First Stone

The Stepping Stone #1

by Gary Ballard

First Stone is the first novel of Season 1 in The Stepping Stone Cycle series. Forensic psychologist Dr. Jack Carter wakes from a semi-catatonic state in a mental hospital, with no memory of the previous year. His wife Sarah has disappeared and as the last human being to see her alive, Jack is the prime suspect in her disappearance. Without a body and with no physical evidence to prove foul play, the lead investigator and Jack's friend, Bill West, must continue to search for the truth even if it means fingering Jack for the crime. When a serial killer in West Virginia's coal country claims to have killed Sarah Carter, Bill and Jack rush to the crime scene. What they find is a deeply disturbed man with no memory of his crimes or of taking credit for Sarah's death. As Jack tries to decipher the mysterious series of runic symbols the killer carved into his slaughter house, he unlocks a deeper cosmic mystery that goes beyond anything he could imagine.

ebook

First published December 1, 2013

About the author

I began writing things down at the age of eleven, and I haven't stopped since. I have written far too many things that have gone unpublished, from very terrible horror novels in my teens, to comics during my time at Belhaven College until finally settling on cyberpunk science fiction after graduation. I have released three novels in a cyberpunk series called The Bridge Chronicles. The Bridge Chronicles in turn is one slice of cohesive universe that began as a pen-and-paper roleplaying game.

I currently live with my beautiful wife and three very insane dogs in Mississippi, where I continue to write my novels.

Reviews

[Dave Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ballard fuses the viscerality of serial killer investigation with the mentality of Lovecraftian cosmology to create a gestalt that captures the shattering of mind and body without becoming tedious rubbery spatterpunk or abstract statements of indescribability.

Forensic psychologist Jack Carter awakens in a mental hospital suffering from amnesia and prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. Well enough not to be a danger to himself and not provably a murderer, he is released to put what he can of his life back together. So, when one of Jack’s contacts tells him an alleged serial serial killer claims to have knowledge of Jack’s wife, Jack leaps at the chance to interview him. Unfortunately, the killer denies ever having mentioned Jack’s wife or having killed anyone—and his behaviour doesn’t fit any serial killer Jack’s studied.

While other authors have mixed cosmic horror and police procedurals, Ballard’s use of a lead character with amnesia provides a freshness to the battle between human reason and the incomprehensible cosmos: Jack’s emotional drive to fit the pieces together without having a firm footing of memory allow everything to take on a resonance of vast significance, increasing that sense of a greater truth beneath what is seen which pervades cosmic horror while also weakening the division between the mundane and the mystical that can make revelation of the actual cosmic feel either too early or too late depending on a reader’s perspective.

This effect is further strengthened by Ballard’s choice to have the psychological evidence be odd while the physical evidence seems clear. Although criminal psychology is in reality reliable and physical evidence can be very unreliable, most readers will instinctively consider fingerprints, receipts, and such as proof, and thus feel Jack’s doubts about the accused’s mindset is evidence the accused is involved in something odd rather than a mundane killer.

Where this novella is, unfortunately, less immersive is in the opening paragraphs. While they are from the perspective of a person coming out of a catatonic state, so objectively should not be natural prose, there are some conflicts of tense and extended sentences that create an impression the book is less accessible than it really is.

This novella is the first in a series. As such, Ballard does leave much of the broader cosmicism and plot unresolved. However, the investigation of the alleged serial killer is brought to a proper conclusion, providing a satisfying ending that offers a entry point into larger matters rather than leaving the reader mid-plot.

Jack is a sympathetic protagonist. While he is both traumatised by his wife’s disappearance and self-aware enough to accept he might have been involved, he uses this as a goad to investigate harder rather than withdraw inward; thus, although the dynamic tension between his profession and his desires creates obstacles, his issues are caused by him being active or sensible rather than passive.

The supporting cast are similarly nuanced, creating a world where truth is realistically obfuscated by a mix of prejudices and attempts at helpfulness.

Overall, I enjoyed this novella greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking cosmic horror that is driven more by the fallibility of the human mind than ancient cultists or subterranean creatures.

I received a free copy of this novella via a group offering books in exchange for fair reviews.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book for an honest review.

I honestly enjoyed this book. A lot of times, novellas leave too much unwritten. Or try to do too much in a shorter length. But, this book managed to tell a complete story--while still leaving room for continuations. The characters are developed and interesting, especially Bill, the FBI agent. The small town, country characters aren't a source of comedic relief. As someone from the south, I hate "hillbilly" characters. In First Stone, the characters are colorful, but genuine.

I honest expect to read the rest of this series. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick, eerie, entertaining read.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Stone is the first novella in Gary Ballard's Stepping Stone Cycle, a "modern interpretation of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos." Naturally, I'm curious about all things Lovecraft, including new tales by authors playing in the Master's non-Euclidean sandbox. Of course, should anyone defile that sandbox, I would feel compelled to warn everyone to stay away. Fortunately, that isn't the case here.

The novella opens with Carter waking from his semi-catatonic state. As a nice touch, Ballard has Carter re-discovering his senses and the world around him. He questions the words we attach to objects, the length of time, and his own body. There are elements of knowledge still functioning within his brain, but we don't know if these are all a priori nuggets or the undisturbed bedrock of memory. Either way, slipping back into one's body isn't as simple as getting back on a bike after years away.

A good chunk of Lovecraft's work involved the protagonist setting off on an investigation to uncover the truth to a bizarre circumstance. In this regard, Ballard follows a similar path. His protagonist is a forensic psychologist, a solid choice for going out to crime scenes and dealing with those whose minds may have been damaged by things that dwell in the dark.

Ballard invests a good deal of time developing his characters, and it pays off. You really get to know Carter and root for him to find the answers to Sarah's disappearance. His friendship with Bill plays easy. And Ballard develops the small town West Virginia characters, too. It would've been easy to let them be two-dimensional stereotypes, but Ballard invests in their backgrounds to make their personal stories real.

While Ballard is playing in Lovecraft's sandbox, he doesn't play with his toys in quite the same way. Ballard sticks with his own writing style. Yes, he teases you with a survivor's testimony, has you listen to some preaching about the unfathomable darkness, and flaunts mysterious objects. The obligatory fhtagn and R'lyeh utterances are thrown in, too, but the story flows like a crime drama rather than cosmic horror. It's an interesting twist on presenting Cthulhu Mythos fiction and might serve as a bridge for psychological thriller fans to get a glimpse of the Old Ones.

Like quest fantasies and space opera epics, this isn't a tale that will be wrapped up right away. Patience is the key here. Ballard explains that he's writing the novellas like episodes in a TV series. Short-term mysteries are solved in each novella and clues to the overarching plot (What happened to Sarah Carter?) will be provided as the mystery deepens, but to get it all you'll have to read all of season one (Episode Two was recently released).

All in all, it's an entertaining and quick read. I'm left wondering just how far Ballard intends to go with this series and if he'll deliver the goods at the end of the season. I got the feeling that he was holding back, not wanting to give too much away so soon. But like many a good writer, he dangles the line out far enough to hook you in.

This review initially appeared at the New Podler Review of Books. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Roberto Mattos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting story, very well written and entertaining, that will keep you hooked until you turn the last page and it will leave you with the feeling of wanting more.
I particularly like to read books with full stories (beginning, middle and end) in one volume. If the characters return in a future volume, that is OK. But apparently it is a trend now to write stories that are either trilogies or part of a series with unknown number of parts.
But this particular book has a plot that is captivating, with characters very well developed and the plot develops with just the right pace, exploring all the psychological conflicts of dual or multiple personality minds.
Our main character, Dr. Jack Carter, is suspect of having killed his wife Sarah, but he has no recollection of anything that happened in the previous year of his life. He just woke up on a hospital after being in semi-catatonic state for one year with this gap in his memory. Allowed to return to his work as forensic psychologist, he goes with his best friend Bill West to investigate a serial killer (George) that claims he killed Sarah. What he found when interviewing George is something that disturbed him a lot, because the killer also has no recollection of having killed anyone and he shows some symptoms of multiple-personalities. George left some symbols carved in the house where he killed the women and Dr. Jack is trying to figure out the meaning of the symbols, that are the same that appear in a stone left at the scene. This first novel of this series has an interesting ending and I just hope it will not take long for the second novel to be written. Kudos to Mr. Ballard for a well executed introduction to this Stepping Stone Cycle series.
I recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader who appreciate a well written mystery novel.

I received a copy from the author for reviewing and I was not requested to write a positive review. Opinion expressed here is my own.

[Mihir · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting murder mystery novella that is described as "episode 1 of a 6-episode Season 1" by the author. The reader is introduced a mystery wherein the protagonist Dr. Jack Carter came back from a fugue state with his wife missing. He's a suspect in her disappearance but there's no body to be found or any foul play discovered. He and his friend agent Bill West get pulled into a crime scene with loads of dead bodies and one hillbilly person who may or may not be insane.

Faced with a chance to discover what happened to Sarah, Jack tries to understand what truly happened in the Virginia back country and that's where he discovers that perhaps there is more to the cosmos than stars, planets and black holes.

More to come in full FBC review...

[Karen Siddall · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a particularly brutal case, forensic psychologist, Dr. Jack Carter, takes a much needed vacation with his wife, Sarah, up the east coast into Maine. A month later, Jack is found, catatonic, standing on the side of the road and there is sign of Sarah. Sometime later, he regains consciousness in the Meridian Mental Health Institute in Meridian, Connecticut, with no memory of what had happened nor where Sarah is. The police believe he’s killed her and is faking amnesia, but there’s no evidence to confirm she’s even dead. He spends the next year and a half there recuperating and in treatment, and when he’s finally cleared for release, he returns to his and Sarah’s home to try and pick up where his life left off and to search for his missing wife.

A former work connection in the FBI, Special Agent Bill West, has been assigned Sarah’s case however, it has come to a standstill for lack of any additional leads. But when a new case which has a possible connection to her disappearance comes to his attention, he contacts Jack to join him in the investigation. The mutilated corpses of a number of women have been found in an old shack up in the mountains of West Virginia and the guy all the evidence points to claims he also killed Sarah and wants to talk to Jack. But when Bill and Jack travel to meet the killer, he changes his story. He claims he is innocent of the murders and has never heard of Sarah or Jack. As Bill follows up on any leads he can from the crime scene, Jack begins interviews with the accused to determine his fitness to stand trial, and things get more bizarre as every day goes by.

What a great start to the mysterious Stepping Stone Cycle series by Gary Ballard. The story held my attention from start to finish and now I have to read more! Jack is a likeable but tragic figure and his FBI pal, Bill West, is as comfortable as a real friend. The story is not a straight up mystery either. There are spooky, paranormal, horror goings-on as well. I recommend this story to mystery readers looking for something out of the traditional “serial killer” genre that don’t mind paranormal/horror aspects. Good story!

[Emmy · Rating 2 out of 5]

•audiobook• ALMOST a 3 star book. Just. Not. Quite.

You know that moment when you have read/listened to a book and you think 🤔 ... it wasn’t good; it wasn’t really, too-too bad ... so a 3 star rating for average is generous and a 2 star is probably low, so you teeter totter or flip a coin... Then you check the rating and realize a 2-3 star would drop its status and 😦 you don’t wanna be •that• person?

So anyway -
I liked the idea. I liked the intent of spanning the mystery over several books, but I didn’t feel like there was any resolution at all.
The explanations at the beginning felt boring ... I mean, the part about he nor his car was on any video cams on the highways - did the notion of him stealing a car or hitch hiking - or taking a bus - not enter anyone’s minds? So, seriously, more caused it feel less believable.

The interrogations, again, felt unreal. All of them. Interviewing the woman .... ok, how do you know SHE doesn’t like it rough or instigated it? And idk. I really don’t think those questions were real “did his voice change when he said that?” And her recount of the events turned into a Third person view instead of “in her own words” totally dulled the momentum of the story.

Why was Jack able to interrogate a prisoner, alone? And no one administers CPR .... no one seriously questions Jack ....

The writing felt juvenile ... I expected more from a 6-episode series.
In the end, Sarah can stay wherever she is. I’m not following any trails to look for her.

[Taya Fosmire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too sure about this one. I was very confused while reading it. Despite how short it is, it took me quite a while to get through due to my feelings towards it. A lot of the time I found myself asking me what was going on. I felt like it jumped too much and too often. It was very difficult to follow the storyline. It also took too long to get to the point rather often.

[Ashley Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The First Stone
By Gary Ballard
“That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.”
― H.P Lovecraft
Set in the writing style of HP Lovecraft, The First Stone is a novella about Jack Carter’s break with reality. Jack is a forensic psychologist who awakens from a coma only to find that his wife, Sarah, is missing and presumed dead. According to those who found him, there is every possibility that he is the one who committed this heinous crime.
Fortunately, as soon as Jack is released, his old friend, Bill, informs him that a man, George Baxter, has confessed to the crime, to the murder of his wife and several other women.
Faced with a trail of bodies and a drunkard who doesn’t even remember his own confession, Jack Carter has to get inside George’s head in order to unearth the truth behind these gruesome killings. Will what he finds drive Jack over the edge? Can Jack handle the darkness surrounding this case? He must stare into the abyss… and the abyss stares right back.
The First Stone is Gary Ballard’s interesting take on an HP Lovecraft murder mystery. What’s neat about this book is that it’s broken up into episodes, like the episodes of show. The First Stone: Episode 1, Season 1.
Most of this story reads like a classic murder mystery, with clever dialogue and dark overtones. Jack, Bill, George, and the rest of the cast reminded me of the characters from a Stephen King movie or book. They had quirks, personality, and the true grit you’d expect from this sort of tale.
I found most of the book rather misleading. When I heard the mention of Cthulhu, I nearly jumped out of my seat with excitement and anticipation. But when I dove into the first stone, it took a very long time to get into anything even remotely Lovecraftean. If I were looking for a straight up who-done-it that would be one thing; however, I was really setting myself up for something out-of-this-world. In the end, the book did deliver. After I closed the final page, I had forgotten the wait and I found myself wanting more.
The artifact found in the depths of this novella’s mountain crime scene, The Stepping Stone, was a cool twist. Although I have no idea what it may be, the crap really hit the fan once this smooth stone surfaced. It alluded to something greater than all of us, and it gave that agoraphobic feel that I had been yearning for since page one.
Learning that this book was set up like a TV series, and that there were many more installments on the horizon made me forgive a lot, but as a stand-alone book The First Stone didn’t live up to the hype. If you are a fan of mysteries I would definitely check out this title. It is clever and unpredictable with a beautiful and unique writing style. I am dying to read the next installment in the Stepping Stone Cycle. The story was starting to get really freaky. Great job, Gary.
“I-I-I ‘m not your stepping stone.”
J.B. Maynard

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author explains, First Stone is the first episode in Season 1 of a serial-like collection of stories titled The Stepping Stone Cycle starring Jack Carter, forensic psychologist. The opening scene depicts a man rousing from a coma-like state, opening his eyes to discover himself in the mental hospital, where he has been for months. This is Jack, and he is told that he was missing for close to a month before being found, and that his wife is still missing. The authorities want to know if he killed his wife. He remembers absolutely nothing.

This is the overreaching thread that will bind the episodes together, the master conflict that will define Jack's perspective of the world and create a cloud of doubt about him and his motives, no matter what he tries to tell anyone else.

First Stone in particular leads down some incredibly dark paths, taking the reader on a deep and emotional investigation of a serial killer in West Virgina. All of the evidence indicates the killer, but the man accused is an alcoholic, dead-beat, unemployed hick living in a trailer on the mountainside - hardly a suitable profile - and he doesn't remember a thing about murdering anyone.

This story quickly draws the reader into the plight of the characters, main and supporting, and builds a new reality worthy of being put on screen. There is a careful balance of story and action, shock and confusion to keep the reader interested and challenged. The clues come in many forms and details and point to intriguing possibilities. Who or what is affecting Jack? When will he learn the truth and what is he going to find?

5 Stars - Worthy. Well-written, captivating, intriguing.

[Sarah Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Jack Carter wakes up from a semi catatonic state to discover his whole world is upside down.
His wife is missing and he doesnt know where she is.
Even worse, he doesnt know if he can trust himself. Is she dead? Did he kill her?
Now he is on a quest for answers, and a great place to start is with a serial killer who says he killed Jacks wife. But things arent adding up, and Jack better figure out what is really going on before he goes to prison for the crime himself.
I give this book 5 stars. Its a suspensful and well written story that I enjoyed so much that I read straight through. I look forward to the next chapter in the series!

[Harry H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story , can't wait to read the next.