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FalconClaw: Bones
Detective Jon Bones Sullivan, mourning the loss of his partner, Frank Collazo, moves into Frank’s old house. Was he looking for a reason to stay close to his old friend? Or was Bones running from his past? Bones Sullivan’s father died when he was only eighteen years old. When he did, Bones and his mother were finally rid of the man who had physically and verbally abused them for years. The death of a husband and father would normally create an unfillable void, but not when the decedent was a monster. Bones and his mother could now move on with their lives and try to forget the man they grew to hate. The man wouldn’t forget them, however, and George Sullivan was not done tormenting Bones, who, after the death of his mother, inherited the family home. It was an unforgiving home and, in the case of Bones Sullivan, unforgettable. Running from the memories of his father, Bones is thrust into a case that would haunt him and release the skeletons that had been hidden in the family closet for years.
487 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2023
4 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 1, 2023
Bones: Falcon Claw Detective Series Book 5
This is the 3rd book I've read in the series and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. He holds your interest from the beginning and peppers it throughout with many twists and turns and surprises. Highly recommend Michael's books.
This is the 3rd book I've read in the series and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. He holds your interest from the beginning and peppers it throughout with many twists and turns and surprises. Highly recommend Michael's books.
October 22, 2023
Don’t miss this one!
Suspense, violence, serial killer, abuse, family,
friendships, love, factual events and fiction are all woven together in this dynamic, detective drama by Michael Cook. Although fifth in a series, and the best so far in my opinion, it can hold its own. The author makes you feel like you are right there with Bones, the main character, as he struggles between his troubled past, and trying to end the horrific crimes being committed around him in Philly. You won’t want to put it down.
Suspense, violence, serial killer, abuse, family,
friendships, love, factual events and fiction are all woven together in this dynamic, detective drama by Michael Cook. Although fifth in a series, and the best so far in my opinion, it can hold its own. The author makes you feel like you are right there with Bones, the main character, as he struggles between his troubled past, and trying to end the horrific crimes being committed around him in Philly. You won’t want to put it down.
October 20, 2023
Don’t miss this one!
Suspense, violence, serial killer, abuse, family, friendships, love, factual, events, and fiction are all woven together in this dynamic, detective, drama, by Michael Cook. Although fifth in a series, and the best so far in my opinion, it can hold its own. The author makes you feel like you are right there with Bones, the main character, as he struggles between his troubled past, and trying to end the horrific crimes being committed around him in Philly. You won’t want to put it down.
Suspense, violence, serial killer, abuse, family, friendships, love, factual, events, and fiction are all woven together in this dynamic, detective, drama, by Michael Cook. Although fifth in a series, and the best so far in my opinion, it can hold its own. The author makes you feel like you are right there with Bones, the main character, as he struggles between his troubled past, and trying to end the horrific crimes being committed around him in Philly. You won’t want to put it down.
November 15, 2023
Detective Jon “Bones” Sullivan fights to simply make through each day. Recovering from physical and emotional wounds tied to a shootout that left his partner dead, day-to-day is the best he can do. Then he is confronted by the specter of death, another loss in his police family, and the return of a woman he let go.
Instead of rolling over, Bones dives head-first back into his job to preserve his sanity.
However, neither Candace Weatherby’s return nor the specter of death is a coincidence. Both events are heralds of a killer on a mission of retribution and tribute played out across North Philadelphia.
Bones is Michael Cook’s fifth book in the FalconClaw series. In the course of five books he has explored a range of sub-genres, cozy to mystery to police procedural—and now serial-killer thriller. Book one was Frank and Penny, (based on actual North Philly detectives). Then we met the second generation Frank and Penny, (spiritual descendants in contemporary circumstances). Now the baton has been passed to Bones Sullivan.
“…Sylvia Langham walked down those steps and into oblivion.”
On heels of the afore-mentioned death in the family, Bones is thrilled to be reunited with Candace, even as she takes on a consulting job that puts her on the streets among the very people Bones hunts. All too soon, they are investigating the disappearance of a college student, snatched off the street.
Then visions begin to point Bones toward something more than random abductions and subsequent killings. The visions also suggest that he is now the hunted.
Only the dead know Brooklyn
Thomas Wolfe wrote his famous commentary on Brooklynites, and their borough, almost 100 years ago. Yet the idea is as fresh as morning coffee in Cook’s world. Both cops and robbers, good guys and bad are directed as much by lessons from the dead as they are by their own mortality.
If Candace Weatherby’s reception at the storied 39th is frosty, (they refer to her as Ms. Montreal) it is from a lack of history. Shared history, like shared loss and shared jeopardy, unite the men and women on the job. How do you trust someone who doesn’t know the city? How can she know the city if she doesn’t know the ghosts of the city?
Only the haunted know the ghosts of Philly’s streets. Haunted by generational abuse and unrelenting loss, Bones knows Philadelphia through and through. Which brings us to the star of the story.
The backbone (puns) character uniting all five books of Cook’s FalconClaw saga is Philadelphia. Rustbelt trauma and end-of-the-gilded-age reality dot each characters’ emotional landscape. History informs day-to-day life for the scrappy survivors in Nicetown and Franklinville. History permeates the 39th District.
North Philly carries the race-tension real story through every twist and turn of undead streets and the walking ghosts who populate them. Cook’s sense of place is only exceeded by his ability to subvert expectations. Place, tone, and tension make for a breakneck pace.
Note: this is not a cozy. The big-bad here is a serial murderer. The details are graphic. There are also accounts of sexual and domestic abuse.
With that stated, FalconClaw: Bones is also a lot of fun to read. As stated Cook will pivot your expectations like a judo-master. Also, as with previous books, there is a genre crossover that this review won’t spoil. However fans of Robert van Gulik’s Judge Dee will thoroughly enjoy Cook’s work.
He clearly had fun writing it and you’ll have fun reading it. Check it out!
Instead of rolling over, Bones dives head-first back into his job to preserve his sanity.
However, neither Candace Weatherby’s return nor the specter of death is a coincidence. Both events are heralds of a killer on a mission of retribution and tribute played out across North Philadelphia.
Bones is Michael Cook’s fifth book in the FalconClaw series. In the course of five books he has explored a range of sub-genres, cozy to mystery to police procedural—and now serial-killer thriller. Book one was Frank and Penny, (based on actual North Philly detectives). Then we met the second generation Frank and Penny, (spiritual descendants in contemporary circumstances). Now the baton has been passed to Bones Sullivan.
“…Sylvia Langham walked down those steps and into oblivion.”
On heels of the afore-mentioned death in the family, Bones is thrilled to be reunited with Candace, even as she takes on a consulting job that puts her on the streets among the very people Bones hunts. All too soon, they are investigating the disappearance of a college student, snatched off the street.
Then visions begin to point Bones toward something more than random abductions and subsequent killings. The visions also suggest that he is now the hunted.
Only the dead know Brooklyn
Thomas Wolfe wrote his famous commentary on Brooklynites, and their borough, almost 100 years ago. Yet the idea is as fresh as morning coffee in Cook’s world. Both cops and robbers, good guys and bad are directed as much by lessons from the dead as they are by their own mortality.
If Candace Weatherby’s reception at the storied 39th is frosty, (they refer to her as Ms. Montreal) it is from a lack of history. Shared history, like shared loss and shared jeopardy, unite the men and women on the job. How do you trust someone who doesn’t know the city? How can she know the city if she doesn’t know the ghosts of the city?
Only the haunted know the ghosts of Philly’s streets. Haunted by generational abuse and unrelenting loss, Bones knows Philadelphia through and through. Which brings us to the star of the story.
The backbone (puns) character uniting all five books of Cook’s FalconClaw saga is Philadelphia. Rustbelt trauma and end-of-the-gilded-age reality dot each characters’ emotional landscape. History informs day-to-day life for the scrappy survivors in Nicetown and Franklinville. History permeates the 39th District.
North Philly carries the race-tension real story through every twist and turn of undead streets and the walking ghosts who populate them. Cook’s sense of place is only exceeded by his ability to subvert expectations. Place, tone, and tension make for a breakneck pace.
Note: this is not a cozy. The big-bad here is a serial murderer. The details are graphic. There are also accounts of sexual and domestic abuse.
With that stated, FalconClaw: Bones is also a lot of fun to read. As stated Cook will pivot your expectations like a judo-master. Also, as with previous books, there is a genre crossover that this review won’t spoil. However fans of Robert van Gulik’s Judge Dee will thoroughly enjoy Cook’s work.
He clearly had fun writing it and you’ll have fun reading it. Check it out!
November 28, 2023
And it continues! FalconClaw: Bones
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
Having read all of the previous FalconClaw books, I couldn't wait for Bones! Bones character is one that has been developing and weaving through the previous books for years, but not stepping out into the forefront.
This is his time! What a character! His secrets are many and deep, but he is steadfast, dependable and determined to solve the latest crime against the people in his city. With his friends and mentors Frank and Doug gone (or are they?), he is on his own with the most maniacal killer yet. There are twists and turns that sneak up on you as you read. Just when I thought I had something figured out, I had to back up and rethink!
Read this book! You will not regret it! You will instead be waiting, like me, for the next installment by Michael Cook!
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
Having read all of the previous FalconClaw books, I couldn't wait for Bones! Bones character is one that has been developing and weaving through the previous books for years, but not stepping out into the forefront.
This is his time! What a character! His secrets are many and deep, but he is steadfast, dependable and determined to solve the latest crime against the people in his city. With his friends and mentors Frank and Doug gone (or are they?), he is on his own with the most maniacal killer yet. There are twists and turns that sneak up on you as you read. Just when I thought I had something figured out, I had to back up and rethink!
Read this book! You will not regret it! You will instead be waiting, like me, for the next installment by Michael Cook!
January 9, 2024
Another excellent addition to the Falcon Claw series. Fast-paced and full of twists. The Bones character continues the legacy of Frank Collazo and brings it to a new level. If you are a Philadelphia resident this book will hold even more meaning as the author brings to life some of the old and mostly forgotten landmarks of the towns surrounding the city. If you are not from the area, the author brings to life parts of the city you may have heard about on the news but never visited. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes psychological thrillers.
October 17, 2023
Thank you for considering my latest novel for your next read. FalconClaw - Bones is a paranormal, psychological crime drama with rich character development and a great plot. The book is the fifth in the FalconClaw Detective series, but like the first four, stands alone should you consider starting the series with this one.
The story takes place on the rugged streets of North Philadelphia and incorporates historical figures, locations, and events that capture the rich history of America's first capital. This book reintroduces you to Gary Heidnik, the inspiration of Buffalo Bill Gumb in Silence of the Lambs.
If you like this book, please consider the others in the series. Go to falconclawseriesdotcom to learn more. If you take a chance on my books, please review and tell me what you thought. I will also make myself available by phone if you'd like to chat.
Warm regards, Michael Cook
The story takes place on the rugged streets of North Philadelphia and incorporates historical figures, locations, and events that capture the rich history of America's first capital. This book reintroduces you to Gary Heidnik, the inspiration of Buffalo Bill Gumb in Silence of the Lambs.
If you like this book, please consider the others in the series. Go to falconclawseriesdotcom to learn more. If you take a chance on my books, please review and tell me what you thought. I will also make myself available by phone if you'd like to chat.
Warm regards, Michael Cook
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews