Hands Through Stone - by James Ardaiz (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This fascinating and gripping portrayal is the only book-length account ever written about criminal mastermind Clarence Ray Allen, the last man to be executed in the state of California

Even hardened detectives were shaken by the scene at Fran's Market in rural Fresno County that night in 1980: four young people lay on the market's concrete floor, bloodily murdered by a killer without mercy or remorse. Then a grim investigation became even grimmer when the evidence led to the prime suspect--a convicted murderer already behind the stone walls of Folsom. A true crime story that reads like an intricately woven mystery, the book depicts the chilling scenes of murder, a dogged investigation, and the true story behind the Fran's Market murders and their psychopathic mastermind. Written by former prosecutor James Ardaiz, who was one of the first investigators on the scene at Fran's Market, Hands Through Stone provides an insider's view of the tortuous, multiyear investigation that brought a killer to justice.

Review Quotes

"A fascinating and engrossing book. Ardaiz handles the story sensitively and with a gentleness one doesn't expect from a 'hard-nosed' prosecutor. I highly recommend reading it."-Diana Bulls, Kings River Life

"Ardaiz's writing about police work is in depth ... The final chapter was thought provoking and put a different perspective on the death penalty for me ... had me thinking about the book long after I had finished it."-Rachel EC, truecrimereader.com

"Goes inside the room at Fran's Market and gives not only the events on the infamous night but the feelings of the horror of the seasoned investigators. A must read for readers and writers of mystery books. Highly recommended!"-Terell Byrd, The Poison Pen

About the Author

James A. Ardaiz is a former prosecutor, judge, and Presiding Justice of the California Fifth District Court of Appeal. His previous books include Hands Through Stone, a nonfiction account of the investigation and prosecution of murderer Clarence Ray Allen, and the mystery novels Fractured Justice and Shades of Truth.