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Thomas Berrington #2
Breaker of Bones
March 1483, and Spain is preparing for yet more war. Surgeon Thomas Berrington makes a reluctant journey to Qurtuba at the request of his master. He expects only to operate on a Spanish prince and return home to Moorish al-Andalus. But fate has something else in store for him and his companion, the eunuch Jorge. A warped killer has been murdering young women and creating twisted creatures from their bodies. When Thomas is tasked by Queen Isabel to hunt down the culprit he is propelled into an unfamiliar world of religious mania where it is impossible to tell who can be trusted. Meanwhile Jorge is on a quest of his own-to track down the family he hasn't seen in almost twenty years. When Jorge's new found niece is chosen as the Bonebreaker's next victim the pair are faced with their most dangerous challenge yet. Will they be able to expose the killer in time, or is there yet another life to pay for one man's madness? Sometimes only sacrifice can save those you love.
294 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2015
442 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
About the author
David Penny
18 books122 followersBorn in London in 1950, David Penny began writing at a tender age after moving to Mid Wales. Initially obsessed with all things science-fiction he read avidly and wrote even more. His first publications came at the age of seventeen in small fanzines. At the age of twenty-three a short story was accepted by Galaxy magazine – his first payment for writing. This was followed by appearances in the UK magazine Vertex. At the age of 24 his first novel, The Sunset People, was accepted for publication by Robert Hale and David was taken on by the Leslie Flood Literary Agency. Three other science fiction novels followed: Starchant, Out of Time and Sunshine 43.
David enjoyed a dissipated and wasteful (but not wasted) youth, doing little other than writing, growing his hair (a pursuit sadly no longer available to him) and following an alternative lifestyle. Into such an idyllic existence real life rudely interrupted, and David spent the next 35+ years in a variety of jobs, eventually running his own software company.
As the years wore on he missed writing more and more, and eventually returned to it.
The Red Hill is his first novel in 35 years and introduces the surgeon-detective Thomas Berrington.
David enjoyed a dissipated and wasteful (but not wasted) youth, doing little other than writing, growing his hair (a pursuit sadly no longer available to him) and following an alternative lifestyle. Into such an idyllic existence real life rudely interrupted, and David spent the next 35+ years in a variety of jobs, eventually running his own software company.
As the years wore on he missed writing more and more, and eventually returned to it.
The Red Hill is his first novel in 35 years and introduces the surgeon-detective Thomas Berrington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 16, 2015
I received a free copy of this book as an Advance Review Copy in return for an honest review. I’m cautious about the ARCs I accept; I took this one because I had read the same author’s The Red Hill which precedes it and is about the same main character – Thomas Berrington – and I was hopeful that this book would be as good. That expectation was fulfilled; Breaker of Bones is at least as good as The Red Hill and possibly better, although anyone who has not read The Red Hill would probably do well to start with it before moving on to Breaker of Bones because this second book follows the first in many ways.
What one looks for in historical fiction is: (a) a good understanding of the period in which the book is set without the author’s research being so obvious as to obstruct the reading: (b) believable characters who inhabit the time and place in which the book is set but have motivations and emotions that are readily understandable by us; and (c) a slant or approach different in some way from what we have seen before. In Breaker of Bones, David Penny meets all three tests. The book, like its predecessor, is set in Spain towards the end of the Islamic occupation and there is no point at which the reader feels that Penny is not thoroughly at home in that time and place. This is essentially a thriller and one does not expect in thrillers deep psychological insights which is as well because depth of motivation is not apparent – we know what the characters want and we see how they set about getting it. Finally, our usual view of the Inquisition is of an historical fact which we see from far in the future at a time when it was full grown but what we get in this book is a good sense of how it must have felt in its earliest years to the people it came among. The author presents an Inquisition rooted more in insanity than in religion and I, for one, would not argue with him. Penny is too subtle a writer to draw explicit parallels with forces at work in the world in the twenty-first century but they are there and we see them.
Following a good start that immediately draws us in there are some very powerful scenes and emotions. Suspense is maintained at a very high and entirely convincing level. The story moves along with good pace – but that is misleading because there are, in fact, three separate stories: the soldier/surgeon Thomas mending the leg of the five-year-old Prince of Spain; he and his companion Jorge looking for the serial murderer of girls at the request of Queen Isabella; and Jorge searching for the family he left behind as a boy when he was captured and taken from Cordoba to the Islamic Sheikhdom of Al Andalus. These three strands are nicely intermingled throughout the book. Penny never bores, attention is held on every page and the world is not so full of writers at this level of accomplishment that one can ignore those who exist. If you like historical fiction, this book is for you.
What one looks for in historical fiction is: (a) a good understanding of the period in which the book is set without the author’s research being so obvious as to obstruct the reading: (b) believable characters who inhabit the time and place in which the book is set but have motivations and emotions that are readily understandable by us; and (c) a slant or approach different in some way from what we have seen before. In Breaker of Bones, David Penny meets all three tests. The book, like its predecessor, is set in Spain towards the end of the Islamic occupation and there is no point at which the reader feels that Penny is not thoroughly at home in that time and place. This is essentially a thriller and one does not expect in thrillers deep psychological insights which is as well because depth of motivation is not apparent – we know what the characters want and we see how they set about getting it. Finally, our usual view of the Inquisition is of an historical fact which we see from far in the future at a time when it was full grown but what we get in this book is a good sense of how it must have felt in its earliest years to the people it came among. The author presents an Inquisition rooted more in insanity than in religion and I, for one, would not argue with him. Penny is too subtle a writer to draw explicit parallels with forces at work in the world in the twenty-first century but they are there and we see them.
Following a good start that immediately draws us in there are some very powerful scenes and emotions. Suspense is maintained at a very high and entirely convincing level. The story moves along with good pace – but that is misleading because there are, in fact, three separate stories: the soldier/surgeon Thomas mending the leg of the five-year-old Prince of Spain; he and his companion Jorge looking for the serial murderer of girls at the request of Queen Isabella; and Jorge searching for the family he left behind as a boy when he was captured and taken from Cordoba to the Islamic Sheikhdom of Al Andalus. These three strands are nicely intermingled throughout the book. Penny never bores, attention is held on every page and the world is not so full of writers at this level of accomplishment that one can ignore those who exist. If you like historical fiction, this book is for you.
May 16, 2019
I really wanted to like this book - and I definitely enjoyed aspects of the plot and found it fast-paced and easy to read - but I'm afraid I won't be picking up any more Thomas Berrington adventures. Why, you might ask? I've just read the glowing reviews of Breaker of Bones on Goodreads. Not one bad review among them. So why do I award it a stingy two stars? Well, here are my three reasons:
Clumsy writing (and occasionally clumsy editing): Although Penny's style is generally nicely simple and direct, sometimes his description of action gets just plain confusing. Sometimes too his phrasing is repetitive (I really should have counted how many times peoples' eyes 'tracked' things in this novel). More often, the writing 'tells' the reader what to believe rather than offering an immersive experience of emotions, action, and place.
And regarding editing - okay, it's not the author's fault that his editor has done a less-than-perfect job. But I just have to note that misplaced apostrophes of possession and typos did not enhance this reader's immersion in medieval Spain.
More historical detail please! I loved the setting - late 15th-century Spain, and Penny has done a respectable job with the historical background so far as politics and religion goes (I particularly admired the details of the Easter parade through Cordoba), but I kept on getting the feeling that the tale wasn't truly anchored in its time and place. I wanted more! For example, rather than telling us that Thomas selects a 'low demonination coin' from his purse to give the prostitute, how about telling us what that coin was? And the enlightened Thomas himself - so medically advanced and free of religious conviction - felt a lot like a 21st-century man moonlighting as a medieval character. And of course the bad guys are the religious fanatics. Nothing 21st-century about that ...
Inconsistent/clumsy characterisation: As just noted, some of the characters in Breaker of Bones are little more than stereotypes of modern conceptions of the medieval. There are the so-called doctors who do nothing but bleed their patients, the twisted religious fanatics, the stupid and lazy city guards, the buxom female love interests, the idiot-but-immensely-strong giant, and the nasty, arrogant nobleman. Then of course there is the hero, the modern man in medieval dress. But beyond producing a cast of the usual (medieval) suspects, Penny's characterisation is frequently uneven from one moment to the next within a single character.
Oh dear. I think I'm being so hard on this novel because it could have been fanastic. Penny's obviously done his research, has an interesting and complex back-story for his major characters, and his story unfolds at a cracking pace.
Clumsy writing (and occasionally clumsy editing): Although Penny's style is generally nicely simple and direct, sometimes his description of action gets just plain confusing. Sometimes too his phrasing is repetitive (I really should have counted how many times peoples' eyes 'tracked' things in this novel). More often, the writing 'tells' the reader what to believe rather than offering an immersive experience of emotions, action, and place.
And regarding editing - okay, it's not the author's fault that his editor has done a less-than-perfect job. But I just have to note that misplaced apostrophes of possession and typos did not enhance this reader's immersion in medieval Spain.
More historical detail please! I loved the setting - late 15th-century Spain, and Penny has done a respectable job with the historical background so far as politics and religion goes (I particularly admired the details of the Easter parade through Cordoba), but I kept on getting the feeling that the tale wasn't truly anchored in its time and place. I wanted more! For example, rather than telling us that Thomas selects a 'low demonination coin' from his purse to give the prostitute, how about telling us what that coin was? And the enlightened Thomas himself - so medically advanced and free of religious conviction - felt a lot like a 21st-century man moonlighting as a medieval character. And of course the bad guys are the religious fanatics. Nothing 21st-century about that ...
Inconsistent/clumsy characterisation: As just noted, some of the characters in Breaker of Bones are little more than stereotypes of modern conceptions of the medieval. There are the so-called doctors who do nothing but bleed their patients, the twisted religious fanatics, the stupid and lazy city guards, the buxom female love interests, the idiot-but-immensely-strong giant, and the nasty, arrogant nobleman. Then of course there is the hero, the modern man in medieval dress. But beyond producing a cast of the usual (medieval) suspects, Penny's characterisation is frequently uneven from one moment to the next within a single character.
Oh dear. I think I'm being so hard on this novel because it could have been fanastic. Penny's obviously done his research, has an interesting and complex back-story for his major characters, and his story unfolds at a cracking pace.
October 25, 2018
Great book
Once again Thomas finds himself in a world of trouble. He plot is exciting and I had to make myself slow down so that I could delay the ending as long as possible. A wonderful story and I recommend it to everyone.
Once again Thomas finds himself in a world of trouble. He plot is exciting and I had to make myself slow down so that I could delay the ending as long as possible. A wonderful story and I recommend it to everyone.
September 27, 2020
A great story, reading until late into the night. Constant fast paced action: monks, murder, madness. Medical invention, intrigue and political manoeuvring- brilliant book!
August 1, 2017
This was better than the first of the series I read and I really loved the characters, the fleshing out of the characters and the involvement of Isabel and Fernando.
February 23, 2018
"Breaker of Bones" is a gripping medieval mystery that, at times, places its hero in extreme peril at the hands of a truly diabolical villain. I had to keep reading just to see who would survive this tempestuous tale.
The story's protagonist is Thomas Berrington, an English surgeon who serves the Sultan of Granada, the last kingdom standing in Moorish Spain. The Reconquista of Spain is nearing its end, and it's only a matter of time before Queen Isabella of Castile and King Fernando of Aragon conquer Granada. Given this political atmosphere, it's only fitting that the novel takes place in Cordoba, in Isabella and Fernando's court.
Thomas has become known as the greatest surgeon in Spain, so when Queen Isabella needs a doctor to heal her son's injured leg, the sultan sends Thomas to Cordoba to curry favor with the Spanish monarchs. While healing her young son, Thomas develops a close relationship with Isabella, and his scenes with her were among my favorite in the book. But devoutly Christian Cordoba is also experiencing a series of horrific murders, and Isabella wants Thomas to find the killer.
The fear within Cordoba that Penny portrays reminded me of London during the time of Jack the Ripper. Young girls, mostly from the city's brothels, go missing, only to turn up dead in a most macabre manner. The murders are so disturbing I won't try to describe them, but suffice it to say, the murderer, nicknamed the "Bonebreaker," is truly malevolent. I imagine this character will linger in my memory for long while.
When a girl close to Thomas goes missing, the stakes in this book leap off the page. Penny does such a great job with his characters that I found myself truly worried for them. This caused me to plow through the rest of the novel, all the way to the inevitable-but still surprising-twist. If you enjoy mysteries and medieval fiction, do yourself a favor and start reading this series. Penny's third Berrington book, "The Sin Eater," is already on my Kindle.
The story's protagonist is Thomas Berrington, an English surgeon who serves the Sultan of Granada, the last kingdom standing in Moorish Spain. The Reconquista of Spain is nearing its end, and it's only a matter of time before Queen Isabella of Castile and King Fernando of Aragon conquer Granada. Given this political atmosphere, it's only fitting that the novel takes place in Cordoba, in Isabella and Fernando's court.
Thomas has become known as the greatest surgeon in Spain, so when Queen Isabella needs a doctor to heal her son's injured leg, the sultan sends Thomas to Cordoba to curry favor with the Spanish monarchs. While healing her young son, Thomas develops a close relationship with Isabella, and his scenes with her were among my favorite in the book. But devoutly Christian Cordoba is also experiencing a series of horrific murders, and Isabella wants Thomas to find the killer.
The fear within Cordoba that Penny portrays reminded me of London during the time of Jack the Ripper. Young girls, mostly from the city's brothels, go missing, only to turn up dead in a most macabre manner. The murders are so disturbing I won't try to describe them, but suffice it to say, the murderer, nicknamed the "Bonebreaker," is truly malevolent. I imagine this character will linger in my memory for long while.
When a girl close to Thomas goes missing, the stakes in this book leap off the page. Penny does such a great job with his characters that I found myself truly worried for them. This caused me to plow through the rest of the novel, all the way to the inevitable-but still surprising-twist. If you enjoy mysteries and medieval fiction, do yourself a favor and start reading this series. Penny's third Berrington book, "The Sin Eater," is already on my Kindle.
February 7, 2024
A David Penny novel casts one back to mediaeval Spain, and all its colours: the first book took us to Granada, and into the living Alhambra harem life on one side, and the Sultan’s administrative and military headquarters on the other. This one brings us into the world of Ferdinand and Isabella, with the Inquisition at its height under the bigoted supervision of Ferdinand. However, although he has been invited to heal the young Prince Juan of Asturias, Thomas Berringer finds the time to chase a crazed serial killer. In spite of its promise, the well drawn characters, a good plot (although there are moments when the present seems to have been extrapolated into the past) and the excellent writing, the story drags on and on, with the distractions provided by Jorge and the false clues offered by the Queen down, until nearly the last quarter of the book, when the pitch is raised by several octaves into a screaming, bloodthirsty scene of gruesome horror. On one occasion, the Queen tells Thomas that not she would defy the Church, an intriguing statement until the complications of the mediaeval judicial system is brought to mind. The story takes place when the Sultan of Granada was captured, and the Islamic life of Spain ended.
November 24, 2025
As with the first part to the series, this is a very unputdownable book, a murder mystery of the year 1483 in the beautiful city of Corboda, Andalusia.
Once again it entails our Doctor/surgeon Thomas Berrington and his eunuch friend Jorge. They are sent by their Moorish master on a mission to attend the young Spanish prince of Queen Isobel and King Ferdinand, the prince is suffering from illness beset by his leg which was broken and not reset properly and it is feared that he will grow up a cripple.
On entering the town they are met by a hideous and grotesque scene of a dead woman with the limbs of a beast, presumed a Wolf, and the city is in the grip of a malevolent force known as the 'Bonebreaker'. After Thomas examines the prince and resets his leg and sets him on a course of treatment Queen Isobel sets him with the task of finding the 'Bonebreaker' and bringing him to justice. This is an unenviable and nightmarish task Thomas and Jorge, who has problems of his own to sort out, and one which,they don't quite foresee, brings their own mortality into doubt.
Once again a very well written story with lots of really good characters and although I love the authors style and storytelling it doesn't quite merit, for me, a top mark but still an excellent 4/5.
Once again it entails our Doctor/surgeon Thomas Berrington and his eunuch friend Jorge. They are sent by their Moorish master on a mission to attend the young Spanish prince of Queen Isobel and King Ferdinand, the prince is suffering from illness beset by his leg which was broken and not reset properly and it is feared that he will grow up a cripple.
On entering the town they are met by a hideous and grotesque scene of a dead woman with the limbs of a beast, presumed a Wolf, and the city is in the grip of a malevolent force known as the 'Bonebreaker'. After Thomas examines the prince and resets his leg and sets him on a course of treatment Queen Isobel sets him with the task of finding the 'Bonebreaker' and bringing him to justice. This is an unenviable and nightmarish task Thomas and Jorge, who has problems of his own to sort out, and one which,they don't quite foresee, brings their own mortality into doubt.
Once again a very well written story with lots of really good characters and although I love the authors style and storytelling it doesn't quite merit, for me, a top mark but still an excellent 4/5.
March 6, 2025
Book 2 in the series takes Thomas and Jorge across the border to Qurtuba, Castile, where they have been sent to heal young Prince Juan, son of Fernando and Isabel. As they arrive, they are made aware of a series of brutal murders against more young women (of course) that has the whole city gripped in fear. Once again, the doughty pair are tasked with hunting down the crazed killer.
The characters of Thomas and Jorge are slightly more developed in this book, though really it's just background that we become privy to, rather than a dive into what makes them tick. As in The Red Hill, the setting is lovingly described, but the gruesomeness of the crimes, and the ending, caused some skim reading. Did pick up some interesting historical facts about a place and a period that I'm unfamiliar with. Also still wondering, given how much Thomas and Jorge stare at each other's bodies, when they are going to get it on. Not enough to read Book 3 yet, but I probably will.
The characters of Thomas and Jorge are slightly more developed in this book, though really it's just background that we become privy to, rather than a dive into what makes them tick. As in The Red Hill, the setting is lovingly described, but the gruesomeness of the crimes, and the ending, caused some skim reading. Did pick up some interesting historical facts about a place and a period that I'm unfamiliar with. Also still wondering, given how much Thomas and Jorge stare at each other's bodies, when they are going to get it on. Not enough to read Book 3 yet, but I probably will.
April 24, 2020
#2 in the English former soldier turned physician Thomas Berrington mystery series.
It is March, 1483 and Thomas Berrington is living in Moorish Spain in one of the last resisting Spanish reclaiming the country. He has recovered from wounds obtained almost a year ago investigating murders in the harem and is reluctantly working for the new sultan who hates him and told him if he doesn't help him, he can kill Thomas an any of those he is close to.
Agreeing to a request, the sultan has sent Thomas to Qurtuba at the request of Ferdinand and Isabella to operate on their 5 year old son to correct a deformity caused by poor quality Spanish doctors. The city is also being terrorized by the bone breaker who has been murdering young women and creating twisted creatures from their bodies. The queen asked Thomas to find the killer.
It is March, 1483 and Thomas Berrington is living in Moorish Spain in one of the last resisting Spanish reclaiming the country. He has recovered from wounds obtained almost a year ago investigating murders in the harem and is reluctantly working for the new sultan who hates him and told him if he doesn't help him, he can kill Thomas an any of those he is close to.
Agreeing to a request, the sultan has sent Thomas to Qurtuba at the request of Ferdinand and Isabella to operate on their 5 year old son to correct a deformity caused by poor quality Spanish doctors. The city is also being terrorized by the bone breaker who has been murdering young women and creating twisted creatures from their bodies. The queen asked Thomas to find the killer.
September 29, 2017
Gripping historical fiction.
When I pick up the second book in a series, after really enjoying the first, I am always a little apprehensive in case the follow up does not live up to its predecessor. In this case David Penny has actually surpassed the original. The Red Hill was very good, Breaker of Bones is even better.
Thomas Berrington is a fascinating character, the type of doctor you need in Saturday night A&E; not to treat the drunks but to sort them out. The secondary character s are equally as interesting. Unusual settings and plotlines that are as entertaining as they are original.
Absolutely first class reading. Book 3 already bought and first on the list for my subbed in Egypt next week!.
When I pick up the second book in a series, after really enjoying the first, I am always a little apprehensive in case the follow up does not live up to its predecessor. In this case David Penny has actually surpassed the original. The Red Hill was very good, Breaker of Bones is even better.
Thomas Berrington is a fascinating character, the type of doctor you need in Saturday night A&E; not to treat the drunks but to sort them out. The secondary character s are equally as interesting. Unusual settings and plotlines that are as entertaining as they are original.
Absolutely first class reading. Book 3 already bought and first on the list for my subbed in Egypt next week!.
December 8, 2024
On the one hand, it’s an exciting thriller with a reasonably interesting plot. However, it is extremely poorly written. The descriptions of places and events are sometimes impossible to visualise. And I found myself rereading and rereading some sections just to try and work out exactly what happened. There are also some pretty weird grammatical constructions. It all almost as though this is a first draft that hasn’t been through the hands of an editor.
The plot is a bit predictable and the ending was a huge anticlimax.
Action thrillers are a genre that won’t be to everyone’s taste, but, like them or not, there are some well-written examples out there; I’m afraid this isn’t one of them.
The plot is a bit predictable and the ending was a huge anticlimax.
Action thrillers are a genre that won’t be to everyone’s taste, but, like them or not, there are some well-written examples out there; I’m afraid this isn’t one of them.
August 24, 2022
Thomas und Jorge sind am spanischen Hof. Der junge Prinz hatte sich vor einiger Zeit das Bein gebrochen und das ist dann falsch zusammen gewachsen. Thomas soll ihm nun helfen. Als sie zur Stadt reisen bekommen sie mit das dort ein grausamer Mörder sein Unwesen treibt. Thomas bekommt von der Königin den Auftrag den Mörder zu finden. Das erste Buch war wirklich toll und auch diese Geschichte war spannend, leider war das Buch am Anfang etwas langweilig und ich wollte schon aufhören zu lesen, zum Glück habe ich es nicht getan.
February 16, 2018
Pretty good
This wasn't as good as the first book in the series, but very action packed and interesting. The use of Queen Isabel and King Fernando as a plot background is done very well.
The author has a good imagination and developed a highly charged plot, which got a bit gory at times.
I'm onto book three of this series so I don't miss anything as I'm totally invested in it now! I highly recommend to readers of historical fiction. Well done!
This wasn't as good as the first book in the series, but very action packed and interesting. The use of Queen Isabel and King Fernando as a plot background is done very well.
The author has a good imagination and developed a highly charged plot, which got a bit gory at times.
I'm onto book three of this series so I don't miss anything as I'm totally invested in it now! I highly recommend to readers of historical fiction. Well done!
October 7, 2019
A really interesting read.
I didn't know what to expect when reading this book but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a relatively easy read and also quite exciting particularly as you got further into the story. It was also quite well written if you are not too much of of a stickler for historical perfection. In all I found this an enjoyable read and I feel sure that the rest of the books in the series will also be well worth reading.
I didn't know what to expect when reading this book but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a relatively easy read and also quite exciting particularly as you got further into the story. It was also quite well written if you are not too much of of a stickler for historical perfection. In all I found this an enjoyable read and I feel sure that the rest of the books in the series will also be well worth reading.
February 2, 2021
I have not read Book 1 , but have read this one and Book 3. Of the two, this one is by far the best: a colorful new location (Cordoba) in the late 1400's, providing medical treatment to the Prince of Spain ... Thomas works with Queen Isabella of Castile and King Fernando of Aragon. There is a lot of mystery, action, interesting characters. And a twist ending.
The murders are perhaps a bit weird, but I could live with that.
By comparison, Book 3 is just plain boring.
The murders are perhaps a bit weird, but I could live with that.
By comparison, Book 3 is just plain boring.
June 26, 2021
The second in the Thomas Berrington series, 'Breaker of Bones' held my attention and kept me turning the pages. I loved the change in setting to Castile and thought the portrayal of Queen Isabel was very well done. I dropped a star as the characterisation of the evil-doer didn't really convince me, some of the violence was just too much, and the ending felt rushed. But I like the series and will definitely continue reading through it.
January 19, 2022
What a Macabre, gruesome, misogynistic, and amoral tale. One thing I will say about Penny's writing is that he builds slowly so that you find yourself caught up in what is going on. But then he hits you with all the cruelty and gut-wrenching final chapters. I wish I had never started it and I definitely wish I had never finished it. The characters are, in my opinion, one-dimensional and not very endearing. So all there is is the plot and that is one I don't want to repeat in the future.
February 13, 2023
Fascinating historical fiction
This second book in the series is as fascinating as the first. Elegantly written, the history in it adds to the story, while the fiction parts mesh very well. The story line moves along at a rapid pace, clever enough to keep you guessing until almost the end. There you get to travel along with Thomas as he chases the killer(s). Can’t wait for book 3, “The Sin Eater.”
This second book in the series is as fascinating as the first. Elegantly written, the history in it adds to the story, while the fiction parts mesh very well. The story line moves along at a rapid pace, clever enough to keep you guessing until almost the end. There you get to travel along with Thomas as he chases the killer(s). Can’t wait for book 3, “The Sin Eater.”
December 9, 2025
Found out midway through the book that there was audiobook on Spotify. (4/5 voiceover) Ultimately the alliance of the Abott, Lawrence and Carmona was clear and their endings were satisfactory as the Wolves played a great part in the fight. Aside from the Ladies of the night it would’ve been nice to be see explanation on why the boy was sacrificed. Ending goes on to depict Thomas’ start of a new journey.
April 11, 2020
Breaker of Bones
Great read! Love learning about this historical time period and the setting. It is a part of Western which one doesn't normally learn about. One learns about Charlemagne and his battles to stop the Moors from coming into France but not the battles with helped form the modern nation of Spain. Looking forward to the next book in series.
Great read! Love learning about this historical time period and the setting. It is a part of Western which one doesn't normally learn about. One learns about Charlemagne and his battles to stop the Moors from coming into France but not the battles with helped form the modern nation of Spain. Looking forward to the next book in series.
February 6, 2025
Breaker of bones is no two in the thomas berrington series by david penny, and is as good as the first.So we have thomas and his friend jorge the eunuch are off to the enemies court to try to save the queens son leg which has badly set. We also have a series of twisted murders9no spoilers), so go back in time with thomas and enjoy the story.
July 27, 2017
The story of Thomas Berrington gets better and better
The author is on a roll with his telling of the adventures of the main character. I can't wait to see what adventures lie ahead for Thomas!
The author is on a roll with his telling of the adventures of the main character. I can't wait to see what adventures lie ahead for Thomas!
October 4, 2017
Characters developing well!
I enjoyed the first book in the series and this one picked up where that one left off. New strong characters entered the field and I don't think we have seen the last some of them. I look forward to the next one.
I enjoyed the first book in the series and this one picked up where that one left off. New strong characters entered the field and I don't think we have seen the last some of them. I look forward to the next one.
November 4, 2018
This is the 2nd book in the series about the English doctor/surgeon in Moorish Spain. Very well researched with excellent character development and a good mystery built into the plot. Action, cultural aspects, intrigue and more all make this an very good read!
July 29, 2019
Amazingly written with a great plot
The book is very good, with great character development and plot. The way Thomas looks for the bone-breaker throughout the city, and the descriptions of the people, city and the royal court. Highly recommended
The book is very good, with great character development and plot. The way Thomas looks for the bone-breaker throughout the city, and the descriptions of the people, city and the royal court. Highly recommended
August 2, 2019
Breaker of Bones
This is a well written historical mystery set during Spain and the Moors. Lots of twists and turns and part of a series. I have enjoyed the first 2 books. I am looking forward to read the rest
This is a well written historical mystery set during Spain and the Moors. Lots of twists and turns and part of a series. I have enjoyed the first 2 books. I am looking forward to read the rest
March 19, 2020
Historical story telling at its best
Excellent story as both adventure and mystery. The principle characters are engaging and believable. The period in Spanish history has not been covered before.
Excellent story as both adventure and mystery. The principle characters are engaging and believable. The period in Spanish history has not been covered before.
March 20, 2020
I enjoyed the visit our of town
This was very good I enjoyed the different cultural aspect and Jorge finding his family. It shocked me if his falling in love. I am ready for the next book with more of Lubna.
This was very good I enjoyed the different cultural aspect and Jorge finding his family. It shocked me if his falling in love. I am ready for the next book with more of Lubna.
October 10, 2020
I like the Thomas Berrington story characters, I enjoyed the first book in the series immensely. This second story was exceptionally violent. The graphic prose was well done - just a little too violent for me. I will still read the next of the books in the series.
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