What do you think?
Rate this book
Olivia Miller #3
The Stone of Sadness
Olivia Miller has just finished her first year of law school. She is staying at her cousin John's house in Howland, MA to dog-sit his chocolate Lab while John goes on a business trip. Olivia promises to clean out the attic and she finds a stack of old newspapers that John's dad had saved. The articles recount the grisly murders of a young mother and her 4 year old daughter in the state park in Howland some forty years ago. John tells Olivia that the mother and daughter were their cousins and that the murderer was never brought to justice. Olivia decides to research the deaths and find out why no one was ever accused of the crime. (Loosely based on the unsolved murders of my distant cousins in Rutland MA, on June 5, 1973).
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2014
915 people are currently reading
555 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Whiting
168 books319 followersUSA TODAY Bestselling Author and Amazon All Star, J A Whiting is the author of over 100 cozy mysteries. She lives with her family in Massachusetts. Whiting loves spending time with family, reading, traveling, cycling, following New England sports teams, exercising, and being outdoors.
For exclusive content and new book announcements please visit www.jawhiting.com and sign up for my mailing list.
Also please "like" my Facebook page www.facebook.com/jawhitingauthor
For exclusive content and new book announcements please visit www.jawhiting.com and sign up for my mailing list.
Also please "like" my Facebook page www.facebook.com/jawhitingauthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
July 11, 2018
Took too long to wrap up
I guessed whodunit about 50 or 60 pages before the end, but the story kept dragging out. I didn't care for the writing style, either. Maybe I just couldn't connect to the 22 year old main character. I felt like I was reading a Nancy Drew book.
I guessed whodunit about 50 or 60 pages before the end, but the story kept dragging out. I didn't care for the writing style, either. Maybe I just couldn't connect to the 22 year old main character. I felt like I was reading a Nancy Drew book.
July 10, 2018
Annoying writing.
Written as a Mary Sue. The conversations Olivia has with everyone are simply not believable. Every stranger she approaches opens up to her and shares personal details about families and fights and problems. In real life, who does that? And PS...CO is carbon monoxide. CO2 is carbon dioxide.
Written as a Mary Sue. The conversations Olivia has with everyone are simply not believable. Every stranger she approaches opens up to her and shares personal details about families and fights and problems. In real life, who does that? And PS...CO is carbon monoxide. CO2 is carbon dioxide.
June 15, 2021
Boring. I gave up 20% in. As others have mentioned, the writing style was weird, awkward. But really, extremely boring. As I say after giving up on a book....life's too damn short.
July 8, 2018
Cozy Mystery With A Bit Of Paranormal
This cozy’s protagonist, law student Olivia Miller, learns about and attempts to solve a 45 yr old cold case. Olivia begins to investigate and interviews many people. Having lived in a smaller town, I found it odd that everyone is friendly, trusting and open when talking with Olivia. She’s there temporarily to dog-sit and occupy the house whilst workers are building a sunroom.
The main plot is straightforward without twists, so the culprit can be picked out fairly early in the book. There were a lot of side stories that didn’t interest me, and if excluded, could have shortened the book.
The pace varied from leisurely to tediously slow. At about 1/3 of the book, I started skimming, but I read on to find out how the story was resolved.
Most of this book was 3 stars, until I saw the huge plot hole. That dinged it to 2 stars.
SPOILER—SPOILER—SPOILER
I picked up early in the story that the murderer also killed someone else, but that death was attributed to accident. However, the victims’s face was smashed in with a brick, so it’s unbelievable that the police, coroner, and mortician didn’t notice any facial damage.
This cozy’s protagonist, law student Olivia Miller, learns about and attempts to solve a 45 yr old cold case. Olivia begins to investigate and interviews many people. Having lived in a smaller town, I found it odd that everyone is friendly, trusting and open when talking with Olivia. She’s there temporarily to dog-sit and occupy the house whilst workers are building a sunroom.
The main plot is straightforward without twists, so the culprit can be picked out fairly early in the book. There were a lot of side stories that didn’t interest me, and if excluded, could have shortened the book.
The pace varied from leisurely to tediously slow. At about 1/3 of the book, I started skimming, but I read on to find out how the story was resolved.
Most of this book was 3 stars, until I saw the huge plot hole. That dinged it to 2 stars.
SPOILER—SPOILER—SPOILER
I picked up early in the story that the murderer also killed someone else, but that death was attributed to accident. However, the victims’s face was smashed in with a brick, so it’s unbelievable that the police, coroner, and mortician didn’t notice any facial damage.
January 18, 2015
Another Great Read!!
I enjoyed this book. I completed it in a weekend. Wow! I hated for it to end. I have found another great author. This book is about a cold case from 40 years ago. Olivia will not let it go, once she digs into what happened. Great detective work done by her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great mystery.
I enjoyed this book. I completed it in a weekend. Wow! I hated for it to end. I have found another great author. This book is about a cold case from 40 years ago. Olivia will not let it go, once she digs into what happened. Great detective work done by her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great mystery.
July 29, 2015
Good book
This book was not just a murder mystery but also a lesson on how to get past tragedies that comes into life
This book was not just a murder mystery but also a lesson on how to get past tragedies that comes into life
July 9, 2016
Great mystery plots.
I have read all three books, I await the next plot.. Hope to be reading more of Olivia Miller books by J A Whiting.
I have read all three books, I await the next plot.. Hope to be reading more of Olivia Miller books by J A Whiting.
July 24, 2018
This was a good book.
Olivia went to her brothers to house and dog sit. While there she cleaned out the attic for him.
While doing that, she found a newspaper story about her cousins (a mother and her 5 year old daughter) that had been murdered, years earlier.
Olivia started asking questions about it around town and soon had a long list of suspects and an enemy or two. A lot of strange things happen to her and others.
I figured out who the killer was and why they killed the mother and child about three fourths through the book.
Read and enjoy this book. Do like I do. Try to figure out who did what before the book ends.
Olivia went to her brothers to house and dog sit. While there she cleaned out the attic for him.
While doing that, she found a newspaper story about her cousins (a mother and her 5 year old daughter) that had been murdered, years earlier.
Olivia started asking questions about it around town and soon had a long list of suspects and an enemy or two. A lot of strange things happen to her and others.
I figured out who the killer was and why they killed the mother and child about three fourths through the book.
Read and enjoy this book. Do like I do. Try to figure out who did what before the book ends.
October 12, 2018
I do not get the hypocrisy of it. These are supposed to be God~fearing people who would have at least tried to curb their promiscuity and vices; that is why I wondered why nobody noticed Emily's sluttish tendencies as well as her vicious temper (when thwarted) added to the fact of her obvious rebellion to her mother's controlling ways. There is also Mrs. Bradford's cold~blooded way of dealing with people and circumstances that would have manifested through the years. She could not have maintained her facade that long. It was from her where Emily got her heartless attitude. Compared to her, Kenny at least do not have anger issues despite his vices and he is not diabolically manipulative.
June 12, 2018
Olivia and grief
I remembered while reading this book hat I had read her earlier one. I liked the descriptions of the areas in this book. The police came off incredibly naive, tho. Olivia was a little too dense to be believed, also. Okay, I guessed the murderer and that’s also disappointing. Best part is her coming to her senses and taking time to heal after the loss of her aunt.
I remembered while reading this book hat I had read her earlier one. I liked the descriptions of the areas in this book. The police came off incredibly naive, tho. Olivia was a little too dense to be believed, also. Okay, I guessed the murderer and that’s also disappointing. Best part is her coming to her senses and taking time to heal after the loss of her aunt.
July 22, 2018
Who Dun It?
A young woman comes to house-sit for her cousin in a small town and uncovers a 45-year-old community and family mystery in the brutal slayings of her distant cousin and the cousin’s young child.
The pool of aged suspects was off-putting to me, and the athleticism of Emily Bradford at the age of 62+ years of age was curious.
Readable and entertaining, if not gripping and engrossing
A young woman comes to house-sit for her cousin in a small town and uncovers a 45-year-old community and family mystery in the brutal slayings of her distant cousin and the cousin’s young child.
The pool of aged suspects was off-putting to me, and the athleticism of Emily Bradford at the age of 62+ years of age was curious.
Readable and entertaining, if not gripping and engrossing
May 2, 2021
Interesting mystery which although we were given a few possible suspects from a 45 year old Murder...it didn’t take long to eliminate those people and narrow down who may have actually committed the murders. The book would have rated a five star, but it kept going backwards to the murder that Olivia had been involved with the year before....too much! Considering that I had not read book one in the series, I don’t want to have every other page reference back to the first book.
January 6, 2018
Goodread
Read it straight through in one setting. I like a book that gives you enough facts to figure it out yourself yet at the same time doesn't make it easy to guess who done it. This book was not easy but not hard. Just enough hard facts to figure it out with enough extraneous material to keep you guessed. I give it a B.
Read it straight through in one setting. I like a book that gives you enough facts to figure it out yourself yet at the same time doesn't make it easy to guess who done it. This book was not easy but not hard. Just enough hard facts to figure it out with enough extraneous material to keep you guessed. I give it a B.
January 20, 2018
Loved this book, love the series.
So very well crafted and played out, the end of this book is a great surprise. I usually have the culprit in mind before the ending. The characters continue to be well developed and the plot is so believable. The long term effects of such a murder, unfortunately are so true. The book also speaks to the resilience of the human heart
So very well crafted and played out, the end of this book is a great surprise. I usually have the culprit in mind before the ending. The characters continue to be well developed and the plot is so believable. The long term effects of such a murder, unfortunately are so true. The book also speaks to the resilience of the human heart
July 10, 2018
Talk about a cold case.
Olivia didn't realize the can of worms she was, when she decided to look into het cousins murder that happened 45 years ago.
She certainly didn't expect to find healing for her heart from the murder of het ain't.
Whiting is a masterful story teller. The characters were genuine and the story flowed smoothly tho the last page.
Olivia didn't realize the can of worms she was, when she decided to look into het cousins murder that happened 45 years ago.
She certainly didn't expect to find healing for her heart from the murder of het ain't.
Whiting is a masterful story teller. The characters were genuine and the story flowed smoothly tho the last page.
January 18, 2018
Good book
I like the characters very much. This is the second book by this author I have read, an d would recommend it. The only down part of the book was it dragged a bit going over same clues with every character
I like the characters very much. This is the second book by this author I have read, an d would recommend it. The only down part of the book was it dragged a bit going over same clues with every character
February 5, 2018
Great read!!! I will read more of J A Whitings books. I would recommend for everyone. Good , clean fun reading.
Can't wait for more. It is difficult to find this kind of book these days. I love to see what Olivia will do next and what mystery she will solve.
Can't wait for more. It is difficult to find this kind of book these days. I love to see what Olivia will do next and what mystery she will solve.
July 8, 2018
Love, love, love!!
This book was engaging from the first page to the last. It moves at a great pace, and each time I thought I figured out who the killer was, something would happen to throw suspicion on someone else. Just a really great read!
This book was engaging from the first page to the last. It moves at a great pace, and each time I thought I figured out who the killer was, something would happen to throw suspicion on someone else. Just a really great read!
July 8, 2018
The Stone of Sadness (An Oliva Miller Mystery Thriller Book 3)
This was the first book I've read by this author and it won't be the last. I like a mystery that makes me want to solve it before the main character does and I was able to do it. An enjoyable read.
This was the first book I've read by this author and it won't be the last. I like a mystery that makes me want to solve it before the main character does and I was able to do it. An enjoyable read.
July 11, 2018
Good solid mystery
At first, the book was a little confusing, as I have not read the other books. However, I soon relaxed and enjoyed the characters. It took a while to figure out the culprit, good clues were offered. Just a good summer read.
At first, the book was a little confusing, as I have not read the other books. However, I soon relaxed and enjoyed the characters. It took a while to figure out the culprit, good clues were offered. Just a good summer read.
July 11, 2018
A great read
Rarely does one find a story in which every word is necessary and enjoyed. Thank you for writing sooo well. I'm old now and have time to read every day.....The Stone of Sadness filled the past few days with very pleasant hrs.
Rarely does one find a story in which every word is necessary and enjoyed. Thank you for writing sooo well. I'm old now and have time to read every day.....The Stone of Sadness filled the past few days with very pleasant hrs.
July 18, 2018
Enlightening!
It seems that in trying to avoid her grief over her Aunts death that Olivia finally found herself! It took solving another crime to bring her back to where she needed to be!
It seems that in trying to avoid her grief over her Aunts death that Olivia finally found herself! It took solving another crime to bring her back to where she needed to be!
July 19, 2018
Finding peace of mind
Excellent book and a clean book. Finding out who killed her distant cousins and almost getting killed herself, helped Olivia find peace of mind. What happen to Lily, did she go home with Olivia?
Excellent book and a clean book. Finding out who killed her distant cousins and almost getting killed herself, helped Olivia find peace of mind. What happen to Lily, did she go home with Olivia?
August 5, 2018
Couldn't Put It Down!!!
This book is really good!!! The author did a great job in creating a great mystery. The writing was so descriptive I felt as if I'm the book walking trails. You will love this book
This book is really good!!! The author did a great job in creating a great mystery. The writing was so descriptive I felt as if I'm the book walking trails. You will love this book
December 3, 2018
Well done mystery
Well written story; a lot of detail. An interesting twist on solving a cold case murder. Just enough clues for this reader to identity the killer just before the investigator sorts it out.
Well written story; a lot of detail. An interesting twist on solving a cold case murder. Just enough clues for this reader to identity the killer just before the investigator sorts it out.
February 4, 2019
A great story!
A decades old murder. A woman hiding away from life battling her own demons searches for the truth and justice. Small towns may think they know everyone's business but secrets still lurk.
A decades old murder. A woman hiding away from life battling her own demons searches for the truth and justice. Small towns may think they know everyone's business but secrets still lurk.
February 18, 2019
Good read!
The storyline of this book was good and relatable to real life. I enjoy books that are down to earth. I would definitely recommend reading this book and look forward to reading more Olivia Miller mysteries.
The storyline of this book was good and relatable to real life. I enjoy books that are down to earth. I would definitely recommend reading this book and look forward to reading more Olivia Miller mysteries.
September 24, 2019
And sometimes you meet someone who won't give up.
After being warned to leave it alone, she dives into solving the murders. Great characters and an exciting mystery make for a really good story. Good word pictures and explanations keep it interesting.
After being warned to leave it alone, she dives into solving the murders. Great characters and an exciting mystery make for a really good story. Good word pictures and explanations keep it interesting.
March 1, 2020
Easy to read little mystery. A lot of padding about what was eaten and interviewing people who had no bearing on the plot. I worked out the killer by about halfway through, followed by the why and the how. Olivia was lagging far behind.
September 17, 2020
Great Author
Another great novel by J A Whiting. This mystery novel is well-written with characters who portray their intelligence, emotions and love of others through the challenges in their lives.
Another great novel by J A Whiting. This mystery novel is well-written with characters who portray their intelligence, emotions and love of others through the challenges in their lives.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews