I will admit that I immediately fell for Hatter Madigan (I’m a sucker for Carroll’s “Mad” Hatter and any incarnation of his character… this includes Tom Petty’s portrayal in the music video for “Don’t Come Around Here No More”), and for the love and affection shown between Princess Alyss and Dodge Anders, the son of the Captain of the Palace Guard, Sir Justice Anders.

The main plot of this book is the age old theme of star crossed lovers, which gets to everyone no matter who they might be. The story starts off with Isabella Swan telling the reader what has happened and reflecting upon her life as she is about to die at the hands of a predator. Flashback to the start of the Isabella’s trip to her father’s home in Forks, WA so that she can live with him during her last half-year (two semesters) of high school rather than move to Florida or somewhere else with her mom and her new minor baseball league boyfriend. She arrives in Forks to a new and free vehicle thanks to her dad, whom behind his back she calls Charlie.

To put it simply Bella (as she prefers to be called) hates Forks, she cries herself to sleep, misses her mom and more so the sun. ( I personally would love Forks, since I dislike the sun and I love the rain; I will be an on-site correspondent for Ms. Meyers about life in Forks )

On her first week of school she does it all, she becomes one of the most wanted people, she gets the attentions of two boys at minimum, and makes an impression on the cool kids most notably on Edward Cullen. The Cullens (Edward, Alice, Emmett) / Hales (Rosalie, Jasper) are all the adopted children of Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife, Esme. They are also the cool kids you used to see in your high school cafeteria who sit at the one table all by themselves completely enraptured in themselves. There is just one difference, they are beyond good looking, they are exotic, extremely beautiful and have a somewhat supernatural aura around them. Bella feels this from the first day she sees them and then when she has Biology class with her new lab partner, Edward who avoids her like the plague and gives her the glares of death.

The book continues as such, until Edward goes away for a week and then returns to Forks and begins to befriend Bella, and slowly get closer to her. As always though Edward is saving Bella from her doom, either by fate’s hands, a fishtailing vehicle or ultimately by Edward’s own hand. I would say more about the book, but that might involve serious spoilers for those who have yet to read the book. Overall the book is truly a young adult novel with the typical romance, and strong heroine and heroes, but still it is rather enjoyable and brings back emotions of young and innocent love that we have all experienced (or for some of the younger readers, emotions we have yet to experience).

After saving the woman’s life, he leaves her in the care of a local farmer and his wife and makes his way into town. There he is at the local hotel waiting for any correspondance from the search parties as they try to locate the boy. While in the town he tries to figure out who could have killed the family in cold blood, a husband (Gerald Elcott), wife (Grace), daughter(Hazel) and infant twins.

Rutledge, along with Hamish (the spirit/ghost of an officer he served with in WWI and who was killed by firing squad) work tirelessly to discover the location of the boy (dead or alive) and the identity of the murderer. It is later discovered that the boy’s father, Hugh Robinson is in the town on his way to visit his family with their Christmas presents as well the sister of Grace Elcott, Janet Ashton is none other than the woman Rutledge saved on the road!

After much research and digging the main suspects are: Paul Elcott, brother of Gerald; Janet Ashton, sister of Grace who knew and loved Gerald before Grace met him; Taylor, a man Gerald had testified against in the war; Josh Robinson, son to Grace and step-son to Gerald, possibly unhappy with his new life; Hugh Robinson, ex-husband to Grace and father to Josh and Hazel.

Meanwhile we find out that Josh Robinson is not dead, and was discovered by Maggie Ingerson in her sheep pen by her dog, Sybil. Josh lives with Maggie and helps her out with the farmwork that she is unable to do alone due to her bad leg.

I won’t spoil the ending as to who the real murderer is, but overall the book was well written and kept you wondering who the true murderer could possibly be.

Soon an ex-soldier, Richard Leighton comes knocking on Francesca’s door determined that her grandfather killed his mother, Victoria Leighton. Shocked at this accusation, Francesca immediately tells him to leave her house. At the funeral, many strangers show up asking for debts to be repaid and property to be returned. After this she starts to consider the possibility that perhaps her beloved grandfather kept many secrets from his family.

The story continues on with Francesca trying to discover the truth about Francis Hatton and his involvement with Victoria Leighton all the while Richard Leighton is not far behind her. Slowly the two make an agreement to combine forces to solve this mystery and they find each other draw to one another, but still disliking each other for the sake of family pride.

Leighton is injured by a deserter from the war shooting him in Francesca’s back yard near the infamous Murder Stone (named by Francesca’s cousin Simon). Leighton is forced (on doctor’s orders) to remain the care of the Hatton residence until he is well enough to move on. During this time someone attempts to sneak into Francesca’s house and Leighton is there to protect her. Finally Francesca discovers the awful and unspeakable truth about Victoria Leighton, Francis Hatton and consequently Richard Leighton.