Daphne Mayfield sought a moment of quiet in a park—a break from city life, a tense relationship, and chronic overwork—but then an elderly woman makes a desperate plea.
Daphne is reluctant to get involved when she’s not sure what’s appening, but she wants to help the stranger. Is the rambling old lady the victim of a crime or a victim of dementia? As her unease grows, Daphne can’t let go of the encounter. No matter what her boyfriend or her friends say. No matter what the retired homicide detective warns. Though she knows she’s meddling in other people’s lives, her instincts scream that the danger is real. With each increasingly bold intervention, Daphne involves herself in someone else’s crisis until she’s in too deep to turn back. She’s not just fighting for a stranger’s life…she’s fighting for her own.
Daphne is reluctant to get involved when she’s not sure what’s appening, but she wants to help the stranger. Is the rambling old lady the victim of a crime or a victim of dementia? As her unease grows, Daphne can’t let go of the encounter. No matter what her boyfriend or her friends say. No matter what the retired homicide detective warns. Though she knows she’s meddling in other people’s lives, her instincts scream that the danger is real. With each increasingly bold intervention, Daphne involves herself in someone else’s crisis until she’s in too deep to turn back. She’s not just fighting for a stranger’s life…she’s fighting for her own.
Praise for Orchids and Stone
“Daphne Mayfield has had a hard life. As a child, her sister was kidnapped, never to be seen or heard from again. Years later, Daphne’s father takes his own life in a dumpy hotel room, ridding himself of his grief but only increasing it for those left behind.”
“Daphne Mayfield has had a hard life. As a child, her sister was kidnapped, never to be seen or heard from again. Years later, Daphne’s father takes his own life in a dumpy hotel room, ridding himself of his grief but only increasing it for those left behind. Tragedy continues to follow the young woman when, in the park, she meets Minerva Watts, an elderly woman who is begging for help. At first glance, Daphne thinks she’s simply old and confused, especially when the woman’s daughter comes along and takes her away. But something in Daphne’s gut tells her there is more than meets the eye. Not being able to live with the guilt of having something bad happen to Minerva, Daphne embarks on what becomes a wild journey of deceit, corruption, and terror to find out the truth: Is Minerva Watts a crazy old lady, or has she been kidnapped like Daphne’s sister? Preston creates a riveting tale in her first thriller, intertwining the past with the present for an exciting ride that will keep readers hanging on until the very end.”
“A mesmerizing debut that is part mystery, part modern love story, and thoroughly gripping. Orchids and Stone stars a bright, uniquely independent woman who is strong enough to define her own future and tender enough to rediscover both love and forgiveness. Lisa Preston's deftly layered narrative crescendos to a nail biting climax that surprises and satisfies.”
“Daphne is a strong central character, complex and fundamentally stunted by tragedy in her life. With lyrical writing and nuanced characterization, Orchids and Stone will have you rooting for Daphne's redemption amidst pulse-pounding car chases. It's a book that has something for every reader!”
“While reading Orchids and Stone by Lisa Preston I kept coming up with the notion that this is a page-turner, mystery set in emotional women’s fiction.”
“While reading Orchids and Stone by Lisa Preston I kept coming up with the notion that this is a page-turner, mystery set in emotional women’s fiction. I don’t think the publisher would call it a mash-up but Orchids and Stone has all of the markings of each genre. As a page-turner, Preston is spot on. I couldn’t and wouldn’t put the book down. As a mystery, Preston does an excellent job throwing in all of the red herrings that are required for a good mystery. And as an emotional tale of a woman trying to grasp the realities of her past while living in the present, Preston nails it. Oh, and when you get to the last line, if you don’t laugh out loud, something’s wrong with you. Orchids and Stone is a great read that I highly recommend. Kudos to Lisa Preston on her debut novel.”
“Gritty and powerful.”
“Daphne is both physically tough and emotionally vulnerable, a heroine readers will love and root for in this fast-paced, gripping read.”