Happy Friday! I am so excited about the book I’m featuring for First Line Friday today – it’s a fresh take on suspense that isn’t like anything I’ve read before! If you enjoy suspense, thrillers, or time travel, Cast the First Stone by David James Warren (a collaboration between Susan May Warren, James L. Rubart, and David Curtis Warren) should be at the top of your TBR list.

“It’s the regrets that keep me awake.”

Cast the First Stone by David James Warren

The Basics

Title: Cast the First Stone

Author: David James Warren

Series: The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone (Book 1 of 6)

Release Date: February 9, 2021

Genre: Suspense, Time Travel Thriller

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover: One case haunts him. One chance to fix the past. One mistake could cost him everything.

Ex-Minneapolis Police Detective Rembrandt Stone walked away from a career he loved—just the price of being sure he can come home to the wife and daughter he cherishes. But he can’t shake the deep regret over a case left behind.

When his mentor, the former Chief of Homicide dies and leaves Rembrandt with a box of cold cases and a mysterious watch, he finds himself thrust into a world he recognizes—a world from twenty years ago—the same world he’s woken from in a cold sweat a hundred times. But is it a dream, or some kind of twisted reality?

If he solves the case that plagues him, and justice is finally served, will it destroy the life he loves?

My Thoughts

Cast the First Stone is a totally unique spin on the suspense genre, featuring a time traveling detective named Rembrandt Stone. The collaboration between these three fabulous authors makes for a thrilling story I couldn’t put down! I’m not usually a fan of the sci-fi genre, so I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the time travel in this book, but I am a big fan of Susan May Warren – I should have known that this book would be amazing!

Rembrandt Stone is a character that you will fall in love and root for from the first page. He is a dedicated family man, struggling with writer’s block and haunted by the cold cases he left behind when he left the police force. When he finds himself back at the scene of his first cold case, he has the chance to solve it this time… but at what cost?

These master storytellers have crafted a novel full of gripping suspense, intrigue, and flawed yet relatable characters. I can only imagine that their skill will become more apparent throughout the series as more of the time travel plot is revealed. My heart was in my throat by the ending of this book – what a cliffhanger! I am so glad there are five more books in this series and that they are all coming out this year; I’m already wishing for book 2!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author as part of the launch team. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.