http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/to-kill-a-stone-heart/16619350ABOUT THE AUTHORMason Dove is a true advocate of Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) as he himself is autistic. This has inspired Mason to create Fenton Stone who is also on the Autistic Spectrum. He wanted to show Fenton in a positive way as an entertaining role model and also to inform the reader about issues that affect people with autism and aspergers yet make the story appeal to anyone in its own right. Mason saw a gap in the market between self-help books and mystery novels as the majority of books on issues like Autism and AS are aimed more at children or their parents, so very little is available for adults to entertain until now. Mason has deliberately written this book in a straight forward way not to exclude any reader.
Autism and Asperger’s can affect people differently, for some it is more of a disability than for others however Fenton Stone’s adventures aim to show as many different aspects of the spectrum in an entertaining way.
BOOK DESCRIPTIONFenton Stone is a super sleuth with amazing abilities but not like any other detective you’ve read about.
What would you do if you had communication problems, trusts issues and your father and carer had been killed? Solve their murders? That’s what Fenton Stone did.
Normally Fenton lives by routine where his security and comfort is most important. After the death of his father DCI Charles Stone his life is thrown into turmoil. Follow Fenton’s journey as he struggles to cope with things that most of us wouldn’t notice and would take for granted. Fenton has to quickly trust a new friend when he teams up with DI Amelia Grandine and learn how to work together. How will the two cope and what lies in store when they discover the real reason behind Charles’s death?
Amelia and Fenton end up being embroiled in the investigations of an unlawful family called the Ravens and the dangerous world of underground crime. The story will have you swept along with tears and laughter, excitement and conflicts, as their journey takes them through high speed chases, split second reactions and across international boundaries. The novel also gives a great window into the way Fenton’s mind works and how he uses his special skills to become a super-detective and a role model for anyone that is an individual or different from the norm.
REVIEWI absolutely love this book. It's a very good story with strong characters, easy to read and get involved in, a real page turner. I couldn't put it down and wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next, great for reading on a kindle or iPad. The story is totally entertaining and informative but not in a boring patronising way. A refreshing change - as it doesn't use the usual predictable `Autistic Savant' protagonist that is a mathematical genius that can just solve crimes with equations as it manages to pick up on many other autism traits and uses them in a positive way to help the story. Nor does it show autism or asperger's syndrome in a negative way just an entertaining way for all to read. Some books can go too far as you can't identify with the protagonist or like them, this is not the case with the very likeable Fenton Stone.
I thought the hypersensitivities this was used really well in the story even if it's much more heightened than most, it just added to my enjoyment of the novel.
It is important to say here that the novel really stands up as a great story in its own right and you don't have to have or know anyone who has ASD to read this as there is much more to the story and characters and it's very funny and moving. I really liked the way it didn't over power me with too many adjectives and superlatives in the way some books do. I enjoyed the way the plot developed quickly and was easy to read in a straight forward way. Therefore I will be recommending it to both my brother and all my friends. Overall a great crime, mystery adventure and introduction to Fenton Stone, I can't wait for the next story to see what happens to this interesting super sleuth detective and Amelia.
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/to-kill-a-stone-heart/16619350 
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:34 pm 