“The Madstone” by Elizabeth Crook is a wonderful tale of love set in Texas 1868 - atmospheric, poignant and romantic, with characters to endear to and enjoy reading about. 

Benjamin Shreve is an honest, hardworking man, faithful to his promises and dedicated to staying loyal to his home town, in case his missing sister returns. Not many men can be compared to how genuine Shreve is and the author has created a character which suits the storyline perfectly. The relationships he forms with friends, women and men of authority, show his truly unique qualities and although the ending wasn’t quite what I hoped for, the way the story was written as a letter, recalled his emotional connections to the events that happened in the short time he knew his recent acquaintances.

I hadn’t heard of the ‘powers’ of a Madstone before or even what it was actually made of but from the basis of what it does, this completely made the essence of the story and deserved the title of the book. 

The setting was without doubt atmospheric with the constant threat of Comanche/Indian attacks and stage hold ups and with death seemingly a regular occurrence (as the Wild West is known for) the tension throughout is a constant reminder of how fragile life was, for travellers. 

A delightful story, with action and tension, all set on a bedrock of romance and friendships, that I’d happily recommend if you fancy an escape to the Old West.  Elizabeth Crook is a talented author, whose passion for entertaining her readers, shines through in abundance. 

#TheMadstone - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️