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Bonehead
With an introduction by Karin Slaughter
A terrifying accident... Alex Mullins knows she is one of the lucky ones. When a fatal coach crash at her school reunion killed several of her classmates, she was saved from a grisly fate. She is haunted by what she thinks she saw that night: a vision of a skeletal woman, known by the locals as the Bonehead—a woman who brings bad luck to all that see her.
A mystery waiting to be solved... Now a police officer in Gloucestershire, Alex fights to overcome the past by helping other people. But when her path crosses with someone who was there that fateful night, her new life begins to unravel at the seams.
What really happened the night of the crash? And what does she have to do for the petrifying Bonehead to finally leave her be?
A new crime thriller from the Queen of Fear, the final novel from the international bestseller Mo Hayder—prepare to be terrified by Bonehead...
A terrifying accident... Alex Mullins knows she is one of the lucky ones. When a fatal coach crash at her school reunion killed several of her classmates, she was saved from a grisly fate. She is haunted by what she thinks she saw that night: a vision of a skeletal woman, known by the locals as the Bonehead—a woman who brings bad luck to all that see her.
A mystery waiting to be solved... Now a police officer in Gloucestershire, Alex fights to overcome the past by helping other people. But when her path crosses with someone who was there that fateful night, her new life begins to unravel at the seams.
What really happened the night of the crash? And what does she have to do for the petrifying Bonehead to finally leave her be?
A new crime thriller from the Queen of Fear, the final novel from the international bestseller Mo Hayder—prepare to be terrified by Bonehead...
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2024
316 people are currently reading
772 people want to read
About the author
Mo Hayder
21 books2,549 followersMo Hayder left school at fifteen. She worked as a barmaid, security guard, film-maker, hostess in a Tokyo club, educational administrator and teacher of English as a foreign language in Asia. She had an MA in film from The American University in Washington DC and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University UK.
Mo lived in Bath with her daughter Lotte-Genevieve. She was also the actress Candy Davis, who was most known as the blonde secretary on “ Are You Being Served?”
Series:
* Jack Caffery
Mo lived in Bath with her daughter Lotte-Genevieve. She was also the actress Candy Davis, who was most known as the blonde secretary on “ Are You Being Served?”
Series:
* Jack Caffery
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
May 25, 2024
Tense, intriguing, heartbreaking. Recommended and the easiest 5 stars ever.
What a treat to have one more Mo Hayder crime thriller. How terribly sad to know there will be no more.
What a treat to have one more Mo Hayder crime thriller. How terribly sad to know there will be no more.
September 28, 2024
3.5 stars because I really enjoyed the legend storyline and atmosphere but not so much the final few chapters.
Mo Hayder was a talented author whose work I have admired over the last 10 years or so. She will be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Mo Hayder was a talented author whose work I have admired over the last 10 years or so. She will be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
May 23, 2024
I was disappointed especially after all the rave reviews. I found the characters irritating and did not warm to any of them. Her Jack Caffery books were amazing though.
July 21, 2024
I love Mo Hayder but this was NOT her. I don’t know who finished writing this but it was awful. No suspense, choppy and glaring grammatical errors. I am beyond disappointed.
October 26, 2025
Having seen recommendations for this author, I acquired one book but found it was number seven in her police procedural series so went looking in the library. There was only one book available, which from the Introduction was published posthumously. It is a stand alone novel.
The story is structured into two narrative threads: one is in first person present tense by a policewoman, Alex, and the other in close third person from the viewpoint of Maryam, mother of Alex's childhood friend, Arran. Alex has been working in London but has transferred back to her hometown, driven to investigate something that has haunted her for the past four years. She and Arran are survivors of a coach crash in which other people they knew died, or suffered life changing injuries, one being in a persistent vegetative state in hospital.
Alex is convinced that someone she saw that night caused the coach driver, killed in the crash, to lose control on a tricky stretch of road beside a lake. She connects the figure seen with Bonehead, a local urban legend about a murdered prostitute who haunts the old parkland around the ruins of a grand house. However, unlike Maryam, she does not think the creature is supernatural but instead is someone using the legend to carry out a vendetta against hers and Maryam's families to drive them away from the area. The family dog at Maryam's house has disappeared and both families have been sent anonymous photocopied photographs of their houses which back onto the parkland.
The story started off with a menacing quality and was quite interesting. The characters were well developed. There was a dark element which involved cruelty to dogs and extreme S + M in a dogging context which some readers may not want to pursue.
I did, however, suspect who lay behind the campaign of harassment and it does have the effect of making Alex and Arran come across as a bit thick, frankly. Also the choice of having two important characters with similar names was odd.
The main weakness of the book is the ending. It is so abrupt and, without giving too much away, begs so many questions that for me it derailed the book and means I have to deduct a couple of stars from my rating. I have read reviews since finishing it and several people have remarked that this final work is not typical of the author so I shall try her police series. My overall rating is 3 stars.
The story is structured into two narrative threads: one is in first person present tense by a policewoman, Alex, and the other in close third person from the viewpoint of Maryam, mother of Alex's childhood friend, Arran. Alex has been working in London but has transferred back to her hometown, driven to investigate something that has haunted her for the past four years. She and Arran are survivors of a coach crash in which other people they knew died, or suffered life changing injuries, one being in a persistent vegetative state in hospital.
Alex is convinced that someone she saw that night caused the coach driver, killed in the crash, to lose control on a tricky stretch of road beside a lake. She connects the figure seen with Bonehead, a local urban legend about a murdered prostitute who haunts the old parkland around the ruins of a grand house. However, unlike Maryam, she does not think the creature is supernatural but instead is someone using the legend to carry out a vendetta against hers and Maryam's families to drive them away from the area. The family dog at Maryam's house has disappeared and both families have been sent anonymous photocopied photographs of their houses which back onto the parkland.
The story started off with a menacing quality and was quite interesting. The characters were well developed. There was a dark element which involved cruelty to dogs and extreme S + M in a dogging context which some readers may not want to pursue.
I did, however, suspect who lay behind the campaign of harassment and it does have the effect of making Alex and Arran come across as a bit thick, frankly. Also the choice of having two important characters with similar names was odd.
The main weakness of the book is the ending. It is so abrupt and, without giving too much away, begs so many questions that for me it derailed the book and means I have to deduct a couple of stars from my rating. I have read reviews since finishing it and several people have remarked that this final work is not typical of the author so I shall try her police series. My overall rating is 3 stars.
July 21, 2024
This book has to be a joke. I’ve never read anything so unfocused and bad. There are mistakes - ‘an hallucination’, ‘an Midsummer Murders box set’ - the story I think is about a stolen dog and a ghost? I honestly have never read anything so terrible. I’m giving this book away - I don’t even want it in my house.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2024
Mo Hayder wrote bleak like no one else. Bonehead, her final novel, is a twisted and unnerving tale. While it plays with a potentially supernatural element (titular Bonehead), it also shows a more trivial and human face of evil. An excellent read for fans of darker thriller reads.
May 16, 2024
Phenomenal read that did not disappoint
Having read all of Mo Hayder books this was an amazing posthumous release that did not disappoint. Absolutely love Mo and her writing style so to be able to have had the opportunity to read this was fantastic.
Alex was a well written character along with Maryam who I loved. The book is folklore with reality and a mystery that unfolds takes dramatic dark turns.
Sad to have got to the last page knowing this was the last time I would have the pleasure of reading Mo’s work.
Having read all of Mo Hayder books this was an amazing posthumous release that did not disappoint. Absolutely love Mo and her writing style so to be able to have had the opportunity to read this was fantastic.
Alex was a well written character along with Maryam who I loved. The book is folklore with reality and a mystery that unfolds takes dramatic dark turns.
Sad to have got to the last page knowing this was the last time I would have the pleasure of reading Mo’s work.
October 28, 2024
This book was weird. The storyline was odd, characters a bit annoying and unlikeable. Just all felt a bit random to me.
May 28, 2024
I have been an avid fan of Mo Hayder since picking up Birdman all those years ago and becoming utterly terrified. The news of her passing upset me deeply as she is a truly gifted writer, and this is her swan song. A standalone crime thriller with a truly gut punch ending. It’s not as good as hanging hill but still a great read.
July 27, 2024
In a tumultuous year for me personally and for the world, it was a diamond dark treat to have a new Mo Hayder book – BONEHEAD – published posthumously.
I’ve loved all of Mo’s standalone novels just as I adore her broody, brilliant Jack Caffery series – and BONEHEAD didn’t disappoint. It has some classic Mo tropes. There’s a speculative edge with its urban ghost story of the female Bonehead. Twists that lead the book into unexpected dark alleyways. Nuanced characters who stay with you long after you reach the final page. An ending that feels like an icy finger tracing your spine. A wonderful sense of place and atmosphere with the English village Eastonbirt.
Some graphic scenes that some readers might feel need trigger warnings but Mo’s fans know her books will enter dark places. Believe me, it’s worth the journey into the shadows. BONEHEAD feels wonderfully gothic in places as well as being a police procedural. The writing is excellent. Mo packs so much into a few sentences. A foreword by Karin Slaughter expresses eloquently how Mo was respected by so many writers around the world, and her influence on women writing crime.
Without giving away spoilers, BONEHEAD centres around an urban legend that has frightened teenagers in Eastonbirt for years. The Bonehead, rumoured to be a local gypsy prostitute in the last century, was lured to her death by one of her johns and thrown into a ravine. Her face was eaten by rodents but her body mummified; the john returns frequently to have sex with the corpse. Stay with me. Her spirit haunts the area, luring locals to their death.
A coach bringing teenagers home from a school reunion crashes. Seven are killed and three permanently disabled. One teenager, Alex Mullins, believes she saw the Bonehead standing over her at the time of the crash. Alex becomes a police officer in London but returns to Eastonbirt a couple of years later, unable to let go of what she saw. She tries to track down her surviving school friends to solve the mystery.
I loved every word of BONEHEAD. I was up way past midnight finishing it in an emotional mess. OK, I did skip the dog scene parts as I just can’t go there... I tried to eke it out knowing it’s the final Mo Hayder – unless another shows up in the attic, or if the remaining drafts of her speculative novels (written as Theo Clare) are released.
I’ve written about Clare’s death before and how it affected me on my online blog Tale Peddler. Mo will always be for me the kindest, fascinating, courageous, talented and beautiful-inside-and-out soul. We lost her too young at 59, but her razor-sharp intelligent, extraordinary stories remain. BONEHEAD is a worthy addition to her already impressive legacy. I just wish there was more.
I’ve loved all of Mo’s standalone novels just as I adore her broody, brilliant Jack Caffery series – and BONEHEAD didn’t disappoint. It has some classic Mo tropes. There’s a speculative edge with its urban ghost story of the female Bonehead. Twists that lead the book into unexpected dark alleyways. Nuanced characters who stay with you long after you reach the final page. An ending that feels like an icy finger tracing your spine. A wonderful sense of place and atmosphere with the English village Eastonbirt.
Some graphic scenes that some readers might feel need trigger warnings but Mo’s fans know her books will enter dark places. Believe me, it’s worth the journey into the shadows. BONEHEAD feels wonderfully gothic in places as well as being a police procedural. The writing is excellent. Mo packs so much into a few sentences. A foreword by Karin Slaughter expresses eloquently how Mo was respected by so many writers around the world, and her influence on women writing crime.
Without giving away spoilers, BONEHEAD centres around an urban legend that has frightened teenagers in Eastonbirt for years. The Bonehead, rumoured to be a local gypsy prostitute in the last century, was lured to her death by one of her johns and thrown into a ravine. Her face was eaten by rodents but her body mummified; the john returns frequently to have sex with the corpse. Stay with me. Her spirit haunts the area, luring locals to their death.
A coach bringing teenagers home from a school reunion crashes. Seven are killed and three permanently disabled. One teenager, Alex Mullins, believes she saw the Bonehead standing over her at the time of the crash. Alex becomes a police officer in London but returns to Eastonbirt a couple of years later, unable to let go of what she saw. She tries to track down her surviving school friends to solve the mystery.
I loved every word of BONEHEAD. I was up way past midnight finishing it in an emotional mess. OK, I did skip the dog scene parts as I just can’t go there... I tried to eke it out knowing it’s the final Mo Hayder – unless another shows up in the attic, or if the remaining drafts of her speculative novels (written as Theo Clare) are released.
I’ve written about Clare’s death before and how it affected me on my online blog Tale Peddler. Mo will always be for me the kindest, fascinating, courageous, talented and beautiful-inside-and-out soul. We lost her too young at 59, but her razor-sharp intelligent, extraordinary stories remain. BONEHEAD is a worthy addition to her already impressive legacy. I just wish there was more.
May 30, 2024
4.5/5
Wow. This was a slower burn but boy does Mo Hayder know how to capture you and build atmosphere.
I really liked the quick chapters that reeled me in as I was reading and kept the flow going. I find slow burners can be too slow if they aren't written this way. I enjoyed Mo's writing style. Quite different to other thrillers I've read. Cleverly descriptive.
It took me a little bit to get into it but when I was in, 1 was in and couldn't stop reading.
I have never felt my stomach sink so much when reading a thriller. There was a point where I saw the story unfolding and the realisation actually made me feel a bit sick.
Wow. This was a slower burn but boy does Mo Hayder know how to capture you and build atmosphere.
I really liked the quick chapters that reeled me in as I was reading and kept the flow going. I find slow burners can be too slow if they aren't written this way. I enjoyed Mo's writing style. Quite different to other thrillers I've read. Cleverly descriptive.
It took me a little bit to get into it but when I was in, 1 was in and couldn't stop reading.
I have never felt my stomach sink so much when reading a thriller. There was a point where I saw the story unfolding and the realisation actually made me feel a bit sick.
October 25, 2024
After a ten year gap since her previous publication it was brilliant to read one last Mo Hayder story. I had almost forgotten her distinctive gripping and slightly unnerving style.
After a rather quiet start to the story the tension builds and builds towards a moving and, for me, unexpected and yet very fitting conclusion. A very poignant ending, particularly knowing that sadly there will be no more Mo Hayder books after this one.
After a rather quiet start to the story the tension builds and builds towards a moving and, for me, unexpected and yet very fitting conclusion. A very poignant ending, particularly knowing that sadly there will be no more Mo Hayder books after this one.
June 23, 2024
I was really excited to know that there was another book that Clare had managed to complete before her illness and untimely passing.
She was a great writer and The Treatment is still one of the most disturbingly sad books I have ever read. This final work is very good, although I found some of the "dope speak" quite pointless and irritating.
I was saddened and disappointed by the unnecessary prejudicial language she used with regard to the fact that Maryam was Welsh. I don't think it added anything to the story, and it wasn't as if Maryam herself was ashamed of her nationality, her insecurity came from how she felt she looked physically, not because of where she came from. I would sincerely hope that these views weren't Mo's own with regard to the offensive remarks she made about Wales and it's people. I didn't see that it was necessary and didn't add anything to the story. Having said that, I will always feel sad that there will be no more Mo Hayder thrillers, but I look forward to reading the speculative fiction that she completed under the name of Theo Clare.
She was a great writer and The Treatment is still one of the most disturbingly sad books I have ever read. This final work is very good, although I found some of the "dope speak" quite pointless and irritating.
I was saddened and disappointed by the unnecessary prejudicial language she used with regard to the fact that Maryam was Welsh. I don't think it added anything to the story, and it wasn't as if Maryam herself was ashamed of her nationality, her insecurity came from how she felt she looked physically, not because of where she came from. I would sincerely hope that these views weren't Mo's own with regard to the offensive remarks she made about Wales and it's people. I didn't see that it was necessary and didn't add anything to the story. Having said that, I will always feel sad that there will be no more Mo Hayder thrillers, but I look forward to reading the speculative fiction that she completed under the name of Theo Clare.
November 12, 2024
Honestly, one of the worst books I've read. I love, pretty much, all of Mo Hayder's books, she was a fabulous writer with exceptional storylines and characters . So I was excited to see a posthumous book had appeared.
I honestly feel this was written by someone else. Everything about it was just awful, the unlikeable characters, the dreary, uninteresting storyline, the superfluous descriptions of what people did, ate or wore.
I would actually give it no stars if I could.
Just pass me the next book.
I honestly feel this was written by someone else. Everything about it was just awful, the unlikeable characters, the dreary, uninteresting storyline, the superfluous descriptions of what people did, ate or wore.
I would actually give it no stars if I could.
Just pass me the next book.
July 8, 2024
A quick enjoyable read and well written but not her best work. I’ve read all of Mo Hayder’s books and although this was ok it wasn’t great compared to her others. It was a good twist and I didn’t get it until just before it was revealed so that bumped it to 3 stars.
September 26, 2024
“𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓾𝓻𝓫𝓪𝓷 𝓵𝓮𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓭, 𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽?” Bonehead by Mo Hayder
𝐀 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭…
𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦.
𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 - 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 - 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳.
𝐀 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝…
𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞?
✨ This was the first book from Hayder, that I have had the pleasure of picking up and reading! It took me a while to get though due to some other commitments in between, but overall I really enjoyed it! I will say, the ending got me. So bad! (IYKYK) I love books overall, that contain any kind of urban legend storyline, I don’t know what it is but I’ve always been intrigued by them😅! I believe this has convinced me to seek out more of Hayder’s work! ✨
𝐀 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭…
𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦.
𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 - 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 - 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳.
𝐀 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝…
𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞?
✨ This was the first book from Hayder, that I have had the pleasure of picking up and reading! It took me a while to get though due to some other commitments in between, but overall I really enjoyed it! I will say, the ending got me. So bad! (IYKYK) I love books overall, that contain any kind of urban legend storyline, I don’t know what it is but I’ve always been intrigued by them😅! I believe this has convinced me to seek out more of Hayder’s work! ✨
March 21, 2025
This was a really good story about an urban legend. That's how it begins. But as the story is slowly revealed, you begin to piece together everything until the full picture comes to light. The alternating chapters of Maryam and Alex are done well and make the unfolding tale all the better, like two winding roads about to converge into one. The first half of the books is quite creepy and baffled me as I tried to figure out what was happening, then the second half tilts into more of a crime thriller. The last chapter felt a bit rushed. The story was quite emotional as well- from certain deaths, to how Maryam was coping as a new mother, questioning her own sanity.
August 8, 2024
Alex Mullins survived a coach crash but some of her school friends were not so lucky. Now a police officer she wants to try to remember about that night. Did she really see the Bonehead.
I have read all of Mo Hayder's books and enjoyed them. This one is no exception and it's sad that it could be very well the last one as she has passed away.
Like all her books this outing is gritty and tense. The story follows Alex as she tries to uncover what did happen and why, along with Aaron a good friend who is also a police officer. The other part of the story follows Maryam, Aaron's mom. This part of the story does go into the back story of Maryam alot but does all come to make sense.
Regarding the Bonehead, there is a local legend and for me this was the best bit. I'm all for legends and folklore and couldn't make my mind up if this story was going down the route of the supernatural or not. Again all is revealed.
I really enjoyed this book. There was plenty to hold my interest and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The story had a very tragic ending which I didn't see coming at all until the last few pages. It may not be for everyone but this is Mo Hayder for you.
I have read all of Mo Hayder's books and enjoyed them. This one is no exception and it's sad that it could be very well the last one as she has passed away.
Like all her books this outing is gritty and tense. The story follows Alex as she tries to uncover what did happen and why, along with Aaron a good friend who is also a police officer. The other part of the story follows Maryam, Aaron's mom. This part of the story does go into the back story of Maryam alot but does all come to make sense.
Regarding the Bonehead, there is a local legend and for me this was the best bit. I'm all for legends and folklore and couldn't make my mind up if this story was going down the route of the supernatural or not. Again all is revealed.
I really enjoyed this book. There was plenty to hold my interest and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The story had a very tragic ending which I didn't see coming at all until the last few pages. It may not be for everyone but this is Mo Hayder for you.
June 23, 2024
4.5 Rounded up ..
A really good page turner of a book - quick read which gave the storyline pace.
Recommended read esp if you've not tried this Author before - reminds me I need to catch up on her previous books.
Why I dropped half a star :
A little too passive in the middle - felt we were going in circles ..
The last third really ramped up in pace as the true colours of our characters come to light.
Guessed some of the ending, which was both inevitable and believable ..
A really good page turner of a book - quick read which gave the storyline pace.
Recommended read esp if you've not tried this Author before - reminds me I need to catch up on her previous books.
Why I dropped half a star :
A little too passive in the middle - felt we were going in circles ..
The last third really ramped up in pace as the true colours of our characters come to light.
Guessed some of the ending, which was both inevitable and believable ..
August 14, 2025
This was my first Mo Hayder. It took a looong time to get going but had a fairly good ending. Not bad but not mind blowing either.
May 19, 2024
Her last book. And everything you’d expect from Mo Hayder, tense and gruesome and heartbreaking. I spotted the twist early on, which in no way detracted from the ending, instead just ratcheted up the tension.
June 23, 2025
Not the best one of Hayder's books. Slow, but not engaging. Found some nerve towards the end, but I'm left a little disappointed.
May 13, 2025
What a book. Mo Hayder knows how to describe the evil that lives in humans. Real pageturner. Enjoyed just as much as all her other books.
May 21, 2025
Avec cet ultime roman, Mo Hayder signe une nouvelle histoire à l'atmosphère glaçante, maniant le malaise avec brio, créant des personnages complexes dont on se souvient même après avoir terminé le livre. J'en suis venue à ressentir moi aussi la peur que ressentaient les personnages pour Crâne d'os. Le style unique de Mo Hayder me manquera beaucoup, j'envie ceux qui la découvriront et qui n'ont pas encore lu son oeuvre.
March 2, 2025
This book read like it had no editing whatsoever - multiple glaring errors (Maryam’s age jumped three times) and awful dialogue. I love Mo Hayder but publishing this half-finished work after her passing has done her a disservice. Bloody awful.
May 24, 2025
I loved this book. It made me feel anxious throughout, the atmosphere very tense. I feel I’m in my comfort zone with Mo Hayder, her writing is so easy to read and I will miss looking forward to further books from her. I could hardly put it down. RIP Mo Hayder.
July 26, 2025
Une lecture qui laisse une marque. Ce mélange entre légende urbaine et enquête policière fonctionne à merveille ! Mo Hayden nous offre un dernier roman, hélas posthume, digne de son nom.
October 13, 2024
Bonehead
Alex Mullins lives in the seemingly idyllic village of Eastonbirt and is one of the survivors of a horrific coach crash that happened nearly three years ago. She is a policewoman and has transferred back to her home town after working in the London Met. She lives with her mother who has set up and runs a charity dedicated to the crash survivors and to the memory of those who died. The ramifications of the crash are still reverberating in the local community and its cause is still unknown. Alex survived with an injury to her left hand whereas other suffered life changing injuries. Seven of the school leavers died in the crash.
She is love with Arran who also works in the police force but in IT. He doesn’t know.
Then an anonymous item arrives in the post. It’s a photo of Alex’s and her mum’s house with a face at the window from a room inside. Alex remembers the local urban legend of Bonehead. This is a skeletal woman who was rumoured to be a gypsy prostitute who was lured to her death by one of her customers and thrown into a ravine. As her body mummified rats ate her face and the murderer returned to have sex with her corpse. Her ghost is reputed to haunt the area and lure unwary locals to their death. She walks the woods and the nearby derelict mansion and grounds. Alex is convinced that she saw a greyish white shape before the crash.
Arran’s parents, Maryam and Rhhory, are searching the woods for their dog, Tumble, who has been missing for six weeks. They are growing increasingly desperate at finding no trace. Maryam is convinced that she has seen a woman in white in the woods and feels threatened and unwelcome there. A family friend, Lois, lost her daughter Sophie May in the crash and has distanced herself from Maryam which has upset her and made her feel more vulnerable.
As Alex begins to talk to other survivors, Tumble is found dead and mutilated with a sign saying ‘Get Out’. And then Bamber goes missing…Alex and Arran join forces and hear rumours of disturbing activities going on in the abandoned arboretum. They include a woman in white with a strange face…is the legend true?
This is Mo Hayder’s final book and has an introduction by Karin Slaughter. I read the Jack Caffery series out of sequence which didn’t spoil my enjoyment of them although I found ‘Birdman’ a bit too much to take in some sequences. ‘Bonehead’ is a standalone book ad I had a feeling that it was unfinished and might have been a very different book if Mo Hayder had completed it. There was a good blend of folklore and the atmosphere in the woods with the mysterious woman was very creepy. I soon guessed that Eastonbirt wasn’t the sleepy, idyllic village that it first appeared.
I loved the author’s previous books; ‘Poppet, ‘Wolf’ and ‘Tokyo’. In fact ‘Wolf’ was one of the scariest books that I have ever read. They were all powerful stories and in the case of ‘Tokyo’ very moving. ‘Bonehead’ wasn’t in the same category in my opinion as it felt like a work in progress. It did make me question the point of publishing uncompleted work after an author’s death. I was really looking forward to reading ‘Bonehead’.
There were some graphic scenes and the ending was one that will stay with me. It was one of the most disturbing and memorable endings that I have ever read. Completely unexpected and a real gut punch.
Alex Mullins lives in the seemingly idyllic village of Eastonbirt and is one of the survivors of a horrific coach crash that happened nearly three years ago. She is a policewoman and has transferred back to her home town after working in the London Met. She lives with her mother who has set up and runs a charity dedicated to the crash survivors and to the memory of those who died. The ramifications of the crash are still reverberating in the local community and its cause is still unknown. Alex survived with an injury to her left hand whereas other suffered life changing injuries. Seven of the school leavers died in the crash.
She is love with Arran who also works in the police force but in IT. He doesn’t know.
Then an anonymous item arrives in the post. It’s a photo of Alex’s and her mum’s house with a face at the window from a room inside. Alex remembers the local urban legend of Bonehead. This is a skeletal woman who was rumoured to be a gypsy prostitute who was lured to her death by one of her customers and thrown into a ravine. As her body mummified rats ate her face and the murderer returned to have sex with her corpse. Her ghost is reputed to haunt the area and lure unwary locals to their death. She walks the woods and the nearby derelict mansion and grounds. Alex is convinced that she saw a greyish white shape before the crash.
Arran’s parents, Maryam and Rhhory, are searching the woods for their dog, Tumble, who has been missing for six weeks. They are growing increasingly desperate at finding no trace. Maryam is convinced that she has seen a woman in white in the woods and feels threatened and unwelcome there. A family friend, Lois, lost her daughter Sophie May in the crash and has distanced herself from Maryam which has upset her and made her feel more vulnerable.
As Alex begins to talk to other survivors, Tumble is found dead and mutilated with a sign saying ‘Get Out’. And then Bamber goes missing…Alex and Arran join forces and hear rumours of disturbing activities going on in the abandoned arboretum. They include a woman in white with a strange face…is the legend true?
This is Mo Hayder’s final book and has an introduction by Karin Slaughter. I read the Jack Caffery series out of sequence which didn’t spoil my enjoyment of them although I found ‘Birdman’ a bit too much to take in some sequences. ‘Bonehead’ is a standalone book ad I had a feeling that it was unfinished and might have been a very different book if Mo Hayder had completed it. There was a good blend of folklore and the atmosphere in the woods with the mysterious woman was very creepy. I soon guessed that Eastonbirt wasn’t the sleepy, idyllic village that it first appeared.
I loved the author’s previous books; ‘Poppet, ‘Wolf’ and ‘Tokyo’. In fact ‘Wolf’ was one of the scariest books that I have ever read. They were all powerful stories and in the case of ‘Tokyo’ very moving. ‘Bonehead’ wasn’t in the same category in my opinion as it felt like a work in progress. It did make me question the point of publishing uncompleted work after an author’s death. I was really looking forward to reading ‘Bonehead’.
There were some graphic scenes and the ending was one that will stay with me. It was one of the most disturbing and memorable endings that I have ever read. Completely unexpected and a real gut punch.
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