A soul-stirring novel about the bonds between mother and child and the redemption that comes with facing the past and letting it go.
Thirty-two-year-old Jess Abbot has lost everything: her job, her apartment, and—most heart-wrenching—her eight-year-old son, Chance, to a tragic accident. Haunted by memories and grief, Jess packs what’s left and heads for the small mountain town of Pine Lake, … of Pine Lake, where she takes a position as caregiver to an eccentric old woman.
A rumored clairvoyant, Lucy is strange but welcoming and immediately intuits Jess as a “loose end” in need of closure. But Jess isn’t the only guest in Lucy’s large Victorian home. There’s also Star, a teenage runaway with a secret too painful to share. And the little boy with heart-shaped stones, who comes with a hope for reconciliation—and a warning.
Soon Jess learns that she’s not the only lost soul running from the ghosts of the past. She and Star have been brought together for a reason: to be saved by the very thing that destroyed them.
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I enjoyed all the characters in this book. Lucy was my favorite. I loved that she was always fussing over the “loose ends.” The story had just enough twists and turns. Very enjoyable read!
I wasn’t sure about this book when I started, but as the story unfolded, I found myself not wanting to put it down. The ‘paranormal’ part of the story was done very well and intriguing. I loved all the characters in the story and was rooting for them all to find their ‘loose ends’. If I had titled this book, that would have been my choice. 🙂
I see there is another book by this author that I’m putting on my wish list right now. Thank you for this unique story. Looking forward to the next adventure.
I found this to be a very unique story unlike anything I typically read. I especially enjoyed the eccentric “witch”, Lucy, who is determined to finish her crossword puzzles and tie up the loose ends. As the book progressed I was impressed at how the author brought the characters together (especially Jess and Star). I thought the author also did a great job with Star’s character – I really had a sense of how she felt as well as a vivid picture of her life on the streets. I enjoyed this book so much that when I saw it listed as an Amazon First Read I recommended it to my mother.
Jess Abbott has nothing left in her life, so she packs her few belongings into her beat up car and heads for somewhere else, any big town. When she runs out of gas in the small mountain town of Pine Lake, she wanders into the market, and ends up with a job as a caregiver to the elderly owner. Lucy sees loose ends and was expecting Jess, but she isn’t the only one. When teen runaway, Star comes into the picture, unexpected connections are made and the loose ends start to tangle.
I have always loved books with a touch of magical realism, and this one falls into this category. The characters are interesting, and both Jess and Star could use a break and some happiness, and it’s interesting to watch the ends get tugged and see how Lucy’s “gift” affects not only those around her, but Lucy herself.
This debut kept me reading and brought me to tears more than once. This one will wrench your heart but leave you with a glow of contentment.
#melissapayne #thesecretsofloststones #lakeunionpublishing
If Alice Hoffman had written The Shack, it would’ve turned out like The Secret of Lost Stones… an otherworldly, beautiful tale in which people who are grieving and lonely get the chance to find their way home. But will they take it?
/ 5 rounded up.
The Secrets of Lost Stones by Melissa Payne is such a jarring and emotional book, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it.
What it’s about: Jess is only 32 but she has lost everything: her job, her home, and most importantly, her son. She packs up the few things she owns and heads from Denver into the mountains where her car dies in the small town of Pine Lake. She takes a job as a caregiver for a woman named Lucy, who may be old but is said to be the ‘Witch of Pine Lake’. She has premonitions and constantly talks to Jess about her ‘loose ends’ that need to be tied up. Enter Star, a young runaway off the streets of Denver that has been invited to stay in Lucy’s home, much to Jess’ worry that someone is missing her. But Jess and Star have a connection, and it might be the thing that can heal them both.
I think it is going to be hard for me to put into words quite just how I felt about The Secrets of Lost Stones. It is such an emotional book, and even though I eventually figured out what was going on before it was revealed, that didn’t make a bit of difference to change how I felt about the book as a whole. It was a page-turner, and I was so engaged that I had a hard time putting it down. I would try to read another book but kept coming back to it because I just had to know how it would end.
I loved so many characters in this book. Lucy, Star and Jess were all wonderful, and so was Lucy’s friend Phoebe plus other supporting characters. Bad things happen and it is heartbreaking, but there were also moments that made me smile and laugh out loud. I think Payne managed to create the perfect blend of sadness and happiness in The Secrets of Lost Stones. The viewpoints switch between Lucy and Star, and while I would have been interested in a bit of Lucy’s POV, I still loved the way these two viewpoints came together in the book.
There is a hint of the supernatural in The Secrets of Lost Stones, so for those of you that don’t like that in a book this might not be the right read. For me though, it was chilling but wonderful, and actually gave me goosebumps more than once. I am really interested in Lucy as a character and would love to see her come back in another novel as maybe a prequel?! She was such an interesting person, and her ‘gift’ is something I would love explored in another book.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Beware of Darkness as covered by Sheryl Crow.
Final Thought: The Secrets of Lost Stones is a definite tear-jerker so if you find yourself crying during books like me, you should probably keep some tissues handy! Payne’s writing is simply gorgeous, and I really couldn’t tell this was a debut novel. This book will keep you up late wanting closure, and I cannot wait to see what comes out of this woman’s mind next! Plus, with a gorgeous cover this is definitely a book you want on your shelf. 😉
Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with advance review copies of this book, all opinions are my own.
Was on the edge of my chair until the last page. Great story.
Loose Threads Come Together Quickly. And Explosively. The front half of this book is very much setup for the back half, but it is intriguing in a very mysterious way in its own right. But then at around the halfway point, Payne inserts a “Holy Hell!!!” moment that explosively changes everything and sets in motion the back half of the book – with some explosive revelations of its own, up to almost literally the last page of the tale. Truly excellent book, and I’ll very much be looking for future books from this new author. Very much recommended.
I really enjoyed this book. I’ve never read a book like this and when I think about the storyline it’s life. We all have loose ends. The author did an amazing job with the characters. Of course Lucy was my favorite. Her and her cross word puzzles. I want to read more from this author!!
This is the best book I have read in a long time. I loved the characters and the portrayal of street children was spot on. It also gave insight into the heartbreak of losing a child and the guilt that can consume you. The icing on the cake was the mystical aura surrounding the story.
“It takes time for all the loose ends to be in one place, but once they are, things tend to move very quickly.”
Lucy is known as the “witch of Pine Lake”. Her mission, is to tie up “loose ends”.
In reality, she is an elderly woman who deeply cares about people and has a sixth sense. Right?
I absolutely loved this wonderful, eccentric person! I thought her clues were spot on and made me think while reading each page.
Lucy knows both the past and present pain of Jess and Star and why they need closure, love and forgiveness in their lives. The solution is to tie up the threads and make the connection.
A little boy will definitely be able to help them see the truth and assist with some “heart” of his own..
This is a magical novel that has so many life lessons to learn or relearn.
It made me feel happy, sad, angry and annoyed.
Well done!
A beautiful debut novel!
Beautifully written, heartbreaking and beyond touching The Secrets of Lost Stones was one of the most curious books I have ever read. A serious page turner from the very start, you will feel for the characters as well as their “loose ends”. Lucy, The Witch of Pine Lake made this book so good for me because you are constantly asking yourself why? how? or WHAT?? For a first novel Melissa Payne absolutely killed it!!
This book painted amazing word pictures. I could feel each character’s pain, confusion, loss, as they journeyed toward whatever they needed to heal. There were times, however, when I was a little lost in the story – not sure where it was going or what I was supposed to learn. In the end, the author tied up the loose ends to create a satisfying ending.
I started reading The Secrets of Lost Stones then got derailed by life and another book. But the new book quickly lost my interest and I went back to Secrets. I’d only read a few chapters and barely remembered the story, but I’m so glad I picked it up again. I’m impressed with this debut novel. Melissa Payne has created three hugely different female protagonists, all connected by painful memories of the past. Jess lost a child, Star IS a child, and Lucy is an aging mother figure who weaves a web of eccentricity and kindness that gathers them all together. As the story progresses we get to peer inside Jess and Star, to see their circumstances, feel their emotions, and understand their pain in a way that is fresh and real and beautifully done. And, as an added bonus, Lucy works crossword puzzles – one of my great loves – and the story is sprinkled with odd clues that I so wanted to solve but never did because I didn’t want to take the time. I wanted to get on with the story. Thank you, Melissa, for a wonderful story. It touched my heart and I’m sure it will touch yours.
The Secrets of Lost Stones was a mesmerizing novel! I enjoyed how the characters were portrayed and how the story was told. One day when she’s fleeing her life to start over somewhere new, Jess stumbles upon an older woman named Lucy. She accepts Lucy’s offer to stay with her and be her caretaker. But what she doesn’t know yet is that she will meet other people through Lucy that will make her face her past and face her future. Perhaps it wasn’t an accident that she met Lucy. Lucy is an interesting older woman who either is beginning to get dementia or who can see things that other people can’t. She is mysterious, sometimes funny and sometimes seemingly indifferent, but all the time she is determined to take care of all of “the loose ends.”
This is a wonderful piece of fiction in the realm of Carol Goodman and Alice Hoffman. Realistic and yet the pieces float and and sprinkle in magic realism. A look at people you pass on the street, never having any idea of their day to day struggles.
Meet Jess, a single mom of her son Chance and barely eking out a living when tragedy strikes. Then there is Star, a young teen with no family, trying her to survive living on the streets. Lucy and her best friend Ebbie care for each other and understand what old age does to the body and mind. You’ll meet Jeremy, a young teen grappling with his identity and his large family. And then there is Ben, a cop and living close to Lucy and keeping an eye on her and her friends.
Lucy loves crossword puzzles, saves old newspaper stories, and is fond of talking about tying up “loose ends”.
You’ll feel the weight of the sadness, grief, and fear that several of these people carry around their bodies like an old overcoat. And then the sun shines, a joke is remembered, stories are shared and you feel the breeze and the lightness of just being alive. And moments of serendipity and misunderstandings lead to questions and some answers of who is really living and who is perhaps just a shadow from the past.
The best families are made up of people that chose to be together through it all and come out the other side. Jess is damaged and her savior is Lucy and Lucy tries her best to bring in Star and together try and find the loose ends and tie them up. And those loose ends pack a wallop and take your breath away…..but as sad as part of this book is, the whimsy and the hopefulness keep you reading into the night as you become the optimist and hope the truths that come out ties everyone together rather than to unravel and destroy them.
All the characters are drawn quickly, lightly and as you see into their lives, you color their beings and make them your friends…. quirks and all. The author does a beautiful job of slowly letting you into the town, the house, the people and you become part of the book as you root for some, become irritated by others and fearful for the truths at the end.
This is an inspirstional book with realities of the poor, the homeless and the almost forgotten. Lucy has a gift and she tries to use her gift to tie up the loose ends of other people’s lives.
5 plus many more stars….this is a book to read slowly, to think about, and to savor as a wonderful piece of fiction.
This was one of the best books I have read so far! I hope to be able to get more from this author!
I really enjoyed listening to this on Audible. Great characters; Lucy the elderly lady was my favorite. A story of loss and healing and the making of a family, not by blood, but by circumstance and acceptance. Lovely book.
I’ve never read anything quite like this before. It reminded me of early Dean Koontz books mixed with a bit of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel .
I was engrossed as soon as I’d started it and read into the early hours because I didn’t want to put it down.
The characters are wonderful and each has their own burden of guilt and grief. Jess has suffered a loss she’s never been able to deal with, Star blames herself for an accident that wasn’t her fault but she suffers real guilt over. Lucy is a strange old lady who takes both women under her wing. Who’s the strange little boy that appears and then disappears just as quickly. Creepy at times, gripping and totally heartfelt too. I loved this book and i would definitely read more by this author
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