Glad to be back into Balzano/Byrne. This time they are chasing a very mysterious suspect. It's about murder, an old asylum, the "dream merchants", crawlspaces. The case leads back to Estonia. Will our two main detectives be able to track a subject down? Is the case really over in the end or might there be some more adventures inside? Montanari comes up with a very chilling tale full of bizarre killings and madness. What is the pattern here? Why are former members of the asylum killed and how can the murderer be stopped? Couldn't put this one down and am looking forward to the other books on the two detectives I haven't read so far. This author is among the very best thriller authors. Highly recommended!60 s8 comments Patrice Hoffman555 269

Do You Dream?

The Stolen Ones is the 7th installment of Richard Montanari's novels featuring Philadelphia Detectives Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne. These detectives have been are brought in on a case after a wealthy businessman was found murdered in Priory Park. Before long, a series of murders and a mute two-year old girl bring them up against a man named Luther. Luther is the one person left behind after the closing of the Delaware Valley State Hospital.

First off let me start by saying that I am so happy to finally become acquainted with this author. The Stolen Ones is the definition of what I look for in crime fiction. The pace is fast, characters are interesting, and the thrills come often. At times it felt I was reading a horror novel mixed with crime fiction, topped off with psychological suspense. And thankfully, those independant genres fuse well.

Montanari does well to provide a 7th novel that doesn't read there's something missing. There isn't a whole chunk of history in the two starring detectives lives that is eluded to and breezed over making the reader feel confused. Both Balzano and Byrne are well developed, interesting, and complementing of each other.

As the novel shifts between the past and present, we are introduced to a man named Luther and the people who crossed his path... for better or worse. His preferred travel method makes for some sleepless nights in the hopes of nothing being in my closet. Seriously. This novel had the perfect amount of suspense and sheer creepiness that I tried to steal a moment whenever I could to get back to the story.

Ultimately, The Stolen Ones by Richard Montanari is a great way to spend the day reading. It fuses many genres seamlessly and introduces the world of dreams to the unsuspecting. This is one nightmare I would never want to live through. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Copy provided by Mulholland Books via a Goodreads Giveawayfirst-reads-giveaways12 s Lisa236 80

Before I write this review, I need to clarify 2 things.
Firstly, I love Montanari's books, I eagerly await them every year.
Secondly, I am a psychiatrist.

With regards to the book; fast paced, with Montanari's usual variety of perspectives. The characters have grown and developed throughout the series, but remain true. As can be expected, there is a roller-coaster-ride's worth of plot twists; however, some are predictable and based on Montanri's own work, there are tricks he has tried before.

With regards to psychiatry. Where does this research come from? Yes, I know full well that psychiatry has a very checkered past, but this depiction lives up to a stereotype previously seen in Shutter Island. Yes, psych hospitals tend to be large; no, catacombs are not routine. Yes, some patients never recover fully but most do. Chronic patients are usually placed in group facilities. Male and female patients are separate. Staff know there patients. As for the dream experiments, it's an interesting concept- the transfer of the unconscious from one person to another; but not possible. Psychiatry is a medical profession, Drs and nurses who treat patients. This dark- glamour attached to psychiatry may be related to its past (pre medication) but is continually perpetuated my books and films that explore only this depiction and no other.

So sadly, I was disappointed by this book- 3 stars.thriller8 s Luna 165 69

I often buy books that are marked down in price. They are just so pricy these days. I have to admit I have a knack of finding what I without knowing too much about them. Goodreads though is helping me become more and more aware of books that I think I will so hunting has gotten a bit easier. With regard to this book though I just saw it marked at $6 and read the captioning and was intrigued. I had no idea that it was number 7 in a series so lets get that out of the way because that doesn't matter at all. The book has an intriguing premise dealing with dreams and a former psychatric hospital where things went bad. It deals with the underground networking of a city (tunnels and the through the waterways). Having worked at a mall it is reminiscent of the behind the scenes hallways for moving incoming goods into a mall. I have read a few books that deal with this aspect of the city. I think Montanari stretched it a bit with then being able to get into the houses but I tend to roll with fiction and give quite a bit of leeway. I won't put up with utter nonsense but to me this aspect was kind of intriguing. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I even appreciated the formatting with regard to it. I read this after reading 1450 pages of The Stand with very small print and small pages. The type set, spacing and overall breath of the book was much appreciated. It something I kind have always been aware of when buying a book but after The Stand I appreciate it even more. If you want an easy, intriguing read then have a read of this one. I will definitely be following up on this series!6 s Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews)601 210

http://www.mybookishways.com/2014/03/...

When The Stolen Ones opens, Jessica Balzano is in law school and eventually plans to leave the force, but she still works in the Special Investigations Unit in homicide. She catches a case that involves a businessman, Robert Freitag, who was found in Priory Park in early 2013 with a railroad spike through the head. His apartment has been sealed until now, and of course Jessica jumps at the chance to gather more evidence. The only problem is, the evidence they do have (which is minimal and at times, nonsensical) was put together by the detective working the case at the time, John Garcia, who suffered from a brain tumor that eventually killed him. She and her partner, Kevin Byrne, first visit the original crime scene, then head to Freitag’s apartment, where they uncover a few things that might have a chance of leading them to his killer. Meanwhile, a man named Luther roams Philadelphia’s underground, and his ties to a killer named Eduard Kross is leading him to his next victims. When more bodies start to appear in Priory Park, the case ramps up very, very fast. If things weren’t already strange enough, a mute little girl is found in the middle of the road with ties to a past case, and a retired detective is pulled back into a nightmare that he never escaped from.

This is my first experience with Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano of the Philadelphia Police Dept., and it certainly won’t be my last. In fact, I plan to catch up the first six as soon as I can! Most of the narrative follows Balzano and Byrne as they pick apart the puzzle that is Luther, but we also get glimpses into Luther’s past at Cold River, where he was born into very tragic circumstances, and of the diabolical dream studies and experiments that were conducted there. The making of a killer is a fascinating thing, and Montanari tackles the subject, and his detectives’ race against the clock to catch him, the seasoned pro that he is. I the fact that Balzano is a smart, busy wife and mother who is trying to get her law degree in addition to her day job, and she does it with dedication and humor (and more than a little exhaustion.) Byrne is quiet and methodical and the two form a great partnership, one of absolute trust and loyalty. As a newcomer to the series, I never felt that I was missing anything I needed in order to fully enjoy the story, so it can definitely stand on its own. If you enjoy creepy thrillers that move at a blistering pace and have more than their share of the macabre, THE STOLEN ONES should be on your must read list. Also, the ending gave me chills-can’t wait for the next one!4 s Gatorman649 87

Excellent entry in the Byrne-Balzano series about the lasting effects of secret medical experiments that took place at a now-closed mental hospital some twenty years ago and the hospital's connection to a series of murders. Gripping from beginning to end and filled with enough police procedural talk to please the most die hard enthusiast. The epilogue was a bit of a stretch, but that's just minor quibbling. Solid effort throughout, and fans of Montanari will be happy they picked this one up. 4.5 stars. Highly recommended.4 s Cordula129 6

Meiner Meinung nach der beste Teil der Reihe!sub3 s Paula Brandon1,143 31

A mysterious man by the name of Luther is murdering people who seemingly have no connection. And what does his killings have to do with an old psychiatric asylum? And what does it have to do with another serial killer who has been operating since the 1930s in Estonia? And what does it have to do with a couple of young girls 16 years ago being visited by a mysterious man in his closet? And what does it have to do with a young real estate agent, Rachel? Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano get involved when a recent cold case is given to them in relation to a man with a railroad spike driven into his head.

This book is just all over the place. It's clear the author himself had a timeline of when everything was happening, and why it was happening, but that all gets lost, because he chops it all up and delivers it in little bits of pieces, featuring different characters in different time periods. Basically, I was sitting in the dark for the most of the book until the final quarter finally starts to explain how all the discrete elements fit together, because the author was being delibrately confusing. Even then, it was all a bit muddled, something to do with dream therapy that makes a person think they're somebody else and carries out killings. But why Kross (the ultimate villian) was doing any of this remains frustratingly vague, even once the book is over.

Montanari is a fine writer and this had a few good moments here and there, but it was a struggle to get through, and I can't help but feel it stole ten days of my life that I could have spent reading other more interesting, less deliberately confusing books. 3 s Curlyhair574 26

One of my fav series to read. Balzano and Byrne are good strong characters, who compliment each other well. Another great story, with a few twists and turns, keeping you interested right to the very end.2017 crime wom-20173 s Liz Barnsley3,563 1,045

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the review copy.

Destroyed by fire years ago, the infamous Philadelphia State Hospital was a warehouse for the criminally insane.
But one man never left.
A bizarre killer is at work in darkest Philadelphia and Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano must stop him. But first they must find him ....

Now I have been in from the start of the Balzano and Byrne stories so I was looking forward to this one and was very excited to get a copy. As usual I was in no way disappointed. Richard Montanari has a very distinct voice in the writing world and has become over the years a master of the craft - this particular instalment has become one of my favourites (my absolute still being "The Skin Gods" - Book 2 of the series) due to the complex and very intense storyline.

Jessica is investigating a cold case which very quickly becomes a hot potato - with Kevin on board they find themselves chasing a very dangerous man...and will have to unravel a mystery with its roots in the past.

I loved the flow of this one - snapshots of age old events give clues to what is happening in the present and the plot twists and turns in typical Montanari style until you are not sure if you are coming or going...and the ultimate resolution was one of the best so far.

Ok, I can see why some readers who are also mental health professionals have been a bit down on this one - some of the visuals if you on asylums and what goes on in them (at least in this fictional world) are often disturbing. However the key word here is "fictional". This is a story, dramatic license is allowed and indeed required to make a compelling tale - it is in no way implied that any of this is fact.

It is disconcerting and frightening crime fiction. If you want rainbows and kittens this is not the book for you, however if you love crime fiction with bite and have not yet delved into this world then I would recommend them - The Rosary Girls would be where to start.

Happy Reading Folks!2 s AislingAuthor 2 books114

This book defines 'thriller' for me. The edge-of-your-seat tension and creepy (in a good way) premise make this the kind of book that has you looking over your shoulder and trying desperately to solve the mysteries. Montanari's writing is excellent and I am pleased to learn there are many more in this series. I won this on Goodreads and had not read this author previously. This is my honest review (Goodreads makes us say that); this book would be perfect for a plane or train ride--the time will fly because you will be so engrossed in this pulse pounding book. 2 s Nessa1,675 68

Wow, absolutely wow, this book has left me speechless and in awe of the author. It just amazes me how the author continues to keep coming up with these amazing plot ideas.

This is an edge of ure seat gripping crime thriller, I could not put this book down, was completely taken in by the story from beginning to end.

As always I love the characters in this ongoing series of books. :-)1 Haley Mathiot397 18

A cold case comes to live with the discovery of a new body, a new murder, and multiple new connections. A two-year-old child is found standing in the middle of the street. A mysterious man in ragged clothing appears in a little girls closet completely out of nowhere. A woman disappears from her basement without having left her house. With the help of the rest of the experts in the Philadelphia Police Department, Detectives Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne unravel a chilling series of dream- murders.

The Stolen Ones is book 7 of a series of detective novels. At the time of request, I was unaware of this fact, and I hoped that I would not be confused because I hadn’t read the others. I’m happy to say that I had no trouble at all getting lost in this story. I am totally in love with Kevin Byrne and his snarky Irish attitude, and Jessica’s tough-girl-who-is-here-to-kick-ass mentality.

The story was incredibly complex, and a few times I found myself stopping and saying “wait, what? I’m confused.” I had to check to make sure I hadn’t skipped a track in the audiobook. I hadn’t, all was well… there were just some jarring sections that I think were hard to interpret because it was audio instead of printed. however all things considered it wasn’t enough to negatively affect the story.

The performance by William Hope was very good. I d his voices and interpretations of the characters a lot, especially Kevin Byrne. He has done quite a few audiobooks, and his experience is obvious; he reads with a good authority, pace, and energy.

There were some gruesome details of violence so it is not for the faint of heart or stomach. It was enough to shock me, but it wasn’t anything I would regret listening to. I’d definitely recommend it to ages 18+ who are into the crime thriller genre.yarn-sluts-list1 MajankaAuthor 74 books408

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net//...

I started reading The Stolen Ones, hoping I’d enjoy the book. The plot sounded great. An asylum for the criminally insane, catacombs, a serial killer channeling violent dreams, a mix of supernatural and psychological thriller. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, it wasn’t all that great.

We get introduced to main characters Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano, two detectives, rather shortly, which is all right, considering this book is number eight in a series. However, I didn’t mind, I got a well-enough grasp of the characters to figure out their personalities and quirks. Luther, the bad guy, was intriguing too. He was led by the dreams of serial killer Eduard Kross due to some psychiatric experiment gone wrong.

However, the writing was formulaic and too descriptive. The pacing was too slow, and for the most part, the book wasn’t suspenseful at all. I didn’t feel invested in any of the murdered characters. The main characters were able, but too standard. They don’t stand out from the dozens of other police officers and detectives playing roles in suspense novels. The conditions in the psychiatric hospital aren’t believable at all. I’m okay with embellishing things, or making things worse to fit the story, but it was way over the top here. That facility, Cold River, sounded something from Shutter Island, or from American Horror Story.

The plot went in all kinds of directions, and it was disjointed as well. Not one of my favorite detective novels, I’m afraid.mystery -july-20141 ????258 7 Read

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