Mystery of the Great Stone House

In the Shadow of Diablo #1

by Dan Hanel

In the Shadow of Diablo – Mystery of the Great Stone House alternates between a local teacher's present day adventure and the historical accounts of the brutal murder of Dr. John Marsh, one of the most important figures in California history.Harrison Barrett is a Brentwood science teacher who is compelled to investigate the sudden and tragic suicide of one of his high school students. Along with colleague Celeste Scott, Harrison finds himself engulfed in the legend of a hidden treasure and entwined with the real-life tale of a distraught son – Charles Marsh, whose father was slain 150 years prior.Past and present are linked as Charles seeks justice and Harrison searches for answers. The journeys of both men are filled with mystery and intrigue, separated by generations but united by a common yearning, a common motive… and a common setting – the shadow of Diablo.

280 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2012

About the author

Dan Hanel is the author of the historical mystery series, IN THE SHADOW OF DIABLO, including Mystery of the Great Stone House, Death at the Healing Waters, and Ghosts of Black Diamond.

He has been an educator for over 30 years and was named the Distinguished High School Science Teacher for the State of California. Dan grew up in Richmond, CA and graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Biology. He received a Masters in Education from Cal State University, Hayward.

Dan, his wife, and their dog, Luna, currently live in Brentwood, CA . . . in the shadow of Diablo.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun read, light historical fiction. The story moves back and forth between current day Brentwood, Ca and the same city circa 1856. It takes some basic historical facts about John Marsh, a rancher in the area, and expands them into a fictitious search for hidden gold and a murder mystery.

First the good - the author does an excellent job of weaving the past with the future. The segues between current day and the mid-1800's are at chapter changes which made it easier to follow. The primary characters are vividly drawn. The two current day main characters, Celeste and Harrison, easily came to life as dedicated, fun teachers and potential love interests.

The reason for my three star rating is the number of grammatical errors, the frequent use of adverbs and exclamation points, and the sometimes stilted dialog.

[Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly good--and its self published.

Good, readable history; excellent and clever mystery in the present day; another mystery of sorts going on in the past, with romance added to the mix!

And a special treat for people who know the Contra Costa area.

[Peter Sidell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great local history novel

The story alternates between the past and future. The great stone house - the old John Marsh House is certainly an important character. I live five minutes from that house now and it was fun reading a recreation of its past and the past of Contra Costa county. The name of the ranch was the same as the name the local community college has now. Happy endings are always fun.

[Mary Burks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! It's based on the local geography where I live so enjoyed all the references to the locations of so many of the event.
It's written in a parallel way; meaning there is a thread with an 1850's story and another modern day thread of a school teacher trying to find out how the main character in the first thread died. It all ties together very nicely between now and then.

[Jerilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

Really enjoyed the fascinating account of John Marsh and local history. Really liked the combination of historical and very likeable modern day characters! Looking forward to the next book in the Shadow Series!

[Morgan Hancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ the writing isn’t great.. but being from Brentwood, the history and research behind this book is mind blowing. Incredibly clever way of putting it together. Outerbanks vibes in the “small” towns of Contra Costa County

[Barb Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has some interesting local history of Contra Costa County in California. The mystery is an entertaining fictional side story.

[Cyndi Hagerty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not particularly well written, but the local lore was interesting to read since I live in this area.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I attended an author fair and heard about this book. Since I live in the SF Bay Area I was interested in reading this. The story was disappointing. John Marsh was such an important man in the Brentwood area. His death and the whole search for hidden money seemed to fall flat.