A buried skeleton. A decade-old mystery. A killer who's not finished yet.
When a skeleton is unearthed beneath Chester's ancient walls, Detective Inspector Emma Christie and her team are called to what appears to be a long-buried relic of the past. But the bones tell a different story - one of violence not time.
What starts as a cold case swiftly turns far more sinister, pulling Emma and the team into a tangled web of lies, betrayal and chilling echoes of the disappearance of young women. The deeper they dig, the more the lines blur between past and present. This killer has been watching, waiting - and they are not finished yet.
As the pressure mounts and the old ghosts rise, Emma must confront the darkest corners of the city - and her own past - before the killer strikes again.
The Bones of Chester is a twist-filled crime thriller packed with dark voices, shocking revelations and secrets that refuse to stay buried
Martin has spent most of his adult life writing in one form or another. He has spent 25 years of his life working outside the North of England. In London, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok and Shanghai. He writes three series; the Danilov books set in 1930s Shanghai. The genealogical mysteries of Jayne Sinclair and the contemporary crime cases of DI Ridpath set in Manchester. When he's not writing, he splits his time between the UK and Asia, taking pleasure in playing with his daughter, practicing downhill ironing, single-handedly solving the problem of the French wine lake and wishing he were George Clooney.
A great read to finish the year off. I spent the last day of 2025 just reading. I couldn't put this book down. A skeleton has been found at the base of the wall, and not a normal skeleton. Who is the person responsible for this heinous crime. And she has a leak on her team. What terrific characters and a great story.
Thought I'd read this as I liked the title. Loved the book - well written and exciting. I couldn't put it down. Now I have to go back and read the first two in the series...looking for to it if they are as good as this one.
Half the book was far to slow although I did really enjoy the ending. I love Martin's Chester series. Really looking to book 4 out in a few weeks! You really need to read the series from the beginning. I highly recommend thos series.
Interesting story! Bodies are found buried in the area. But when the bones are reviewed, the bones are from three different missing girls. How can this be? As the corner’s office and the police department investigate, the signs become more and more odd. Who is killing young girls and then mixing the bones? Who is doing this and why? Will the department be able to find the killer before more young girls are killed?