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Finding the Bones
Sydney, 1980 Belle Fitzgerald, young, rich and spirited, lives in Kings Cross, the city's bohemian heart. When she learns of plans to demolish her street and evict its residents, she commits to fighting the development, even though this brings her up against the Cross's crime lords and their servants, the notoriously corrupt local cops. Recklessly, dangerously, against her better judgment, she embarks on a passionate affair with one of those cops, Sergeant Stanton Rose.
Then Belle goes missing. Her disappearance becomes one of the nation's great mysteries.
Sydney, Stanton Rose, retired, is an Australian icon, celebrated for his undercover work in the Cross. Jackie Rose, his daughter, has followed in his footsteps. She's a homicide detective, uncompromising and ambitious.
When Belle Fitzgerald's bones are discovered, Jackie is given the very cold and very public case. This will be her moment to shine. But what she uncovers threatens to turn her life - and the lives of those closest to her - upside down.
As her investigation deepens, Jackie has to decide how far she will go to navigate the fine line between love and betrayal, loyalty and corruption.
PRAISE FOR FINDING THE BONES:
'A compelling crime novel about corruption, compromise and the persistence of the past' Garry Disher
Then Belle goes missing. Her disappearance becomes one of the nation's great mysteries.
Sydney, Stanton Rose, retired, is an Australian icon, celebrated for his undercover work in the Cross. Jackie Rose, his daughter, has followed in his footsteps. She's a homicide detective, uncompromising and ambitious.
When Belle Fitzgerald's bones are discovered, Jackie is given the very cold and very public case. This will be her moment to shine. But what she uncovers threatens to turn her life - and the lives of those closest to her - upside down.
As her investigation deepens, Jackie has to decide how far she will go to navigate the fine line between love and betrayal, loyalty and corruption.
PRAISE FOR FINDING THE BONES:
'A compelling crime novel about corruption, compromise and the persistence of the past' Garry Disher
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2026
About the author
Natalie Conyer
8 books17 followersI'm a reader of everything and a crime fiction writer.
My first novel, Present Tense, is the first in the Schalk Lourens series. It won the 2020 Ned Kelly Award for best debut crime fiction.
Shadow City, the next book in the series, was published in 2024.
My third book, Finding the Bones, is due out in 2026...and a fourth is under way.
A collection of my short stories, titled The Book Club and Other Stories, was published in 2024.
My first novel, Present Tense, is the first in the Schalk Lourens series. It won the 2020 Ned Kelly Award for best debut crime fiction.
Shadow City, the next book in the series, was published in 2024.
My third book, Finding the Bones, is due out in 2026...and a fourth is under way.
A collection of my short stories, titled The Book Club and Other Stories, was published in 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 10, 2026
“The land keeps its secrets, but not out of kindness.”
There’s something deeply unsettling about a story that feels too real and Finding the Bones settles under your skin in exactly that quiet, persistent way.
This isn’t a flashy, high stakes thriller. Instead, it unfolds slowly, deliberately, like something long buried being unearthed piece by fragile piece. The tension here isn’t in sudden twists, but in what’s left unsaid, the silences, the memories, the weight of a past that refuses to stay buried.
The atmosphere is where this book truly shines. The rural setting feels isolating and heavy, almost complicit in the story itself. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows something, but no one is willing to say it out loud. That sense of quiet complicity lingers on every page.
What I appreciated most was how emotionally grounded it all felt. This isn’t just about solving a crime, it’s about grief, trauma, and the ways people protect themselves (and each other) from the truth. The characters aren’t always likeable, but they feel real, and that makes their choices hit harder.
If you’re going in expecting a fast paced, twisty crime novel, this might not be for you. But if you love stories that prioritise mood, depth, and emotional impact over shock value, this one delivers in a way that lingers long after the final page.
Quiet. Haunting. And just a little bit suffocating in the best way.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Echo Publishing for my early readers copy.
Available Now!
There’s something deeply unsettling about a story that feels too real and Finding the Bones settles under your skin in exactly that quiet, persistent way.
This isn’t a flashy, high stakes thriller. Instead, it unfolds slowly, deliberately, like something long buried being unearthed piece by fragile piece. The tension here isn’t in sudden twists, but in what’s left unsaid, the silences, the memories, the weight of a past that refuses to stay buried.
The atmosphere is where this book truly shines. The rural setting feels isolating and heavy, almost complicit in the story itself. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows something, but no one is willing to say it out loud. That sense of quiet complicity lingers on every page.
What I appreciated most was how emotionally grounded it all felt. This isn’t just about solving a crime, it’s about grief, trauma, and the ways people protect themselves (and each other) from the truth. The characters aren’t always likeable, but they feel real, and that makes their choices hit harder.
If you’re going in expecting a fast paced, twisty crime novel, this might not be for you. But if you love stories that prioritise mood, depth, and emotional impact over shock value, this one delivers in a way that lingers long after the final page.
Quiet. Haunting. And just a little bit suffocating in the best way.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Echo Publishing for my early readers copy.
Available Now!
April 8, 2026
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Thank you Echo Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review
If you are craving a crime novel that gives messy family drama and cold cases, then this is for you! In Finding the Bones we meet Belle Fitzgerald who is rich, rebellious and has the vibe of living life on her own terms. That is until she finds herself involved with some corrupt cops and then she suddenly vanishes. Fast forward a few decades and Belle’s remains are discovered and her disappearance is now a full-on high-profile investigation.
Jackie Rose is a serious homicide detective that gets handed the case that could make or break her career. What started out as ‘just solve the mystery and go home’ has turned into something that hits too close to home, as Jackie starts to uncover secrets, corruption and chaos.
Overall, Finding the Bones is a compelling and tangled web of drama that you just can’t help but try and solve yourself with every turn of the page! Aussies, if you are wanting a crime book that just hits the home mark, then here you go!
Bookstagram
Thank you Echo Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review
If you are craving a crime novel that gives messy family drama and cold cases, then this is for you! In Finding the Bones we meet Belle Fitzgerald who is rich, rebellious and has the vibe of living life on her own terms. That is until she finds herself involved with some corrupt cops and then she suddenly vanishes. Fast forward a few decades and Belle’s remains are discovered and her disappearance is now a full-on high-profile investigation.
Jackie Rose is a serious homicide detective that gets handed the case that could make or break her career. What started out as ‘just solve the mystery and go home’ has turned into something that hits too close to home, as Jackie starts to uncover secrets, corruption and chaos.
Overall, Finding the Bones is a compelling and tangled web of drama that you just can’t help but try and solve yourself with every turn of the page! Aussies, if you are wanting a crime book that just hits the home mark, then here you go!
March 26, 2026
Big thanks to Echo Publishing for sending us a copy to read and review.
The Kings Cross district is synonymous with the underbelly of society, it has crime, drugs and dare I say, character.
Television shows and books have illustrated this and allow us to observe a world we won’t experience from the comfort of our chairs.
A cold case from the 80s sparks new interest as a body is found.
Jackie Rose is the daughter of an esteemed Detective and is now in a similar role.
The body of Belle Fitzgerald is found after many decades.
Her father was heavily involved in the case in the day.
The further Jackie digs, she finds murky clues that will test loyalty and reveal an ugly truth.
In addition she manages the fragility of family life and dynamics with her dad, son and her estranged mother.
A snapshot of life in the Cross in the 1980’s is portrayed in Belle’s story and the repercussions of decisions she makes.
I loved the father and daughter dynamic and was able to vividly see his old school ways and manner.
A man that would be greeted by all types as he walked around the Cross.
I appreciated the vulnerable and caring side of Jackie as she manages parenthood to a young adult.
The Kings Cross district is synonymous with the underbelly of society, it has crime, drugs and dare I say, character.
Television shows and books have illustrated this and allow us to observe a world we won’t experience from the comfort of our chairs.
A cold case from the 80s sparks new interest as a body is found.
Jackie Rose is the daughter of an esteemed Detective and is now in a similar role.
The body of Belle Fitzgerald is found after many decades.
Her father was heavily involved in the case in the day.
The further Jackie digs, she finds murky clues that will test loyalty and reveal an ugly truth.
In addition she manages the fragility of family life and dynamics with her dad, son and her estranged mother.
A snapshot of life in the Cross in the 1980’s is portrayed in Belle’s story and the repercussions of decisions she makes.
I loved the father and daughter dynamic and was able to vividly see his old school ways and manner.
A man that would be greeted by all types as he walked around the Cross.
I appreciated the vulnerable and caring side of Jackie as she manages parenthood to a young adult.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Natalie Conyer introduced Sydney detective Jackie Rose in her Ned Kelly Award short-listed second novel Shadow City. In that book, Jackie shared the limelight with South African cop Schalk Laurens, the protagonist of Conyer’s first book Present Tense (which won the Ned Kelly Award for best debut in 2020). In Conyer’s third novel, Finding the Bones, Jackie is front and centre and in all sorts of ethical trouble as she investigates a cold case that is quickly heating up and which comes very close to home.
Finding the Bones opens with, well, the finding of the bones. The bones in question turn out to be the remains of Belle Fitzgerald, an anti-development campaigner who lived in Sydney’s Kings Cross and disappeared in 1988. Kings Cross was Sydney’s red-light district and at that time was the centre of a web of organised crime and corruption that included the police and politicians. Belle is the daughter of a wealthy family who has found a life for herself in Kings Cross and does not want it destroyed by rapacious development. She starts to organize the locals to fight the change, but that effort puts her in the crosshairs of the local organised crime.
Due to the continued high profile of the Fitzgerald case, Jackie Rose and her team are assigned but aware that there is interest from the top in getting a result. But there is another reason that Jackie is tapped – Jackie’s father is celebrity cop Stanton Rose, who made his name by going undercover in the Cross in the late 1908s to bring down a cadre of corrupt police. Due to his notoriety, the powers that be are keen to have Stanton consult on the case. But very quickly Jackie finds that Stanton might be more connected with Belle than either of them would like.
The character of Jackie Rose and the way she navigates the ethical minefield that she finds herself in drives this book. Jackie is a great investigator but struggles in the Police Force under the shadow of her famous father while also idolising him to some extent. Jackie is still scarred by the disappearance of her mother when she was seven and having to navigate her own relationship with her 19 year-old son Luke. And at the same time, Jackie is trying to understand her own, slightly self-destructive approach to relationships.
Central to this book is the city of Sydney itself. It is refreshing that we are starting to see more Australian crime novels come out of the bush and back into the cities. Conyer draws a colourful portrait of Kings Cross and its surrounds from a time in which it was both a bohemian enclave and the centre of a web of crime and corruption. As Conyer discusses in her Author’s Note, this element of the novel was inspired by the disappearance of Juanita Nielsen in the mid-1970s and the exploits of other colourful figures from the time. Although as Conyer says, these are sparks that allowed her to create her alternative version of 1980s Kings Cross. But she also sends Jackie and her team around the city, exploring its diversity (and dropping the names of a number of actual pubs and eateries along the way).
Finding the Bones is another compulsive crime novel with the lot. At its heart is the juxtaposition of the lives of two very singular headstrong women. Their stories are delivered in the context of a fascinating dive into an alternative version of Sydney history, a compelling contemporary cold case investigation driven by media and political pressure and a cast of engaging characters with plenty of emotional and ethical challenges to navigate.
Finding the Bones opens with, well, the finding of the bones. The bones in question turn out to be the remains of Belle Fitzgerald, an anti-development campaigner who lived in Sydney’s Kings Cross and disappeared in 1988. Kings Cross was Sydney’s red-light district and at that time was the centre of a web of organised crime and corruption that included the police and politicians. Belle is the daughter of a wealthy family who has found a life for herself in Kings Cross and does not want it destroyed by rapacious development. She starts to organize the locals to fight the change, but that effort puts her in the crosshairs of the local organised crime.
Due to the continued high profile of the Fitzgerald case, Jackie Rose and her team are assigned but aware that there is interest from the top in getting a result. But there is another reason that Jackie is tapped – Jackie’s father is celebrity cop Stanton Rose, who made his name by going undercover in the Cross in the late 1908s to bring down a cadre of corrupt police. Due to his notoriety, the powers that be are keen to have Stanton consult on the case. But very quickly Jackie finds that Stanton might be more connected with Belle than either of them would like.
The character of Jackie Rose and the way she navigates the ethical minefield that she finds herself in drives this book. Jackie is a great investigator but struggles in the Police Force under the shadow of her famous father while also idolising him to some extent. Jackie is still scarred by the disappearance of her mother when she was seven and having to navigate her own relationship with her 19 year-old son Luke. And at the same time, Jackie is trying to understand her own, slightly self-destructive approach to relationships.
Central to this book is the city of Sydney itself. It is refreshing that we are starting to see more Australian crime novels come out of the bush and back into the cities. Conyer draws a colourful portrait of Kings Cross and its surrounds from a time in which it was both a bohemian enclave and the centre of a web of crime and corruption. As Conyer discusses in her Author’s Note, this element of the novel was inspired by the disappearance of Juanita Nielsen in the mid-1970s and the exploits of other colourful figures from the time. Although as Conyer says, these are sparks that allowed her to create her alternative version of 1980s Kings Cross. But she also sends Jackie and her team around the city, exploring its diversity (and dropping the names of a number of actual pubs and eateries along the way).
Finding the Bones is another compulsive crime novel with the lot. At its heart is the juxtaposition of the lives of two very singular headstrong women. Their stories are delivered in the context of a fascinating dive into an alternative version of Sydney history, a compelling contemporary cold case investigation driven by media and political pressure and a cast of engaging characters with plenty of emotional and ethical challenges to navigate.
March 11, 2026
A fantastic read. I loved everything about this book. It was a real page turner. I loved the two timelines. I loved the Sydney locations of Glebe and Darlinghurst and I really loved the book being inspired by the events surrounding Juanita Nielsen’s disappearance in 1975. A top read, highly recommended.
April 1, 2026
Now go to inner city Sydney and Kings Cross the land of terrace houses and organised crime. Crooked cops and long lasting policing families. Now a terrace house can add some interesting events but a grave that’s even more interesting.
This will take you on a journey, a cold case and bringing down some retired force. This will have you wondering until finally it strings together.
This will take you on a journey, a cold case and bringing down some retired force. This will have you wondering until finally it strings together.
April 3, 2026
3.5 Nice history of Sydney: “the cross” weaved through a who dunnit. The history bits were probably better done than the mystery.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews