Raven Bones

DI Fenella Sallow #8

by N.C. Lewis

There are two sides to every story, the truth and the lies…
Twenty years ago, two women from the village of Parton, vanished, sending shock waves through the tranquil seaside Cumbria community.

Now, with the horrors of the past a distant memory, a body washes up on the beach and sends a haunting shock wave through the tight-lipped village.

Long-buried secrets. A devastating past. A terrifying lie that must never be revealed.

As Fenella and her team delve deeper into a twisted world of deceit and treachery, the investigation takes a sinister turn, and one thing becomes clear.

A detective’s nose won’t be enough to solve this one. Because they uncover facts which make no earthly sense...unless the killer is a ghost.

With each shocking revelation, Fenella is forced to confront the impossible truth...there is only one person who holds the key to the body on the beach. A dead person. And it seems that person’s ghost will do anything to stop the truth from seeing the light of day.

Raven Bones is another thrilling British police procedural mystery novel from NC Lewis's bestselling Detective Inspector Fenella Sallow Crime Thriller series. If you like traditional detective mysteries with a touch of psychological thriller, complex characters and shocking twists, you'll love Raven Bones .

Set against the backdrop of beautiful coastal Cumbria, an ancient land of legend, folklore and myth, these detective books are page-turning crime thrillers that will keep you hooked until the very end.

Genres: Crime

597 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2025

Reviews

[Bill Pentland · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, once again, caught in the snare of a murder mystery, again in a small Scottish coastal town. This one involved mysterious bones washed up on shore. Who was it? What happened? Our favorite DI, Fenella is charged with finding out. Not your ordinary murder mystery. This one involves taxidermy, necropolis, false identities and the usual administrative snafus. Good story.

[Deb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost never just drop a book in the middle of a story, but being inside the mind of a drug addict schizophrenic for more than 1/2 of the read was just too much. I couldn't follow the story at all! This has got to be the all-time-worst cozy mystery I ever had the displeasure to read (part of)!!!

The other Fenella Sallow books were not awful! I could follow Sallow through the twists and turns, but this book ---- DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY ON THIS ONE!!!

[Sans Washington · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I'm very much looking forward to the next N.C. Lewis book based on prior stories, I'm afraid I did not enjoy this title nearly as much as previous ones. In the past, I have enjoyed getting to know the very realistic characters even more than the storylines. However, they came across as unnaturally self-centered and unlikeable in this convoluted tale.

[Nancy Trent · Rating 4 out of 5]

raven bones

I love the series of books by NC Lewis but this was not my favorite. It was a little too gory and for me it had some interesting twist that I liked like it talking about Jeffrey leaving and who the replacement was and then then how that worked out anyway I’m going to continue reading cause I really really enjoyed this series of books

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

not up to usual

Did someone else write this novel? Because it wasn’t up to the quality of content -or editing- of the previous books. I hope the next one gets more attention from editors and proofreaders.

[Cassandra C. Beach · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible!

I’ve read several DI Sallow books but none like this one. Everything in the book is made to be creepy. All the village characters are mentally ill. And the plot beggars all belief. I’d recommend skipping this one.

[Lisa Kidder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bones picked free of all meat wash in by the tide. Who do they belong to?

This is kind of a creepy tale. Bones are found in the dead of night, washed up by the sea. Birds gather over the small town screaming and then a dead body is discovered. Who did it?

[Wands Schneiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

I chose this book to read because I like the author. He's a very good writer.
To me the book was too long. And sometimes not realistic.
The cop characters were interesting ,
Many surprising turns .
Most people who enjoy mysteries would enjoy this book.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story, but so many typos

I’ve read the entire series but this book seemed different because there were so many errors. It was very disappointing.

[Cynthia Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too long

I enjoyed some of the other books better. This one was too long for me. The unsavoryness of the relationship between Al Barmby and Ruby went on and on.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author has jumped the shark with this one. The book and characters make no sense and nothing like the previous ones in the series. I could not finish it.

[Phil Vyse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bizarre! Confused and confusing.

[Phillip Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent tale which all mystery readers will enjoy. Highly recommended! Plenty of plot twists and interesting characters.

[Catherine Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I have read all the books in this series now, This was my least favorite. I didn't find the ravens scary or the bones. Fenella always " cathes her man ". so that always allows the reader to feel satisfied.