Benedict Stone is a 44-year-old jeweler who lives in the small English village of Noon Sun. He is a bit overweight, his job is stagnating, and he is not happy for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that his wife, Estelle, just moved out because she needed some space. All in all, Benedict’s life is not going well. But a major shakeup is in the works.

Gemma, Benedict’s 16-year-old niece, comes to his door one rainy night, seemingly out of the blue. She is the daughter of his estranged brother Charlie, who, some 18 years previously, left for America. Benedict is quite surprised to see Gemma, whose visit comes at a time when all he wants is for his wife to come back home, so they can continue living what had been a comfortable existence. Gemma has a bit of a problematic past, though, and is desperately looking for acceptance. She will bring change not only to Benedict’s life, but to the lives of many of Noon Sun’s residents.

"The story is set in a charming English countryside, and the descriptions are incredibly vivid."

At the same time, secrets are revealed, a few truths are told, and some old disputes come to an end. Just because similar plot lines can be found in other books does not mean that RISE AND SHINE, BENEDICT STONE is not worth reading. Quite the opposite is true. The story is set in a charming English countryside, and the descriptions are incredibly vivid. In fact, while reading some of the scenes from the local pub, I could almost smell the food that author Phaedra Patrick describes so expertly. She revolves the story around gemstones, so readers will find out that rose quartz is for unconditional love, jet for healing grief, emerald for equilibrium, moonstone for empathy, etc.

Although generally a happy tale, RISE AND SHINE, BENEDICT STONE touches on a number of difficult subjects, such as infertility, family ties, marital problems and a betrayal. By dealing with these vital issues, Patrick has made her novel realistic and a more-than-worthy follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut, THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER.