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Book Review of Bone By Bone

Bone By Bone
Readnmachine avatar reviewed on + 1440 more book reviews


Intricately plotted twisty suspense novel about the search for the truth behind the 20-year-old disappearance of a teenage photographer.

Set in a small town on the remote coast of northern California, the story begins with the homecoming of Oren Hobbs, brother of the long-vanished Josh Hobbs. In a suitably creepy beginning, Josh Hobbs is finally coming home ... one bone at a time.

Oren's investigation digs deep into the psyche of a small town, where nearly everyone seems to be harboring a nasty little secret. O'Connell presents a huge menu of possible suspects, garnished with various motivations as appetizers. The truth, when it finally emerges, is both horrifying and banal, as evil so often is.

The romance sub-plot never really took off for me, but the rest of the book is a first-rate, compelling read.