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Set in Stone
Lynda Graham has been fortunate in life. She is happily married, with two wonderful children, Ciarn and Katie. She has a beautiful home and garden in one of the most affluent suburbs of Dublin. Her world feels safe and uncomplicated, one she now takes for granted. That is until Jon, a friend of Ciarn's from university - handsome, charming and clever - inveigles his way into their lives.There's something about Jon that Lynda finds unnerving - he is almost too perfect. And her instinct is Jon's arrival sets in motion a spiral of events that contributes to the gradual disintegration of all she holds dear.When Jon leaves, his disappearance is even more destructive than his presence. Lynda's quest to track him down reveals unpalatable truths about his past and the reason for his existence in their lives. Lynda knows that Jon is out there somewhere - watching, waiting, malevolent.And she also knows that she must do whatever it takes to protect the most precious thing she has - her family.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
17 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Dunne
23 books118 followersMost writers serve a very long apprenticeship.
I became a fulltime writer in 1995, but I’ve been writing ever since I can remember. From short – very short – stories as a child to the usual excruciating poetry as a teenager: I’ve probably being putting words on paper for almost half a century now. What a thought.
As a child, it took me a few years to learn that there was a difference between reading and writing. For me, if you loved books, then of course you were going to try and write your own. But that was an almost impossible ambition in the Ireland where I grew up. I did the next best thing: the thing that kept me closest to books. I became a teacher, and I taught, very happily, for seventeen years. I loved teaching and still very much enjoy the Creative Writing workshops that I often facilitate.
But writing increasingly became a compulsion, almost an obsession. Nothing else satisfied in the way that writing satisfied, and so I continued to attempt poetry, short stories, non-fiction essays, honing my craft, serving my apprenticeship, until I finally finished my first novel, In the Beginning.
In the Beginning was published in 1997 and was very well-received, both critically and popularly. It was translated into several languages and went on to be shortlisted for the ‘Bancarella’ – the Italian booksellers’ prize.
A Name for Himself followed a year later, and was short listed for the Kerry Fiction Prize.
Between 2000 and 2014, I have published seven further novels: The Walled Garden, Another Kind of Life, Something Like Love, At a Time Like This, Set in Stone, Missing Julia and The Things We Know Now.
My non-fiction book, An Unconsidered People was published in 2003.
I’ve also written short stories and non-fiction pieces for various publications, among them Moments, Travelling Light, and Irish Girls about Town.
I receive a lot of requests to discuss various aspects of the creative process: the role played by inspiration, imagination, dedication and craft. I can’t answer all of these questions individually, so part of this website has been dedicated to a ‘Readers’ Forum’ in order to attempt to answer the most frequently-asked questions.
I became a fulltime writer in 1995, but I’ve been writing ever since I can remember. From short – very short – stories as a child to the usual excruciating poetry as a teenager: I’ve probably being putting words on paper for almost half a century now. What a thought.
As a child, it took me a few years to learn that there was a difference between reading and writing. For me, if you loved books, then of course you were going to try and write your own. But that was an almost impossible ambition in the Ireland where I grew up. I did the next best thing: the thing that kept me closest to books. I became a teacher, and I taught, very happily, for seventeen years. I loved teaching and still very much enjoy the Creative Writing workshops that I often facilitate.
But writing increasingly became a compulsion, almost an obsession. Nothing else satisfied in the way that writing satisfied, and so I continued to attempt poetry, short stories, non-fiction essays, honing my craft, serving my apprenticeship, until I finally finished my first novel, In the Beginning.
In the Beginning was published in 1997 and was very well-received, both critically and popularly. It was translated into several languages and went on to be shortlisted for the ‘Bancarella’ – the Italian booksellers’ prize.
A Name for Himself followed a year later, and was short listed for the Kerry Fiction Prize.
Between 2000 and 2014, I have published seven further novels: The Walled Garden, Another Kind of Life, Something Like Love, At a Time Like This, Set in Stone, Missing Julia and The Things We Know Now.
My non-fiction book, An Unconsidered People was published in 2003.
I’ve also written short stories and non-fiction pieces for various publications, among them Moments, Travelling Light, and Irish Girls about Town.
I receive a lot of requests to discuss various aspects of the creative process: the role played by inspiration, imagination, dedication and craft. I can’t answer all of these questions individually, so part of this website has been dedicated to a ‘Readers’ Forum’ in order to attempt to answer the most frequently-asked questions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 13, 2016
This book was a pleasant surprise. It took a while for me to get into it, but I am glad I persisted. I needed the context to get an idea of the characters and their history, for the subsequent events to make sense. More than a great side read.
One feels like this is an autobiography of a surburban family's life. The vengeful, spiteful, jealous relative, who feels a sense of entitlement. The difficult teenager and rather supportive friend.
It brings to mind thst one never really knows what goes on behind closed doors and not all family members wish each other well.
I really like the authors style of writing and she had made a "ordinary" surbubian life interesting. Particularly when it makes you wonder if you the participants in this tale, how would you react/respond to the events taking place. Are some aspects of the tale pertinent to you and your family?
A very British story, with a twist.
One feels like this is an autobiography of a surburban family's life. The vengeful, spiteful, jealous relative, who feels a sense of entitlement. The difficult teenager and rather supportive friend.
It brings to mind thst one never really knows what goes on behind closed doors and not all family members wish each other well.
I really like the authors style of writing and she had made a "ordinary" surbubian life interesting. Particularly when it makes you wonder if you the participants in this tale, how would you react/respond to the events taking place. Are some aspects of the tale pertinent to you and your family?
A very British story, with a twist.
July 5, 2013
This is the second Catherine Dunne that I have read just lately, the other being Something Like Love. This is a much darker read, a psychological family drama that is really quite chilling.
The Grahams are just a normal family like any other, nothing out of the ordinary about them at all although what I did find to be a refreshing change is the portrayal of the son Ciaran who, unlike in a lot of family dramas, is not a perfect angel. He is a teenager who could be best described as a "rebel without a cause" - really nice one minute, then moody, ratty and horrible the next. He will probably be recognised instantly by a lot of readers who are parents. The Grahams' normal every day existence is threatened by the proverbial black sheep of the family who decides it is time to come home and take what he believes is rightfully his in a plan that has been carefully and painstakingly thought out. It is most definitely a question of revenge being a dish best served cold. The plot is well crafted and builds at a good pace, getting more and more sinister as it unfolds and develops into a real page turner.
For part of the read I did start to wonder if I was reading a sequel, as a lot of the story is told in flashback, but I soon got used to that and as the book goes on, all the background information that I needed came out in the wash eventually. The characters are well drawn and believable, some nice and some just pure evil. Dialogue is good and feels natural.
All in all, a really good read.
The Grahams are just a normal family like any other, nothing out of the ordinary about them at all although what I did find to be a refreshing change is the portrayal of the son Ciaran who, unlike in a lot of family dramas, is not a perfect angel. He is a teenager who could be best described as a "rebel without a cause" - really nice one minute, then moody, ratty and horrible the next. He will probably be recognised instantly by a lot of readers who are parents. The Grahams' normal every day existence is threatened by the proverbial black sheep of the family who decides it is time to come home and take what he believes is rightfully his in a plan that has been carefully and painstakingly thought out. It is most definitely a question of revenge being a dish best served cold. The plot is well crafted and builds at a good pace, getting more and more sinister as it unfolds and develops into a real page turner.
For part of the read I did start to wonder if I was reading a sequel, as a lot of the story is told in flashback, but I soon got used to that and as the book goes on, all the background information that I needed came out in the wash eventually. The characters are well drawn and believable, some nice and some just pure evil. Dialogue is good and feels natural.
All in all, a really good read.
August 11, 2017
I really liked this book, the plot was awesome. I got lost in the novel at first as it was so hard to keep up with where it was going but at the end, it all came together well and I understood what happened in the overall book. By the end of the novel I couldn't believe what had happened as the story line was that great and that intense. It's a novel I didn't want to put down but wanted to continue reading.
The plot was not something I had come across in other books which I liked as it made it quite unique and stand out from others that had been written. The little blurb on the front 'Every family has its secrets. Most are best left alone...' really caught my attention as I thought it was intriguing and definitely knew from the get-go that I would have to purchase that book.
Overall, I'm very pleased.
The plot was not something I had come across in other books which I liked as it made it quite unique and stand out from others that had been written. The little blurb on the front 'Every family has its secrets. Most are best left alone...' really caught my attention as I thought it was intriguing and definitely knew from the get-go that I would have to purchase that book.
Overall, I'm very pleased.
August 12, 2019
I wanted to enjoy this book, I really did. The blurb sounded promising and with that and the cover of the book I would never have guessed how sinister it really was.
Unfortunately I didn't care much for any of the characters and I found the plot very predictable. I was disappointed with the writing style and thought that there wasn't really any substance to the story.
One of the things that drew me to this book was the fact that it was set in Dublin. I recently went to Dublin and when I'm reading a book I love to get a feel for the location. This book could have been set anywhere and it was not as descriptive as I would have liked.
Even with the extract from Catherine where she elaborated on the story and what the underlying reasons for it were I still found it bland, scary in parts and pretty confusing. The ending doesnt shed much light on things either.
Unfortunately I didn't care much for any of the characters and I found the plot very predictable. I was disappointed with the writing style and thought that there wasn't really any substance to the story.
One of the things that drew me to this book was the fact that it was set in Dublin. I recently went to Dublin and when I'm reading a book I love to get a feel for the location. This book could have been set anywhere and it was not as descriptive as I would have liked.
Even with the extract from Catherine where she elaborated on the story and what the underlying reasons for it were I still found it bland, scary in parts and pretty confusing. The ending doesnt shed much light on things either.
August 27, 2017
Finished this book before now but forgot to write the review so have kinda forgot most of it now, it really wasn't that memorable. It had a good story to it with okay characters but it was just a bit slow and unnecessarily prolonged. It tried to hold the pretence of wondering who wise boy and the watcher were but there really was no doubt at who wide boy was and it really didn't matter who the watcher was as he really had no connection with the story as a whole.
The ending was disappointing and again pointless to conclude it about the watcher,why would he get the epilogue and not the family who the story revolved around.
The ending was disappointing and again pointless to conclude it about the watcher,why would he get the epilogue and not the family who the story revolved around.
March 4, 2018
Exciting book with anticipation. I figured out what was happening earlier in the book but it did not retract from its excitement.
The book does not bring any friends of Lynda to the fore, so you feel her isolation and desperation for others to see what she’s slowly figuring out.
I did however feel that the end fell a bit ‘flat’. It was almost as if the author wanted to rush the ending, perhaps others feel differently. Nevertheless, an enjoyable read.
The book does not bring any friends of Lynda to the fore, so you feel her isolation and desperation for others to see what she’s slowly figuring out.
I did however feel that the end fell a bit ‘flat’. It was almost as if the author wanted to rush the ending, perhaps others feel differently. Nevertheless, an enjoyable read.
July 20, 2020
Beat the backlist reading challenge: Plant(s) on the cover
For a psychological thriller, I found that this lacked intensity. Danny is an unpleasant character, persecuting his family for perceived injustices, but his vengefulness never really hit a dark or sinister enough note to set my nerves jangling or turn the pages with any trepidation as to what might be coming next.
For a psychological thriller, I found that this lacked intensity. Danny is an unpleasant character, persecuting his family for perceived injustices, but his vengefulness never really hit a dark or sinister enough note to set my nerves jangling or turn the pages with any trepidation as to what might be coming next.
January 19, 2022
Short and sweet! This has been on my shelf for ages and I needed something to fit in whilst waiting for my Book Club book to arrive. I enjoyed it although I was a bit let down by the end, I thought there might have been a bit more drama considering the build up. A clever story though.
May 14, 2023
Un storia dalle tinte noir abbastanza trascinante. L'ho iniziato e finito nell'arco di circa 36 ore nonostante le 300 pagine. Non certo un capolavoro della letteratura ma come "lettura da ombrellone" va più che bene.
July 31, 2019
I enjoyed this although I did feel that I had to persevere to get through it.
The reviews going back this far are copied out of a notebook I kept with records of the books read...
The reviews going back this far are copied out of a notebook I kept with records of the books read...
February 5, 2020
Sent to me from Kenneys in Galway si I thought it was vetted. Started out well enough, but ended up with no conclusion. Sorry I wasted my time.
August 22, 2022
Si potrebbe definire questo libro, un romanzo amaro e drammatico.
Un manipolatore convinto di essere nel giusto rovina la vita di ben 3 famiglie...
Un manipolatore convinto di essere nel giusto rovina la vita di ben 3 famiglie...
September 13, 2024
Not great. Predictable plot and some cringeworthy writing. Only finished it because I was stranded without an alternative to read.
April 27, 2025
Did not finish. I don't understand british well enough, like why all the crying and yet it isn't actual tears?
WARNING: There is animal cruelty.
WARNING: There is animal cruelty.
March 18, 2017
I gave up, I couldn't get into it.
August 4, 2016
Set in stone was a nice reading.
It is not a masterpiece, no point in denying it.
I did not feel much empathy for the characters, as I honestly found them unpleasant or suspicious or both: Lynda was always whining too much for my taste (even though, thinking about it, maybe I simply couldn't stand her, so I am maybe a little exaggerating her actions), Robert couldn't trust or care less about what Lynda said or about Ciarán, Ciarán himself acted like a 14 years old boy though being 19, Danny is just a freaking sociopath. At least at the end they understood that they need to work together to get their shit done.
I would not describe the book as fast paced or particularly compelling, still it took my attention and it was a really nice way to spend some days. I was curious about how the stories would have developed, what would have been goal. Moreover, I appreciated C. Dunne writing style, I found it well developed and right paced.
The result is that I find the whole outcome of these big, linked sequence of the events to be pointless:
If you didn't read the big spoiler-y part up there, the recap is that I am not happy with the ending of the book, it turned down my expectations on what the "enemy" would have done to this family.
All in all, I would still recommend this book if you don't have great expectations and just want to spend some days with a good novel.
It is not a masterpiece, no point in denying it.
I did not feel much empathy for the characters, as I honestly found them unpleasant or suspicious or both: Lynda was always whining too much for my taste (even though, thinking about it, maybe I simply couldn't stand her, so I am maybe a little exaggerating her actions), Robert couldn't trust or care less about what Lynda said or about Ciarán, Ciarán himself acted like a 14 years old boy though being 19, Danny is just a freaking sociopath. At least at the end they understood that they need to work together to get their shit done.
I would not describe the book as fast paced or particularly compelling, still it took my attention and it was a really nice way to spend some days. I was curious about how the stories would have developed, what would have been goal. Moreover, I appreciated C. Dunne writing style, I found it well developed and right paced.
The result is that I find the whole outcome of these big, linked sequence of the events to be pointless:
If you didn't read the big spoiler-y part up there, the recap is that I am not happy with the ending of the book, it turned down my expectations on what the "enemy" would have done to this family.
All in all, I would still recommend this book if you don't have great expectations and just want to spend some days with a good novel.
August 9, 2014
Lynda e Robert Graham possono dirsi soddisfatti della vita che si sono costruiti. Una bella casa in un quartiere benestante di Dublino, la sicurezza economica, due figli invidiabili, Katie e Ciaràn. Nonostante qualche nuvola passeggera e qualche preoccupazione legata al comportamento un po' aggressivo del figlio adolescente, i Graham vedono scorrere la loro esistenza placidamente, riflessa nel giardino giapponese che ogni mattina all'alba Lynda si ferma qualche attimo a contemplare con l'orgoglio dell'artista. C'è solo un neo in questo perfetto quadro famigliare: si tratta di Danny, il fratello minore di Robert, uno scapestrato che periodicamente sconvolge la loro routine con le sue pretese e i suoi modi prepotenti. Per fortuna, nella casa dei Graham arriva una persona che porta un po' di serenità. Ciaràn infatti presenta ai suoi Jon, un amico bello, educato e sensibile, che presto diventa una presenza fissa al punto da trasferirsi da loro. Agli occhi di tutti Jon sembra l'ospite perfetto, forse troppo: l'istinto di Lynda le suggerisce che qualcosa non va... Chi è veramente il dolce e disponibile Jon?
Dalla trama sembrerebbe un thriller o un noir, ma non è né l'uno né l'altro. E' il classico libro che non si riesce ad identificare come genere e lo stile, sebbene impeccabile, non basta a colpirti.
La storia poi è stiracchiata, in alcuni punti poco credibile: vorrebbe dire che di fronte ad un pericolo, l'amore e i legami familiari diventano più forti? Non credo e la storia non mi convince in questo senso, i personaggi mancano di spessore e la fine poi delude.
E' un libro che non lascia nulla...
Niente a che vedere con La metà di niente....
Dalla trama sembrerebbe un thriller o un noir, ma non è né l'uno né l'altro. E' il classico libro che non si riesce ad identificare come genere e lo stile, sebbene impeccabile, non basta a colpirti.
La storia poi è stiracchiata, in alcuni punti poco credibile: vorrebbe dire che di fronte ad un pericolo, l'amore e i legami familiari diventano più forti? Non credo e la storia non mi convince in questo senso, i personaggi mancano di spessore e la fine poi delude.
E' un libro che non lascia nulla...
Niente a che vedere con La metà di niente....
October 26, 2016
Jon, Ciaràn’s friend from university, has moved in with the Graham family. He doesn’t have a place to stay now that his parents have separated and he seems to be a good influence on Ciaràn, who is a typical teenager and doesn’t always get along with his parents. This family brings dysfunctional to a whole new level. Danny, the uncle, is writing letters to Robert, his brother, telling him that he wants his due. Danny stole thirty thousand dollars and Robert’s credit cards last time he saw Robert. Now weird things are happening around the house since they started receiving the letters. This book was very predictable. The characters weren’t very well developed and the writing was stifled. It took a lot to get into the book and even then I could’ve easily put it down and not finished it.
May 14, 2017
"I recently finished reading "Set in Stone" by Catherine Dunne. Although some parts of the plot were predictable, I really enjoyed this story. The story revolves around an Irish family.
Lynda is a Mosaic artist who works from the house, while her husband Robert is a Developer. Their daughter Katie studies at a university away from home, and their son Ciaran lives at home but goes to a college nearby. The family has had a horrible past- linked only to Robert's brother Danny."
If you want a full review of the book, you can check out my blog post:
http://poemfanatic.blogspot.com/2016/...
Lynda is a Mosaic artist who works from the house, while her husband Robert is a Developer. Their daughter Katie studies at a university away from home, and their son Ciaran lives at home but goes to a college nearby. The family has had a horrible past- linked only to Robert's brother Danny."
If you want a full review of the book, you can check out my blog post:
http://poemfanatic.blogspot.com/2016/...
April 12, 2014
Romanzo interessante dai tratti forti, ambientato in una Dublino che risente della crisi e dei suoi passati terroristici. Regge benissimo la suspance e il ritmo narrativo ti inchioda ad ogni pagina. Non si perde mai nel disseminare dettaglo che poi si ricollocano magicamente alla fine.
Sembra concludersi anche se in realtà non ci sono nè vincitori nè sconfitti.
Scrittura scorrevole e dinamica.
Di lei leggerò sicuramente altro!
Sembra concludersi anche se in realtà non ci sono nè vincitori nè sconfitti.
Scrittura scorrevole e dinamica.
Di lei leggerò sicuramente altro!
August 13, 2012
I thought this book was really good and kept me interested the further in I went. I didn't particularly like how it switched between time periods without alerting the reader to the fact, which led to some flicking back and starting the section again. The story itself was engaging and threw in a number of shocks. Didn't think many of the motives behind the actions were explained well enough.
February 24, 2015
This is the first book I have read by this author. I did enjoy the book. I liked the way a particular situation was looked at from one individual's side & then immediately followed by a different character...if that makes sense? I thought it became a little unrealistic towards the end. Also I didn't actually relate/bond with any of the characters. They didn't seem to have much depth.
December 29, 2022
The non-linear narrative was just annoying and the summary, where we saw the ‘resolution’ from different perspectives, seemed totally unnecessary.
Didn’t have any sympathy with the characters. The one who you might have had some sympathy with was Lynda but the revelations about her affair detracted from this. There were also a number of issues that were never explained or resolved.
Didn’t have any sympathy with the characters. The one who you might have had some sympathy with was Lynda but the revelations about her affair detracted from this. There were also a number of issues that were never explained or resolved.
August 25, 2011
La vicenda è del tutto umana: qualcosa di simile potrebbe essere successa in una famiglia a voi vicina, ma, nonostante l'apparente banalità, il racconto avvince presto e la tensione si mantiene fino alle ultime pagine.
November 22, 2013
My first Catherine Dunne book and I have to say I enjoyed it - it was a page turner. Slightly dissappointed with the ending - ended a little weak I thought but it certainly wouldn't stop me from recommending it to others to read. Will be reading more Catherine Dunne books for sure.
January 11, 2014
The cover belies the sinister atmosphere of this book; there is a darkness creeping up on this seemingly typical family which is quite gripping. Disappointing at the end, I felt, compared to the excellent build up, hence the rating. I would definitely read more from this author.
April 18, 2014
I enjoyed the build-up of menace in the book, though ultimately I didn't feel engaged with the characters as they are somewhat lacking in any real depth. The ending rather fizzled out too, I thought, but none the less it was overall an entertaining read.
February 12, 2011
Read it for a book club... it was ok but not one I would recommend.
January 16, 2012
Loved this book I could not put it down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews