Sticks & Stones

by: Susan Meissner

Published by: Harvest House

Reviewed by Peg Brantley

Bullying. It's been in the news a lot in the last several years. The awareness of this insidious behavior has received national attention ever since the Columbine shootings. Bullying is one of those things that always got swept under the rug, until shots started ringing out in schools across our country, and beyond our borders.

But what about more than two decades ago? Twenty-five years have passed since children in one neighborhood felt threatened. Demeaned. Tormented. Unworthy. With no one to rescue them, they endured years of abuse from a kid named Bucky. His very presence promised pain.

Twenty-five years later, Rachael Flynn, a lawyer in the district attorney's office, receives an unsigned letter with the message that a body is about to be uncovered at a local construction site. His death was an accident, but not undeserved, according to the anonymous letter writer.

This well-written mystery takes us into the lives of adult survivors. Hard questions unearth ungodly memories in the search for the truth of what happened twenty-five years ago, and along the way, Rachael's artist husband, and his friends, charm us. Rachael and Trace's young daughter, McKenna, brings balance to the story.

We're grateful that, in Rachael's hardboiled life as a prosecuting attorney, she has the solid block of her marriage, and a brother who, from his prison cell, gives her peace and direction.

Meissner gives us characters to cheer for and a story with enough questions to keep us turning the page. And she doesn't leave us hanging--resources are provided at the end of the book for readers who want more information about bullying.

Armchair Interviews says: This one is well worth your time, and a place on your bookshelf.

Author's Web site: http://www.susanmeissner.com