Beneath The Stone

by Alex Dunlevy

"Absolutely gripping from page one""Really liked the first Nick Fisher novel and absolutely loved this one""Flawless. Well-devised, well-written and absorbing""Suspenseful and hugely enjoyable""A perfect ending"When Nick Fisher agrees to work with Leo’s feisty, young protégée Náni Samarákis, he doesn’t bargain on facing death or finding love or hurting his son again. A missing person case morphs into a grisly murder when a body part is found in the sea. But who carved up the body and why? Were they also the killers or was it that mysterious, hooded man, if he even exists? And why does the tracker dog lead them to a stone wall?In a dark village with a tortured past where resentment festers, Nick and Náni must work together, despite their differences, to peel back layers of complex relationships, some leading back to wartime Crete. Only then will they find out why a young man had to die.

Genres: Amazon, Mystery

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2021

About the author

Alex abandoned a career in finance at the age of forty-nine and spent a few years staring at the Mediterranean, contemplating life and loss. Finally, he accepted what his heart had always known. So, he joined some writing groups and he began to write.

He has now completed four novels in a series of crime thrillers set on the island of Crete and featuring British protagonist Nick Fisher. The Unforgiving Stone was the October 2020 debut. Beneath the Stone followed in 2021, The Stone Skimmers in 2022 and Tamarisk Bay in 2024. The first three have been awarded medallions of quality by B.R.A.G. (Book Readers Appreciation Group in the USA) and Amazon UK readers rate them 4.5 (out of 5) on average.

Alex has also published a collection of short stories, The Late Shift Specialist. These are quite different from his crime writing. Recently, he has been working on a darkly comic novel set in the world of 1990s corporate finance and a bitter-sweet coming-of-age story, set in the 1960s.

Born in Derbyshire, England, Alex now lives in The Apokóronas, a fertile region in the north-west Crete, between the White Mountains and the nearby Cretan Sea.

Reviews

[Nicola Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first Nick Fisher book so was delighted when I saw there was a sequel.
Even better than book 1, this takes you on a twisting, turning journey as Nick is pulled in again to help with a murder on the island.
Looking forward to book 3.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s taken me some time, but at last I got back to the Nick Fisher crime novels from author Alex Dunlevy, and it was worth the wait.

Recovering from the events of the first book and preparing to repair his damaged relationship with son Jason, Nick Fisher is brought on board to assist a police sergeant, Nani Samarakis, who finds herself in charge of a case when the senior officer is suddenly sent on medical leave. What began as the case of a missing tourist has turned into something far more deadly, and Nick’s more than thirty years of experience on the British police force is invaluable in negotiating the often-deadly twists and turns of the case.

Once more the writing is beautiful, as is the editing and proofreading—I couldn’t find a single typo, and how rare is that these days? I cracked part of the case this time, if not all, but that’s a huge plus. If I have a criticism it’s the long list of ‘named characters’ at the beginning of the book—as there was in the first book—which is off-putting for someone like me, who doesn’t cope well with crowds, in real life or books. I didn’t bother with it though, and it wasn’t an issue, I met each character in the natural course of the narrative and didn’t have a problem remembering them. It could be useful though, if you’re apt to forget who’s who and need to do a check.

That’s a small quibble though, and doesn’t detract from the story or take the shine off the five stars I’m awarding. Third book to be on my Kindle soon.

[R.A. Forde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second Alex Dunlevy book that I have read, again featuring Nick Fisher, an expatriate UK Detective now living in Crete. One of the things that Dunlevy does well is to convey the sense of place that a story needs if it is in a setting that most of us may not know. Another is to give his characters a history – a back story, if you will. The reader needs to feel that the characters have lives of their own, and are not simply being manipulated by the author to create a plot. Thus there is a continuing story regarding the relationship between Fisher and his son, and another concerning his relations with the local police, as well as an intriguing historical perspective. All add depth to the story, as does Nick Fisher's rather barren love life! In fact, all of the main characters are properly filled out, and there is none of the sharp division between evil perpetrators and knights in shining blue police armour that one gets sometimes, even with experienced writers. The characters do what they do because of conflicting motives and family allegiances; they have their own sense of right and wrong, even if that doesn't always conform to the law. Having dealt with real-life criminals for many years, this strikes me as a realistic reflection of the complexities of human life. I shall look out with interest for the third in the series.

[Paul E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Past and Present Intertwined

This is a very readable story on its own part, which many will enjoy. Even more the story unravels how the events of the past both live on buried within us through years and generations. And, for the listening ear, there comes the terrible truth of living devastating hatred (having nothing to do with present reality) lives within us and darkens the corners of our todays with resentments and regrets turned to prejudice and hatred we cannot shake off of ourselves!

[Clve Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really gripping writing with a great plot and excellent description of the locations and characters, which brings it to life. Almost immediately the reader is drawn into the plot; a real page turner.

The list of all the characters at the front of the book is inspirational, so if one needs to put the book down for day or two, or if like me havea tenancy to forget the odd character, Then a qick flip back to the list is so. coonvenient.
This is a thumping good read.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beneath The Stone is an engaging read

The story takes place in Crete. That is very special as I spent a short time on the Island and loved it. Interpersonal relationships were skillfully woven into the storyline. Had I been able, I would have read the book without stopping. I was totally engaged and finished the book overnight. I can sleep when dead. For now, I will continue reading Mr. Dunlevy's novels.

[Patricia G Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crete and Crime

Both books one and two were excellent stories. Editing was great with little to no errors. Makes for a good read. The story line kept me captivated both times. Really enjoyed reading about a place to which I have never been. Looking forward to more Nick Fisher mysteries.

[Cynthia A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greek families help each other

This book is interesting because the author kept going back and forth to the past to the present bringing the whole story together. A torso is found by some divers. It was murder and the investigation begins. You read and suddenly you realize you have read this book in one setting. Keeps your attention.

[Pete Ffrench · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad turn of events and a big cover up but Nick and Nani are on the case and they eventually turn up the actual killer. Greece seems to have held onto it's prejudice from the war so they are up against a solid wall of resistance but they persevere and the end result is a bit of a surprise, all tied in to the past.

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are proud to announce that BENEATH THE STONE by Alex Dunlevy has been honored with the B.R.A.G.Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.

[Ava Philippus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, solid original work

This is not a hastily written story, thrown together as one in a series. It is thoughtful, in depth, with attention to details. It somehow didn’t flow as well as it could have, hence four stars instead of five.

[GW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beneath the Stone -

This one didn’t do much for me. The book seemed much longer than necessary and was kind of convoluted. It bounced all over the place and had moments where it was exciting and moments where it was extremely boring.

[Annette Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow!

This is a very vivid tale, told so well, an amazing piece of writing, I feel like I’ve lived on this Greek island, I read this over several days as there is a lot to absorb and put into context. A very riveting story.

[David Tietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Page Turner!

What a tangled Web! Like a spider’s web this novel takes you from one lie to the next. A great mystery of who did what?! With a very small amount of romance and bringing the past to the present. The end was a surprise! Great read!

[Dona L. Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

Excellent book,, way better than the first one. The writing was very skilled and well paced and kept me guessing til the end

[Susan Mcenroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced “who summit” with many twists and turns, and an unexpected conclusion.
Enjoyable reading.

[Robert Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting.

A murder mystery with a twist near the end. Started suspecting part of the outcome about 5-6 chapters before it was revealed, but the finale added a little more.

[Judy Scaife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

The storyline took a little bit to get going but once it did it had several twists and turns till the end. Recommended