The Sinful Stones Book

Sir Francis Francis is ninety-two and claiming that someone stole his valuable memoirs. Sir Francis was one of the individuals who worked on the atomic bomb for which he won the Nobel Prize. Interestingly enough, Sir Francis worked with Pibble’s father all those many years earlier. Superintendent James Pibble is asking himself if the memoirs really existed. Is the old man forgetful? Or paranoid? Pibble is beginning to wonder just why Sir Fancis contacted him to begin with.

Once he begins to work on the case located on a small and isolated island off the coast of Scotland he realizes that the strange religious sect that calls it home the island doesn’t want Sir Francis to leave. Are they holding him against his will? Why do they want him to stay so badly?

As Pibble delves further into the case, we find him going down memory lane. He recalls his time with his father when he was a child and older. It is a very interesting aspect of the case as we learn more about Pibble’s life. He goes this case alone, without his colleagues or any help from the other police officers.

This is a very good addition to the James Pibble series. I truly enjoyed it.

Peter Dickinson was a fine writer. Even though these stories were originally written in 1960’s, they seem timeless to me. These books are well written, although the plotting kind of loses track once in a while. Commander James Pibble is a keenly observant witness to human behavior. He picks up on minute clues in body language. I don’t know how I have missed reading him before and will continue to read him.

I want to thank Netgalley and Open Road Integrated Media for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read.