House of Stone

by T.K. Thorne

Witches and warlocks abide in Birmingham, Alabama in three ancient Houses-Rose, Iron and Stone. They arrived over a century ago to draw their powers from the abundant ores beneath Red Mountain. Rose Brighton, a Birmingham police detective, is the last witch of House of Rose and possibly the most dangerous thing since the hydrogen bomb. A terrifying encounter with House of Iron has mentally crippled Becca, her best friend. While Becca struggles to find herself, Rose battles to control her own abilities and the supernatural attraction that pulls her to a mysterious, handsome warlock. When magic kicks in at the scene of her first homicide, she learns that her partner-the mentor and friend she depends on-is lying to her, and she is on her own. Unraveling the murder entwines Rose in a web of greed and profit involving a promising new medicine. Someone is willing to kill to keep a cheap drug from the market. Not only do countless lives depend on Rose's skills as a detective, the fate of a unique race of people facing extinction also rests on her shoulders . . . and some of them are determined to kill her.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 8, 2021

About the author

T.K. Thorne’s childhood passion for storytelling deepened when she became a police officer in Birmingham, Alabama. “It was a crash course in life and what motivated and mattered to people.” When she retired as a captain, she took on Birmingham’s business improvement district as the executive director. Both careers provide fodder for her writing, which has garnered several awards, including “Book of the Year for Historical Fiction” (ForeWord Reviews) for her debut novel NOAH'S WIFE. Her first non-fiction book, LAST CHANCE FOR JUSTICE was featured on the New York Post’s “Books You Should Be Reading” list. Her newest nonfiction is BEHIND THE MAGIC CURTAIN: Secrets, Spies, and Unsung White Allies of Birmingham's Civil Rights Days. A dally with murder and magic resulted in the Magic City Stories trilogy (HOUSE OF ROSE, HOUSE OF STONE, and HOUSE OF IRON). She loves traveling, especially to research her novels, and speaking about her books and life lessons. She writes at her mountaintop home, often with a dog or cat vying for her lap and sometimes a horse or two at the front door.

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Reviews

[Carolyn Breckinridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be prepared to get an intense physical workout when bonding with Rose, the main character in author T.K. Thorne’s second novel in her ‘House of Rose’ series. In her second book, ‘House of Stone,’ Rose has been moved to the violent crimes unit (Homicide) of the Birmingham police department where she partners with a man who holds as many personal secrets as she. Rose, who is both a policewoman and a witch, is a very busy person throughout this book. Constantly on the lookout for known and unknown people trying to kill her; struggling to save her best friend, Becca, from a fate almost worse than death; appealing to the courts to raise Daniel, a foster child; fighting for transparency and accuracy in UAB research results related to diabetes; and trying to save the life of a young cancer survivor, Rose hardly has time to sleep or eat. She has the support of her ‘dead’ aunt, Alice, and her police partner, Tracey, but there is so much she has yet to learn about her supernatural powers. And, there is a larger dilemma facing her, a decision she must make related to perpetuation of the House of Rose, the House of Stone, and the House of Iron. Even this is complicated by an intense magical connection sparking between herself and Jason, a member of the House of Iron, the ‘Family’ who wants her dead. T.K. Thorne builds tension masterfully in ‘House of Stone,’ and Rose is required on more than one occasion to fight skillfully for her life. The author has also given Rose the strength to grow personally on many levels in ‘House of Stone,’ and this was, for me, a delightful aspect of this novel. I’m anxious to read the third in this trilogy upon its publication, ‘House of Iron.’

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I waited 3 years to get my eyes on this book, #2 in the Magic City Mysteries, but it was worth the wait! Our self-deprecating heroine in the Birmingham Police Department (and a good witch on the side) has been moved to Homicide Division, and has more than one murder to contend with, in a race against time. The book starts a little slow, which is useful as Thorne smoothly reminds us of how the preceding novel ended up. It gradually picks up pace until it is racing to prevent the murder of an innocent. The plot more than thickens, but also twists and turns, as the author sets up in anticipation of the next book. I thoroughly enjoyed this, not just for the storyline and characters I've come to like, but because the writing is so clear and pristine. This is true of all her work - fiction and non-fiction. An author worth following.

[Cheryl Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re from the Birmingham area, you will especially love this!!

[Helen Wawrejko · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Very good thriller with lots of mystery, personal House magics, murder and mayhem. Rose is a cop with homicide, and is still learning about her magic.