The Stones Cry Out

Sibella Giorello has made the transition from journalism to fiction with an outstanding debut novel. Her years as a features reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch have given THE STONES CRY OUT a flavor and authenticity that could come only from one intimately involved in the life of a city. Add to that her unusual knowledge of geology and extensive research into the FBI's mineralogy lab and its work in studying trace evidence from crime scenes, and you have the foundation for an exciting new mystery series. At least we hope it will turn into a series! It's a steamy 4th of July in Richmond, Virginia, and FBI Special Agent Raleigh Harmon has been called in to investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent death of a young black man and a white police officer. Two days before, with a crowd of 600 neighborhood protesters below, Detective Michael Falcon and Hamel Holmes fell to their deaths from the roof of an abandoned factory. Since racial tensions are kept alive and well by Mayor Lulu Mendant, who benefits politically from strife, the FBI is asked to determine if there actually was racism involved in the deaths. Unfortunately, no one is talking since the community's mind is already made up; another white cop has killed a black youth. In her search for the truth, we get to know more about Raleigh Harmon as well. Raleigh lives in her mother's carriage house and seems content in her career and her singleness. Her mother, Nadine Shaw Harmon, is a colorful character --- a seemingly lightheaded southern belle, given to wearing vibrant colors and whimsical hats. Nadine heads to Pentecostal church camp nearly every day and sprinkles conversation with praises, promises and glories. Perhaps this is the way Nadine copes with the loss of her husband to a drive-by shooting four years earlier. His unsolved death is a strong motivator that drives Raleigh to continue working cases until they can be closed. There is also an unexpected reunion with the Fieldings, an early Richmond family with an intriguing history of its own, and with Demott Fielding, the prodigal son with whom Raleigh shares her own unpleasant memories. The Fieldings own many of the properties that are being targeted by protesters as well as the building from which the fatal falls occurred. Is there a connection? Was racism behind the deaths? How will they ever discover what happened on that rooftop? In a style rich with analogies yet concisely written, Sibella Giorello manages to put all the pieces together for us, and Raleigh Harmon is able to put some of her own past issues to rest in the process. It is always exciting to read a debut novel and, in this case, to look forward to many follow-ups. --- Reviewed by Maggie Harding

A few months back, I heard that a Pulitzer-nominated author was putting out a debut novel, "The Stones Cry Out." Being a big fan of Rick Bragg (another nominee), I found my interest heightened by the shared Southern background of Sibella Giorello and Mr. Bragg. The title and cover of this new book added to the intrigue. What was the book about? Did it even matter? Good stuff coming down the pike. I was sure of it. And then I got my copy. I started reading. I kept turning the pages. Within a few days, I'd devoured this richly drawn mystery. Not only does Giorello draw memorable characters, she creates evocative settings and rapid-paced dialogue. Her main character is Raleigh Harmon, an FBI agent caught up in a criminal investigation that's become a civil rights powderkeg in modern-day Richmond. A white police officer and a young black man are both deceased, after falling simultaneously from an abandoned building. Which one was the victim? Was this a racially motivated incident? Like Sigmund Brouwer's Nick Barrett mysteries ("Out of the Shadows"), and my own Aramis Black novels ("The Best of Evil"), Giorello writes contemporary fiction with a spiritual edge and Southern ambiance. She gives us a great lead in Raleigh, a woman facing pressure from corrupt officials, hard-nosed superiors, and her own mother who is clinging by a thread to mental stability. Raleigh also deals with old romantic interests, while enduring some heart-stopping threats. Her emotional detachment after one particular scene is a case-study in understated, yet fully-developed, inner struggle. This is the work of a gifted and confident author. I look forward to the continued intrigues of Raleigh and her Richmond setting. I hope this book finds the wide audience it deserves. It remains to be seen whether a modern mystery, told with great style and skill, belongs with a title and cover that indicate a more traditional literary novel, especially when coupled with Giorello's writing resume. Either way, "The Stones Cry Out" is a clear statement from Revell Books that great fiction will not be overlooked in this market.

For a debut attempt, I believe Sibella Giorello's The Stones Cry Out, will explode onto the fiction scene of top-notch mystery/suspense novels. Where Cornwell's Kay Scarpeta, and Grafton's Kinsey Millhone seemed to own the female sleuth market for years and years, I can easily envision Giorello's Raleigh Harmon moving in fast and furious for a slice of that action. Harmon is an FBI agent working in Richmond; thankful she can work close to home enabling her to care for her oftentimes delusional, aging mother. Still distraught over the murder of her father, Harmon plugs away at doing her best to see that justice is served. That is until the FBI gets in her way and hinders her investigation into what appears to a racially motivated crime. During peaceable African American street rally, things go from calm and controlled to chaotic and explosive when a white seasoned police officer, and black recovering criminal both fall from the top of a vacant building amidst the gathered protestors. Harmon and her near-retirement partner, John Breit is called in to conduct a civil rights investigation. Immediately blacks and whites are divided over the matter. The blacks are certain the white detective was attempting to throw the innocent black man off the building, only the black man managed to pull the detective over with him, in self-defense, of course. While the local police are reporting the exact opposite, that the black man attacked the officer, knocking them both off the roof during the struggle. Refusing to close the case, as her boss demands, Harmon relies on her faith in God, and her unique intuition to set herself against the odds and the FBI in her quest to find out the truth. The Stones Cry Out is more compelling than a cozy mystery, less gritty than a hard-boiled mystery, and completely appropriate for all fans of who-dun-its. Richmond comes alive with historic description and detail (but not so much that it dulls the fast-pace of the tale). The characters are well defined, the dialogue crisp, and the plot convincing. I cannot wait for the next installment in the Raleigh Harmon FBI series!

As a displaced southerner now living on the Left Coast, I thoroughly enjoyed a visit back to the South with this book! Fabulously researched, Giorello builds believable characters, especially the main one, Raleigh Harmon. I'm looking foward to the FBI agent's next big assignment!

Special agent Raleigh Harmon has just been assigned a civil rights case her supervisor wants closed yesterday. A white male police detective and a black man with a shady past died when they fell off a factory roof during a "Parade for the People" rally two days prior. The city of Richmond has become divided by color before the facts are even known. The police stand by their man, the African American community by theirs. And if there were witnesses, they're not talking. Especially to the FBI. What really happened on that factory roof? Why were the men together in the first place? Is it really an open and shut case? Raleigh isn't sure. Despite the surmounting odds, she's determined to dig down to the truth, because to a forensic geologist the stones do indeed cry out. Nominated twice for a Pulitzer Prize, Sibella Giorello has already proven she's a gifted non-fiction writer. But with the publication of The Stones Cry Out, Giorello can now add "gifted novelist" to her resume. Her skillful use of language has created a unique novel that smacks of quality. More than once I found myself awed by her vivid word pictures. Falling somewhere between plot-driven and character-driven, Stones mixes the sparse writing style of a beat reporter with the attention to detail you'd expect from an artist. Take this description for example: "Her sleeveless housedress exposes large black arms, where deltas of stretch marks flow like sandy estuaries to her elbows." I could literally "see" this character, and Giorello wields this astute word crafting ability throughout the book. Set in Richmond, Virginia, the city is accurately portrayed, even down to the murder statistics. Life and death's gritty realities aren't glossed over either. Rather than spoil the situation, let's just say I found one scene startlingly frank. But Giorello is never gratuitous. The Stones Cry Out is about real-life. Her prose reflects that. And since its spiritual message is more subtle than overt, it's a great crossover candidate. Raleigh Harmon is a refreshing addition to Christian fiction's leading ladies. She's strong and independent, but not Wonder Woman--the type of person who could chat with you over coffee one minute, and protect your back the next. Her struggles become your struggles, her keen observations drive you to read on. And while the novel could have been a third longer (I felt cheated a few times when a new chapter skipped ahead in time), its lean storyline is complete and satisfying. Every once in awhile a book comes along that you want to share with everyone you know. The Stones Cry Out is one of those. With three-dimensional characters who could be your neighbors, fascinating forensic geology tidbits, and a rich attention to details, The Stones Cry Out is easily one of 2007's most compelling novels. --Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for TitleTrakk