I'm not sure why I tossed this one on the back burner for so long. As a devotee of Locke's Creed series, I bought this book some time ago but somehow never got to it. Perhaps I was afraid of a letdown.
I shouldn't have worried. As usual, Locke constructs a strong plot that keeps the pages turning like a top. The characters are vividly technicolor. The women, in particular, shine. Leading man and gunfighter Emmett Love is as appealing as Creed in a decidedly different milieu. And the mysterious Rose from NOW AND THEN reappears some 150 years later.
It's a very readable novel.
However, there's a problem here. All of Locke's books are spare. And short. But this one feels skeletal in places. And incomplete. There are so many ares of interest that could have been mined: the unfortunate couple living in Kansas in a sod hut or the mysterious child who they find or the wealthy land owner/pirate. These parts of the book are merely touched upon and very lightly examined.
The character of Phoebe is well introduced and developed, but she inexplicably and begins a shocking sexual relationship with the most unlikely character in the book. It's fascinating stuff. But Locke doesn't ever let us in on the how, the when, the where or, more importantly, the WHY. We simply never find out anything, and the relationship fizzles out. Phoebe's climactic moment with her more suitable suitor happens "offstage," and she's left to report the action somewhat later. It could have been a great scene if Locke had written it for us.
One wonders if Phoebe mightn't have a made a better first person narrator for this story than Emmett. Or perhaps FOLLOW THE STONE may have benefited from having both narrate different sections.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes, I did. Will I read the expected sequel? It's a certainty. Emmett Love is a great character and I look forward to more from him. I just hope John Locke will give us more of the story next time.
