The Talking Bone: A Novel

by Rene Denfeld

“Rene Denfeld reminds us that storytelling remains one of the most powerful means we have of confronting our darkest human impulses and sometimes overcoming them.”—Washington Post

From the revered bestselling author, a compulsive, page-turning thriller inspired by her real life work exonerating innocents, a novel that asks how far we’ll go in our pursuit of the truth—an emotionally rich, luminously written book about evil and people trying to do good in the world.

Ruby Spencer is known as “the exonerator.” Her job as an investigator is to free innocent men from death row, and she’s good at what she does. What many people don’t know is that she spends her time finding missing women, too. The orphaned daughter of an orphaned mother, Ruby feels a natural affinity for those who have been mistreated by the world at large.

Her newest case takes her to Georgia, and involves a man set to be executed in two weeks. What begins as a routine exoneration unexpectedly sends Ruby down a winding path. Pursuing the truth, she begins to uncover crimes that lead to startling revelations about her own life.

With time running out, will Ruby’s search for answers ultimately lead her to danger?

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

256 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 21, 2026

About the author

Rene Denfeld is the bestselling author of THE CHILD FINDER, THE ENCHANTED, THE BUTTERFLY GIRL, SLEEPING GIANTS, and the forthcoming THE TALKING BONE (Harper July 2026), which was inspired by her real life work exonerating innocents.

Rene's poetic fiction has won numerous awards including the French Prix, an ALA Medal for Excellence and an IMPAC listing. Rene works as a licensed investigator, including exonerating. In 2017 she was awarded the Break The Silence Award for her advocacy work, and the New York Times honored her for heroism.

By day Rene continues to work in justice, having worked hundreds of cases over the years, including exonerations, death row and helping trafficking victims.

She lives in Portland, Oregon, where she is a happy foster and adoptive mother.

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance copy.

Review to follow.

[Argntnekshqu33n · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this on good reads . I really loved this book . I ended up reading it in one night

Ruby Spencer's official job is freeing innocent men from death row, but she secretly spends her time searching for missing women as well. Her latest case takes her to Georgia to assist a man scheduled for execution in just two weeks. As she investigates, what starts as a routine exoneration turns into a dangerous journey uncovering crimes that lead to shocking revelations about her own life.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I opted to read this title based primarily on the author, as I have read some of her books before and really enjoyed them. Also, she's from my home state of Oregon and bases her books there, and I tend to enjoy books set in the PNW.

While I did enjoy this book, it didn't resonate with me in the same way as her previous works. I liked the premise of the story, and the interconnectedness of the lives of the characters. They seemed like true, unique, perhaps slightly flawed individuals, yet still mostly redeemable (well, minus the one major exception...). The big reveal near the end of the story was also a positive aspect, as I did not anticipate it and felt like it wrapped things up nicely.

However, a couple of aspects made it challenging for me to fully delve into the world of this story. I struggled to keep track of the timeline based on the inconsistent reference points. Also, the omniscient third-person narrative voice that included the direct perspective of several characters, as well as the breaking of the fourth wall to have that narrative voice 'speak' directly at the reader, took away from some of the magic of the story - for me, at least.

Ultimately, though, the characters, the setting, and the overall plot made it a worthwhile read, and I will definitely pick up more books by this author in the future.

*Note: I received an Advance Digital Copy of this title from the publisher, via Edelweiss+, in exchange for my honest review.

[robinreadstoomuch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby Spencer is known as “The Exonerator.” Her job is to free innocent men from Death Row.
She also works passionately to locate missing women. Ruby’s mother mysteriously vanished when she was young. She wants to give these women dignity and help their families find closure.
While investigating her latest case, Ruby finds that she and the inmate Mitchell have some interesting things in common. She also has two weeks to clear his name before the execution.
Ruby has no idea that her two passions are about to collide!
If you enjoy atmospheric, mysterious thrillers, you should preorder this book.
The Talking Bone is also interesting, because it is based on Denfeld’s real life experiences as a licensed investigator working for a public defender.
I think The Talking Bone could easily be the first book in a series!

Release date is July 21, 2026.

Thank you HarperCollins for sending me this ARC.

[Ashily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for an Advanced Copy of this book!

It was a very digestible thriller read with a great twist at the end.

The moody atmosphere pairs really well with the dark character development that takes place.

Also addresses some common disheartening themes among police investigations; like, the willingness to assume guilt based on race or status of wealth.


Themes:
◇ short chapters
◇ unhealed trauma
◇ fight for justice for those that have been unfairly treated
◇ search for identity

[Dawn McGill Dalrymple · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I'm not one for reading "heavy books" especially while on vacation but this one was so good! It was a page turner! Ruby is known as “the exonerator.” I had no clue this was even a thing, but she had the almost impossible task of saving innocents inmates from death row. She is definitely a heroine to root for! This kept me reading and engaged because I had to find out if she could set Mitchell free. And I have to admit I never guessed the true murderer!! Thank you to Harper books for sending me the arc to read & review.

[Linda Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruby Spencer is a young woman whose life has been spent finding missing women and trying to exonerate men on death row. When she is hired with only two weeks to try to exonerate a man named Mitchell the search quickly becomes personal as his story is hauntingly close to hers. Will she be able to find ample proof of his innocence before he faces execution? Fast paced, beautifully written, Denfeld never disappoints in her studies of the ugliness of human existence and the real beauty that exists alongside it.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not among Denfeld’s strongest novels. There’s nothing really wrong with the book but I found the talking bone to be irksome and the very end was a disappointment. This work of fiction does cast a light on the very real and frequent occurrences of missing women whose families never receive closure. Similarly, the plight of the incarcerated innocent and those facing capital punishment is explored. All in all, it’s a book with strengths and weaknesses.

[Olivia Hovick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book - I flew through it on a flight, and I wish there was more. This was the perfect mix of atmospheric settings, interesting plot, and good character development. I did not expect the twist at the end, but I did like how things (mostly) wrapped up.

[Amélie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, a female protagonist I can relate to. The narrative is filled with real-life knowledge and informational tidbits from the perspective of a criminal investigator. Empathy and justice are primary themes in this thriller, and there is nothing formulaic about it.

[Nicole Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

But why does the bone talk?

[Dawn Leitheuser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn! So fast and twisted! Didn’t see that end coming! A definite must read!

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the type of book that I found myself carving out time in the day to sit down or stand and read. The story and writing style is so engaging. I kept wanting to go back for more to see how things would play out. I enjoyed this read so much I immediately looked up the author to find more.

Thanks to Goodreads giveaways for advance copy.