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The Bones of You
I have a gardener's inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft-petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer.
Children who don't die before their parents.
A community in shock
When eighteen-year-old Rosie Anderson disappears, the idyllic village where she lived will never be the same again. Local gardener Kate is struck with guilt. She'd come to know Rosie well, and thought she understood her - perhaps better even than Rosie's own mother.
A family torn apart
Rosie was beautiful, kind and gentle. She came from a loving family and she had her whole life ahead of her. Who could possibly want to harm her? And why?
A keeper of secrets
Kate is convinced the police are missing something. She's certain that someone in the village knows more than they're letting on. As the investigation deepens, so does Kate's obsession with solving the mystery of what happened to Rosie.
Children who don't die before their parents.
A community in shock
When eighteen-year-old Rosie Anderson disappears, the idyllic village where she lived will never be the same again. Local gardener Kate is struck with guilt. She'd come to know Rosie well, and thought she understood her - perhaps better even than Rosie's own mother.
A family torn apart
Rosie was beautiful, kind and gentle. She came from a loving family and she had her whole life ahead of her. Who could possibly want to harm her? And why?
A keeper of secrets
Kate is convinced the police are missing something. She's certain that someone in the village knows more than they're letting on. As the investigation deepens, so does Kate's obsession with solving the mystery of what happened to Rosie.
380 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2015
412 people are currently reading
8267 people want to read
About the author
Debbie Howells
41 books747 followersDebbie self-published three women's fiction novels before writing The Bones of You, her first psychological thriller. It was a Sunday Times bestseller and selected for the Richard and Judy book club.
Since, she was written The Beauty of the End, The Death of Her, Her Sister's Lie, the e-book bestseller The Vow, and her latest, The Secret.
Her women's fiction novel, The Life You Left Behind will be published on 23rd February.
Follow her on Facebook at Debbie Howells writer and on Instagram @_debbiehowells.
Since, she was written The Beauty of the End, The Death of Her, Her Sister's Lie, the e-book bestseller The Vow, and her latest, The Secret.
Her women's fiction novel, The Life You Left Behind will be published on 23rd February.
Follow her on Facebook at Debbie Howells writer and on Instagram @_debbiehowells.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 993 reviews
August 14, 2015
This was a little better than okay for me...
It started off soooooooooo strong- and lost something in the last half. Whittle this down to about 275 pages and take out the Gone Girl reference in the description- and it would have been 4 stars for me...
Anyone who has followed my reviews for the last year or so- knows how I HATE when publishing companies compare books to Gone Girl...or compare books to any other books in general really. Let a novel stand on its own...and stop giving away the fact that a book has a twisty ending by comparing it to another book with a twisty ending for selling purposes...because frankly it just pisses me off. And I am not easily pissed off when reading.
In this case comparing THE BONES OF YOU to Gone Girl gave away the fact that there was going to be a twist- therefore making me realize who the murderer was about 20 pages in. Thanks for that.
When Kate receives a phone call- that Rosie Anderson is missing and then found... dead, she is heartbroken- her daughter is the same age- and the news hits way too close to home.
Who would kill the perfect daughter...from the neighborhood's perfect family? Or was everything perfect? The closer Kate gets to Jo- Rosie's mother- the more she realizes that she may need to dig a little deeper to get to the truth.
THE BONES OF YOU switches back and forth between three narrators – Kate- a mother...Rosie- the murdered daughter of Kate's neighborhood friend, and Delphine- the murder victim's younger sister. Not everything is always as it seems...but this book would have been better (for me anyways)- if I wasn't forewarned about that- in the blurb.
Thanks NetGalley!
May 18, 2015
Yes, oh yes, two days in a row now I have had to dish out my 5 stars that I keep for something that is outstanding, that keeps my attention, that is so enthralling I literally eat, sleep and breathe the book and cannot wait to pick it up again to finish it. Yep! This is such a book.
Rosie is 18 years old, she has gone missing. Everyone has high hopes that she is going to be found soon, found and very much alive.
As time goes on though, time is running out for such hope.
**What intrigued me were the chapters where Rosie has a voice, she is missing, she may be dead, she may be in need help somewhere, who knows yet......
but we hear her voice in chapters that the author has written for us to get an insight to not only her life but those around her, including her parents and her Mom **
But then Rosie's body is found, she is in some undergrowth in the woods, the same woods that Kate goes to ride her horse, the very same horse, the very same adult friend that Rosie loved going to and helping out with the horses.
Kate 'feels' something and the horse DEFINITELY knows 'something'. After all, horses do have a sixth sense.
Rosie's Mother Joanne is a lost soul, someone who has money, and to all intense and purposes seems quite well to do. Everything in their world from the outside looks good, marriage solid, good husband, good job, and her husband is a 'good man' someone who helps others less fortunate.......
But all is not what it seems.
Kate befriends Joanne, both of them become quite close.
The budding friendship between them leaves some questions in Kate's mind at times, and as a reader, there were plenty of thoughts pounding around me head I can tell you!
The Father is a bit of a NASTY PASTY, he is controlling, he is mean, he is a BEAST, he likes to control his children AND his wife both daily and in the bedroom.
He is also a journalist.....I thought I would throw that one in there!!!
The dual narratives that are within these chapters are fascinating, each time it got to Rosie's chapter to reveal more I was OMG, and really was "into" those chapters.
Kate is married, she seems to have such a loving husband.
Kate starts getting notes via her letterbox, each time she takes them to the Police station, no one knows who is posting these snip bits of sentences.
WHO MURDERED ROSIE?
The title of this book really ties in with the story.
I really love psychological thrillers, ones that are so well thought out, so well written. I love Debbie Howells way of writing, I love how her mind worked in this story, god knows how she weaved this one together, but I need to read more from her, most definitely I do.
I have to thank Kensington Books via Net Galley for my advanced copy of this well written, fascinating, unputdownable......read.
Would I recommend it? YES most 120% sure
Would I buy this for a friend? Oh yes indeed.
August 29, 2016
Wow! Just wow! Not since The Lovely Bones have I felt such an affinity with the deceased and a desire to uncover the truth in any thriller fiction!
The Bones of You expertly draws the reader into the plot by its unique use of multiple perspectives to assemble the puzzle of the murder of a teenage girl. The teenage girl in question, Rosie, also forms one portion of the perspective and her from-the-grave discoveries and flashbacks of her life make this both a chilling and sorrowful read. I love how this novel works backwards from the present whilst dually moving ever forward into the future and how both parts were needed to ensure a complete story was told.
The turns this novel takes had me second-guessing every character and misdirected multiple times. I did discover who the killer was a little before the grand reveal but was still stunned and absorbed in the plot until the final moments. This is thriller fiction at its finest!
The Bones of You expertly draws the reader into the plot by its unique use of multiple perspectives to assemble the puzzle of the murder of a teenage girl. The teenage girl in question, Rosie, also forms one portion of the perspective and her from-the-grave discoveries and flashbacks of her life make this both a chilling and sorrowful read. I love how this novel works backwards from the present whilst dually moving ever forward into the future and how both parts were needed to ensure a complete story was told.
The turns this novel takes had me second-guessing every character and misdirected multiple times. I did discover who the killer was a little before the grand reveal but was still stunned and absorbed in the plot until the final moments. This is thriller fiction at its finest!
January 21, 2016
A novel that tackles some dark undercurrents in family life in a very clever way, don't expect reveals and twists to hit you in the face, it's more like they creep up upon you until you gasp with shock as truth is revealed. This is a very steady paced book with an intricate plot that is written with great care.
There are moments in this book that are so beautifully written that I read them more than once. Poetic almost. But don't get me wrong, this is a dark psychological thriller not a poetry book.
When Kate receives a phone call with news that Rosie Anderson is missing, she's stunned and disturbed. Rosie is eighteen, the same age as Kate's daughter, and a beautiful, quiet, and kind young woman. Though the locals are optimistic—girls like Rosie don't get into real trouble—Kate's sense of foreboding is confirmed when Rosie is found fatally beaten and stabbed.
Who would kill the perfect daughter, from the perfect family? Yet the more Kate entwines herself with the Andersons—graceful mother Jo, renowned journalist father Neal, watchful younger sister Delphine—the more she is convinced that not everything is as it seems.
Rosie is found dead, a town is stunned - the question is who did it and why? Don't expect a police procedural, a lot of forensics or even it being a hint of a crime book (an element I actually think would have added to it in my opinion). It's a book that focuses on the characters, what is behind the characters, their psyche, their fears, lies, secrets and complexity.
I loved the first third of the book but felt it lagged and felt a touch padded out in the middle, Debbie writes with great clarity and her use of words to describe things is detailed and significant. It's not a "punchy" book, it slides along at a steady, not slow, but steady pace. And the final third of the book really stood out to me with how cleverly it was done as all the truths started to surface at last.
I enjoyed the read, I guessed right about the killer by the last third of the book but there was still some surprises in there. It's a book that really lets you see what REALLY goes on behind the closed door of families who hold up the facade of happy, loving and ideal.
It's a smoke screen, a big one and as the smoke is blown away and the author shows us bits of the real life, it's hard to swallow. Not pretty at all.
A bit like The Lovely Bones we get to hear the voice of Rosie from the other side as she watches, remembers and imparts her side of the story. I felt this was really well done, Rosie's words were moving and powerful as well as so sad and distressing and one of my favourite parts of the book.
This would have been four stars but for the fact that some logical things did not occur - there has been a murder, but no forensics taken, like fingernail scrapings or anything. The finger pointing from the police to the killer was based on basically a very weak case, I think this could have been done with more accuracy, just my opinion.
So, would I recommend it? Yes I would? But if you like your psychological thrillers fast paced, this one is not that, but it does take you on a journey into the mind, the faults, the damage that makes up human beings. It makes you think. I have to admit once I knew who the killer was I was shocked and disturbed. I think that was the intention.
3.5 paw prints from Booklover Catlady - you can check out more of my reviews, book talk, giveaways, at my page:
https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
There are moments in this book that are so beautifully written that I read them more than once. Poetic almost. But don't get me wrong, this is a dark psychological thriller not a poetry book.
When Kate receives a phone call with news that Rosie Anderson is missing, she's stunned and disturbed. Rosie is eighteen, the same age as Kate's daughter, and a beautiful, quiet, and kind young woman. Though the locals are optimistic—girls like Rosie don't get into real trouble—Kate's sense of foreboding is confirmed when Rosie is found fatally beaten and stabbed.
Who would kill the perfect daughter, from the perfect family? Yet the more Kate entwines herself with the Andersons—graceful mother Jo, renowned journalist father Neal, watchful younger sister Delphine—the more she is convinced that not everything is as it seems.
Rosie is found dead, a town is stunned - the question is who did it and why? Don't expect a police procedural, a lot of forensics or even it being a hint of a crime book (an element I actually think would have added to it in my opinion). It's a book that focuses on the characters, what is behind the characters, their psyche, their fears, lies, secrets and complexity.
I loved the first third of the book but felt it lagged and felt a touch padded out in the middle, Debbie writes with great clarity and her use of words to describe things is detailed and significant. It's not a "punchy" book, it slides along at a steady, not slow, but steady pace. And the final third of the book really stood out to me with how cleverly it was done as all the truths started to surface at last.
I enjoyed the read, I guessed right about the killer by the last third of the book but there was still some surprises in there. It's a book that really lets you see what REALLY goes on behind the closed door of families who hold up the facade of happy, loving and ideal.
It's a smoke screen, a big one and as the smoke is blown away and the author shows us bits of the real life, it's hard to swallow. Not pretty at all.
A bit like The Lovely Bones we get to hear the voice of Rosie from the other side as she watches, remembers and imparts her side of the story. I felt this was really well done, Rosie's words were moving and powerful as well as so sad and distressing and one of my favourite parts of the book.
This would have been four stars but for the fact that some logical things did not occur - there has been a murder, but no forensics taken, like fingernail scrapings or anything. The finger pointing from the police to the killer was based on basically a very weak case, I think this could have been done with more accuracy, just my opinion.
So, would I recommend it? Yes I would? But if you like your psychological thrillers fast paced, this one is not that, but it does take you on a journey into the mind, the faults, the damage that makes up human beings. It makes you think. I have to admit once I knew who the killer was I was shocked and disturbed. I think that was the intention.
3.5 paw prints from Booklover Catlady - you can check out more of my reviews, book talk, giveaways, at my page:
https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2017
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
In The Bones of You by Debbie Howells, a peaceful village in the heart of the British countryside is shocked to the core when eighteen year old Rosie Anderson disappears. Time passes and soon Rosie’s body is found in nearby woods, where it appears she has been stabbed to death. This shocks the village in which horse mad Rosie hails from. In particular Kate, a local gardener who befriended Rosie and her family, feels terribly guilty. Her guilt leads her to seek out the truth behind Rosie’s murder, as so far, Rosie’s murder has baffled police. It is a truth that rips apart an ideal family unit, revealing dark and ugly truths. The story unfolds across three narratives, revealing the how and why of Rosie’s death. One of these clever and compelling narratives is Rosie’s voice from the grave, revealing aspects that lead up to her death, which was reminiscent of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. When I finally cracked this one, I was left to wonder why I didn’t see the blinding obvious clues earlier. The Bones of You is a tense read, that leaves us to wonder about the construction of the family unit. It fits nicely into the domestic thriller genre, looking at how a marriage can appear perfect on the outset, but can quickly spiral out of control.
In The Bones of You by Debbie Howells, a peaceful village in the heart of the British countryside is shocked to the core when eighteen year old Rosie Anderson disappears. Time passes and soon Rosie’s body is found in nearby woods, where it appears she has been stabbed to death. This shocks the village in which horse mad Rosie hails from. In particular Kate, a local gardener who befriended Rosie and her family, feels terribly guilty. Her guilt leads her to seek out the truth behind Rosie’s murder, as so far, Rosie’s murder has baffled police. It is a truth that rips apart an ideal family unit, revealing dark and ugly truths. The story unfolds across three narratives, revealing the how and why of Rosie’s death. One of these clever and compelling narratives is Rosie’s voice from the grave, revealing aspects that lead up to her death, which was reminiscent of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. When I finally cracked this one, I was left to wonder why I didn’t see the blinding obvious clues earlier. The Bones of You is a tense read, that leaves us to wonder about the construction of the family unit. It fits nicely into the domestic thriller genre, looking at how a marriage can appear perfect on the outset, but can quickly spiral out of control.
January 25, 2016
I give this 3.5 to 4 stars.
This book is like Sybil meets Mommy Dearest.
That being said, I feel like I need to see a psychologist after reading this. This story was all over the place and quite frankly eerie.
Rosie is murdered, her mother is falling apart, her dad is some big shot reporter, and her sister is just there. Kate who was like a second mother to Rosie tries to help Jo, the mother of Rosie, through this time weird things start to happen.
Jo is strange to say the least, Neal is all about Neal and Della is left to struggle on her own and to deal with her sister's death.
I started to figure out who the killer was about 2/3 of the way in. This book was sad, crazy, and confusing.
The plot was good, I despised most of the characters and I felt so bad for Kate who was trapped in the middle.
All in all it was an ok read. Just because I didn't go crazy over it doesn't mean you won't. I felt the last 50 pages were the most climatic for me because I had to know who really murdered Rosie.
Will be interesting to see if a movie is made about this one.
This book is like Sybil meets Mommy Dearest.
That being said, I feel like I need to see a psychologist after reading this. This story was all over the place and quite frankly eerie.
Rosie is murdered, her mother is falling apart, her dad is some big shot reporter, and her sister is just there. Kate who was like a second mother to Rosie tries to help Jo, the mother of Rosie, through this time weird things start to happen.
Jo is strange to say the least, Neal is all about Neal and Della is left to struggle on her own and to deal with her sister's death.
I started to figure out who the killer was about 2/3 of the way in. This book was sad, crazy, and confusing.
The plot was good, I despised most of the characters and I felt so bad for Kate who was trapped in the middle.
All in all it was an ok read. Just because I didn't go crazy over it doesn't mean you won't. I felt the last 50 pages were the most climatic for me because I had to know who really murdered Rosie.
Will be interesting to see if a movie is made about this one.
June 10, 2015
The Bones Of You is the story of events surrounding the disappearance and murder of a young 18 year old, Rosie. The main characters are Rosie herself, and her parents Neale and Jo. Neale is a world renowned TV reporter and we are told millions of women around the world are in love with him. I have to say that I didn’t buy that at all, to me he just comes across as a smarmy git. He is the sort of man who my husband would walk to the other end of the bar in the village pub, to get away from. Mother Jo, or Joanna, is very much a trophy wife. Her main function is to look beautiful, run a perfect home and raise perfect children, and that is it.
The other main character is Kate, a local woman who at the start of the book knows Jo a little, but only really from the school run. However, Kate and Rosie shared a common bond in horses and when she disappears Kate feels duty bound to help Jo through what follows. She then very quickly becomes attached to Jo, getting more and more drawn into her life. There is just something about Kate that really annoyed me. She was so gullible and naïve and too willing to accept whatever she was told, sometimes seeming to bend with the wind every time depending on who was speaking to her at the time.
Now it is not a crime procedural, it is told purely through Kate’s eyes, and those of Rosie as her “life flashes in front of her eyes” and is extremely reminiscent of The Lovely Bones. At first I really enjoyed listening to Rosie as she shows all the family secrets and the story starts to take a very dark turn indeed. The family is not the perfect unit that is shown to the outside world and a story of domestic violence and child cruelty is revealed. The one problem I have with this is that at times her story is just so ludicrous, lacking believability. It is the sort of nonsense that children would spout during a “my parents are meaner than your parents” bragging rights match and I always think subtlety and “less is more” make for a far more sinister, gripping read.
I have said it is not a crime procedural and now I know all the facts of what happened, I have to say that I think the story is lacking for that. Where are the family liaison officers, the scenes of crimes officers, the forensics and the post mortem results? Neale is a world famous TV reporter and his daughter has been murdered, so why is there no police presence at his home? We don’t see anything of that and to be honest, if we had, then I think the whole thing would have been wrapped up in two days flat. Not really one I would recommend at all. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
The other main character is Kate, a local woman who at the start of the book knows Jo a little, but only really from the school run. However, Kate and Rosie shared a common bond in horses and when she disappears Kate feels duty bound to help Jo through what follows. She then very quickly becomes attached to Jo, getting more and more drawn into her life. There is just something about Kate that really annoyed me. She was so gullible and naïve and too willing to accept whatever she was told, sometimes seeming to bend with the wind every time depending on who was speaking to her at the time.
Now it is not a crime procedural, it is told purely through Kate’s eyes, and those of Rosie as her “life flashes in front of her eyes” and is extremely reminiscent of The Lovely Bones. At first I really enjoyed listening to Rosie as she shows all the family secrets and the story starts to take a very dark turn indeed. The family is not the perfect unit that is shown to the outside world and a story of domestic violence and child cruelty is revealed. The one problem I have with this is that at times her story is just so ludicrous, lacking believability. It is the sort of nonsense that children would spout during a “my parents are meaner than your parents” bragging rights match and I always think subtlety and “less is more” make for a far more sinister, gripping read.
I have said it is not a crime procedural and now I know all the facts of what happened, I have to say that I think the story is lacking for that. Where are the family liaison officers, the scenes of crimes officers, the forensics and the post mortem results? Neale is a world famous TV reporter and his daughter has been murdered, so why is there no police presence at his home? We don’t see anything of that and to be honest, if we had, then I think the whole thing would have been wrapped up in two days flat. Not really one I would recommend at all. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
June 3, 2015
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this ARC.
“THE BONES OF YOU”, is a dark psychological suspense thriller debut by Debbie Howells.
A small village in Sussex, England, a body of an eighteen-year-old girl, Rosie Anderson, is discovered, murdered. Who would do such a thing?
The novel opens with after we learn that Rosie has gone missing, Rosie describes what it is like, in the final moments of her life. She describes the images flashing in front of her at record speed, like watching a “movie of her life.” This shows the author’s talent of flashback narration of Rosie.
Rosie Anderson, was the daughter of a well to do family in England. Kate, who Rosie used to visit and ride horses with, wants to know more. Kate befriends Jo, Rosie’s mother, and helps her deal with this terrible tragedy. But she soon discovers that there is more to this family than meets the eye, from the wife, Jo to the Husband Neal, and younger sister, Delphine. Nothing is what it seems!
This novel is an intense character driven novel, where the hidden secrets and lies, soon come to the surface. The story is told in alternating points of view, written mainly in two point of views - the present is Kate’s, to which is added Rosie’s flashback narration, which helps the reader piece together what actually happened to her.
The reader, will be kept guessing all the way to the end. Even if you 'think' you might know who the killer is, the twists and lies and deceit will prove you wrong.
The pacing of the storytelling was excellent, and I found it hard to put down.
This novel gives a new meaning to the concept of “The Perfect Neighbour”!
I would recommend this book to psychological thriller lovers.
“THE BONES OF YOU”, is a dark psychological suspense thriller debut by Debbie Howells.
A small village in Sussex, England, a body of an eighteen-year-old girl, Rosie Anderson, is discovered, murdered. Who would do such a thing?
The novel opens with after we learn that Rosie has gone missing, Rosie describes what it is like, in the final moments of her life. She describes the images flashing in front of her at record speed, like watching a “movie of her life.” This shows the author’s talent of flashback narration of Rosie.
Rosie Anderson, was the daughter of a well to do family in England. Kate, who Rosie used to visit and ride horses with, wants to know more. Kate befriends Jo, Rosie’s mother, and helps her deal with this terrible tragedy. But she soon discovers that there is more to this family than meets the eye, from the wife, Jo to the Husband Neal, and younger sister, Delphine. Nothing is what it seems!
This novel is an intense character driven novel, where the hidden secrets and lies, soon come to the surface. The story is told in alternating points of view, written mainly in two point of views - the present is Kate’s, to which is added Rosie’s flashback narration, which helps the reader piece together what actually happened to her.
The reader, will be kept guessing all the way to the end. Even if you 'think' you might know who the killer is, the twists and lies and deceit will prove you wrong.
The pacing of the storytelling was excellent, and I found it hard to put down.
This novel gives a new meaning to the concept of “The Perfect Neighbour”!
I would recommend this book to psychological thriller lovers.
May 15, 2015
Rosie Anderson - 18 years old, is murdered.
Who killed her?
"If you have two equally convincing stories from two people who love each other, how do you know what's true?"
Rosie was a typical teenager, she was quiet, she was sweet. She also had a boyfriend, named Alex, that she kept secret.... Or at least tried to. Did the boyfriend kill her?
She had a younger sister named Delphine whom she loved very much and felt protective of. Rosie's close friend was named Grace. Did her Delphine or Grace kill her?
Grace told her mother, Kate, that she found it odd that when Rosie would come visit the horses they owned, she only came when Grace wasn't home. It was as if Rosie only came to see her mother. ( not Grace). Fishy? Did Kate kill her?
Jo seems fragile.... since the death of her daughter --- she isn't exactly being social, and she is been drinking. Did she kill her?
Neal.. The father, of Rosie, has been a domineering and abusive figure in the family. We learn about the father from 'Rosie'...(during flashbacks....as she narrates perspectives about her family .. feelings.. friends...and life) Did he kill her?
Kate gets very involved with the Anderson family. She wants to comfort her friend, Jo. She wants to help figure out who killed their daughter. Kate's, husband, Angus isn't thrilled about her involvement...but accepts it. Did Angus kill her?
This turned out to be a very captivating psychological thriller. The reader, really is guessing all the way to the end. Even if you 'think' you might know who the killer is...( you may be wrong), it makes little difference because beneath the surface of everything is a lot of madness with almost all of the characters: ( either too much gossip, lies, cheating, drinking, and more lies)
The pacing of the storytelling was excellent. The author especially demonstrated her writing talents through the flashback narration of, Rosie.
Rosie had lost a part of her spirit - gave up on hope- by the age of twelve. She called her twelfth birthday her "puppy birthday". ( as she was lied and betrayed to fire father) ...
So, Rosie continues to be an important part of the storytelling... not giving us hints so much as to who killed her - but just what type of world she was born into.
Here is one of her messages: ( from death):
"I'm the moth who see's the flame too late, leaving my wings charred and my body lifeless.
Like everything that went before, it was written, into the small print of my life, meaning
whatever I was, there was never any other way."
The question you might ask? If you enjoyed Gone Girl and Lovely Bones... Will you enjoy this novel? Definitely YES!
Thank you to The publisher- Netgalley-,and many congrats to Debbie Howell's first thriller novel!
Who killed her?
"If you have two equally convincing stories from two people who love each other, how do you know what's true?"
Rosie was a typical teenager, she was quiet, she was sweet. She also had a boyfriend, named Alex, that she kept secret.... Or at least tried to. Did the boyfriend kill her?
She had a younger sister named Delphine whom she loved very much and felt protective of. Rosie's close friend was named Grace. Did her Delphine or Grace kill her?
Grace told her mother, Kate, that she found it odd that when Rosie would come visit the horses they owned, she only came when Grace wasn't home. It was as if Rosie only came to see her mother. ( not Grace). Fishy? Did Kate kill her?
Jo seems fragile.... since the death of her daughter --- she isn't exactly being social, and she is been drinking. Did she kill her?
Neal.. The father, of Rosie, has been a domineering and abusive figure in the family. We learn about the father from 'Rosie'...(during flashbacks....as she narrates perspectives about her family .. feelings.. friends...and life) Did he kill her?
Kate gets very involved with the Anderson family. She wants to comfort her friend, Jo. She wants to help figure out who killed their daughter. Kate's, husband, Angus isn't thrilled about her involvement...but accepts it. Did Angus kill her?
This turned out to be a very captivating psychological thriller. The reader, really is guessing all the way to the end. Even if you 'think' you might know who the killer is...( you may be wrong), it makes little difference because beneath the surface of everything is a lot of madness with almost all of the characters: ( either too much gossip, lies, cheating, drinking, and more lies)
The pacing of the storytelling was excellent. The author especially demonstrated her writing talents through the flashback narration of, Rosie.
Rosie had lost a part of her spirit - gave up on hope- by the age of twelve. She called her twelfth birthday her "puppy birthday". ( as she was lied and betrayed to fire father) ...
So, Rosie continues to be an important part of the storytelling... not giving us hints so much as to who killed her - but just what type of world she was born into.
Here is one of her messages: ( from death):
"I'm the moth who see's the flame too late, leaving my wings charred and my body lifeless.
Like everything that went before, it was written, into the small print of my life, meaning
whatever I was, there was never any other way."
The question you might ask? If you enjoyed Gone Girl and Lovely Bones... Will you enjoy this novel? Definitely YES!
Thank you to The publisher- Netgalley-,and many congrats to Debbie Howell's first thriller novel!
June 3, 2015
The Bones of You is a beautiful slow burner of a novel that you might think is a crime novel - and yes it does involve a crime and yes you will be lead slowly but surely to the resolution of that crime - but the heart of this story is about families and the secrets they keep.
When Rosie goes missing, the small community in which she lives is shocked, then horrified when her body is discovered. There is very little evidence to point to a suspect and through the eyes of Kate, a friend of Rosie's mother and through Rosie herself from beyond the grave, we begin to discover that outward appearances mean nothing at all..
I got caught up in this one for many reasons, probably the least of which was the crime element. I found Kate's life to be beautifully drawn and her thoughts and assumptions and her often utter confusion gave a real heart to what could have been a fairly generic psychological thriller. Rosie is also gorgeously portrayed, there is a poetic note to her voice that packs a real emotional punch - really wonderful writing throughout.
This is not a fast paced edge of the seat story it is a tension building character driven family drama. It is difficult to review in detail without spoilers so I'll keep it simple - highly compelling, nicely constructed with some remarkably normal people caught up in a very abnormal situation. Some tough themes are tackled well and given a focus, a voice and for that reason this comes highly recommended from me.
Happy Reading Folks!
When Rosie goes missing, the small community in which she lives is shocked, then horrified when her body is discovered. There is very little evidence to point to a suspect and through the eyes of Kate, a friend of Rosie's mother and through Rosie herself from beyond the grave, we begin to discover that outward appearances mean nothing at all..
I got caught up in this one for many reasons, probably the least of which was the crime element. I found Kate's life to be beautifully drawn and her thoughts and assumptions and her often utter confusion gave a real heart to what could have been a fairly generic psychological thriller. Rosie is also gorgeously portrayed, there is a poetic note to her voice that packs a real emotional punch - really wonderful writing throughout.
This is not a fast paced edge of the seat story it is a tension building character driven family drama. It is difficult to review in detail without spoilers so I'll keep it simple - highly compelling, nicely constructed with some remarkably normal people caught up in a very abnormal situation. Some tough themes are tackled well and given a focus, a voice and for that reason this comes highly recommended from me.
Happy Reading Folks!
July 12, 2015
3.5 This suspenseful and psychological thriller can be representative of many things. Dysfunctional families, keeping problems in the home, alcoholism, narcissism, how two damaged people can come together to create a nightmare of a life. The disastrous effects of a emotionally empty childhood, showing us how little we actually know about what goes on behind closed doors even if we consider them good friends. The many masks people can wear and how easily we can be deceived by charm.
Yes, all these things are in this book but it is done very well. The author uses a loving family, a normal family of you will, to offer as a sharp contrast to the one that is dysfunctional. Took a while for me to figure out who was telling the truth. A good solid and well thought out thriller.
ARC from NetGalley.
Yes, all these things are in this book but it is done very well. The author uses a loving family, a normal family of you will, to offer as a sharp contrast to the one that is dysfunctional. Took a while for me to figure out who was telling the truth. A good solid and well thought out thriller.
ARC from NetGalley.
February 17, 2016
This was a fun read for me- I love books that let you 'think' you know who did what, only to pull the rug out from under you and cause you to change your mind, over and over! The pace of the storyline was spot on-giving just enough to keep you turning the page long after it was time to go to bed.
That was the only thing 'fun' about this read though...the storyline is one fraught with disfunction, abuse, manipulation, deception, and murder. You won't like a lot of what you read, but you won't know whom you should hate until much later in the story. Told in past and present tense, this is a sad story about the murder of a young girl (past tense told with a feel of The Lovely Bones) and a neighbor/friend who finds herself sucked in to this family's grief and disfunction.
This is actually the only reason I held back from a 5 star review...the one thing that I couldn't get out of my head was how this neighbor really keep intruding on this family time after time, often injecting herself in situations that no neighbor of mine would ever step. Once you get past that and just chalk it up to a woman with too much time on her hands, you are in for a great read! I look forward to future books from this author and highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC for an honest review.
That was the only thing 'fun' about this read though...the storyline is one fraught with disfunction, abuse, manipulation, deception, and murder. You won't like a lot of what you read, but you won't know whom you should hate until much later in the story. Told in past and present tense, this is a sad story about the murder of a young girl (past tense told with a feel of The Lovely Bones) and a neighbor/friend who finds herself sucked in to this family's grief and disfunction.
This is actually the only reason I held back from a 5 star review...the one thing that I couldn't get out of my head was how this neighbor really keep intruding on this family time after time, often injecting herself in situations that no neighbor of mine would ever step. Once you get past that and just chalk it up to a woman with too much time on her hands, you are in for a great read! I look forward to future books from this author and highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC for an honest review.
May 2, 2015
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
2 stars and I know I am in the minority on Goodreads.
We are introduced to two families – the first is Kate, her husband Angus and daughter Grace, an average family; the second family is Joanna, her husband Neal, and daughters Rosanna (Rosie) and Delphine (Della), they are the perfect family. But something goes wrong. Rosie disappears and everyone fears the worse. Kate befriends Joanna to support her through what may be a terrible tragedy.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book but somewhere along the way, the author seems to have lost the storyline. I deducted one star because halfway through the novel, some romance suspense is introduce; then a long tale of child abuse; and the story of Rosie seems to be lost in the telling. Another star I deducted because Kate is portrayed as one of the most naïve women I have ever read. I just could not believe she was not able to ‘catch-on’ to what was happening. A third star when the book just became too maudlin for my taste at the end.
I want to repeat this is my opinion of “The Bones of You” and on Goodreads other reviewers have given it 4 stars. Just didn’t work for me.
2 stars and I know I am in the minority on Goodreads.
We are introduced to two families – the first is Kate, her husband Angus and daughter Grace, an average family; the second family is Joanna, her husband Neal, and daughters Rosanna (Rosie) and Delphine (Della), they are the perfect family. But something goes wrong. Rosie disappears and everyone fears the worse. Kate befriends Joanna to support her through what may be a terrible tragedy.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book but somewhere along the way, the author seems to have lost the storyline. I deducted one star because halfway through the novel, some romance suspense is introduce; then a long tale of child abuse; and the story of Rosie seems to be lost in the telling. Another star I deducted because Kate is portrayed as one of the most naïve women I have ever read. I just could not believe she was not able to ‘catch-on’ to what was happening. A third star when the book just became too maudlin for my taste at the end.
I want to repeat this is my opinion of “The Bones of You” and on Goodreads other reviewers have given it 4 stars. Just didn’t work for me.
July 1, 2015
The Bones of You is a messy book about an oh so tidy family, full of "keeping up external appearances" while no one else knows what goes on. Everything takes place in what appears to be a fairly well off English suburb, where the Anderson family, Neal, Jo, Rosie and Della, live a life somewhat cut off from their neighbors, in wealthy splendor. Until the bottom falls out; until Rosie dies. This is no secret. It happens almost immediately and will be known to anyone who reads anything at all about the book.
From there the story moves in layers of perspectives. For readers who dislike either the use of the present tense or multi-person narratives, this could be a challenge. But let me say---I found it well worth it and well done. The author creates tension, a feeling of loss and confusion, helplessness and almost hopelessness along with fleeting moments of joy and beauty. Kate and Angus are the bedrock here, the counterpoint to Neal and Jo. Through them the reader also sees just how difficult it is to find truth, to sit in judgment of others.
This was a fairly quick read and also a very interesting one. I felt its emotions were earned and I would look for other books from this author.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
From there the story moves in layers of perspectives. For readers who dislike either the use of the present tense or multi-person narratives, this could be a challenge. But let me say---I found it well worth it and well done. The author creates tension, a feeling of loss and confusion, helplessness and almost hopelessness along with fleeting moments of joy and beauty. Kate and Angus are the bedrock here, the counterpoint to Neal and Jo. Through them the reader also sees just how difficult it is to find truth, to sit in judgment of others.
This was a fairly quick read and also a very interesting one. I felt its emotions were earned and I would look for other books from this author.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
July 22, 2015
Here is a Psychological Thriller that will have you guessing all the way to the end, you will question everyone's motives...
Who did it?
Who could have done it?
Who would want to do it?
Why?
When eighteen year old Rosie Anderson doesn't return home after a visit to her friend Poppy's place, the small village where she lives goes into shock. They band together and search the local woods and surrounding areas looking for her, hoping against hope that ...they won't find a body.
Few people know Rosie very well, as she had a tendency towards shyness and kept mostly to herself. She had a close relationship with her younger sister Delphine (Della) but few friends, Poppy being an exception.
Rosie also had an unlikely friend in Kate, the mother of a girl she knows at school, and someone she visited regularly.
Kate has a property nearby where she keeps and trains horses and Rosie began hanging around there, watching Kate work the horses. Kate didn't mind as her own teenage daughter Grace, was so busy with her own social life that she was rarely ever home during her spare time.
Kate sensed that Rosie was lonely and offered to let her help out as she had such an affinity with the horses that it was a helpful arrangement for both of them.
Rosie felt comfortable around Kate and wanted to spend time with her whenever she knew that Grace wasn't home. Kate was kind to her and treated her like a daughter, she let her pet the horses and help out.
This story incorporates some really strong psychological issues such as power struggles involving emotional control and manipulation, domestic violence, bulimia, alcohol abuse and neglect...to name a few.
So many occasions throughout this book where your many emotions will be tested, and so many poignant moments where you are not sure who is a victim or who is a perpetrator...the lines are so often blurred.
*
This is Debbie Howells' first venture into psychological thrillers and it delivers!
If psychological thrillers are your thing, then this should easily satisfy your needs, it is a compelling thriller read that keeps up a good edgy pace to the very end.
4★s
Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for my copy to read and review.
June 13, 2017
This review was originally posted on [Between My Lines]
This book had me so jumpy from the very beginning. The atmosphere was menacing and I could feel evil hiding around the pages just waiting to grab me! Well maybe not me but definitely some of the characters!
First Line of The Bones of You by Debbie Howells:
Five reasons to read The Bones of You by Debbie Howells:
Beautiful writing: Seriously the prose was gorgeous but it never got in the way of the plot. I hate when descriptive writing slows down a story but here the plot and writing complemented each other so well. For this alone, read the book! The descriptions of nature and the flow of life were fab.
Dark shadowy mystery: I’d describe this as ghostly and I’ve heard others compare it to The Lovely Bones and I can see why. It’s not the same, in fact it’s very unique, but vibe is similar.
Village setting : I loved the English village setting. At first glance it all seems so peaceful and idyllic but for some families it is far from that. There is a sense of community and of neighbours who genuinely care but behind closed doors, there are unseen horrors.
Ugly, ugly, sick characters! Characters that you will despise and that make you mad as hell.
Complex characters: Even the good characters (Kate, I love her) make some dubious decisions during the book. At one point I wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into Kate but life is never black and white and I appreciate when characters aren’t either.
What a début! I love when an author digs into the undercurrents of family life and shows us the good, the bad and the unthinkable. I was a bit bothered by the plot hole in one of the storylines as it was something the coroner would have immediately noticed and this stopped it being a five-star book for me. But apart from that, I’m impressed and want to read more by Debbie Howell in the future.
Thanks to Pan MacMillan for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This book had me so jumpy from the very beginning. The atmosphere was menacing and I could feel evil hiding around the pages just waiting to grab me! Well maybe not me but definitely some of the characters!
First Line of The Bones of You by Debbie Howells:
"I put down the phone and just stand there, completely still."
Five reasons to read The Bones of You by Debbie Howells:
Beautiful writing: Seriously the prose was gorgeous but it never got in the way of the plot. I hate when descriptive writing slows down a story but here the plot and writing complemented each other so well. For this alone, read the book! The descriptions of nature and the flow of life were fab.
Dark shadowy mystery: I’d describe this as ghostly and I’ve heard others compare it to The Lovely Bones and I can see why. It’s not the same, in fact it’s very unique, but vibe is similar.
Village setting : I loved the English village setting. At first glance it all seems so peaceful and idyllic but for some families it is far from that. There is a sense of community and of neighbours who genuinely care but behind closed doors, there are unseen horrors.
Ugly, ugly, sick characters! Characters that you will despise and that make you mad as hell.
Complex characters: Even the good characters (Kate, I love her) make some dubious decisions during the book. At one point I wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into Kate but life is never black and white and I appreciate when characters aren’t either.
What a début! I love when an author digs into the undercurrents of family life and shows us the good, the bad and the unthinkable. I was a bit bothered by the plot hole in one of the storylines as it was something the coroner would have immediately noticed and this stopped it being a five-star book for me. But apart from that, I’m impressed and want to read more by Debbie Howell in the future.
Thanks to Pan MacMillan for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
April 16, 2017
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This is by no means a new release, having been released in 2015 but it has been one that I've been meaning to read for some time. Boy, am I glad that I decided to get to it. It took me a few pages and chapters before I was totally hooked, but by the time I reached page 50, I was a goner.
The novel opens with an absolutely captivating chapter and I knew right from the start that I was going to enjoy this book. The story alternates between the current time narrated by Kate, and the past, being the chapters that are narrated by Rosie. The tension builds so slowly and so well during the Rosie chapters, that I knew there was going to be some sort of explosive reveal or ending. Although I had my suspicions as to what that reveal would be, I was only partially right.
This is one of those books with lots of dislikeable characters. I found Rosie's parents despicable. Her mother was just weird, plain and simple and her father was a man of multiple faces, the ugly ones coming out behind closed doors. But this is also a book with characters to get behind and to support. Kate was one such character and although I found her slightly naive at times, she was very down to earth and likeable.
This book wasn't without its flaws though. I did find some of the characters actions fairly over the top and I also didn't always understand the inclusion of certain characters into the story as they didn't appear to add anything to the story or take it forward in any way, as an example, Kate's journalist friend. Be that as it may, this was a good, easy reading psychological thriller that had me gripped.
My Rating: * * * *
Publication Date: April 2015
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Format: Paperback
Source: Review copy furnished to me by the publisher. Many thanks to author Debbie Howell and Pan Macmillan publishers for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
This is by no means a new release, having been released in 2015 but it has been one that I've been meaning to read for some time. Boy, am I glad that I decided to get to it. It took me a few pages and chapters before I was totally hooked, but by the time I reached page 50, I was a goner.
The novel opens with an absolutely captivating chapter and I knew right from the start that I was going to enjoy this book. The story alternates between the current time narrated by Kate, and the past, being the chapters that are narrated by Rosie. The tension builds so slowly and so well during the Rosie chapters, that I knew there was going to be some sort of explosive reveal or ending. Although I had my suspicions as to what that reveal would be, I was only partially right.
This is one of those books with lots of dislikeable characters. I found Rosie's parents despicable. Her mother was just weird, plain and simple and her father was a man of multiple faces, the ugly ones coming out behind closed doors. But this is also a book with characters to get behind and to support. Kate was one such character and although I found her slightly naive at times, she was very down to earth and likeable.
This book wasn't without its flaws though. I did find some of the characters actions fairly over the top and I also didn't always understand the inclusion of certain characters into the story as they didn't appear to add anything to the story or take it forward in any way, as an example, Kate's journalist friend. Be that as it may, this was a good, easy reading psychological thriller that had me gripped.
My Rating: * * * *
Publication Date: April 2015
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Format: Paperback
Source: Review copy furnished to me by the publisher. Many thanks to author Debbie Howell and Pan Macmillan publishers for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
July 2, 2015
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this Arc copy to read for an honest review. Graces's school friend goes missing. The unthinkable doesn't creep into their minds right away but slowly they Rosie's family Neal and Joanna come to realise she may never come home. She was found in the woods dead of course.
Grace's family try to comfort the family after Roseanne's death but Grace's mother soon sees the family just may have some secrets after all and something is not as "perfect" as it seems. Joanna starved herself and her daughter to look "perfect" to please her husband Neal. Actually nothing was good enough for this few choiced words of my own for this man. He was pyschologically abusive and physically. I had a feeling pretty much in the beginning who might of killled her but jumped from two different people..so yes this keeps you on your toes and guessing.
Do we really know our "perfect as it seems" neighbors? no. We have no clue really what goes on behind doors.You just might be very suprised!!!!!!
I would recommend this boook to pyschological thriller lovers and who enjoy mystery crimes.
Grace's family try to comfort the family after Roseanne's death but Grace's mother soon sees the family just may have some secrets after all and something is not as "perfect" as it seems. Joanna starved herself and her daughter to look "perfect" to please her husband Neal. Actually nothing was good enough for this few choiced words of my own for this man. He was pyschologically abusive and physically. I had a feeling pretty much in the beginning who might of killled her but jumped from two different people..so yes this keeps you on your toes and guessing.
Do we really know our "perfect as it seems" neighbors? no. We have no clue really what goes on behind doors.You just might be very suprised!!!!!!
I would recommend this boook to pyschological thriller lovers and who enjoy mystery crimes.
July 6, 2015
A teenage girl has disappeared. Just who is the most concerned?
Her mother, Jo, a waspy housewife with a penchant for the finer things in life? Kate, a fellow mother of a teenage girl who suddenly becomes Jo's lifeline? Delphine, the younger sister of the missing girl? Neal, the girls father, a television journalist who is adored by all? When a body is discovered in the local woodland, the small rural village is shocked and secrets begin to seep through doorways and through the trees. All the while, they are being watched by Rosie. Neither here nor there, she recalls the events leading up to her disappearance and monitors the unfolding drama surrounding her family and friends. There are two sides to every story. Just who can be believed?
This debut psychological thriller is bound to split opinions. One the one hand it dismisses the importance of police procedural within the thriller genre and, on the other, it emphasises the need to identify and understand a character. While there were holes in the plot, (surrounding police presence and social workers involvement, for example) the novel does not suffer as a result. The story begins straight away, with Kate learning of Rosie's disappearance. The local mothers seem upset but untouched by the episode and Kate throws herself at the mercy of the girl's mother, Jo. The story is told from Rosie's perspective too, lending an ethereal feel and drawing the reader into the world of uncertainty. Similar to Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, there is a wonderful use of liminal space and tiny nuggets of information are drip-fed at a perfect pace. Other characters are solid, like Delphine, the troubled second daughter of Jo and Neal, who is a shady afterthought in her parent's lives. The reader is left to wonder at her safety, and indeed sanity, throughout. The ever-so-perfect Neal is obviously far from perfect from the start, but how much of the information given is true? The only character I wasn't keen on was Laura, a journalist and a former friend of Kate. She is one of the worst investigative journalist I have read in fiction. Basically, this is a story of belief. Just which side of the story is true? Keeping an open mind can be difficult and manipulation is a tool, almost as sharp as a knife...
"If you have two equally convincing opposing stories from two people who love each other, how do you work out what's true?"
"The thing is, one person's truth is very often another person's lie."
It is easy to see why this novel was acquired for six figures in a four-way auction. It is clever, wonderfully paced and is sure to be a huge word-of-mouth success. Psychological thrillers are all the rage at the moment, with The Girl on the Train hovering at the top of bestseller lists for over six months now and publishers wanting a piece of the the action. There are few books that will succeed, but I think this may well be one of them. A one sitting read, that will have your fingers worn as you turn the pages at breakneck speed. The characters may not be the brightest sparks, or even likeable, but they will suck you in to their world, and you may forget the one you actually live in for 340 pages. A brilliant read. Highly recommended...
Her mother, Jo, a waspy housewife with a penchant for the finer things in life? Kate, a fellow mother of a teenage girl who suddenly becomes Jo's lifeline? Delphine, the younger sister of the missing girl? Neal, the girls father, a television journalist who is adored by all? When a body is discovered in the local woodland, the small rural village is shocked and secrets begin to seep through doorways and through the trees. All the while, they are being watched by Rosie. Neither here nor there, she recalls the events leading up to her disappearance and monitors the unfolding drama surrounding her family and friends. There are two sides to every story. Just who can be believed?
This debut psychological thriller is bound to split opinions. One the one hand it dismisses the importance of police procedural within the thriller genre and, on the other, it emphasises the need to identify and understand a character. While there were holes in the plot, (surrounding police presence and social workers involvement, for example) the novel does not suffer as a result. The story begins straight away, with Kate learning of Rosie's disappearance. The local mothers seem upset but untouched by the episode and Kate throws herself at the mercy of the girl's mother, Jo. The story is told from Rosie's perspective too, lending an ethereal feel and drawing the reader into the world of uncertainty. Similar to Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, there is a wonderful use of liminal space and tiny nuggets of information are drip-fed at a perfect pace. Other characters are solid, like Delphine, the troubled second daughter of Jo and Neal, who is a shady afterthought in her parent's lives. The reader is left to wonder at her safety, and indeed sanity, throughout. The ever-so-perfect Neal is obviously far from perfect from the start, but how much of the information given is true? The only character I wasn't keen on was Laura, a journalist and a former friend of Kate. She is one of the worst investigative journalist I have read in fiction. Basically, this is a story of belief. Just which side of the story is true? Keeping an open mind can be difficult and manipulation is a tool, almost as sharp as a knife...
"If you have two equally convincing opposing stories from two people who love each other, how do you work out what's true?"
"The thing is, one person's truth is very often another person's lie."
It is easy to see why this novel was acquired for six figures in a four-way auction. It is clever, wonderfully paced and is sure to be a huge word-of-mouth success. Psychological thrillers are all the rage at the moment, with The Girl on the Train hovering at the top of bestseller lists for over six months now and publishers wanting a piece of the the action. There are few books that will succeed, but I think this may well be one of them. A one sitting read, that will have your fingers worn as you turn the pages at breakneck speed. The characters may not be the brightest sparks, or even likeable, but they will suck you in to their world, and you may forget the one you actually live in for 340 pages. A brilliant read. Highly recommended...
June 2, 2015
I haven't read any other books by this author. I was super excited to read her first psychological thriller. She certainly didn't disappoint me. I found this to be a gripping read. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it.
Rosie's gone missing. Throughout the book we read flashbacks from Rosie's perspective. She also tells us of her not too pleasant past.
Another point of view is Kate's, a neighbour with a daughter the same age as Rosie. Kate's point of view lets us know what is happening in the present time.
I didn't guess who the killer was and was shocked when I found out. Although this isn't a fast paced story I enjoyed the pace. I love that the author brought up gritty subject matters. As secrets and lies are uncovered I felt as if I was edging off my seat in anticipation of what was going to happen next.
This story goes to show you don't know what's happening behind closed doors.
I really hope this author is busy writing more psychological thrillers as this is a fantastic read.
Rosie's gone missing. Throughout the book we read flashbacks from Rosie's perspective. She also tells us of her not too pleasant past.
Another point of view is Kate's, a neighbour with a daughter the same age as Rosie. Kate's point of view lets us know what is happening in the present time.
I didn't guess who the killer was and was shocked when I found out. Although this isn't a fast paced story I enjoyed the pace. I love that the author brought up gritty subject matters. As secrets and lies are uncovered I felt as if I was edging off my seat in anticipation of what was going to happen next.
This story goes to show you don't know what's happening behind closed doors.
I really hope this author is busy writing more psychological thrillers as this is a fantastic read.
June 30, 2015
5 stars from cover to cover. Debbie Howells is a wordsmith of the highest caliber. I started The Bones of You last night and tore myself away only after I thought my corneas would separate from eyes! It was 2 am and I'd been up since 3 am the following day. The slow intense building of the story and getting to know these characters was worth every minute.
I know this book will draw many comparisons to Alice Seabold's The Lovely Bones because both are narrated my a young murder victim. The Bones of You is also narrated by the victims mother. I had a few moments of frustration when I felt the characters were a little too naive to things that seemed so obvious but that's hindsight for you isn't it?
Bottom line, I believe this book will create buzz and we will see it in many bestsellers list. Debbie Howell is an author In will continue to follow. She is an enormous talent and I found myself rereading sentences because of their simple beauty.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I know this book will draw many comparisons to Alice Seabold's The Lovely Bones because both are narrated my a young murder victim. The Bones of You is also narrated by the victims mother. I had a few moments of frustration when I felt the characters were a little too naive to things that seemed so obvious but that's hindsight for you isn't it?
Bottom line, I believe this book will create buzz and we will see it in many bestsellers list. Debbie Howell is an author In will continue to follow. She is an enormous talent and I found myself rereading sentences because of their simple beauty.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2015
When 18 year old Rosie Anderson goes missing, secrets about her seemingly perfect family come to light. I wasn't able to put The Bones of You down--I highly recommend!
December 13, 2015
4 1/2 stars for this psychological thriller.
The murder of Rosanna is the catalyst for the carefully presented facade of an extremely dysfunctional family falling apart.
This is not a who-dunnit in as much as a "why-it-was-done".
The progress of the story can be compared to a rail journey - a slow pulling out from the station with a gradual increase in speed until you are rocketing along at great speed and feeling that you are in danger of leaving the rails. The more of this book I read, the more unputdownable it became.
The language is lyrical "... a family needs the invisible bits that hold it all together. The nuts and bolts and glue that come from strains of laughter, like music in your ears, or from the sharing of secrets and dreams...." but the subject matter gradually becomes darker and darker as the secrets and lies of this outwardly enviable family are revealed, leaving you gasping in revulsion and horror.
Thank you to Kensington Books, author Debbie Howells and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The murder of Rosanna is the catalyst for the carefully presented facade of an extremely dysfunctional family falling apart.
This is not a who-dunnit in as much as a "why-it-was-done".
The progress of the story can be compared to a rail journey - a slow pulling out from the station with a gradual increase in speed until you are rocketing along at great speed and feeling that you are in danger of leaving the rails. The more of this book I read, the more unputdownable it became.
The language is lyrical "... a family needs the invisible bits that hold it all together. The nuts and bolts and glue that come from strains of laughter, like music in your ears, or from the sharing of secrets and dreams...." but the subject matter gradually becomes darker and darker as the secrets and lies of this outwardly enviable family are revealed, leaving you gasping in revulsion and horror.
Thank you to Kensington Books, author Debbie Howells and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2015
Every parent's nightmare, their daughter goes missing and is later found dead. This tightly written dark psychological thriller ticked every box for me. It had me enthralled from the first to the last page and I devoured it in a day.
The book is set in the present day and we see the day-to-day effect Rosie's disappearance and ultimate death has on her family, friends and the entire village where she lived. In among this story we hear from Rosie herself who slowly uncovers and reveals the backstory of her family and we learn that all is not as it seems.
Most of the book is written from the POV of Kate, Rosie's friend and it is she that is the most determined to find out the truth, often to the detriment of her own comfort, safety, marriage and, at times, sanity!
Despite the dark nature of this book, there are some very uplifting moments, written quite beautifully. I think this is important in a book of this nature as it gives the reader some much needed respite from some of the disturbing elements. There are also some wonderful characters. I found the characterisation such that it was easy to emote with most of them both in a good and bad way.
It's a great book that reinforces the fact that we never really know people. We only see what they allow us to see and quite often, the truth is far wide of that mark. In this book, cracks in that facade slowly form and, with the assistance of Rosie's bits, the walls that were built slowly crumble to reveal the awful shocking truth that I really didn't see coming.
This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely won't be the last.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book is set in the present day and we see the day-to-day effect Rosie's disappearance and ultimate death has on her family, friends and the entire village where she lived. In among this story we hear from Rosie herself who slowly uncovers and reveals the backstory of her family and we learn that all is not as it seems.
Most of the book is written from the POV of Kate, Rosie's friend and it is she that is the most determined to find out the truth, often to the detriment of her own comfort, safety, marriage and, at times, sanity!
Despite the dark nature of this book, there are some very uplifting moments, written quite beautifully. I think this is important in a book of this nature as it gives the reader some much needed respite from some of the disturbing elements. There are also some wonderful characters. I found the characterisation such that it was easy to emote with most of them both in a good and bad way.
It's a great book that reinforces the fact that we never really know people. We only see what they allow us to see and quite often, the truth is far wide of that mark. In this book, cracks in that facade slowly form and, with the assistance of Rosie's bits, the walls that were built slowly crumble to reveal the awful shocking truth that I really didn't see coming.
This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely won't be the last.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2016
A special thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
THE BONES OF YOU, dark psychological suspense thriller debut by Debbie Howells, a haunting novel of deceit and lies. A young girl’s murder and one woman’s obsession with uncovering dark secrets in this idyllic English village, drawing you into this intriguing world of mystery. A taunt chilling novel which will keep you page-turning into the wee hours of the morning.
“Stars are the souls of dead poets, but to become a star, you have to die.” Vincent van Gogh
“It’s true, what they say about when you die. In the final, terrible seconds of my life, eighteen years flash before my eyes. It’s when I understand the difference between life and death.”
Rosie has gone missing. . as the book opens. Rosie is looking at the movie of her life. THE BONES OF YOU, is an intense character driven novel---readers get an inside glimpse into all the people surrounding the life of Rosie Anderson, an eighteen-year-old teen who has been murdered. Their dark secrets, lies, fears, and deceit (and there are many) are slowly unraveled piece by piece.
Rosie “There are always two camps. Good and evil. Beautiful and ugly. Winners and losers. Andersons are never losers, just as they’re never anything less than perfect."
Gripping and tragic, flashing back and forth from Rosie, narrator, as she plays back the events of her life, to Kate, narrator, and sister, Delphine--readers slowly learn of all the suspects which touched Rosie’s short life.
Living on opposite sides of a small village with daughters at the same school, Jo and Kate belong to a group of mothers who meet now and then. Jo is married to Neal, a renowned journalist, who reports from the middle of war zones. They have a nice house and nice cars; however, Kate is drawn to Rosie. She is the same age as her daughter Grace. Rosie is also deeply drawn to Kate and her horses.
Rosie is a shy girl, quieter than Grace and share a love of horses with Kate. A feeling of foreboding hits Kate, a fear, a raw panic engulfs her and she is terrified, and she senses Rosie’s voice screaming her name. Rosie was murdered. Her body was discovered in the woods. Evidence of struggle, suffering several blows to her head, before being stabbed viciously a number of times. She was found in the same clearing where Kate fell off horse Zappa and she did not see her.
Everyone begins to speculate the reasons behind her murder. An unnamed boyfriend, the mother, perhaps the father with many faces, the charming one, or friends? A stranger? Are they all suspects? Behind the façade of constrained smiles and familiar exchanges there is a shift in the village. They could have a murderer in their midst.
A secret boyfriend, Alex, a younger sister, Delphine, Jo, the mother, Neal, the father, Emma or Grace, friends, Kate, perhaps? “Lies are like dough, or malignant tumors. They get bigger.“ Kate becomes almost obsessive about finding the murderer and the Anderson family. While she desires to comfort her friend, Jo, her husband, Angus is not thrilled with her involvement.
My favorite parts were those from Rosie; her words are haunting, yet magical, leading to the explosive finale; the story behind the story. The part of the story no one knows. Hate, lies, toxic behavior, and the truth.
Written in an almost lyrical prose, clever and scary, in the theme of Lovely Bones and Reconstructing Amelia, a haunting debut for lovers of psycho-thrillers and Gone Girl. British author Howells is an author to follow!
JDCMustReadBooks
**Blog Tour Stop June 11.** Join Me Here!
THE BONES OF YOU, dark psychological suspense thriller debut by Debbie Howells, a haunting novel of deceit and lies. A young girl’s murder and one woman’s obsession with uncovering dark secrets in this idyllic English village, drawing you into this intriguing world of mystery. A taunt chilling novel which will keep you page-turning into the wee hours of the morning.
“Stars are the souls of dead poets, but to become a star, you have to die.” Vincent van Gogh
“It’s true, what they say about when you die. In the final, terrible seconds of my life, eighteen years flash before my eyes. It’s when I understand the difference between life and death.”
Rosie has gone missing. . as the book opens. Rosie is looking at the movie of her life. THE BONES OF YOU, is an intense character driven novel---readers get an inside glimpse into all the people surrounding the life of Rosie Anderson, an eighteen-year-old teen who has been murdered. Their dark secrets, lies, fears, and deceit (and there are many) are slowly unraveled piece by piece.
Rosie “There are always two camps. Good and evil. Beautiful and ugly. Winners and losers. Andersons are never losers, just as they’re never anything less than perfect."
Gripping and tragic, flashing back and forth from Rosie, narrator, as she plays back the events of her life, to Kate, narrator, and sister, Delphine--readers slowly learn of all the suspects which touched Rosie’s short life.
Living on opposite sides of a small village with daughters at the same school, Jo and Kate belong to a group of mothers who meet now and then. Jo is married to Neal, a renowned journalist, who reports from the middle of war zones. They have a nice house and nice cars; however, Kate is drawn to Rosie. She is the same age as her daughter Grace. Rosie is also deeply drawn to Kate and her horses.
Rosie is a shy girl, quieter than Grace and share a love of horses with Kate. A feeling of foreboding hits Kate, a fear, a raw panic engulfs her and she is terrified, and she senses Rosie’s voice screaming her name. Rosie was murdered. Her body was discovered in the woods. Evidence of struggle, suffering several blows to her head, before being stabbed viciously a number of times. She was found in the same clearing where Kate fell off horse Zappa and she did not see her.
Everyone begins to speculate the reasons behind her murder. An unnamed boyfriend, the mother, perhaps the father with many faces, the charming one, or friends? A stranger? Are they all suspects? Behind the façade of constrained smiles and familiar exchanges there is a shift in the village. They could have a murderer in their midst.
A secret boyfriend, Alex, a younger sister, Delphine, Jo, the mother, Neal, the father, Emma or Grace, friends, Kate, perhaps? “Lies are like dough, or malignant tumors. They get bigger.“ Kate becomes almost obsessive about finding the murderer and the Anderson family. While she desires to comfort her friend, Jo, her husband, Angus is not thrilled with her involvement.
My favorite parts were those from Rosie; her words are haunting, yet magical, leading to the explosive finale; the story behind the story. The part of the story no one knows. Hate, lies, toxic behavior, and the truth.
Written in an almost lyrical prose, clever and scary, in the theme of Lovely Bones and Reconstructing Amelia, a haunting debut for lovers of psycho-thrillers and Gone Girl. British author Howells is an author to follow!
JDCMustReadBooks
**Blog Tour Stop June 11.** Join Me Here!
June 3, 2015
WOW!
My View:
The perfect example of domestic noir.
After I finished reading this book I sat back and went WOW and then went to bed exhausted, it was after all past 1.30am but I could not put this down till I had read every single last word. I devoured this book. I savoured the words. This intimate portrait of manipulation and domestic violence – physical, emotional and psychological, is intense and accurate and is handled superbly and gently – which I think is a very effective way to treat the power imbalances here (I have worked in women’s refugees in a past life and know of how destructive these kinds of control/behaviours are and how realistic these examples are). In this novel we mostly we learn of these “truths” after the events, some almost a lifetime after…the voice from the grave is very effective; haunting, poignant, powerful.
I loved hearing Rosie’s voice, her memories. Her observations are powerful, painful and mostly joyless and so so sad, never have flash backs worked so evocatively. The anecdote regarding a pink TV is just heart breaking. (No spoilers here.)
Rosie’s story begins like this “It’s true, what they say about when you die. In the final, terrible seconds of my life, eighteen years flash before my eyes.” Yet this is not a dreary, weepy melodrama, the truths delivered via Rosie’s voice from the grave are relayed matter-of-factly, merely observations of a past life, made without judgement, what a great device. As Rosie recounts her life story the author allows the reader to make their own judgements and as I sat reading I clenched my teeth with rage at the harshness and injustices here and for all victims of family violence.
The theme that leapt out from the pages to me was about the power of truth. Truth can hurt, can see you free, truth can be harsh and hard to accept, and even harder to identify. Howells comments “…we can use all out skills, our experience, observe body language, read between as many lines as we choose, but we see mostly what we want to see. And if someone wants to hide the truth we may never know.” All we have is our own interpretation and understanding of the world and people. Intuition is something that should not be discarded.
This is a tightly plotted, very well executed, multiple viewpoint narrative that explores some very dark topics that are handled with a sensitivity that doesn’t beat the reader into a particular position – rather it allows the reader to form their own views and make their own guesses as to who is responsible for causing so much sorrow and pain in this narrative. As I delved deeper into the novel I made several unsuccessful guesses and only in the last few chapters did I understand who had murdered Rosie and their motives. This is an excellent example domestic noir.
My View:
The perfect example of domestic noir.
After I finished reading this book I sat back and went WOW and then went to bed exhausted, it was after all past 1.30am but I could not put this down till I had read every single last word. I devoured this book. I savoured the words. This intimate portrait of manipulation and domestic violence – physical, emotional and psychological, is intense and accurate and is handled superbly and gently – which I think is a very effective way to treat the power imbalances here (I have worked in women’s refugees in a past life and know of how destructive these kinds of control/behaviours are and how realistic these examples are). In this novel we mostly we learn of these “truths” after the events, some almost a lifetime after…the voice from the grave is very effective; haunting, poignant, powerful.
I loved hearing Rosie’s voice, her memories. Her observations are powerful, painful and mostly joyless and so so sad, never have flash backs worked so evocatively. The anecdote regarding a pink TV is just heart breaking. (No spoilers here.)
Rosie’s story begins like this “It’s true, what they say about when you die. In the final, terrible seconds of my life, eighteen years flash before my eyes.” Yet this is not a dreary, weepy melodrama, the truths delivered via Rosie’s voice from the grave are relayed matter-of-factly, merely observations of a past life, made without judgement, what a great device. As Rosie recounts her life story the author allows the reader to make their own judgements and as I sat reading I clenched my teeth with rage at the harshness and injustices here and for all victims of family violence.
The theme that leapt out from the pages to me was about the power of truth. Truth can hurt, can see you free, truth can be harsh and hard to accept, and even harder to identify. Howells comments “…we can use all out skills, our experience, observe body language, read between as many lines as we choose, but we see mostly what we want to see. And if someone wants to hide the truth we may never know.” All we have is our own interpretation and understanding of the world and people. Intuition is something that should not be discarded.
This is a tightly plotted, very well executed, multiple viewpoint narrative that explores some very dark topics that are handled with a sensitivity that doesn’t beat the reader into a particular position – rather it allows the reader to form their own views and make their own guesses as to who is responsible for causing so much sorrow and pain in this narrative. As I delved deeper into the novel I made several unsuccessful guesses and only in the last few chapters did I understand who had murdered Rosie and their motives. This is an excellent example domestic noir.
May 18, 2017
Debbie Howell's The Bones of You presents us with a deeply profound and often disturbing story of a young woman's savage murder in Sussex, England.
The story is narrated via four distinct voices---perhaps the most outstanding point of view comes from Kate, a down-to-earth, likable mother, wife and horse woman who adores gardening and seeks truth. She is compelled to befriend Kate's grieving mother, and through her eyes, we begin to view a sordid side of family perfection; in fact, we learn a great deal about parental and spousal abuse. At times, Ms. Howell stumbles and falters with too many points of view, but this novel is an insightful study of family, lies, treachery and violence.
The story is narrated via four distinct voices---perhaps the most outstanding point of view comes from Kate, a down-to-earth, likable mother, wife and horse woman who adores gardening and seeks truth. She is compelled to befriend Kate's grieving mother, and through her eyes, we begin to view a sordid side of family perfection; in fact, we learn a great deal about parental and spousal abuse. At times, Ms. Howell stumbles and falters with too many points of view, but this novel is an insightful study of family, lies, treachery and violence.
November 16, 2018
What a great book couldn’t put it down 😊
June 19, 2015
In a small English village, a young girl has gone missing. Rosie Anderson’s eighteen years flash before her eyes, as she looks down upon the life she lost; she describes this “movie of her life” as she sees it, in freeze frame images, starting in her childhood. Her voice is the first one we hear, and we will see her alternately reveal much as the story continues.
Our story then picks up with our narrator, Kate McKay, a friend of the Anderson family. Neal and Jo are Rosie’s parents, and Kate has just learned from Jo that Rosie has gone missing. Kate’s daughter Grace is distraught at the news of Rosie’s disappearance, and in the early days of August, there is still hope that she will be found. Or that they will all discover that Rosie has just gone off with a friend and no harm has come to her. After all, Rosie is not known for rebellious streaks.
Neal Anderson is a renowned journalist, charming, and many are in awe of him. His wife Jo is gorgeous and their home is perfect. Everything seems perfect. As we know in life, nothing is perfect.
And as "The Bones of You" unfolds, we learn that nothing is as it seems, and darkness lies beneath the surface. Abuse, dangerous passions, and perhaps even murderous impulses. Who can know what such people are capable of…what secrets might hide beneath the polished veneer? And why is Delphine, the youngest daughter, seemingly ignored? What secrets might she be hiding?
We see the layers of this dark, psychological suspense unpeeling slowly, and meet others in the village, like Rachael, a friend of Kate’s, and Angus, Kate’s husband. Laura is a journalist friend of Kate’s who appears after Rosie’s body is found and the determination has been made that she was murdered.
Kate was close to Rosie, who enjoyed coming over to spend time with the horses. Kate is an earthy character, a gardener, while Jo is distant, seemingly superficial, and unpredictable in her moods. She is often aloof, and then needy. Who can tell what is really going on in her perfect world, now destroyed by her daughter’s death?
There is a slow build of suspense and gradual revelations, both from Rosie’s perspective, and then through bits and pieces from others. What happened to Rosie? Could her boyfriend Alex, whom the parents disapproved of, be responsible? Or could her murderer be someone even closer?
A chilling story that kept me rapidly turning pages, figuring out some of it fairly early, but then stunned by what is finally revealed. And we see how a moral compass was lost, a brain short-circuited, and someone slipped into madness. How what we see in others often hides the truth and we may never know what that is. Until someone finds the courage to step forward. 4.5 stars.
This e-Arc was provided by NetGalley.
Our story then picks up with our narrator, Kate McKay, a friend of the Anderson family. Neal and Jo are Rosie’s parents, and Kate has just learned from Jo that Rosie has gone missing. Kate’s daughter Grace is distraught at the news of Rosie’s disappearance, and in the early days of August, there is still hope that she will be found. Or that they will all discover that Rosie has just gone off with a friend and no harm has come to her. After all, Rosie is not known for rebellious streaks.
Neal Anderson is a renowned journalist, charming, and many are in awe of him. His wife Jo is gorgeous and their home is perfect. Everything seems perfect. As we know in life, nothing is perfect.
And as "The Bones of You" unfolds, we learn that nothing is as it seems, and darkness lies beneath the surface. Abuse, dangerous passions, and perhaps even murderous impulses. Who can know what such people are capable of…what secrets might hide beneath the polished veneer? And why is Delphine, the youngest daughter, seemingly ignored? What secrets might she be hiding?
We see the layers of this dark, psychological suspense unpeeling slowly, and meet others in the village, like Rachael, a friend of Kate’s, and Angus, Kate’s husband. Laura is a journalist friend of Kate’s who appears after Rosie’s body is found and the determination has been made that she was murdered.
Kate was close to Rosie, who enjoyed coming over to spend time with the horses. Kate is an earthy character, a gardener, while Jo is distant, seemingly superficial, and unpredictable in her moods. She is often aloof, and then needy. Who can tell what is really going on in her perfect world, now destroyed by her daughter’s death?
There is a slow build of suspense and gradual revelations, both from Rosie’s perspective, and then through bits and pieces from others. What happened to Rosie? Could her boyfriend Alex, whom the parents disapproved of, be responsible? Or could her murderer be someone even closer?
A chilling story that kept me rapidly turning pages, figuring out some of it fairly early, but then stunned by what is finally revealed. And we see how a moral compass was lost, a brain short-circuited, and someone slipped into madness. How what we see in others often hides the truth and we may never know what that is. Until someone finds the courage to step forward. 4.5 stars.
This e-Arc was provided by NetGalley.
June 25, 2017
Great book good suspense.. Fast read
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