Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Bone by Bone
    Bone by Bone
    Bone by Bone
    Audiobook11 hours

    Bone by Bone

    Written by Carol O'Connell

    Narrated by Benjamin Harris

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In the northern California town of Coventry, two teenage brothers go into the woods one day, but only one comes back. No one knows what happened to the younger brother, Josh, until twenty years later, when the older brother, Oren, now an ex-investigator for the Army CID, returns to Coventry for the first time in many years. His first morning back, he hears a thump on the front porch. Lying in front of the door is a human jawbone, the teeth still intact. And it is not the first such object, his father tells him. Other remains have been left there as well. Josh is coming home . . . bone by bone. Using all his investigative skills, Oren sets out to solve the mystery of his brother's murder, but Coventry is a town full of secrets and secret-keepers: the housekeeper with the fugitive past, the deputy with the old grudge, the reclusive ex-cop from L.A., the woman with the title of town monster, and, not least of all, Oren himself. But the greatest secret of all belonged to his brother, and it is only by unraveling it that Oren can begin to discover the truth that has haunted them all for twenty years.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherListen & Live Audio
    Release dateApr 8, 2024
    ISBN9781593164034
    Bone by Bone

    More audiobooks from Carol O'connell

    Related to Bone by Bone

    Related audiobooks

    Mystery For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Karin Slaughter

      Jul 2, 2020

      This American crime author has sold more than 35 million copies of her books globally. This month she’s celebrating the release of her 20th novel in as many years. It’s also the 10th book in special agent Will Trent’s series. “It feels really great a

      1 min read

    • Article

      Launching today: CrimeReads

      Mar 7, 2018

      Launching today: CrimeReads
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Minders

      Oct 7, 2020

      RELEASED OUT NOW! 448 pages | Paperback/ebook/audiobook Author John Marrs Publisher Del Rey John Marrs’s latest near future, high-concept techno-thriller isn’t so much a sequel to The One (DNA dating app has dark secret) and Passengers (autonomous ca

      1 min read

    • Article

      Hear A Ticking Time Bomb

      Mar 15, 2020

      The five years that have passed since the hostage crisis at the Lindt Cafe in central Sydney are enough to clear this competent if not outstanding thriller of any charge of being exploitative. The author – a former family-law and criminal barrister i

      1 min read

    • Article

      TV Pieces Of Her

      Mar 24, 2022

      TV Pieces Of Her
      1 min read

    • Article

      Modern MURDER

      Apr 4, 2021

      Just when thrillers were starting to seem a bit samey, along comes Harper Brown, the heroine of The Paris Affair. It feels like Harper really belongs in a chick-lit novel. Dumped by her cheating boyfriend, she’s sworn off love and her only involvemen

      1 min read

    • Article

      Lay Your Burden Down

      Mar 1, 2019

      Lay Your Burden Down
      15 min read

    • Article

      The Plagues Steph Cha

      Sep 29, 2020

      The Plagues Steph Cha
      9 min read

    • Article

      A Lost Prayer

      Feb 2, 2023

      A Lost Prayer
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Witch Finders

      Jul 16, 2020

      Beth pulled her cloak tightly around her. It was the very last day of October and the air was damp and chill. Dead autumn leaves lay in deep piles in the woods and smoke curled into the night air from her cottage. Not far to go now. She bent her head

      4 min read

    • Article

      Confido BY KURT VONNEGUT

      Nov 1, 2022

      Confido BY KURT VONNEGUT
      13 min read

    • Article

      “Really?”

      Jun 2, 2022

      “Really?”
      6 min read

    • Article

      Echos

      Jan 10, 2019

      Before Corrine’s husband abandoned her in Berlin, he liked to say that her name reminded him of the word “corrupt.” But ending in a twist rather than a split. Her last name was the French word for “swimsuit” but he never mentioned that. This seemed s

      17 min read

    • Article

      Second Language

      Aug 14, 2017

      Second Language
      9 min read

    • Article

      Abandoned

      May 24, 2022

      Abandoned
      5 min read

    • Article

      Abandoned

      Jun 3, 2021

      Abandoned
      5 min read

    • Article

      Euthanasia

      Aug 10, 2023

      On a frigid December morning, Hank Sanders stomped the caked mud off his worn boots and entered Discount Hardware. He couldn’t shake his cousin’s remarks. Put her down, he’d said. The words had rolled so effortlessly off his lips, as if her life mean

      11 min read

    • Article

      Across The Whited Fields

      Oct 13, 2019

      In a twilight streeta small girl laughing. The red and yellow flowersprofuse, inhale the air. We want to hold your name,Polly, dancing in the rain Polly, skipping down the street.Sometimes the world bequeaths then takes away the one to whomou

      14 min read

    • Article

      Excerpts From The Works Of The 2024 Whiting Award Winners

      Apr 10, 2024

      The 2024 Whiting Award winners were announced Wednesday night. Below are excerpts from their work.

      19 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems

      Sep 1, 2022

      Are you ready? I nodded. She slid the needle inand the sick cat, who only a moment before had tried toleap to the floor closed his eyes and exhaled. Andthat’s it, she said a little too brightly, pulling the needle out.That’s it? I asked. That’s all t

      3 min read

    • Article

      Cricket League

      Sep 1, 2022

      First prize 10 and under Tang Li, age 9 Palmetto Bay, FL My name is Anisa. I was in Hawaii on vacation. I enjoyed sipping refreshing drinks, overlooking the turquoise ocean, and dancing with others, before I overheard that the priceless Fire Ring wa

      10 min read

    • Article

      Nugrybauti

      Apr 24, 2019

      Nugrybauti
      8 min read

    • Article

      Wayétu Moore

      Jun 15, 2018

      Lai was hidden in the middle of forests when the Vai people found it. There was evidence of earlier townsmen there, as ends of stoneware and crushed diamonds were found scattered on hilltops in the unexpected company of domestic cats. But when the Va

      29 min read

    • Article

      Suspicious Circumstances

      Aug 10, 2022

      Suspicious Circumstances
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Bone by Bone

    4/5

    238 ratings26 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Loved the book and the characters! I was way off on the ending.
    • 5/5
      Twists and turns and more twists and more turns! And so many characters! This was a great whodunit read!
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the story overall, and it did keep me guessing until the end. But I wish there had been a longer pause between character changes so you would know a new chapter was beginning. It was hard to keep track.
    • 5/5
      David is born into a time in America (1950s) when black and white people are at opposite ends of the social scale. His father, a doctor who expects David to follow in his footsteps, has a hatred of 'coloured' people, and threatens to kill David's 'nigger' friend if he ever enters the house. Throughout the book, we see David's gradual understanding of his father evolve, along with hatred of his father's unchristian attitudes to black people. David's family members - his more accepting uncle, his timid grandmother and his demanding and eccentric great-grandmother - make the story a lively read. His friendship with his black blood-brother, is touching. Tony Johnston's writing is a unique pleasure.
    • 5/5
      I feel that Bone by Bone by Bone by Tony Johnston is a good example of YA literature. Although it is set in the 1950’s, its themes are very relevant to young people today. In a world where some still frown upon interracial relationships, especially in the South, readers can definitely identify with the protagonist’s (David’s) situation. Also, the relationship presented between David and his father is a very realistic one. Doctor Church expects a great deal from his son (I would argue that he has very unrealistic expectations at times), and he is so narrow-minded about what his son should accomplish in life. David struggles to please his father in multiple ways throughout the book, especially where becoming a doctor is concerned, and he is torn between hating and loving his father. So many young people today feel these same pressures from their parents, and many react in the same way that David reacts.The book, also, did not “sugar-coat” the racial tension prevalent during the 1950’s in the South. The author uses strong racist language and some disturbing, but accurate, scenes depicting hate crimes. The chapters and sentences are brief, and the action moves along quickly. Each of these qualities is characteristic of YA literature. Finally, the book, in a way, leaves the reader to wonder what will happen to David as he sets off to find his uncle in the Northern U.S. It does not tie up all loose ends, and it leaves the reader feeling quite sad. This ending is perfect for the book because it was, indeed, a sad time in which to live, especially for a white child whose best friend was black.This book could be used perfectly in conjunction with To Kill a Mockingbird. They share the same themes and similar settings, and both feature young children as the main characters. Bone by Bone by Bone is a more personal exploration of the themes, so a teacher could compare author’s point of view between the two books, as well.
    • 4/5
      I was intrigued by two things when I was offered this book - the cover and the references to "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I wondered how the cover related to the book and had thoughts of deaths and murder and as Harper Lee's novel is an all time favourite of mine, I felt compelled to try something that had been likened to it. The cover does have a particular significance and is connected to David's father wanting him to become a doctor - something happens to the skeleton on the cover at the end of the novel which I found quite sad, it was David's attempt at independence. If you've read `To Kill A Mockingbird' you'll have an idea of what to expect in a novel which tackles race issues, the Ku Klux Klan and children who just want to be friends because they want to not because of anything to do with skin colour. David is white and Malcolm isn't. They meet in the town they live in, in Tenneesse, when David is nine years old. The novel continues over David' life until just after his thirteenth birthday. David and Malcolm want to be friends but Malcolm is a little wiser as to why they can't than David is. David's father tells him that if Malcolm ever enters their house he will shoot him; and he can't quite weigh up his father's hatred of Macolm and the novel explores this. The novel focuses on David's coming of age and fits the friendship with Malcolm into this. David begins to look closely at his family, analysing each and every one of them, exploring for the reader their highs and lows. I was very interested in the character of Uncle Lucas and would've liked this in more detail but of course the reader is taken through the family's life via David's eyes. Whereas I feel `To Kill A Mockingbird' is more for an older teenager, `Bone by Bone by Bone' would sit well with a younger reader; this obviously means there is naiveity in that the narrator is young (like in TKAM) but talks with young eyes - we see everything through David's eyes rather than the writer using the narrator to tell the reader a message. As an adult reader this was an easy read, taking just a few hours, but for a child this should open up a lot of discussion (hopefully) as to why life was like this at the time. Most children will have covered race relations in school, more than likely at the age they would be reading this novel, so should already have some opinions formed. There were places were the novel could have been tightened up a bit but then I had to keep reminding myself that Tony Johnston was using a young child to tell the story so it would sound a bit flimsy in places. Overall, it's a great story and worth the read as an adult or as a child.
    • 4/5
      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 this reviewer, but the rest of the book is a first-rate, compelling read.
    • 2/5
      Disappointing to me. O'Connell's usual high quality of storytelling took a hit with this book. She seems to have written it just to write about a bunch of quirky characters in a quirky small town. It makes me wonder if O'Connell has ever even visited a small town before. Does she honestly think places like this exist? And the characters don't act like any rational human beings I've ever encountered. There is some entertainment value in the sheer carnival-type atmosphere she's created.
    • 5/5
      Starts a little slow, but has a nice pace at the end. Usual nice feel for her characters. In a town where everybody has secrets, it does not pay to document them.
    • 4/5
      A letter from his family's faithful housekeeper Hannah draws former Army CID agent Oren to the family homestead, where he finds that human bones are being left on his father's doorstep. Years ago, he and his brother Josh had gone into the woods together and Josh never returned. Now Josh appears to be coming back a piece at a time.There are plenty of odd and off-beat characters in this one. We learn about them bit by bit -- including knowledge of the missing Josh, who died so young but had antagonized so many people.I have mixed feelings about this one. It did keep me reading, (er, listening, as I read it via audio). Some of it felt a little forced, artificial. I've found that to be an issue in O'Connel's books sometimes -- in her eagerness to spin a plot, she often goes overboard in creating odd people and plot twists. But, as I said, it kept me wanting to know more and getting emotionally invested in the odd lot of folks. And as always, the actual writing is marvelous. Maybe I should give it a higher rating for its ability to pull me in despite my reservations.
    • 5/5
      My favorite O'Connell. Not a 'Mallory' novel as the library title suggested.Small town setting.
    • 4/5
      I really like Carol O'Connell's prose. Its spare and pragmatic but still evocative. I imagine it as a survivor of the dust bowl with a thousand mile stare.
    • 3/5
      A good solid mystery novel. O'Connell never disappoints...
    • 4/5
      This outstanding novel by Carol O'Connell is about a cold case. A teenage boy was killed 20 years prior to the story, and his brother has come home for the first time since the murder. The brother, Oren, is drawn into a quest for truth when he learns that someone has been leaving his brother's bones on the porch of the family home. As Oren investigates, it becomes clear that the question is not who killed his brother, but rather who did not -- everyone involved has secrets and motivation.O'Connell's writing is lyrical and beautiful. Characters are vividly drawn, and it is easy to sympathize with even the most flawed characters because O'Connell relays their hopes, dreams, and thoughts. It is impossible to guess the plot, and in fact sometimes it's necessary to stop and think through the implications of a seemingly trivial detail which is casually dropped into the story. In addition to the well-done characters and plot, O'Connell's writing also has an element of the unexpected which is delightful. For example, no one will enter the town library. This mentioned several times and little teasing hints as to why are dropped throughout the story. When it is finally revealed why, it makes perfect sense; but who besides O'Connell would include a strange, off-beat detail about a library that no one will enter? The story is littered with such quirks, which reflect the fact that in real life, not everything is cut and dried. People behave strangely, think illogically, and weird events occur. It's always a delight to read Carol O'Connell, on many different levels, and this book is one of her best.
    • 5/5
      Best murder mystery I've red in ages. Oren Hobbs, ex-military man, returns home after 20 years to find that his brother Josh's remains are being returned to his father's house bone by bone. As Oren and Josh entered the woods together 20 years previously and only Josh returned, suspicion fell on Oren, but now 20 years later, Oren searches for the truth. What made this so enjoyable? The unpredictability of the characters and the way that one act ties together an entire town.
    • 3/5
      Bone by Bone was highly recommended by an ensorcelled friend who swallowed it up in an afternoon.I found it well written with awkward moments of dialog that seemed staged. Halfway through I got tired of the characters and the mini-melodramas. I skipped to the end. That said, given the Northern California Pacific Coast setting, the eccentric characters, the turrets, and the phantom of the library, this would make a great movie.
    • 4/5
      Picked this based on Melissa's review. It sure get me occupied during the April snowstorm. The small town was a little too small and did one "normal" person live there? Doesn't matter - I enjoyed it anyway.
    • 5/5
      This book hooked me from beginning to end. I read the audio version, which may make a difference. The characters were very believable and so were the situations, once you understood the placement. Oren left home twenty years ago after his brother Josh failed to return from the woods surrounding their home. With allegations and accusations flying that Oren may have had a hand in Josh's disappearance, the Judge decides to send Oren far from the trouble at hand. By the time Oren returns to Coventry, which is in itself a rather messed up town of criminals and misfits, Hannah, the housekeeper is ill, the Judge is having strange dreams and Josh is coming home, bone by bone. The skull is the first bone that shows up with Oren's arrival. Having built a career as the best CID agent in the army, Oren sets out to find out the truth about his brother's disappearance. The whole town could have done it, but the ending is a great surprise. I enjoyed the CID agent sent to investigate the sheriff, Josh's disappearance and Oren. She was not what I would have expected for this character, but she was so funny and on cue that I couldn't help adore her.
    • 3/5
      I really like Carol O'Connell's Mallory series of books & enjoyed her other stand-alone book, Judas Child, so I picked this one up with anticipation. I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as her others.This is a gothic confection of a tale about two brothers who go into the woods with only one returning & what happens 20 years later when Oren, the surviving brother returns home to find that his missing brother is returning home - bone by bone.The opening chapters and setup are great. There are some wonderful eccentrics populating the small town of Coventry, CA where the action takes place. There is one scene late in the book, depicting a dance between two characters who were once lovers that is breathtaking & this small set of 3-4 paragraphs alone would be worth the read.There are some downsides. The book is ultimately more plot than character - sharp departure from O'Connell's other books. In particular, O'Connell seems too distanced from her central characters, Oren & Josh, making them less interesting than some more fleshed out minor characters which makes the impetus of the whole thing less interesting. O'Connell's writing and plotting seem much less precise here than in any of her other books. The plot tends to wander about an awful lot in ways that seem more calculated than natural - another difference between this and her other books.For all that, this is a fun read & should tide Mallory fans over until the next one in that series.
    • 4/5
      Series writer produces stand alone in a totally different setting, an unusual and creepy small town in Northern California peopled with affluent eccentrics. Twenty year old disappearance case revisited by victim's brother/prime suspect/ex-Army investigator. O'Connell's characteristicly wicked emotional violence and disturbing characters are at play. Multilayered. I will probably enjoy a re-read in coming years.Why: I buy O'Connell in hardback at the earliest opportunity without even reading the synopsis blurb. I guess I'm addicted.
    • 4/5
      What is every parent’s worst nightmare? Kids getting bad grades? They don’t make any friends? Not even close. Every parent’s worst nightmare is that their child will go out to play, and never come home. Now imagine that this actually happened, how could anything be worse than this? How about by having that missing child come home twenty years later…bone by bone. This is the setup behind Carol O’Connell’s latest thriller “Bone by Bone,” a wonderfully captivating tale filled with great characters and a clever and engaging mystery.One day, the sons of Judge Henry Hobbs, Joshua and Oren, go out into the woods to play. That evening though Oren returns alone. Every available resident in the town of Coventry helps search the woods to find little Josh Hobbs, but strangely he is never located. The news ripples through the town like a shockwave. People warmly recollect their memories of Josh; Josh following them around with his camera and snapping candid pictures of the Coventry townsfolk. After a while, Josh’s older brother Oren is sent away from Coventry by his father. Not surprisingly, this incident only sparks more speculation and rumor-mongering among the nosy townspeople. What could be worse than having one of your sons disappear? How about having the other one accused of killing him. Twenty years have passed and after receiving a letter from his father’s housekeeper, Hannah, which hints at his father’s ailing health, Oren returns to Coventry. When he arrives at his father’s door, he’s not only startled by the appearance of Hannah, but by what was left at the front door, namely a human bone. Discussing recent events with Hannah, Oren comes to shockingly discover that his brother has been coming home bone by bone for weeks now. While the family now has confirmation that Joshua is dead, they must suddenly unravel the mystery of who found him, killed him and is now sending him back one bone at a time. Even though the town banded together twenty years earlier to find Josh, not all of them are totally clueless about what happened that fateful day. Oren becomes fixated on discovering who killed his brother and clearing his family. In the process, he discovers that everyone in town has their own dirty little secret to hide and his brother may have paid dearly for photographing some of them.The story’s mystery arc is well-plotted and executed by a masterful hand, producing an extremely captivating read. Carol O’Connell does an excellent job of developing the back-story for all the characters, providing a depth to them that makes each character incredibly relatable to the reader. Her fine characterizations had me cheering for the protagonists and despising the villains, and are the reason the novel works so well. I empathized with Oren’s struggle to uncover the mystery of his brother’s disappearance and subsequent gruesome return. And even more, I was engaged by it.The plot in “Bone by Bone” is intricate and shrewdly crafted. It contains many blind corners that I never saw coming. The narrative moves quickly, the mystery unfolding or complicating at a rapid pace. Dull moments won’t be found here. O’Connell sprinkles a little trail of breadcrumbs throughout the story to entice her audience, not enough to spoil the conclusion, but with enough substance to let the reader speculate on possible outcomes. The climax of the book did not disappoint, wrapping everything up beautifully in a stunning conclusion. The only drawback to the novel is that the extremely short story breaks felt schizophrenic since each one changed the focus to a different character. If anything, this made the story harder to follow and get into. Last Word:Despite a somewhat schizophrenic nature due to its rapid pacing and intricate storyline, “Bone by Bone” delivers a bucketful of thrills and chills. It’s a story that will pull at your heart strings, while at the same time making you seethe with anger at some of the characters. If you’re in the mood for a great mystery with tight plotting and great characterizations and will keep you captivated from the first page to the last, then Carol O’Connell’s “Bone by Bone” is a terrific choice.
    • 5/5
      Bone by Bone was an amazing read.To make this a decent review, I know I should write more, but I am going to keep this short and simple as I did when I did the write up at amazon.1. Carol O'Connell just gets better with each book she writes.2. There is no Mallory in this novel, but that's okay because I want more of Oren Hobbs.3. As to the rest, I have this to say: If you like a good mystery with great characterizations, well rounded plot and smooth prose that makes the reading a pleasure, then this is your book.I will admit that it is not for everyone. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and it can see like it is a little too much for some, but for me, it hit all my reading pleasure points, so I gave it the 5 stars.
    • 4/5
      This is a stand-alone mystery/thriller and is good but not as good as Judas Child, her other stand-alone, which I thought was fantastic. Of course, her Mallory mysteries ~ in particular, Find Me, are favorites of mine. I hope she writes more of Mallory, but, even if she decides to move on and write either another series or more stand-alones, I'll be grateful and a faithful reader.
    • 3/5
      Oren returns home to Coventry, California after a twenty year absence. The event that precipitated his departure from Coventry was the disappearance of his younger brother, Josh. Suddenly, twenty years later his brother's bones begin appearing on the family porch almost night after night. So begins a very promising mystery about coming home to battle past demons and finally finding peace. By the time Oren returns home he is an excellent Army investigator whose reputation with the army is blemish free. He begins to investigate his brothers death and discovers many things about his home that were previously unknown to him. But as the investigation rolls along, the book begins to lose its way. The characters were just downright unrealistic in their behavior and motivations. Everyone has a back story that is filled with trauma and drama. There is the librarian who showers maybe once a year and her smell kept the library empty. There is the wife of the town tycoon who is a raving alcoholic and has a daughter, Isabelle, who though not as damaged as her mother has had to live with a mother who is slowly going mad with drink and a father who fuels the habit. There is also the housekeeper whose origins had remained obscured for more than forty years but was sure to be hiding something. It was just too much after awhile. It began to feel more like a mental institution rather than a town. The relationship between Oren and Isabelle has to be one of the worst storylines I have ever read. Isabelle is obviously in love with Oren and has probably been so since she was about eleven. But because Oren refused to dance with her at a party, she proceeds to show her love for him from then on by ignoring him. When he returns to town, she sees him in the street and after having not seen him in twenty years, she walks up to him and kicks him in the shins. Her next encounters with him involve her trying to run him over with her car and almost running him over with her horse. Seriously!!! Who writes this stuff? I felt like I was reading a Mills and Boon novel. Did I mention that by this point both Oren and Isabelle are in their thirties? And sadly enough we are supposed to take this as some sort of legitimate courtship. Did I mention that they never actually spoke to each other after the incident at the party? The actual mystery got lost in the mix of all this unnecessary stuff. It is sad that this book was so exciting and enjoyable at first and lost steam along the way and never fully recovered. By the time the mystery was solved, I have to say that it did not matter as much to me anymore who had done what. I believe that this writer has alot of potential as evidenced by the first part of the book but with this one I believe she missed the mark. An exciting mystery was derailed by an over abundance of eccentricity in the town and its character.
    • 3/5
      I had really looked forward to reading and reviewing "Bone by Bone" by Carol O'Connell. I enjoy murder mysteries, I had read great reviews of the author's previous books, and was also intrigued by the book's premise. However, I must say I was disappointed by this novel.The first pages were engaging enough, as the groundwork for the story was laid out. It tells of Oren, an Army investigator who returns home to investigate his brother's disappearance. Soon however, I lost interest in continuing this book. It was set in Northern California (where I have lived for years) but this was not the region I know. This Northern California was populated exclusively by eccentrics and misfits like the town librarian who never bathes, the alcoholic who lives in a tower like Rapunzel, and the hotel owner who runs seances for her guests. There was not a SINGLE character who was not damaged in some way or another. I enjoy reading about unusual characters, but only if they're presented in a somewhat believable way. This cast of characters were just too unrealistic for my tastes. Additionally, the romance (if that's an accurate description) between Oren and Isabelle was absurd. Isabelle (a thirty-something professional) showed her affection for Oren by attempting to run him over with her car, or by kicking him in the shin. It reminded me of the schoolboy who shows his romantic interest by pulling his classmate's braid.Needless to say, I am unable to recommend "Bone by Bone". Even though I usually enjoy this genre, this particular book was not for me.
    • 3/5
      Carol O’Connell’s Bone By Bone is an engaging murder mystery. Oren Hobbs is called home to small town Coventry after a twenty year absence when his missing brother’s body starts appearing on his father’s doorstep, bone by bone. Oren uses skills learned as an army investigator to unearth clues to the unsolved murder that dates back to his childhood. Oren’s younger brother, Josh, was a teenager with a great talent in photography at the time of his disappearance. The subjects of his photographs were the people of Coventry, and Josh’s uncanny ability to capture their vulnerabilities produced photos that exposed many secrets. Using the photographs as clues, Oren uncovers a town full of people with questionable pasts. There is a former cop who was ambushed and scarred for life, a pedophile who stalked a boy he loved, an alcoholic who was slowly driven insane, and her husband, a shady lawyer with secrets of his own.The plot of Bone by Bone is suspenseful and reaches a satisfying conclusion to the mystery. On the other hand, there is a ridiculous relationship between Oren and Isabelle, the alcoholic’s daughter. Oren had snubbed Isabelle by not dancing with her when she was eleven years old. When he returns to Coventry twenty years later, Isabelle’s first reaction is to kick him. Later, she tries to run him down with her automobile. These actions get a chuckle from the woman who raised Oren, with a comment that they would eventually marry each other. O’Connell could have developed a romantic relationship between Oren and a fiery woman without taking such an easy route and resorting to silliness. In my opinion, it compromised the quality of the book.