The Bones Of You

Goodreads Description

The Bones of You is a gripping psychological thriller from author Debbie Howells; a story of full of dark secrets, obsession and suspense. I have a gardener's inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft-petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer. Children who don't die before their parents. A community in shock When eighteen-year-old Rosie Anderson disappears, the idyllic village where she lived will never be the same again. Local gardener Kate is struck with guilt. She'd come to know Rosie well, and thought she understood her - perhaps better even than Rosie's own mother. A family torn apart Rosie was beautiful, kind and gentle. She came from a loving family and she had her whole life ahead of her. Who could possibly want to harm her? And why? A keeper of secrets Kate is convinced the police are missing something. She's certain that someone in the village knows more than they're letting on. As the investigation deepens, so does Kate's obsession with solving the mystery of what happened to Rosie.

My Review

This is by no means a new release, having been released in 2015 but it has been one that I've been meaning to read for some time. Boy, am I glad that I decided to get to it. It took me a few pages and chapters before I was totally hooked, but by the time I reached page 50, I was a goner.

The novel opens with an absolutely captivating chapter and I knew right from the start that I was going to enjoy this book. The story alternates between the current time narrated by Kate, and the past, being the chapters that are narrated by Rosie. The tension builds so slowly and so well during the Rosie chapters, that I knew there was going to be some sort of explosive reveal or ending. Although I had my suspicions as to what that reveal would be, I was only partially right.

This is one of those books with lots of dislikeable characters. I found Rosie's parents despicable. Her mother was just weird, plain and simple and her father was a man of multiple faces, the ugly ones coming out behind closed doors. But this is also a book with characters to get behind and to support. Kate was one such character and although I found her slightly naive at times, she was very down to earth and likeable.

This book wasn't without its flaws though. I did find some of the characters actions fairly over the top and I also didn't always understand the inclusion of certain characters into the story as they didn't appear to add anything to the story or take it forward in any way, as an example, Kate's journalist friend. Be that as it may, this was a good, easy reading psychological thriller that had me gripped.

My Rating: * * * *

Publication Date: April 2015

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Format: Paperback

Source: Review copy furnished to me by the publisher. Many thanks to author Debbie Howell and Pan Macmillan publishers for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.