What do you think?
Rate this book
The First Stone
‘A MENACING, FAST-PACED THRILLER' The Big Issue
'WONDERFUL' The Times
When Felix Strange is summoned to a Manhattan hotel room to investigate the murder of America’s best-loved preacher, his first instinct is to refuse the case.
This PI already saw too many dead bodies in the war that left him with a nameless and incurable disease that is crippling him.
But in the new United States, where religious extremists run the government and the population is being prepared for the Second Coming, he cannot just walk away.
What begins as a routine investigation soon becomes something far darker and Strange is forced to make a deadly fight for justice – or defend his own life?
Fans of Philip K. Dick, Neil Gaiman, Black Mirror, The Handmaid’s Tale and Emily St. John Mandel will love The First Stone, the first book in Elliott Hall’s hit Felix Strange Trilogy, a totally gripping series of hard-boiled dystopian crime thrillers.
‘The First Stone is a knockout début with the confidence to establish its world gradually... Strange’s sardonic wit makes him the perfect guide to his troublingly familiar landscape’ Guardian
‘Ingenious and witty - chills the blood’ Daily Telegraph
‘An outstanding first novel by a new author we should hear more of’ Independent
‘An ingenious twist... The first in a trilogy, Hall’s novel combines pacy storytelling with a disturbing dystopian vision’ Mail on Sunday
‘Intriguing... Strange is a very sympathetic hero, who does what private eyes do best by stirring the hornets’ nest (and these are some pretty whacky hornets) and a fabulous sense of pace is engendered from page one. This is a very impressive first thriller indeed. More are promised; or if they're not, should be’ Shots
‘The prose style is smooth and entertaining... Hall’s world-building remains excellent throughout, creating a truly unsettling future America’ SFX Magazine
‘A sharp and original début novel’ Tangled Web
‘A really good, traditional private eye story in its own right, coupled with a subtle and believable picture of a fundamentalist state’ Morning Star
‘A menacing portrait of an all too plausible future’ The Big Issue
'WONDERFUL' The Times
When Felix Strange is summoned to a Manhattan hotel room to investigate the murder of America’s best-loved preacher, his first instinct is to refuse the case.
This PI already saw too many dead bodies in the war that left him with a nameless and incurable disease that is crippling him.
But in the new United States, where religious extremists run the government and the population is being prepared for the Second Coming, he cannot just walk away.
What begins as a routine investigation soon becomes something far darker and Strange is forced to make a deadly fight for justice – or defend his own life?
Fans of Philip K. Dick, Neil Gaiman, Black Mirror, The Handmaid’s Tale and Emily St. John Mandel will love The First Stone, the first book in Elliott Hall’s hit Felix Strange Trilogy, a totally gripping series of hard-boiled dystopian crime thrillers.
‘The First Stone is a knockout début with the confidence to establish its world gradually... Strange’s sardonic wit makes him the perfect guide to his troublingly familiar landscape’ Guardian
‘Ingenious and witty - chills the blood’ Daily Telegraph
‘An outstanding first novel by a new author we should hear more of’ Independent
‘An ingenious twist... The first in a trilogy, Hall’s novel combines pacy storytelling with a disturbing dystopian vision’ Mail on Sunday
‘Intriguing... Strange is a very sympathetic hero, who does what private eyes do best by stirring the hornets’ nest (and these are some pretty whacky hornets) and a fabulous sense of pace is engendered from page one. This is a very impressive first thriller indeed. More are promised; or if they're not, should be’ Shots
‘The prose style is smooth and entertaining... Hall’s world-building remains excellent throughout, creating a truly unsettling future America’ SFX Magazine
‘A sharp and original début novel’ Tangled Web
‘A really good, traditional private eye story in its own right, coupled with a subtle and believable picture of a fundamentalist state’ Morning Star
‘A menacing portrait of an all too plausible future’ The Big Issue
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2021
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.