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octavietullier's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
An old tragedy comes back to upset a community of oddballs and descendants of rich old families living in a small town, as a dented hero closes the case which has begun the unravelling of their life. In this, the premises for the plot are very similar to Flight of the Stone Angel and The Judas Child.
Classic Carol O'Connell's. The reader follows the half-truths of unreliable testimonies up to the bitter end. All this amid a host of beguilingly quirky secondary characters, wrongdoer with redeeming qualities, broken people seeking atonement, and the mistakes of police officers and well-meaning people alike.
Do the author's tricks occasionally show through from book to book? Does this quirkiness sometimes feel a bit artificial? Personally, I don't care, I'm usually in it for the ride. This one's ending is disappointing though: too much stories to tie together and not enough foreshadowing.
Classic Carol O'Connell's. The reader follows the half-truths of unreliable testimonies up to the bitter end. All this amid a host of beguilingly quirky secondary characters, wrongdoer with redeeming qualities, broken people seeking atonement, and the mistakes of police officers and well-meaning people alike.
Do the author's tricks occasionally show through from book to book? Does this quirkiness sometimes feel a bit artificial? Personally, I don't care, I'm usually in it for the ride. This one's ending is disappointing though: too much stories to tie together and not enough foreshadowing.
sam556889's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't too intrigued by much that happened, and while I didn't hate the book, it wasn't something I'd pick up outside of a quick read. I enjoyed the depth of the characters the most but wished the story had a little bit more foreshadowing.
timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
4.0
Another good one from Carol O'Connell. NOT a Mallory story. Creepy, interesting story...not the best wrap-up ever.
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
3.0
This book has a great premise--the remains of a boy who disappeared twenty years earlier are appearing bone by bone on this father's porch--but the story never hung together. Lots of characters. too many red herrings, and a rather disappointing conclusion make it a 3-star read.
melissakuzma's review against another edition
1.0
This book was awful. I've read some of the Mallory series by Carol O'Connell, so I was surprised by how bad I thought this was. She spent so much time trying to create kooky characters, that she forgot all about writing an interesting story.
bxermom's review against another edition
3.0
I started out liking the book, then it felt like it was dragging out, then B-A-M! It grabbed me again.
There was something about this book that I just didn't care for...but I can't put my finger on it. I really liked the storyline but there were so many people involved that at times it was hard to keep them straight. Coventry is definitely a strange town and I wouldn't want to live there. I was definitely shocked by the ending and couldn't figure it out. That is the reason it gets 3 stars. I may check out another book by O'Connell to see for sure if its her writing style or whatever that I don't like. Should you read it? Yeah, give it a try!
There was something about this book that I just didn't care for...but I can't put my finger on it. I really liked the storyline but there were so many people involved that at times it was hard to keep them straight. Coventry is definitely a strange town and I wouldn't want to live there. I was definitely shocked by the ending and couldn't figure it out. That is the reason it gets 3 stars. I may check out another book by O'Connell to see for sure if its her writing style or whatever that I don't like. Should you read it? Yeah, give it a try!
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
Ever since reading [b:Judas Child|868851|Judas Child|Carol O'Connell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223634584s/868851.jpg|2096330] I've been a fan of [a:Carol O'Connell|42353|Carol O'Connell|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]'s. The darkness at the heart of her mysteries is, for some reason, appealing.
Bone by Bone is lighter than Judas Child or [b:Stone Angel|321552|The Agony and the Ecstasy A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo|Irving Stone|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173743439s/321552.jpg|1504548], more akin to a book like [b:Shell Game|434021|Shell Game (Kathleen Mallory)|Carol O'Connell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174736205s/434021.jpg|699598] or [b:Winter House|8282|The Long Winter (Little House)|Laura Ingalls Wilder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165653969s/8282.jpg|3327855] . The characters are what make this book shine, with incredible descriptions of their physical presence as well as details about their psychological state. Unfortunately, that also means over explication in some areas, and by the end of the book there's very little left to our imaginations.
O'Connell doesn't quite follow the "the reader should be able to figure out the criminal from textual clues" approach, but she doesn't stray far. The murderer here was not unexpected, but the evidence did seem to come from some hidden bit of plot that, even if I went back and re-read, was so minor you wondered how the crime got solved.
In the end, the only remaining mystery is why Oren left the military just shy of his 20 years - was it Harriet's doing? was there another reason?
Part of me hopes that we'll meet him again.
Bone by Bone is lighter than Judas Child or [b:Stone Angel|321552|The Agony and the Ecstasy A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo|Irving Stone|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173743439s/321552.jpg|1504548], more akin to a book like [b:Shell Game|434021|Shell Game (Kathleen Mallory)|Carol O'Connell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174736205s/434021.jpg|699598] or [b:Winter House|8282|The Long Winter (Little House)|Laura Ingalls Wilder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165653969s/8282.jpg|3327855] . The characters are what make this book shine, with incredible descriptions of their physical presence as well as details about their psychological state. Unfortunately, that also means over explication in some areas, and by the end of the book there's very little left to our imaginations.
O'Connell doesn't quite follow the "the reader should be able to figure out the criminal from textual clues" approach, but she doesn't stray far. The murderer here was not unexpected, but the evidence did seem to come from some hidden bit of plot that, even if I went back and re-read, was so minor you wondered how the crime got solved.
In the end, the only remaining mystery is why Oren left the military just shy of his 20 years - was it Harriet's doing? was there another reason?
Part of me hopes that we'll meet him again.
alysona's review against another edition
4.0
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.
magdon's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite of her works, but still a good read. perhaps a little too mysterious?