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Bloodstone Bludgeon: A Polygamist Murder (A Rock Shop Mystery Book 2) Kindle Edition

by S.D. Brown (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 90 ratings
"Bloodstone Bludgeon is a classic whodunnit.. . . a fun story and is exactly what a detective novel is supposed to be. Highly recommended."-- Booklover Reviews, Vine voice

Allie Renault’s business THE ALABASTER is going great so why did she have to come up with the crazy plan to sell rocks online? What started as a great idea has morphed into a major headache.

Now an angry customer has her on a road trip to the remote Carson Quarry to retrieve a promised delivery that never came . . . When she arrives, she’s greeted with a grisly surprise. The bloodstone is waiting for her, but if she wants to load it into her truck, she’s going to have to remove the dead body sprawled on top. And that’s not all. Her heart sinks when she spots the murder weapon—the polished bloodstone boulder that she’s already sold. This murder has just become personal.


THE MYSTERY

"If you’re looking for a clever, resourceful protagonist, Allie “Alabaster” Renault is the sleuth for you."
– 5 STARS Jennifer Sowle (Amazon customer)

Grab your copy of this entertaining mystery today!

How can one woman uncover the truth when everyone's a suspect? S.D. Brown's mystery novels weave stories full of twists and turns, action and suspense with laugh-out-loud humor.

Look for other Rock Shop Mysteries by S.D. Brown.
Alabaster Alibi
Calcite Corpse

Other novels for Middle Grade readers 9 and up:
Code Orange: Cancun
I Escaped the California Camp Fire
I Escaped the Gold Rush Fever
I Escaped the Killer Bees
Lake Quilt Mystery
Pretty Little Rumors
The Scrapbook Riddle

Writing as Spike Brown:
Saving Bigfoot Valley
Escape to Molokai

Enjoy this mystery novel Bloodstone bludgeon as an audiobook, paperback, or eBook from Amazon. You can immediately start reading this fun murder mystery on any computer via Kindle Cloud Reader, on Amazon Kindle Fire, or on any smartphone or tablet with the free Kindle reading app. Hear your favorite characters come to life in the audiobook now available through Audible. Watch for new releases and other mysteries from S.D.Brown.
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  1. Book 2 of 3
    A Rock Shop Mystery
  2. Print length
    250 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    December 15, 2017
  5. File size
    1.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

title

Mystery

Mystery

Book Series Name

Books in Series
Alabaster Alibi
Bloodstone Bludgeon
Calcite Corpse
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Customer Reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars 133
4.5 out of 5 stars 90
4.4 out of 5 stars 50
Price $5.99 $5.99 $5.99
MURDER ✓ ✓ ✓
STRONG FEMALE SLEUTH ✓ ✓ ✓
TWISTS & TURNS TO KEEP YOU GUESSING ✓ ✓ ✓
HUMOR ✓ ✓ ✓
UNIQUE QUIRKY CHARACTERS ✓ ✓ ✓
FAST PACED ✓ ✓ ✓
ROCKS, GEMS, & MINERALS ✓ ✓ ✓

Publisher

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B077Y5WPSQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Any Time Books (December 15, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 15, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 250 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 90 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
S.D. Brown

S.D. Brown

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S.D. Brown taught elementary, middle grade, high school, and junior college for over twenty years—on three continents and in seven schools. She continues to present workshops and is the owner-curator of the largest, privately owned gem and mineral museum in California. When she’s not working with rocks, she’s working on manuscripts, traveling, gardening, painting, or doing the dishes.

If you want to know more go to sdbrownbooks.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
90 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this mystery book, noting it keeps them guessing until the end and develops into solving the mystery. They find it an engaging read with well-developed characters, and one customer particularly appreciates the gentle humor. The pacing receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as fast-paced.

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11 customers mention "Enjoyment"11 positive0 negative

Customers find this mystery book enjoyable, with the story developing into solving the mystery and keeping readers guessing until the end.

"...The mystery has lots of twists and turns and keeps you guessing until the end. I also liked learning a bit more about rocks, such as bloodstone...." Read more

"...An enjoyable read for mystery lovers. I look forward to reading the next book in the series when I have an opportunity." Read more

"...I especially love the rock-shop details, fascinating and educational. I highly recommend this book." Read more

"...This is a fun story and is exactly what a detective novel is supposed to be. Plus, I learned a lot about rocks...." Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and fun to read.

"...Looking forward to another good read from S.D. Brown." Read more

"This sequel proves to be as fun and engaging as the first book, and shows that Allie has grown in maturity and depth both as a person and as a sleuth..." Read more

"...So is this book believable? Not to me. However, I don’t think it matters. Like other mysteries, this book is entertainment...." Read more

"This book kept me guessing till the very end! Which to me makes it a great read!..." Read more

6 customers mention "Humor"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book, with one mentioning the quirky style that Brown excels at, while others appreciate the well-developed characters.

"...Allie is funny and has a heart. Fun minor characters made this book super entertaining to read...." Read more

"...The characters are well developed, especially the lead protagonist, Allie, although it may get to the point where she is like Jessica Marble or..." Read more

"...The plot is fast-paced and full of the quirky humor Brown does so well. I especially love the rock-shop details, fascinating and educational...." Read more

"...Would never have guessed who did it.. I love the characters and how they are different, the twists and turns it takes, how the writing flows easily..." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, with one mentioning its fast-paced plot and interesting continuing storylines.

"...I like how the characters who returned in this book have interesting continuing story lines...." Read more

"...The plot is fast-paced and full of the quirky humor Brown does so well. I especially love the rock-shop details, fascinating and educational...." Read more

"...I love her quirky characters. The pacing of the novels is great. I can't wait to read the next one!" Read more

"Fast paced and intriguing! I couldn't put it down. If you love Murder Mysteries this is a MUST READ series... Try one, and you'll want them all!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Scott P.
    5.0 out of 5 stars keeps you guessing
    Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Yay for Allie! I enjoyed this book as much as the last. Allie is funny and has a heart. Fun minor characters made this book super entertaining to read. I like how the characters who returned in this book have interesting continuing story lines. The mystery has lots of twists and turns and keeps you guessing until the end. I also liked learning a bit more about rocks, such as bloodstone. Given that the first book starts with an A and the second starts with a B, I know there is a pattern here. C is clearly next and I hope it comes out soon. Looking forward to another good read from S.D. Brown.
    One person found this helpful
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  • David Gordon
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Mystery! SD Brown Has Done it Again.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    SD Brown has done it again. While Bloodstone Bludgeon: A Polygamist Murder does drag a little in the middle, there is no denying that the writer is highly skilled at mystery writing. I am usually very good at figuring out who did it but Ms. Brown's misdirection techniques in the plotting and narrative had me fooled until the end. The characters are well developed, especially the lead protagonist, Allie, although it may get to the point where she is like Jessica Marble or Hercule Poirot. Everywhere they go, dead bodies stack up. Also, like a Christie mystery, you have sympathy for the killer because the victim was no shining example of humanity. An enjoyable read for mystery lovers. I look forward to reading the next book in the series when I have an opportunity.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Jennifer Sowle
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fun and engaging read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This sequel proves to be as fun and engaging as the first book, and shows that Allie has grown in maturity and depth both as a person and as a sleuth. The plot is fast-paced and full of the quirky humor Brown does so well. I especially love the rock-shop details, fascinating and educational. I highly recommend this book.
    Helpful
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  • Booklover Reviews
    5.0 out of 5 stars Polygamist cult whodunnit
    Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Bloodstone Bludgeon is a classic whodunnit.

    When rock shop owner Allie goes to pick up an order at a quarry, she stumbles (literally) on a dead body. She can't help but use her prior experience at the DA office to begin to work on solving the case even before the police arrive. The more she learns about the life of the victim, the more disturbing the case becomes, and she gets drawn into the investigation.

    This is a fun story and is exactly what a detective novel is supposed to be. Plus, I learned a lot about rocks. The polygamy backdrop adds a shocking undercurrent. Highly recommended.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Laura
    4.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable light mystery packed with gentle humor.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The setting and characters matter more in this story than whodunit. The setting is Sedona which allows the author to make gentle fun of local cultural norms. Also featured is a rock shop which allows the author to make slightly less gentle fun of the customers. The plot involves a polygamous family—which the author does not use for humor.

    The female sleuth is the rock shop owner—in other words, an unauthorized private individual who solves the mystery through a combination of luck, crime, and snoopiness. The unauthorized nonprofessional crime solver is a pretty common premise for murder mysteries—and nearly always unbelievable.

    So is this book believable? Not to me. However, I don’t think it matters. Like other mysteries, this book is entertainment. And it does entertain: from the warm-hearted sleuth, to the rock shop’s annoying customers, to the well-intentioned silliness of the New Agers, to the odd cast of characters in the polygamous family, it’s a fun picaresque of a region of Arizona.

    And along the way I had to stop to admire the author’s metaphors. Every now and then the text is enlivened with imagery that is unusual, striking, and completely apt.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This book kept me guessing till the very end! Which to me makes it a great read! Would never have guessed who did it.. I love the characters and how they are different, the twists and turns it takes, how the writing flows easily from page to page! These book shop mystery books are for anyone who loves a good mystery regardless of age. Can't wait for more from S. D. Brown.
    Helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging from start to finish!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is a really fun series. I love her quirky characters. The pacing of the novels is great. I can't wait to read the next one!
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  • AvidReader
    3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining cozy mystery!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2021
    This entertaining mystery draws the reader in with a murder right away. Allie, the main character, finds herself involved when authorities hold as evidence the rocks she had purchased for her rock shop business.

    The book takes place not long after the previous book ("Alabaster Alibi") and includes appearances by many of the great characters we met in that book. When Allie gets more and more involved in trying to find the culprit, she discovers a multitude of potential suspects. As with the first book, this was a nice, complex mystery that ended with a satisfying resolution of the diverse situations in which Allie became involved during the course of the story. My only quibble was the unfortunate number of typos and missing words that too often interfered with the flow of the story, something another proofread should readily solve.

    Overall, the story kept me reading as I tried to figure out ‘whodunnit’ while eager to learn who the culprit ultimately was. Just what you want from a fun cozy mystery.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Elara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Murder, Mystery, Polygamy and Rocks!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Allie Renault runs a rock shop selling pieces of decorative rock. She makes the mistake of having already sold an expensive piece of bloodstone on to a customer before taking delivery of it herself. When she goes to collect it, she finds herself caught up in the murder of a man who belongs to a polygamous cult.

    This is a really intriguing whodunit which would fit the 'cosy' category but avoids almost all the cliches of the genre. It has a fascinating cast of characters and a convincing plot. The murder mystery is unravelled in a thoroughly convincing manner and then there is a twist at the end that most readers won't see coming.

    A great read for anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.
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  • J.E. Rowney
    4.0 out of 5 stars Between a rock and a cosy place
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed the first book in the series and I was looking forward to jumping into the second. Alabaster is such a great character. I love the depth of her personality; she really makes the stories come to life. It feels apt in current times that Alabaster is operating her (rock-selling) business online, and of course that leads to mystery, murder and mayhem. Well-written and engaging from the off. If you like your cosies with actual rocks rather than rock cakes, this is for you. Enjoyed it a lot!
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  • SH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great plot
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    When Allie turns up at a yard to collect a fancy bloodstone rock she walks straight into something she could do without.
    But the local police are weirdly blasé declaring the crime scene 'accidental". Things get even more mysterious when several crying women declare themselves widowed.
    Because Allie is invested in the fancy rock (or murder weapon) she must rely on her previous lawyer skills to solve the crime. Rescuing a teenage girl in a prairie dress moves the plot along to something more sinister- yet it's a great plot. Cults and brainwashing are the perfect setting for murder especially when the victim has greediily dipped his toe (ahem) into another world.
    The rock shop allows for a cosy feel with cantankerous customer Dorcas haunted by previous owner Uncle Jasper, toe reading Patsy and Ralph adopts a talking puppy. It's the psychiatrist's receptionist I felt sorry for
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  • C Nicholas
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting murder mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I will get my only real gripe out of the way at the beginning. It’s not a major one by any means. It relates to the cover of this book. Nobody is saying it easy to match a book and its genre to a particular cover, however, in this case I think the imagery does a disservice to the story. In my eyes the cover of the Bloodstone Bludgeon gave an impression of this being more of a chic lit, comedy, even YA story instead of the murder mystery that it actually is.

    Parking all of that, and getting on to what is much more important, for anyone who enjoys a murder mystery tale this will be very much up their street. The backdrop of a rural polygamous community is an interesting scenario, and the story plays out at a nice pace without being rushed. The main protagonist, a rock dealer who has in the past been an assistant DA, is complex enough and human enough to keep you routing for her. Like all good amateur sleuths, she gets accidentally drawn into the case after discovering a body and then cannot extricate herself until it is solved. As the story progresses you gradually find out more about some of the skeletons in her own closet and, while she’s clearly a bright, able woman with some knowledge of criminal investigation, she is by no means a professional detective, and this credibly leads to her to making mistakes and putting herself in danger.

    The local cops are a bit stereotypical and slower than the city girl, but the plot wouldn’t work otherwise! Get past that and you will enjoy a rich cast of characters who are multi-layered and sympathetically drawn. I especially liked the culture clash between the many wives of the victim that the heroine stumbles across and her with each slightly incredulous at the appearances and values of the other.

    Overall, it’s well-written and will easily draw you in to the stranger in a strange land situation while the mystery is unpicked.
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  • Maria
    4.0 out of 5 stars Bloodstone Bludgeon
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    If only real-life problems could be resolved as neatly as in a cosy mystery!
    This is the second book I've read in this charming cosy mystery series. Although there are recurring characters both books can be enjoyed as standalone reads.
    The plot revolves around a quite dark theme but it's handled with the light touch expected from a cosy.
    A fun, escapist read I recommend to fans of the genre.
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