Arliss Cutter is everyman’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs of Alaska. Raised by a man who has the same numbered rules Gibbs bestows on his underlings, Arliss bestows this knowledge on his nephews, and sister-in-law, as he helps her to raise the children of his late brother.
Arliss and partner Lola Teariki, both members of the Alaska Fugitive Task Force, are assigned as bodyguards to a federal judge who must hear testimony in a remote Alaskan village. Before their arrival, a couple and their handyman have been murdered and with Arliss, there is never just one job that needs to be done. They now must split their time, and resources, between capturing a killer and keeping a judge from harm's way. With the judge ready to encounter a hostile crowd and an additional threat amongst the throng, Arliss and Lola need to tread lightly before they spook the wrong adversary and allow a killer to get away with murder.
The reader is pulled back and forth between multiple narratives, multiple characters, and multiple outcomes. Yet Marc Cameron does a stellar job in giving each their voice and their place within the story.

STONE CROSS - Loved It!

‘In a remote Alaskan village, Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter searches for a stone-cold killer amid a hotbed of corruption, lies, and long-buried secrets....’

STONE CROSS is the second book in the Arliss Cutter series, the first novel that I have read by Marc Cameron, is not only one that I highly recommend but also a book I did not want to put down--and the ending--My Heart!

Next up from Cameron: Book One in the Arliss Cutter series, OPEN CARRY.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books, for loaning me an eBook of STONE CROSS in exchange for an honest review.

Arliss Cutter is everyman’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs of Alaska. Raised by a man who has the same numbered rules Gibbs bestows on his underlings, Arliss bestows this knowledge on his nephews, and sister-in-law, as he helps her to raise the children of his late brother.

Arliss and partner Lola Teariki, both members of the Alaska Fugitive Task Force, are assigned as bodyguards to a federal judge who must hear testimony in a remote Alaskan village. Before their arrival, a couple and their handyman have been murdered and with Arliss, there is never just one job that needs to be done. They now must split their time, and resources, between capturing a killer and keeping a judge from harm's way. With the judge ready to encounter a hostile crowd and an additional threat amongst the throng, Arliss and Lola need to tread lightly before they spook the wrong adversary and allow a killer to get away with murder.

The reader is pulled back and forth between multiple narratives, multiple characters, and multiple outcomes. Yet Marc Cameron does a stellar job in giving each their voice and their place within the story.

With lots of helpful reviews already out there, I'll just recommend this to mystery fans, plus the author is pretty dang talented and knocks out a lot of good books.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

This second instalment I started almost immediately after the first. I have read quite a few books from these publishers but never one that's so intense. We met Arliss Cutter and his family in the first book, and we only get a brief glimpse of them as a package. His sister in law is another matter, she gets a whole appearance, and we get to know more about her. The case is as dismal as the weather in which the events take place. In a distant village, a couple is in danger, more than they could perceive. Luckily for them, Arliss Cutter and Lola are flown into the closest school as protection detail for a judge. Judge Markham is an exciting addition to the milieu since he is supposed to be a minor cog but plays a pivotal role. There are people dead, others kidnapped, and danger seems to be hovering more than one person.

Some words were repeated too often in the first couple of chapters like Polynesian and vaporous which stuck out to me, but since I did not read the final edited copy, it might go away. A little further on, when Arliss lands in the middle of the action, words like that do not make much of a difference. Things move at a breakneck pace, some secrets are revealed, and a lot of physical hand-to-hand combat takes place along with quite a few guns going off. This is a solid sequel and cements this as a series. I will be picking the next book whenever it comes out. There is a standard formula for the kind of women Arliss runs into during his case, but he always goes home. This is a formula that has worked well in both the books thus far. I just hope it can hold on the next time as well. I think the setting of Alaska gives the required depth to the narrative. I cannot personally ever imagine living in such harsh surroundings.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Stone Cross is a solid mystery/thriller with interesting characters, good dialog and an informative sense of place. Many people have visited Alaska, but this book takes you far inside to places where tourists don’t travel and have no insight into the harsh conditions the inhabitants face. The indigenous bear the climate and the hardships it brings with tradition and understanding. “Great grandmothers had tattoos; grandmothers had rosaries.”

Arliss Cutter, our main man, a Deputy U.S. Marshal, is an enigma, he is also a “hunk”. How would I know that – amazing what words and imagination can conjure. I especially enjoyed his references to his Grandfather, Grumpy and his numbered rules for any given situation. Cutter’s sidekick, Lola Teariki, A Maori far away from home and a newbie to the Marshal Service is a student of human nature offering insight into her partner. She also has a sense of purpose and humor that lightens the tone of some difficult situations.

The action is fast, harsh and gory. The story moves, runs, races, but slows down enough to explain the culture of the native people. Well written, informative and just a really good book.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy.

Exciting new addition to the Arliss Cutter series

This is the second book in the Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter series following OPEN CARRY. I enjoyed the first book but this book was even better.

Cutter and his partner, Lola Teariki, half-Maori and half-Japanese and all bada*s, end up getting sent to the tiny village of Stone Cross, Alaska to protect a federal judge there during a hearing. They don't want to be there and the judge doesn't want them there but he has received a death threat that they think originated near the village.

When they arrive at Stone Cross they find out about a murder and a kidnapping at a nearby hunting/fishing lodge and Cutter tries everything he can to get assigned to looking for the kidnap victims rather than babysitting the judge.

They find that the village isn't a nice, quiet law-abiding spot and has its share of violent crime.

I love how the author describes this part of Alaska in detail - a state I happen to love. And I appreciate that he has strong, intelligent women throughout the story.

I will definitely be watching for the next book in this series. And I strongly recommend these first two.

I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Another kickass of a book from the very talented Marc Cameron!

Very good characterization and a good storyline that keeps you entertained from the beginning to the end. I loved the action. This story will definitely make a brilliant movie!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Stone Cross by Marc Cameron
Arlliss Cutter Series #2

Arliss Cutter is intelligent, intriguing, and a bit of an enigma. Reading book one of this series I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish a book by this author that was filled with murder, mystery and mayhem AND the same is true for reading the second book because it was 4am before I read the last page and finally headed to bed.

As I read I grew to know more about Alaska and Arliss and I fell in love with Grumpy – the grandfather who raised Arliss. The main case was brutal and so was the encroaching Alaska winter. This could have been just the story of solving a murder and finding people that disappeared but it was so much more.

What I liked:
* Arliss: for reasons mentioned above and also because he is a man I admire and would like to know better. I want him to have a happy future and hope that some of his dreams will come true as the series continues.
* The information learned about a bit of Arliss’s past
* The character guide at the beginning of the book
* Birdie: a Yu’pik woman who suffered greatly and achieved much – I truly admired her.
* Lola: Arliss’s partner – a strong tough woman with a heart of gold
* Sarah: her strength and courage were amazing
* The weaving in of the side stories that enhanced the overall story
* Mim: Arliss’s widowed sister-in-law and her concern fo her children and also for Arliss’s well being
* Arliss’s relationship with his brother’s family
* What I learned about living in remote Alaska, mushing dogs, and how the weather impacts living there.
* Reading about and then googling poke-hand and thread tattooing then cringing when I found out what it was and how there is a resurgence in the art form. I also learned a bit, after googling again, about cut and chisel tattooing used by the Maoris.
* There are so many other things to mention but I really and truly liked it all except for…

What I did not like:
* The bad guys...they were ruthless, evil, despicable no good rotten...just horrible
* Having to wait till the next book is written so I can find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Stone Cross is the second book following Arliss Cutter around Alaska. An improvement on the prior novel, however still not up to the standard of his earlier Jericho Quinn novels. Some of the motivations of the antagonists in this novel are a little bit over the top and hard to believe but Arliss Cutter is an interesting enough character to make up for these shortfalls. Would still recommend for Marc Cameron fans and thriller fans in general but it is just a bit disappointing it isnt as good as some of his earlier work

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Jericho Quinn is a favorite series by this author. When I discovered Marc Cameron had started writing another series, of course I had to jump in.

Too bad for me I didn't begin with the first book. But that's the great thing about his series. Each stands alone so well, the story within each book is complete. Yet the characters build layer upon layer, book by book. New characters enter. And leave. Each character grows. Their lives expand. I really need to go back and read the first book in this series.

Before I do that, the review on this one. Note that I don't give plot summaries. Those are in the blurb. I give my feelings and opinions about the book.

The author brings us a deep, complicated man in Arliss Cutter. Personally, I like the way he doesn't let bullies get away with sh*t. Immediately, we want to know why he's compelled to right these wrongs, to stand up for people being pushed around. Evidently, so do the other characters in the story.

But that's only part of him. And the story.

The author also brings us a culture usually portrayed as flat and stereotypical. Not here. The culture is richly developed. The Alaska bush provides an amazing setting, practically its own character. The details are fascinating. Two main stories and several minor ones weave together with just-right pacing and well-developed characters to pull the reader in and through to find out how everything fits and how it will all turn out. I finished the book in one day.

The writing fits the story. Direct. Filled with just enough detail so we always understood and felt what's going on. Sometimes, too many details of the bureacracy bogged the story down. Perhaps intentional, the way bureaucracy works in real life.

Complaints:
- The author failed to close off one storyline, leaving me to wonder what happened to that character.
- A scene concerning a woman's jaw (not broken) being "put back into place." I'm a retired dentist who put several non-broken jaws back into place. The description of how the character did this would have only exacerbated the problem, not fixed it. Not sure where the author got their information, but this part pissed me off a little. It'd be great if the author could correct this error before final publication.

Finally, I cried at the epilogue. Thanks for giving me another great series to follow!

Absolutely terrific! US Deputy Marshals Arliss Cutter and Lola Teariki were not happy when they found themselves assigned to guard Judge Markham so that he could oversee an arbitration in Stone Cross, Alaska, a remote village. Yes there was a threat against him but that's not what either of them likes to do and he's not a person either of them like. Little do they know what they are flying into- murder and mayhem and a hunt for a kidnapped couple. The novel opens with Sarah, a recent transplant to Alaska, chopping wood- keep your eye on her. She's a great character but it's a tough competition. for which woman in this is the strongest because there's Birdie, the high school principal and Lola herself. No spoilers for this one, which unfolds amazingly well. It's got great and sadly realistic atmospherics, a twisty plot, and the story telling is wonderful. Note that the violence is graphic (but appropriate). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a procedural and an adventure story all wrapped into one. And for those who like that sort of thing, there's a recipe for chili pie. Highly recommend.

This was my first experience with Arliss Cutter—loved the character so much I ordered Cameron’s first book Open Carry with this character, Cutter is a relentless, tough hero who does whatever it takes to get the job done. I highly enjoyed both books!

The second book in the Arliss Cutter series and it is just as good if not better than the first. It takes place in a remote village in Alaska that still practices the old ways of life. Cutter is sent to this village to protect a judge who is traveling there to adjudicate some matter and while there another whole threat comes to the front. I read everything the author puts out and this one will not disappoint. I really enjoyed reading about the ways of this little village such as dog mushing, and sharing of game to sustain their way of life
Thank you Marc Cameron, Kensington books and Netgalley for the ARC for my honest review.

This second book about US marshal Arliss Cutter is much better than the first one. I am glad I didn't give up this series and got the oportunity thanks to Netgalley and Kensington to read the second adventure set in Alaska. Great story and well written as usual by Marc Cameron. I eagerly will wait for the third one.

I really enjoyed this 2nd Arliss Cutter book. The first one was good too, but I feel like I'm getting to know and understand Arliss a little better and that makes me enjoy the books even more.

In Stone Cross, Arliss is tasked with providing protection for a judge who is visiting a remote village. A murder occurs, and Arliss and his partner are soon drawn into the investigation.

This one has plenty of interesting and colorful characters, as well as an intriguing storyline.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and the author.

In a remote Alaskan village, Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter searches for a stone-cold killer amid a hotbed of corruption, lies, and long-buried secrets . . .

Winter comes early to the rural native community of Stone Cross, Alaska—and so does hunting season. Caribou and moose are a major source of food through the long, dark months ahead. But Arliss Cutter has come here for a very different game. A federal judge is receiving death threats and refuses protection. Cutter and his deputy Lola Teariki have been assigned to shadow him on his trip to this icy outland to make sure that he’s safe. But they quickly discover that no one is ever really safe in a place like this. And no one is above suspicion . . .

When Cutter and Lola arrive, the village is already gripped with fear. A young couple has disappeared from their fishing lodge, just eight miles upriver. Their handyman has been found dead, next to a crude drawing of a mysterious symbol. To make matters worse, a dense fog has descended on the region, isolating the town from civilization. With the judge’s life still at risk, and two people still missing, Cutter and Lola have their work cut out for them. But navigating the small-town customs and blood-bound traditions of this close-knit community won’t be easy. When the secrets come out, the deadly hunt is on


Because in Alaska, nothing runs colder than blood.

I have read some Marc Cameron's Jericho Quinn which I do prefer, I like the character Arliss Cutter and Lola, but I personally found this book filled with too many characters, often too heavy and too slow and struggled with the story.

Apologies to the author, just nor for me, just okay.. Three stars

This book is an action thriller set in Alaska. The author does a good work in bringing out the life in a difficult terrain with subzero temperatures. The characters are well developed. But the premise for keeping the kidnapped victims alive was thin and left unexplained.

Stone Cross (U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter #2) by Marc Cameron is a thriller set in a small Inuit village in Alaska. US .Marshal Arliss Cutter and his partner, Lola Teariki, are to accompany a federal judge for an arbitration case to Stone Cross as a protection detail. The judge has received a death threat from someone in Stone Cross which leads Cutter and Lola to be vigilant as the weather conditions deteriorate which may delay their return to Anchorage. The marshals are thrown into the middle of a case of murder and a search for two missing residents. As I read the book it was as if I could feel the wet cold of the environment and the terror of Sarah. This book is fast-paced with interesting characters who are in the midst of personal problems and some criminals who are brutally evil. This is the second in the Arliss Cutter series, but can be read as a stand-alone book.
Publication Date:March 31, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

5 stars

This book is an exciting addition to the Arliss Cutter series by author Marc Cameron.

I really like that the key women in this story are strong and self-reliant. “Bad-a**.” as one of the characters termed it. The book is extremely well written and thought out in Mr. Cameron's usual competent style. I like Cutter very much and his interaction with his sister-in-law Mim and her children added a great deal to the book. In fact, we learn a great deal about all of the major characters' backgrounds in this volume. I really appreciate learning all this information about the people in the book for it makes me relate to them better and it makes them more real.

I like that Mr. Cameron describes the local beliefs and everyday life in the Alaskan bush. From weather to food to seemingly entrenched attitudes towards women, it is rich and colorful in description.

Cutter has transferred to Anchorage, Alaska to be closer to his widowed sister-in-law and her children. He and his partner, Lola are assigned to escort and protect a judge to a remote village to arbitrate a local case. The judge is a cantankerous person and would rather the Marshalls didn't shadow him.

While they are there, a murder occurs and a husband and wife go missing. Torn between watching the judge and chasing the kidnappers, Cutter is in a dilemma. He hates standing around. Fortunately, the judge is not as unobservant as one might think.

Full of action and tense scenes, along with a little wry humor (go, go Cutter!), this book is a sure winner. I really like Marc Cameron's writing and will continue to read him as long as he chooses to write these great stories.

I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books/Kensington for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review.