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Diana Porteous #2
Casting The First Stone
A year after her husband's death, young widow and art collector Diana Porteous listlessly roams the beach near her home. Her friend and agent, Saul, takes action, introducing her to his stylish, anarchic sister, Sarah, to pep her up. They plan that Di should rediscover her talents as a thief, as well as art expert, to recover stolen paintings - and begin with Steven, the neighbour's son, who is amassing works of art in a strange building in London, including work stolen from his mother. But if Di is interested in his illicit treasures, he is equally fascinated by hers - and in the secrets still held in that house by the sea...
- GenresMystery
Audio CD
First published November 27, 2013
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Frances Fyfield
82 books65 followersAka Frances Hegarty.
Frances Fyfield is a criminal lawyer, who lives in London and in Deal, by the sea which is her passion. She has won several awards, including the CWA Silver Dagger.
She grew up in rural Derbyshire, but spent most of her adult life in London, with long intervals in Norfolk and Deal, all inspiring places. She was educated mostly in convent schools; then studied English at Newcastle University and went on to qualify as a solicitor, working for what is now the Crown Prosecution Service, thus learning a bit about murder at second hand. She also worked for the Metropolitan Police.
Years later, writing became her real vocation. She also writes short stories for magazines and radio and is occasionally a contributor to Radio 4, (Front Row, Quote Unquote, Night Waves,) and presenter of Tales from the Stave.
Frances Fyfield is a criminal lawyer, who lives in London and in Deal, by the sea which is her passion. She has won several awards, including the CWA Silver Dagger.
She grew up in rural Derbyshire, but spent most of her adult life in London, with long intervals in Norfolk and Deal, all inspiring places. She was educated mostly in convent schools; then studied English at Newcastle University and went on to qualify as a solicitor, working for what is now the Crown Prosecution Service, thus learning a bit about murder at second hand. She also worked for the Metropolitan Police.
Years later, writing became her real vocation. She also writes short stories for magazines and radio and is occasionally a contributor to Radio 4, (Front Row, Quote Unquote, Night Waves,) and presenter of Tales from the Stave.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 16, 2016
3.5 stars
Casting the First Stone is a meeting of two of Frances Fyfield's leading ladies and along with Di Porteous of Gold Digger, there is an opportunity to meet the vivacious Sarah Fortune, a central character in six novels of her own, the first of which is Shadows on the Mirror.
For readers who haven't yet met Di Porteous, nee Quigley, in the excellent Gold Digger, this is not a novel that works as a standalone: without a knowledge of the woman, the eclectic cast of misfits that surround her and her passion for both paintings and the elderly Thomas Porteous, I expect Casting the First Stone will be rather nonsensical. For unenlightened readers devoid of a knowledge of the dubious morals of the spirited second Mrs Porteous, it is highly unlikely that full appreciation of this follow-up will be derived. Gold Digger told the story of a teenage tearaway and thief, Di Quigley, returning to the home of the man she herself was party to swindling under the watchful eye of a group of burglars. Caught in the act and sent to prison, two years later sees a newly released Di return to that home and fall in love with the venerable Thomas, art collector and passionate lifelong teacher. The scepticism regarding the "eponymous" Gold Digger, Di Porteous, abounded throughout the entirety of a blissfully happy marriage and even remains into widowhood at just twenty-eight-years-old. There is no doubt amongst those closest to Diana just what she brought to the life of Thomas, and vice-versa, although his disenfranchised daughters, Gayle and Beatrice, are still consumed by enmity. Having tried to defraud Di and come off second-best in the events of Gold Digger, the greedy and bitter sisters keep Di under their surveillance and with twelve-year-old step-grandson Patrick, a frequent visitor, their lives are forever entwined.
A year on from the demise of Thomas and for Di the depression seems endemic as she finds herself engulfed in an all consuming lethargy, leaving her devoid of interest in life. For art dealer Saul Blythe, a man who shares Di's passion for the collection of artwork that Thomas cherished, Di wallowing does not suit his ambitions for the continued growth of their portfolio. Ever manipulative, Saul enlists his chameleon like sister, Sarah Fortune, to reinvigorate the feisty Di for a renewed assault on the world of high art. In return for introducing Di to the style and confidence that accompanies life in the environs of Central London, Sarah inveigles Di into a plan to orchestrate the rightful return of two paintings stolen from her friend, the elderly Granta Cockerel, by her very own son, Steven. After all, theft with a worthy and just motive is a morally ambiguous area, surely?
When Di and Sarah learn that Granta's story is a collection of selected half-truths and has its own motives, namely to lure son Steven home, the two women find they have unwittingly allowed a very unscrupulous young man into their realm. As Saul finds out that worse is yet to come as Edward, son-in-law of Thomas, engages his old school associate, Steven, to do the dirty work so desired by his wife and her sister, the vultures are once again circling around the treasures housed in the former Victorian schoolhouse by the sea. Not to mention the bones of first wife and mother to the daughters, Christina... As much as the synopsis sounded like a re-hash of the original art theft scenario of Gold Digger, I should never have expected Fyfield to be so one-dimensional, as she throws several spanners into the works pretty swiftly and tells a story that is every but as devious as the first. Admittedly just a year on from the death of Thomas, the character development of the ersatz family who surround Di have not seen major change with watchdog Jones, housekeeper Peg and ostracised father Quig, once again forming the mainstay of this novel, with Granta an all too fleeting figure.
Sadly, I ultimately found this follow-up a little too similar to Gold Digger and my appetite for appreciation of treasured works of art has now been well and truly sated! However Casting the First Stone is another excellent study into the vagaries of human nature and is touched by several flashes of brilliance and underhanded twists. I believe that there is a third novel in the Diana Porteous trilogy, but in all honestly second time around this formula does not feel half as striking. Whilst still a highly enjoyable novel, I will not be embarking on this final novel, but will be looking into the back catalogue of Fyfield. But for readers of understated psychological crime thrillers, an introduction to Mrs Porteous the second in Gold Digger certainly comes highly recommended.
Fyfield's skill is in delivering a powerful psychological narrative, with razor sharp caricatures and the underlying currents that ebb and flow between her characters, unspoken but ever present. For fans of pulsating police-procedurals and thrillers, I expect Fyfield's subtle build-up of tension and focus on characters over plot, will find her novels hard to appreciate. For readers not averse to the more literary end of the crime fiction market, I expect the response will be rather different. Fyfield does questionable morals in exemplary fashion, meaning her entire cast are less than transparent, all with ulterior motives and their own ambitions. But arguably, what she does even better is breath life into her characters, with visible flaws apparent and all judgement cast aside.
Casting the First Stone is a meeting of two of Frances Fyfield's leading ladies and along with Di Porteous of Gold Digger, there is an opportunity to meet the vivacious Sarah Fortune, a central character in six novels of her own, the first of which is Shadows on the Mirror.
For readers who haven't yet met Di Porteous, nee Quigley, in the excellent Gold Digger, this is not a novel that works as a standalone: without a knowledge of the woman, the eclectic cast of misfits that surround her and her passion for both paintings and the elderly Thomas Porteous, I expect Casting the First Stone will be rather nonsensical. For unenlightened readers devoid of a knowledge of the dubious morals of the spirited second Mrs Porteous, it is highly unlikely that full appreciation of this follow-up will be derived. Gold Digger told the story of a teenage tearaway and thief, Di Quigley, returning to the home of the man she herself was party to swindling under the watchful eye of a group of burglars. Caught in the act and sent to prison, two years later sees a newly released Di return to that home and fall in love with the venerable Thomas, art collector and passionate lifelong teacher. The scepticism regarding the "eponymous" Gold Digger, Di Porteous, abounded throughout the entirety of a blissfully happy marriage and even remains into widowhood at just twenty-eight-years-old. There is no doubt amongst those closest to Diana just what she brought to the life of Thomas, and vice-versa, although his disenfranchised daughters, Gayle and Beatrice, are still consumed by enmity. Having tried to defraud Di and come off second-best in the events of Gold Digger, the greedy and bitter sisters keep Di under their surveillance and with twelve-year-old step-grandson Patrick, a frequent visitor, their lives are forever entwined.
A year on from the demise of Thomas and for Di the depression seems endemic as she finds herself engulfed in an all consuming lethargy, leaving her devoid of interest in life. For art dealer Saul Blythe, a man who shares Di's passion for the collection of artwork that Thomas cherished, Di wallowing does not suit his ambitions for the continued growth of their portfolio. Ever manipulative, Saul enlists his chameleon like sister, Sarah Fortune, to reinvigorate the feisty Di for a renewed assault on the world of high art. In return for introducing Di to the style and confidence that accompanies life in the environs of Central London, Sarah inveigles Di into a plan to orchestrate the rightful return of two paintings stolen from her friend, the elderly Granta Cockerel, by her very own son, Steven. After all, theft with a worthy and just motive is a morally ambiguous area, surely?
When Di and Sarah learn that Granta's story is a collection of selected half-truths and has its own motives, namely to lure son Steven home, the two women find they have unwittingly allowed a very unscrupulous young man into their realm. As Saul finds out that worse is yet to come as Edward, son-in-law of Thomas, engages his old school associate, Steven, to do the dirty work so desired by his wife and her sister, the vultures are once again circling around the treasures housed in the former Victorian schoolhouse by the sea. Not to mention the bones of first wife and mother to the daughters, Christina... As much as the synopsis sounded like a re-hash of the original art theft scenario of Gold Digger, I should never have expected Fyfield to be so one-dimensional, as she throws several spanners into the works pretty swiftly and tells a story that is every but as devious as the first. Admittedly just a year on from the death of Thomas, the character development of the ersatz family who surround Di have not seen major change with watchdog Jones, housekeeper Peg and ostracised father Quig, once again forming the mainstay of this novel, with Granta an all too fleeting figure.
Sadly, I ultimately found this follow-up a little too similar to Gold Digger and my appetite for appreciation of treasured works of art has now been well and truly sated! However Casting the First Stone is another excellent study into the vagaries of human nature and is touched by several flashes of brilliance and underhanded twists. I believe that there is a third novel in the Diana Porteous trilogy, but in all honestly second time around this formula does not feel half as striking. Whilst still a highly enjoyable novel, I will not be embarking on this final novel, but will be looking into the back catalogue of Fyfield. But for readers of understated psychological crime thrillers, an introduction to Mrs Porteous the second in Gold Digger certainly comes highly recommended.
Fyfield's skill is in delivering a powerful psychological narrative, with razor sharp caricatures and the underlying currents that ebb and flow between her characters, unspoken but ever present. For fans of pulsating police-procedurals and thrillers, I expect Fyfield's subtle build-up of tension and focus on characters over plot, will find her novels hard to appreciate. For readers not averse to the more literary end of the crime fiction market, I expect the response will be rather different. Fyfield does questionable morals in exemplary fashion, meaning her entire cast are less than transparent, all with ulterior motives and their own ambitions. But arguably, what she does even better is breath life into her characters, with visible flaws apparent and all judgement cast aside.
May 10, 2016
I know she's meant to be a really good author but I found this book dull and boring. Not to my taste. Found the story pointless and didn't really care about anyone. Need to read something really good now
December 26, 2017
dull and boring glad to get to the end
September 11, 2015
Simply brilliant. Second book in Di Porteous series (I hope it's a series)A fluid, magical book. Art thievery with a twist. Follows up Gold Digger. This book is full of action, and several new characters. Those familiar with other Fyfield books will know Sarah Fortune. Well, Sarah is enlisted to help Di catch an art thief, Steven Cockerel who may be Di's half brother. Di really comes into her own in this fast moving tale and all the other returning characters are more fleshed out, simply leap off the page; Jones is the protector, clever Peg is the fixer, prissy sneaky indispensable Saul brings his sister Sarah into the misfit group making them all very much a family. And young Patrick has a joie de vivre that is enviable and refreshing. There is always the sea and the contagious love of art that makes this book sparkle from beginning to end. The thief is caught out, and a kindred spirit is revealed. Benevolent thievery for the good of everyone involved with more to come, please! A magical crime story. Is there such a thing? Yes, here it is!
June 8, 2017
I was intrigued by the mention of Goodwin Sands and the interesting history it has.
Sadly I disliked the book and its characters. I am a bit tired of all female lead characters having to look exceptional in some way (pre Raphaelite in this one) and having peculiar back stories (a thieving orphan with a father that hangs around). I note the reference in another review to a first book which I had not read and I agree that this does not work as a stand alone novel.
I was also irritated to find a reference to Great Expectations with Miss Havisham's name misspelled. If you're going to bother with a literary reference it needs to be right.
Sadly I disliked the book and its characters. I am a bit tired of all female lead characters having to look exceptional in some way (pre Raphaelite in this one) and having peculiar back stories (a thieving orphan with a father that hangs around). I note the reference in another review to a first book which I had not read and I agree that this does not work as a stand alone novel.
I was also irritated to find a reference to Great Expectations with Miss Havisham's name misspelled. If you're going to bother with a literary reference it needs to be right.
July 5, 2017
Very poor writing and storyline. I didn't like any of the characters and had trouble empathising with any of them. I read another Frances Fyfield along time ago and remembered that it was very good. It might be a while before I read another.
September 3, 2025
Regret. That's how I felt after reading this book. Regret that I'd read it. Regret that I'd bought it in the first place. Regret that someone somewhere thought that it was worth publishing, and in hardcover, with a misleading dust jacket, no less.
And the dust jacket is misleading. From the image of that old house by the sea, which gives one a C. J. Tudor-Stephen King feel, and a glowing review from The Times (is that The Times of London? Or what Times is that?) which leaves me wondering if the reviewer actually read the book, it says, "Frances Fyfield is an original...she writes with such persuasive beauty and emotional subtlety". What in the confusing narrative does that even mean?
Speaking of narrative, the point of view jumps from one character to another, often without warning; I sometimes had to reread the previous sentence to find my place and ensure I hadn't missed anything.
There is a lot of subtlety about the entire book, so much so that you'll be hard-pressed to find any story at all, apart from a loose plot about once-strangers-now-half-siblings reuniting. And they reunite through their so-called knack of collecting paintings, which they call 'art'.
This book is not 'a haunting, seaswept psychological thriller' that some (Hachette) claim it to be. It's supposed to be a sequel to Fyfield's previous book 'Gold Digger', and continues to tell the story of one Diana Porteous, a thief, who ends up marrying the old man whose house she tries to burgle.
Reading that bit about Diana becoming Mrs Thomas Porteous after she tried to burglarise his house reminded me of the 2015 American action-sci-fi film Ant-Man, where Scott Lang tries to burglarise Dr Hank Pym's house and ends up helping him and his daughter. Anyway, in 'Casting the First Stone', old man Porteous (Thomas) is now dead, and Di (as she's known to her odd friends) is grieving.
Di's character sounds rather pathetic to my ears. Okay, they all sound rather pathetic. Pathetic and false. Even Patrick, Thomas Porteous's young grandson, seemed unreal, and I couldn't find a reason why his character was included..
I think the story would have worked better for my taste if it had been written differently. As it is, it's like a play written in such a way that it sounds like the characters are speaking over each other.
I don't recommend this book at all. Only read it if you got it for free from someone and you've run out of things to read.
Read more and connect with me on my blog Singular Faith
And the dust jacket is misleading. From the image of that old house by the sea, which gives one a C. J. Tudor-Stephen King feel, and a glowing review from The Times (is that The Times of London? Or what Times is that?) which leaves me wondering if the reviewer actually read the book, it says, "Frances Fyfield is an original...she writes with such persuasive beauty and emotional subtlety". What in the confusing narrative does that even mean?
Speaking of narrative, the point of view jumps from one character to another, often without warning; I sometimes had to reread the previous sentence to find my place and ensure I hadn't missed anything.
There is a lot of subtlety about the entire book, so much so that you'll be hard-pressed to find any story at all, apart from a loose plot about once-strangers-now-half-siblings reuniting. And they reunite through their so-called knack of collecting paintings, which they call 'art'.
This book is not 'a haunting, seaswept psychological thriller' that some (Hachette) claim it to be. It's supposed to be a sequel to Fyfield's previous book 'Gold Digger', and continues to tell the story of one Diana Porteous, a thief, who ends up marrying the old man whose house she tries to burgle.
Reading that bit about Diana becoming Mrs Thomas Porteous after she tried to burglarise his house reminded me of the 2015 American action-sci-fi film Ant-Man, where Scott Lang tries to burglarise Dr Hank Pym's house and ends up helping him and his daughter. Anyway, in 'Casting the First Stone', old man Porteous (Thomas) is now dead, and Di (as she's known to her odd friends) is grieving.
Di's character sounds rather pathetic to my ears. Okay, they all sound rather pathetic. Pathetic and false. Even Patrick, Thomas Porteous's young grandson, seemed unreal, and I couldn't find a reason why his character was included..
I think the story would have worked better for my taste if it had been written differently. As it is, it's like a play written in such a way that it sounds like the characters are speaking over each other.
I don't recommend this book at all. Only read it if you got it for free from someone and you've run out of things to read.
Read more and connect with me on my blog Singular Faith
July 26, 2017
It is three years since I read 'Goldigger' and although much of the story came back to me it was slow to do so, with the result that this took a bit of catching up with. Eventually worthwhile, not least for the range of oddball characters.
Read
September 22, 2019Didn't finish this - dull story & I can't believe no one else's thought the age gap between Di & her husband was a bit off putting. She was sixteen when they first met & I just couldn't get past that. It may be because I'm tired of older man & young girl fall in love trope.
July 3, 2018
This book left me clueless as to what was the point of the story. There was nothing thrilling about the characters and turned out to be definitely not a book to recommend.
February 17, 2022
Pointless. Reminded me of those rambling experimental 1970s novels. This is unlike many of her previous books and is not in any way a detective or crime story; do not bother reading.
April 12, 2025
not for me
May 6, 2014
Hoping this one is the 2nd vol. of a 3 decker. Lots of new directions to explore & delighted to have met Sarah Fortune. Looks like Di is resuming her criminal career, but burgling in a good cause.
May 30, 2015
Disappointingly run of the mill
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews