When a renegade archaeologist discovers an ancient Egyptian artifact in Scotland, Dylan McBride’s world implodes. Imprisoned for murder, he summons his friend, the Wicca Priest, Estrada, to solve the crime and set him free. Unable to turn down Dylan’s cry for help, Estrada leaves Michael, his melancholy lover, in Canada where he gets targeted by a vicious vampire bent on revenge. Estrada faces … revenge.
Estrada faces his inner demons. After playing vampire for years, Michael Stryker confronts a real vampire in a life-changing showdown. And, sweet, virginal, Dylan McBride, faces his greatest fears in one of Scotland’s most terrifying prisons. Who will survive?
A fast-paced murder mystery spiked with edgy urban fantasy that opens portals into the realm of witches, faeries, and vampires.
“Hawkin’s tight, well-paced writing and knowledge of Celtic myths—Robert Graves, The White Goddess—combines with multi-layered characters, lush language, and plot twists and turns, to draw the reader in. A seamless interweaving of myth and reality that appeals to our intellect and desire for vicarious adventure.”—Blank Spaces
“Estrada scrutinized the tats, wondering how far the ink extended beneath the worn leather kilt, and just how painful it would be to have your genitals tattooed. He knew about ink—wore the black lacy wings of an angel on his back. Her feathers extended across his shoulders and down his glutes. That ink had broken more than his skin. ”
more
To Sleep with Stones by WL Hawkin as reviewed by Gail M. Murray To Sleep with Stones is an edgy, urban fantasy. For the uninitiated “urban fantasy is a hybrid genre that lives at the crossroads between fantasy, horror, hard-boiled thriller and romance….Every urban fantasy involves supernatural beings and/or beings with magical abilities yet it’s rooted in reality.” (A. J.Blakemont)
To Sleep with Stones, a virtual smorgasbord has something for everyone: an archaeological dig in Scotland, action, suspense, an intense anti-hero, and a murder mystery to solve. Hawkin’s first chapter explodes with the promise of perilous adventure. From the discovery of the priceless Egyptian artifact to the Wiccan solstice; she had me at “Aye”.
To Sleep with Stones is True Blood meets Outlander. Not surprisingly, Hawkin has not only read Diana Gabaldon but studied with the author on how to write sex scenes. It shows from the unbridled eroticism of the Wiccan solstice to flame haired Sorcha’s seduction of Dylan Mc Bride, “the sweet peach”, to the escapades of sensuous free spirit Estrada. This novel should come with a warning – rated 18A, contains scenes with graphic violence, coarse language and nudity; reader discretion is advised.
Set in Argyll along the south west coast of Scotland near Glasgow, it opens with a brilliant find, a jewelled broad collar, worn by the daughter of Queen Nefertiti. After site boss and head archeologist, Sorcha, discovers the gold broad collar she deems her ticket to fame, she takes her crew to an Oban pub to celebrate. On the upstairs pub patio, the feisty beauty seduces young archaeology student Dylan Mc Bride. He is later accosted by Glasgow journalist, Alastair Steele, who had caught them in the act on his cell.
Later that night of summer solstice, Dylan goes out to commune with the standing stones.
…..he leaned back against the cool three-thousand-year old rock…… For thousands of years, humans had worshipped, as he did now, on this sacred landscape……When Dylan McBride leaned his palm against a stone it revealed its secrets. Sometimes he heard voices, sometimes he saw visions. (p.15)
Dylan can sense memories of people who worshipped there and he sees Egyptian princess, Meritaten, in her gold broad collar. Next he is arrested, cuffed and dragged from the field at Ballymeanoch; jailed for the murder of Alastair Steele. His grandfather contacts Estrada.
Hawkin has introduced Sandolino Estrada in To Charm a Killer. Estrada – performer, magician, and high priest of Hollystone coven flies to Scotland in aid of his friend, Dylan. In leathers astride his Harley we witness the black avenging angel. The image of the angel wings tattooed across his back serves as a brilliant metaphor.
In evocative mystical scenes, our high priest becomes the horned god – Cernunnos (fertility god/adorned in antlers – spirit of the hunt) and the Celtic Oak King engaged in the life and death struggle. In the Taynish woods on a quest for an oak branch he reconnects with Primrose his faerie love and we glimpse his tenderness.
Sorcerer. The voice was faint at first, evanescent, a lilting on the breeze, and he thought he’d imagined it .Sorcerer. He heard it again: higher, louder, clearer, the tone teasing and he whirled around, searching for her. There was only one woman who called him by that name, whose cadences were flecked with old Irish. (p. 96)
Though the second book in the series; this novel stands alone. Hawkin has flawlessly woven in essential background and characters from her first novel as well as introducing new ones: a female detective (Rachel Steele), a half fey Druid dwarf, who deals in antiquities (Magus Dubh), and a rough Viking (Kai Roskilde) – a rival for Dylan and possible suspect or red herring?. Though her characters are fictional, her settings are authentic: Argyll, Kilmartin Glen (rife with cairns and stone circles), Ballymeanoch (megaliths), and Her Majesty’s prison Greenock.
Hawkin’s tight and well-paced writing, knowledge of Celtic myths (Robert Graves – The White Goddess) combined with multi-layered characters, lush language and plot twists and turns, draw the reader in. No spoiler alert – the ending is surprising and satisfying. In fact, the hallmark of this novel is the author’s seamless interweaving of myth and reality. She appeals to our intellect and our desire for vicarious adventure.
Visit WL Hawkins webpage and blog at bluehavenpress.com