, which I am sure will become more developed in future episodes of this series. Unfortunately, though, I just didn’t feel that this novel was quite as gripping as the first in the series, but I am looking forward to the next one and I would like to thank Joffe Books for giving me the chance to read and review this one.

[Nerys Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Mike Croft has been asked to review the Fletcher case before an appeal is lodged. Fletcher was convicted of child abuse but was adamant throughout his court case that others in high places were involved in a peadophile ring but he never named names. Eric Pearson was arrested as part of the Fletcher investigation but never charged but he can’t wait for the appeal to take place as he has a copy of a journal naming all those involved - in the meantime he’s trying to keep his wife and children safe. Before he fully reviews the Fletcher case Croft is called to the discovery of a teenage boy’s body - he was a runaway and has been sexually abused and his body dumped like rubbish. It soon becomes clear to Croft though that this murder may be linked to the Fletcher case and someone doesn’t want the police investigating.

Really enjoyed this book - plenty of twists and turns from the start.

Thanks to Joffe Books and Jane Adams for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secrets can be read as a standalone or better yet, as the second in the Detective Mike Croft series.
Jane Adams knows how to write fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat books. I love the mystery in this. All the twists and turns lead to a fantastic conclusion that I didn’t see coming.

Mike Croft is a great lead character, but the rest of the cast is just as memorable. Each with back stories and personalities unique to them.

I recommend checking this novel out. If you get a chance to read The Greenway first, it’s a fabulous series.

*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Books N All. All opinions are my own.*

[Simon Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Detective Croft series, but can be read as a stand alone book.

This book is a bit slow to start with but the action soon picks up and I got into it really quickly after that point.

The story follows DI Croft as he investigates the claims that there is a pedophile ring in the area. The person making these claims is being harassed by his nieghbours as our his family.

It’s a brilliant police procuderal book with loads of twists, which kept me guessing.

I really liked both streams in the story and it kept me hooked throughout

[R.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The protagonist, Mike Croft, is a lot more likable in this second in the series. His girlfriend Maria is almost invisible though she is a lot of times in the background. The conversation between Maria and Mike about the age of sexual consent being a cultural thing. That was disturbing. An adult having sex with a child is disgusting any where and that was Mike's view. The story is about a ring of perverted pedophiles that Mike is trying to break apart. He finds opposition everywhere until he is almost killed. It is a fast paced read.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good read but at the same time a very frustrating book. From the beginning it talks about events which we are not told anything about and we have to make assumptions that things will make themselves clearer as the story progresses. This concerns a previous investigation and the things which maybe didn’t come out at the time. Slowly as the tale is played out we begin to get an understanding of the generalities but never anything of substance. When the end comes it is abrupt and unsatisfactory as there is still so much we don’t know.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secrets By Jane Adams is the second book in the DI Mike Croft series and it got my attention from the start and it was a brilliant read. This was previously published under the title of “Cast the First Stone”
I am looking in reading the new book to DI Mike Croft series

I would Highly recommend this book. Brilliant read.

The Secrets was received as an ARC by Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second story in the box set I have and though it was disturbing, it was well-written and engaging.

A story of abuse, this crime drama highlights the disgusting ways a human can behave and the corruption of those who try to cover their tracks.

Detective Mike Croft investigates, having to delve into the mire of squalid minds.

Worth reading but not for the faint of heart.

[Greta Halliday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well written novel in this series although I found it a little slow at the beginning. DI Croft is a very likeable character and I look forward to reading the next in the series. Thanks to Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced thriller which hooked me from the start. Read as a stand alone book, but I’d like to read the series.

[Ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in this series but the second one really let it down. Unfortunately I DNF’ed this book around half way through.

[The Endless Unread · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read and every bit the page-turner. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for this author. Definitely one I will be one-clicking in the future.

[sandra dellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

This book is a must read, make sure you have plenty of time to read, you won’t be able to put it down.

[Emma L.J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracking story from Jane Adams , these stories have a little bit of everything in keeping the story going,

[Kelly Billittier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

Read the first and second in the series. Won't be continuing on. In both cases, when the end came, I said, "that's it? That's how it's going to end?

[Joanne Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read and lovely character development from the first Mike Croft.