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Jane Lawless #25
A Whisper of Bones
Fans of Jane Lawless new and old will be fascinated by newly minted Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Ellen Hart's latest intricate puzzle in A Whisper of Bones.
Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.
Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family's garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can't help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt's death an accident, suicide, or homicide? What dark secret has this family been hiding for decades? It all depends on Jane Lawless to unravel.
Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.
Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family's garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can't help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt's death an accident, suicide, or homicide? What dark secret has this family been hiding for decades? It all depends on Jane Lawless to unravel.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 2018
69 people are currently reading
735 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Hart
72 books221 followersEllen Hart is the author of twenty-eight crime novels in two different series. She is a five-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery, a three-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Best Popular Fiction, a three-time winner of the Golden Crown Literary Award in several categories, a recipient of the Alice B Medal, and was made an official GLBT Literary Saint at the Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans in 2005. In 2010, Ellen received the GCLS Trailblazer Award for lifetime achievement in the field of lesbian literature. For the past fourteen years, Ellen has taught "An Introduction to Writing the Modern Mystery" through the The Loft Literary Center, the largest independent writing community in the nation. Ellen's latest Sophie Greenway mystery is No Reservations Required (Ballantine). Rest for the Wicked, the twentieth Jane Lawless mystery, will be released by St. Martin's/Minotaur in October 2012. Bella Books has recently revived the out-of-print books by publishing them in both trade paperback and E-book. Ellen lives in the Minneapolis area with her partner of over 35 years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
February 11, 2018
So... not sure where I was when galavanting on Netgalley. But, this is a series? The first thing that gravitated me to this novel was THAT cover. Isn't it gorgeous?!
And.. of course the title. Can't forget about that :). So... I was a little nervous when I realized this was a series since it's book 25... but this can definitely be read as a standalone... phew :).
A Whisper of Bones is a cozy mystery with a very well developed set of characters. I was definitely drawn to Jane Lawless's character. She is a private investigator and restaurateur. I loved Jane's character along with her crazy and wild side-kick best friend Cordelia Thorn.
Jane is contacted by Britt Ickles, who is visiting the Twin cities for a work conference. She decides to visit her 2 aunts that live in the city Lena and Eleanor. Britt mentions her cousin Timmy to her two aunts about an encounter she remembers as a child. Shockingly, her aunts tell Britt that Timmy never existed and she doesn't have a cousin. Britt is distraught over the conversation she has with her aunts about her cousin Timmy and she is convinced her aunts are lying. But, why? What could Lena and Eleanor be hiding from Britt?
Jane decides to pretend to be a renter at the home of Eleanor and Lena to see what she can find about the mysterious disappearance of Timmy. When a fire breaks out in the garage of Lena and Eleanor's home late one night, the evil begins to unfold more and more. A set of bones is found in an old root cellar after the fire. Could these bones be Timmy's? What exactly is Lena and Eleanor hiding?
This is my first novel by Ellen Hart and for the most part I enjoyed it. I felt the character development is intertwined well to the plot and overall storyline. I would definitely say this is a "cozy mystery" (with that being said it's not a gory or scary mystery). Upon the ending, is where it left me disappointed. I felt it was rushed in some ways and left me feeling unsatisfied. I already saw where the ending was going and was a tad disappointed with twists and turns to the plot. I feel like I've read/reviewed so many mysteries and thrillers. Still my favorite genre!!! ;) This one was just another one to add to the pile... unfortunately.
Overall, 3 stars for this mystery. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced arc in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: 2/27/18.
Published to GR: 2/7/18.
And.. of course the title. Can't forget about that :). So... I was a little nervous when I realized this was a series since it's book 25... but this can definitely be read as a standalone... phew :).
A Whisper of Bones is a cozy mystery with a very well developed set of characters. I was definitely drawn to Jane Lawless's character. She is a private investigator and restaurateur. I loved Jane's character along with her crazy and wild side-kick best friend Cordelia Thorn.
Jane is contacted by Britt Ickles, who is visiting the Twin cities for a work conference. She decides to visit her 2 aunts that live in the city Lena and Eleanor. Britt mentions her cousin Timmy to her two aunts about an encounter she remembers as a child. Shockingly, her aunts tell Britt that Timmy never existed and she doesn't have a cousin. Britt is distraught over the conversation she has with her aunts about her cousin Timmy and she is convinced her aunts are lying. But, why? What could Lena and Eleanor be hiding from Britt?
Jane decides to pretend to be a renter at the home of Eleanor and Lena to see what she can find about the mysterious disappearance of Timmy. When a fire breaks out in the garage of Lena and Eleanor's home late one night, the evil begins to unfold more and more. A set of bones is found in an old root cellar after the fire. Could these bones be Timmy's? What exactly is Lena and Eleanor hiding?
This is my first novel by Ellen Hart and for the most part I enjoyed it. I felt the character development is intertwined well to the plot and overall storyline. I would definitely say this is a "cozy mystery" (with that being said it's not a gory or scary mystery). Upon the ending, is where it left me disappointed. I felt it was rushed in some ways and left me feeling unsatisfied. I already saw where the ending was going and was a tad disappointed with twists and turns to the plot. I feel like I've read/reviewed so many mysteries and thrillers. Still my favorite genre!!! ;) This one was just another one to add to the pile... unfortunately.
Overall, 3 stars for this mystery. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced arc in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: 2/27/18.
Published to GR: 2/7/18.
December 26, 2022
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Browsing Netgalley one day, as you do, I came across this most gorgeous cover...
...be still my heart. I had to have her.
Lo and behold, I discover it's an Adult Mystery, one of my favorite genres. I was so excited. I failed to note, however, that it was the 25th-book in a series; completely blinded by the cover, again.
However, I kept it in mind and kept checking reviews to see if I could read it as a stand-alone. I certainly didn't have time to go back and read 24-books in order to prepare for this one.
I was so psyched when I discovered that this series, like many Adult Mystery series, do not need to be read in order; think Hercule Poirot, Murder, She Wrote, etc.
You can absolutely read this as a stand-alone, so if you haven't read any other books in this series, please don't let that deter you!
Jane Lawless, our protagonist, is a restaurant owner, as well as a private investigator, who is hired in this case by a young woman named Britt Ickles.
Britt is looking for answers about what happened to her cousin, Timmy, who she only met once when she was very, very young. The answers dwell with Britt's two old Aunts, Eleanor and Lena, who live together in a boarding house they own.
Jane goes undercover and rents a room at the house for her investigation.
She's aided by her best friend, Cordelia Thorn, who was my absolute favorite character. She is an over-the-top theater director, who brings so much joy and humor to the story, I laughed out loud during more than one scene she was a part of!
I seriously would read an entire series of just Cordelia Thorn books. Honestly, I think the world needs that.
Needless to say, a whole cast of wonderfully drawn side characters arose, deep family secrets were revealed and it kept me involved as a reader the whole way through.
Also, I was unaware going in, but the main character, Jane, is a lesbian and you read about her complex relationship with on-again, off-again girlfriend, Julia.
I feel like it can be hard to find LGBTQIA+ protagonists in the Adult Mystery genre, so this was a welcome change of pace and I definitely plan to pick up more books in this series.
If you love a good mystery with a fun and engaging cast of characters and a great, classic whodunnit format, you should definitely pick up this book!!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and to NetGalley, for providing me with the opportunity to read this book and provide my feedback.
I am confident other mystery fans will enjoy it as much as I did!
Browsing Netgalley one day, as you do, I came across this most gorgeous cover...
...be still my heart. I had to have her.
Lo and behold, I discover it's an Adult Mystery, one of my favorite genres. I was so excited. I failed to note, however, that it was the 25th-book in a series; completely blinded by the cover, again.
However, I kept it in mind and kept checking reviews to see if I could read it as a stand-alone. I certainly didn't have time to go back and read 24-books in order to prepare for this one.
I was so psyched when I discovered that this series, like many Adult Mystery series, do not need to be read in order; think Hercule Poirot, Murder, She Wrote, etc.
You can absolutely read this as a stand-alone, so if you haven't read any other books in this series, please don't let that deter you!
Jane Lawless, our protagonist, is a restaurant owner, as well as a private investigator, who is hired in this case by a young woman named Britt Ickles.
Britt is looking for answers about what happened to her cousin, Timmy, who she only met once when she was very, very young. The answers dwell with Britt's two old Aunts, Eleanor and Lena, who live together in a boarding house they own.
Jane goes undercover and rents a room at the house for her investigation.
She's aided by her best friend, Cordelia Thorn, who was my absolute favorite character. She is an over-the-top theater director, who brings so much joy and humor to the story, I laughed out loud during more than one scene she was a part of!
I seriously would read an entire series of just Cordelia Thorn books. Honestly, I think the world needs that.
Needless to say, a whole cast of wonderfully drawn side characters arose, deep family secrets were revealed and it kept me involved as a reader the whole way through.
Also, I was unaware going in, but the main character, Jane, is a lesbian and you read about her complex relationship with on-again, off-again girlfriend, Julia.
I feel like it can be hard to find LGBTQIA+ protagonists in the Adult Mystery genre, so this was a welcome change of pace and I definitely plan to pick up more books in this series.
If you love a good mystery with a fun and engaging cast of characters and a great, classic whodunnit format, you should definitely pick up this book!!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and to NetGalley, for providing me with the opportunity to read this book and provide my feedback.
I am confident other mystery fans will enjoy it as much as I did!
December 10, 2017
A Whisper of Bones: A Jane Lawless Mystery – what an enticing title! But I would read any book by Ellen Hart in her Jane Lawless series. How, then, did I manage to miss numbers 22, 23, and 24? I definitely have some catching up to do! Even so, I am so enamored with her restaurateur/PI Jane Lawless and her best friend, the flamboyant theater director Cordelia Thorn and was able to pick right up with their lives. Somehow, Jane has managed to get involved with a former lover, Julia, who is ill. Apart from the mystery, this adds a personal dimension to the plot and a serious aspect – well, as if the rest of it isn’t serious enough!
Jane is contacted by Britt Ickles, who is visiting the Twin Cities for an academic conference. She decides to stop in at the home of two elderly aunts and mentions a young cousin, whom she remembers from a brief meeting during her childhood. To her shock and dismay, the aunts deny the existence of little Timmy. After briefly questioning her own sanity, Britt racks her brain and decides that her memories are indeed true and her aunts, Eleanor and Lena are lying. But why? Jane decides to pose as a short-term renter to see what she can learn about Timmy’s disappearance. After several days of conversations with the two sisters, with Eleanor’s son Frank, and with neighbors, Jane learns that the women indeed have secrets. What is it they are hiding? What are they afraid of?
When a fire destroys the detached garage, the sisters seem especially upset. Arson investigators make an unexpected discovery; bones are found in an old root cellar in the garage. Could they be Timmy’s? How did they get there?
I have been a fan of this series for many, many years. I was even a member of a women’s mystery book group led by Ellen Hart in Minneapolis. We met at the now defunct Amazon Book Store in South Minneapolis. What a great experience that was! A Whisper of Bones shows that no matter how long a writer has been practicing her craft, she can still write wonderful stories. Besides the familiar favorites, the other characters in this novel are so well penned too. I enjoyed each of them, even the ones with unpleasant personalities, because their problems and emotions felt real and I was itching to know what was really going on.
And that was part of the magic of this book. The character development is so intertwined with the plot that I couldn’t wait to see how things developed. Maybe there really were ghosts in the house? Who was responsible for the arson? Whose body was it, and why was it there? If it’s not Timmy, what did happen to him? What was everyone hiding? What about Jane and Julia? Things do come together at the end, and it doesn’t feel rushed. There are some twists that I didn’t see coming, and I enjoyed that.
Ellen Hart doesn’t write gory, gruesome axe-murderer thrillers. She doesn’t do steamy sex scenes. But she can flat-out write a very good story. While it helps to know the background of the characters, this could be enjoyed as a stand-alone. But don’t stop with one Jane Lawless mystery. Keep reading. I intend to.
My special thanks go to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Ms. Ellen Hart for providing me with an ARC. My opinions are my own.
5 stars
Jane is contacted by Britt Ickles, who is visiting the Twin Cities for an academic conference. She decides to stop in at the home of two elderly aunts and mentions a young cousin, whom she remembers from a brief meeting during her childhood. To her shock and dismay, the aunts deny the existence of little Timmy. After briefly questioning her own sanity, Britt racks her brain and decides that her memories are indeed true and her aunts, Eleanor and Lena are lying. But why? Jane decides to pose as a short-term renter to see what she can learn about Timmy’s disappearance. After several days of conversations with the two sisters, with Eleanor’s son Frank, and with neighbors, Jane learns that the women indeed have secrets. What is it they are hiding? What are they afraid of?
When a fire destroys the detached garage, the sisters seem especially upset. Arson investigators make an unexpected discovery; bones are found in an old root cellar in the garage. Could they be Timmy’s? How did they get there?
I have been a fan of this series for many, many years. I was even a member of a women’s mystery book group led by Ellen Hart in Minneapolis. We met at the now defunct Amazon Book Store in South Minneapolis. What a great experience that was! A Whisper of Bones shows that no matter how long a writer has been practicing her craft, she can still write wonderful stories. Besides the familiar favorites, the other characters in this novel are so well penned too. I enjoyed each of them, even the ones with unpleasant personalities, because their problems and emotions felt real and I was itching to know what was really going on.
And that was part of the magic of this book. The character development is so intertwined with the plot that I couldn’t wait to see how things developed. Maybe there really were ghosts in the house? Who was responsible for the arson? Whose body was it, and why was it there? If it’s not Timmy, what did happen to him? What was everyone hiding? What about Jane and Julia? Things do come together at the end, and it doesn’t feel rushed. There are some twists that I didn’t see coming, and I enjoyed that.
Ellen Hart doesn’t write gory, gruesome axe-murderer thrillers. She doesn’t do steamy sex scenes. But she can flat-out write a very good story. While it helps to know the background of the characters, this could be enjoyed as a stand-alone. But don’t stop with one Jane Lawless mystery. Keep reading. I intend to.
My special thanks go to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Ms. Ellen Hart for providing me with an ARC. My opinions are my own.
5 stars
April 1, 2018
I knew that A Whisper of Bones was the latest book in a series. However, until I started to write this review had I no idea that this was the 25th one about Jane Lawless. Then again, I'm used to being late to the party. A Whisper of Bones is a book that seems to have a quite straight-forward case.
Britt Ickles meets her aunts for the first time in decades and discover that her childhood friend Timmy is apparently a figment of her imagination. At least that's what her aunts try to get her to believe. So, she turns to Jane Lawless to get to the truth. And, Jane starts to dig around and soon she starts to believe that the aunts may have a secret or two.
What a truly enjoyed about this book is how captivating the book was right from the start. Sure, you know right from the start that the aunts are hiding things, but that just adds some more tension to the story as Jane tries to figure out if Britt is right about Timmy. Also, despite being a newbie did I find the book very easy to get into. I enjoyed getting to know more about Jane and those around her. Right now is an old girlfriend living with her. And, it seems that Jane, still have some feelings left for her, which makes it a bit tragic since her ex is battling a series illness.
As for the mystery, what I really liked that it was not as straight-forward as it seems. I also liked how well-written the characters were, from the old aunts, the neighbors that also seem to be hiding something, to the people around Jane. It's a book that you can easily breeze through quickly since it's not that thick, despite that does it not feel too short. It's a perfect balance, not too wordy. I quite enjoyed the book and I'm looking forward to reading the 24 previous books...
I want to thank S:t Martins Press for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Britt Ickles meets her aunts for the first time in decades and discover that her childhood friend Timmy is apparently a figment of her imagination. At least that's what her aunts try to get her to believe. So, she turns to Jane Lawless to get to the truth. And, Jane starts to dig around and soon she starts to believe that the aunts may have a secret or two.
What a truly enjoyed about this book is how captivating the book was right from the start. Sure, you know right from the start that the aunts are hiding things, but that just adds some more tension to the story as Jane tries to figure out if Britt is right about Timmy. Also, despite being a newbie did I find the book very easy to get into. I enjoyed getting to know more about Jane and those around her. Right now is an old girlfriend living with her. And, it seems that Jane, still have some feelings left for her, which makes it a bit tragic since her ex is battling a series illness.
As for the mystery, what I really liked that it was not as straight-forward as it seems. I also liked how well-written the characters were, from the old aunts, the neighbors that also seem to be hiding something, to the people around Jane. It's a book that you can easily breeze through quickly since it's not that thick, despite that does it not feel too short. It's a perfect balance, not too wordy. I quite enjoyed the book and I'm looking forward to reading the 24 previous books...
I want to thank S:t Martins Press for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
December 4, 2017
**ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review**
A Whisper of Bones is the twenty-fifth Jane Lawless mystery by author Ellen Hart. This is my first Ellen Hart novel and it won’t be my last. The characters are interesting and well-developed and the story moves along quickly, drawing you from one twist to the next.
A Whisper of Bones has a fascinating cast of recurring characters. Jane Lawless, restauranteur and PI, Jane's friend Cordelia who runs a theater, and Jane’s former (new?) love, Julia. One wish would be to see and hear more from Cordelia Thorn, she is hilarious.
“I’m good at more than one thing.” – Jane
Well, she better be. Jane has so much going on; taking care of Julia, running her restaurant and being a PI. Jane is called early to her restaurant one morning after a storm and is met by Britt Ickles. Britt has a mystery, her cousin who she has not seen in nearly 40 years is missing. Well, not so much missing as he never existed. At least that is what her aunts, Eleanor and Lena, are telling her. Can Jane prove that Timmy is real? Why would the aunts say he never existed?
Jane moves in temporarily to Eleanor and Lena’s home as a lodger and the mystery only deepens when bones are discovered on the property. Are they Timmy’s? While she is there, she meets Butch, who is renovating the house next door for reduced rent. But, he spends most of his time away from the house looking for Jenny. Who is Butch and why is he looking for Jenny?
There are so many questions and interesting sub-stories. Each time you think you’ve got it figured out, Ellen Hart throws in a twist to keep you guessing right until the end. I really enjoyed Whisper of Bones and look forward to reading more by Ellen Hart. I highly recommend A Whisper of Bones. It's one mystery you want to be immersed in.
4 Stars
A Whisper of Bones is the twenty-fifth Jane Lawless mystery by author Ellen Hart. This is my first Ellen Hart novel and it won’t be my last. The characters are interesting and well-developed and the story moves along quickly, drawing you from one twist to the next.
A Whisper of Bones has a fascinating cast of recurring characters. Jane Lawless, restauranteur and PI, Jane's friend Cordelia who runs a theater, and Jane’s former (new?) love, Julia. One wish would be to see and hear more from Cordelia Thorn, she is hilarious.
“I’m good at more than one thing.” – Jane
Well, she better be. Jane has so much going on; taking care of Julia, running her restaurant and being a PI. Jane is called early to her restaurant one morning after a storm and is met by Britt Ickles. Britt has a mystery, her cousin who she has not seen in nearly 40 years is missing. Well, not so much missing as he never existed. At least that is what her aunts, Eleanor and Lena, are telling her. Can Jane prove that Timmy is real? Why would the aunts say he never existed?
Jane moves in temporarily to Eleanor and Lena’s home as a lodger and the mystery only deepens when bones are discovered on the property. Are they Timmy’s? While she is there, she meets Butch, who is renovating the house next door for reduced rent. But, he spends most of his time away from the house looking for Jenny. Who is Butch and why is he looking for Jenny?
There are so many questions and interesting sub-stories. Each time you think you’ve got it figured out, Ellen Hart throws in a twist to keep you guessing right until the end. I really enjoyed Whisper of Bones and look forward to reading more by Ellen Hart. I highly recommend A Whisper of Bones. It's one mystery you want to be immersed in.
4 Stars
May 7, 2018
Actually 1.5 Stars
It was ok, which made me decide that I won't be reading another in this series.
Jane Lawless has allowed her previous girlfriend, Julia (who is sick w/ cancer), to move back in making it difficult for Jane to deal with her feelings (so it's a damn good thing she takes a case that has her, Jane, staying elsewhere).
Taking a break from a conference, Britt goes to visit her aunts and asks about her cousin Timmy, whom she had met & spent time with during their Grandfather's funeral. Both women deny that there ever was a Timmy and that Britt is making up stories.
Britt hires Jane to investigate, when Jane goes to question the aunts she finds that the aunts are taking in boarders, so Jane decides to rent a room from the aunts.
Aunt Lena is a mouthy alcoholic confined to a wheelchair and Aunt Eleanor is a nice calm church-going woman, whose problematic son, Frank, lives in the basement.
When the garage burns down, the arson investigator falls through a trap door and discovers the bones of a murdered man....
The other characters:
* Jane's friend & partner Cordelia, who hates Julia, and also rents a room from the aunts
* Butch a neighbor of the aunts
* Pastor Dare who supports Eleanor by keeping her secrets
* Novack another neighbor & neighborhood Watch Block Captain
* Wendy, Frank's wife, who wants a divorce as Frank becomes more violent
* Quentin, another boarder & Paranormal Investigator
This is "popular gay mystery series" -- Entertainment Weekly
But that is not why I didn't like the book: the basic plot, while interesting became convoluted with the addition of the extraneous characters, their issues, and their hidden agendas. There were several loose ends, the conclusion came together all too conveniently, and the additional love story in which Butch was featured was written as a bad sinister stalker Red Herring.
I found this book as a simply awful piece of writing mired in what seemed to be confusion about just what to do with all the characters & their back/side stories.
The plot/premise is what earned this an extra 1/2 star.
It was ok, which made me decide that I won't be reading another in this series.
Jane Lawless has allowed her previous girlfriend, Julia (who is sick w/ cancer), to move back in making it difficult for Jane to deal with her feelings (so it's a damn good thing she takes a case that has her, Jane, staying elsewhere).
Taking a break from a conference, Britt goes to visit her aunts and asks about her cousin Timmy, whom she had met & spent time with during their Grandfather's funeral. Both women deny that there ever was a Timmy and that Britt is making up stories.
Britt hires Jane to investigate, when Jane goes to question the aunts she finds that the aunts are taking in boarders, so Jane decides to rent a room from the aunts.
Aunt Lena is a mouthy alcoholic confined to a wheelchair and Aunt Eleanor is a nice calm church-going woman, whose problematic son, Frank, lives in the basement.
When the garage burns down, the arson investigator falls through a trap door and discovers the bones of a murdered man....
The other characters:
* Jane's friend & partner Cordelia, who hates Julia, and also rents a room from the aunts
* Butch a neighbor of the aunts
* Pastor Dare who supports Eleanor by keeping her secrets
* Novack another neighbor & neighborhood Watch Block Captain
* Wendy, Frank's wife, who wants a divorce as Frank becomes more violent
* Quentin, another boarder & Paranormal Investigator
This is "popular gay mystery series" -- Entertainment Weekly
But that is not why I didn't like the book: the basic plot, while interesting became convoluted with the addition of the extraneous characters, their issues, and their hidden agendas. There were several loose ends, the conclusion came together all too conveniently, and the additional love story in which Butch was featured was written as a bad sinister stalker Red Herring.
I found this book as a simply awful piece of writing mired in what seemed to be confusion about just what to do with all the characters & their back/side stories.
The plot/premise is what earned this an extra 1/2 star.
January 4, 2018
A Whisper of Bones is the 25th book in the Jane Lawless series. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I hadn't heard of this series before requesting an ARC of this book on Netgalley, but I'm glad I know about it now. Jane Lawless is a private investigator who is also a restaurant owner in her spare time. She is also a lesbian, as are many of her friends, which makes this series particularly poignant for me when just weeks ago I wondered aloud why much of the mystery genre is ... well, not very diverse.
Jane is contacted by Bliss, an academic in town for a conference, who is convinced that something happened to her cousin, Timmy. Bliss went to visit her estranged aunts, and both claimed that Timmy (a boy Bliss met only once, but remembered vividly) never existed. Jane does what any good investigator would do -- she takes one of the spare rooms available to rent in the aunts' house, and moves right in!
There are a lot of twists and dark family secrets in this novel, and I love how Jane (and her sleuthing pal, Cordelia) aren't afraid to get to the bottom of the mystery. The aunts are also highly memorable; they remind me of that old Bette Davis and Joan Crawford movie, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" in the level of animosity between them.
Interspersed between the mystery is Jane's complicated relationship with ailing long time girlfriend (now just an ex), Julia. I think there's a lot more to their story, and will definitely read more of the series to find out what happened.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC.
Jane is contacted by Bliss, an academic in town for a conference, who is convinced that something happened to her cousin, Timmy. Bliss went to visit her estranged aunts, and both claimed that Timmy (a boy Bliss met only once, but remembered vividly) never existed. Jane does what any good investigator would do -- she takes one of the spare rooms available to rent in the aunts' house, and moves right in!
There are a lot of twists and dark family secrets in this novel, and I love how Jane (and her sleuthing pal, Cordelia) aren't afraid to get to the bottom of the mystery. The aunts are also highly memorable; they remind me of that old Bette Davis and Joan Crawford movie, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" in the level of animosity between them.
Interspersed between the mystery is Jane's complicated relationship with ailing long time girlfriend (now just an ex), Julia. I think there's a lot more to their story, and will definitely read more of the series to find out what happened.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC.
March 15, 2018
The saying that you can't choose your family is on display and threaded throughout the latest Jane Lawless mystery by Ellen Hart.
Britt Ickles has been estranged from her two aunts since she was a child. But when she returns to Minnesota to see them and asks about her cousin Timmy, the two women deny that the boy ever existed.
She ends up contacting Jane Lawless to investigate and find out the truth. But there's far more than meets the eye once Jane goes undercover. Long buried family secrets end up being revealed that go far beyond the scope of simply finding out what happened to a missing boy.
Jane is also dealing with her ex-lover Julia and her continuing medical issues. While this tends to raise issues between Jane and her best friend Cordelia, the hostility is set aside as Julia struggles at times throughout the book.
I was a little disappointed with the previous novel in the series, but A Whisper of Bones gets things back on track. The evolving relationship between the main characters had some nice ebb and flow to it, while the actual main plot was involving. The bitterness and resentment that festers with those being investigated jumps from the page and drags the reader deeper into the book.
While one particular reveal seemed pretty telegraphed, it worked well enough as the explanation for the character involved made sense in a slightly twisted sense. There's a development at the end of the book that seems almost guaranteed to cause more issues in future books so that will certainly be something to keep an eye on.
Ellen Hart was recently named a Grandmaster from the Mystery Writers of America and this novel is a nice demonstration of why she was so richly deserving of the award.
Britt Ickles has been estranged from her two aunts since she was a child. But when she returns to Minnesota to see them and asks about her cousin Timmy, the two women deny that the boy ever existed.
She ends up contacting Jane Lawless to investigate and find out the truth. But there's far more than meets the eye once Jane goes undercover. Long buried family secrets end up being revealed that go far beyond the scope of simply finding out what happened to a missing boy.
Jane is also dealing with her ex-lover Julia and her continuing medical issues. While this tends to raise issues between Jane and her best friend Cordelia, the hostility is set aside as Julia struggles at times throughout the book.
I was a little disappointed with the previous novel in the series, but A Whisper of Bones gets things back on track. The evolving relationship between the main characters had some nice ebb and flow to it, while the actual main plot was involving. The bitterness and resentment that festers with those being investigated jumps from the page and drags the reader deeper into the book.
While one particular reveal seemed pretty telegraphed, it worked well enough as the explanation for the character involved made sense in a slightly twisted sense. There's a development at the end of the book that seems almost guaranteed to cause more issues in future books so that will certainly be something to keep an eye on.
Ellen Hart was recently named a Grandmaster from the Mystery Writers of America and this novel is a nice demonstration of why she was so richly deserving of the award.
January 23, 2018
3.5 stars. It's been years since I read a Jane Lawless mystery--I've read all of Ellen Hart's Sophie Greenway series, but I never especially got into this one. But I saw this one on NetGalley and figured, why not give it another try? If nothing else, I love reading books set in the Twin Cities, and being able to actually visualize the various locations where events are taking place. Anyway, I'm glad I read this one, and I may have to check out some of the other recent books in the series. This was a really engaging cozy mystery, with a compelling story--not really a big aha at the end, more like a slow trickle of puzzle pieces that finally came together in the end. And I really liked the characters and dialogue as well. Jane is a likeable sleuth, and Cordelia is the perfect comic relief--their banter is great, and I particularly enjoyed Cordelia's stint undercover. Recommended for anyone looking for a contemporary cozy mystery, especially if you're from Minnesota.
*Used for PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge prompt "A book by a local author."
**I received a free pre-release copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
*Used for PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge prompt "A book by a local author."
**I received a free pre-release copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
August 12, 2024
There are a lot of characters involved in these stories, The mystery part is good Keeping track of everyone is sometimes a tangle but it is worth a listen. In 1978 2 sisters leave their family home in 2 cars they meet outside of town and one car goes up in flames for many years no one does anything and then when the sisters are older their estranged niece comes looking for a cousin she remembers the aunts tell her there never was a cousin and that brings Jane and Cordelia into another mystery Jane's other half Julia has a bad reaction to the new drug she is taking and ends up in the hospital with a slight stroke so on top of the new mystery and all it's twists and turns Jane also has to come to terms with Julia's illness....convoluted but interesting enough for a listen or a read...A Whisper of Bones brings an old murder to the shocking light of day and brings a family's secrets long buried screaming back to the surface.....
May 8, 2018
Jane Lawless is hired by Britt to find out what happened to her cousin Timmy. Britt can remember him vividly back when she visited her Aunts house when she was six. Now thirty years later her aunts say there was never a Timmy.
Jane investigates and finds there's a lot more going on than figuring out if Timmy was real or only in the imagination of a six year old.
Interesting mystery but it gave away most of it's secrets midway through.
Jane investigates and finds there's a lot more going on than figuring out if Timmy was real or only in the imagination of a six year old.
Interesting mystery but it gave away most of it's secrets midway through.
September 2, 2019
Although #25 in the Jane Lawless series, this book can be enjoyed without having read all the others which went before. I have read the first in the series and I missed not hearing more about Jane’s restaurant.
The puzzle was interesting although I figured out part of the answer early on. The characters are interesting and well drawn.
The puzzle was interesting although I figured out part of the answer early on. The characters are interesting and well drawn.
February 18, 2018
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.
What do you do when you remember someone from your childhood, but your family denies that he ever existed? In Britt Ickles' case, you hire Jane Lawless, private investigator. Jane starts on the case, but a set of bones found in a garage after a mysterious fire complicates matters even further.
Jane is a compelling main character. She is smart and resourceful, but still human, as she tries to figure out what she should do about an ex-love who now is back in her world due to a life-threatening illness.
I also love the premise. The idea of someone denying the existence of a person that you absolutely remember is really eerie, and makes me want to know more.
Hart just tries to fit too much in. There is so much going on, so many subplots, that the mystery suffers. I felt like the solution to the mystery was telegraphed too early, so there wasn't really a lot of suspense. And while I appreciated one of the twists, there was just so many stories flying at me simultaneously that it got sort of lost in the crowd.
This is by no means a bad book, it's an okay book with a lot of potential that never got realized. I think if Hart had decided what the focus was, and built from there, the book would have been a lot stronger.
What do you do when you remember someone from your childhood, but your family denies that he ever existed? In Britt Ickles' case, you hire Jane Lawless, private investigator. Jane starts on the case, but a set of bones found in a garage after a mysterious fire complicates matters even further.
Jane is a compelling main character. She is smart and resourceful, but still human, as she tries to figure out what she should do about an ex-love who now is back in her world due to a life-threatening illness.
I also love the premise. The idea of someone denying the existence of a person that you absolutely remember is really eerie, and makes me want to know more.
Hart just tries to fit too much in. There is so much going on, so many subplots, that the mystery suffers. I felt like the solution to the mystery was telegraphed too early, so there wasn't really a lot of suspense. And while I appreciated one of the twists, there was just so many stories flying at me simultaneously that it got sort of lost in the crowd.
This is by no means a bad book, it's an okay book with a lot of potential that never got realized. I think if Hart had decided what the focus was, and built from there, the book would have been a lot stronger.
June 4, 2018
This is the second Jane Lawless mystery I’ve read; the first was The Old Dark and Deep. I am officially a fan and look forward to progressing to being a groupie perhaps! lol What’s not to enjoy?! Intricate, though not totally inscrutable, plot...peopled by psychologically and emotionally interesting folks I wouldn’t mind bumping into at the coffee shop. I’m off to track down and devour all 25 books in the series!
Love Is Love 😊🌈
Love Is Love 😊🌈
March 11, 2018
Minotaur Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of A Whisper of Bones: A Jane Lawless Mystery. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.
Jane Lawless is a private investigator, hired by Britt Ickles to find out what happened to her cousin Timmy. Despite her aunts saying that Timmy is a figment of her imagination, Britt is certain that something horrible happened that necessitated a cover up by her extended family. When a garage fire yields gristly results, will the subsequent police investigation and that of Jane Lawless give Britt the answers she seeks?
Although A Whisper of Bones was a decent book, it just plodded along and was not very exciting. None of the characters really stood out for me, not even Jane. With multiple side plots, as it seems that every character in the book had complications in their lives, the main mystery gets lost in the shuffle. Although it is part of a lengthy series featuring Jane Lawless, it is not strictly necessary to have read the previous books. Despite never having read any of them, I did not feel lost or confused as to the central idea surrounding the novels. As a result of the shortcomings that I listed above, I do not feel the desire to continue reading either the previous novels or any future ones. Because of this, I would be hesitant to recommend A Whisper of Bones to other readers.
Jane Lawless is a private investigator, hired by Britt Ickles to find out what happened to her cousin Timmy. Despite her aunts saying that Timmy is a figment of her imagination, Britt is certain that something horrible happened that necessitated a cover up by her extended family. When a garage fire yields gristly results, will the subsequent police investigation and that of Jane Lawless give Britt the answers she seeks?
Although A Whisper of Bones was a decent book, it just plodded along and was not very exciting. None of the characters really stood out for me, not even Jane. With multiple side plots, as it seems that every character in the book had complications in their lives, the main mystery gets lost in the shuffle. Although it is part of a lengthy series featuring Jane Lawless, it is not strictly necessary to have read the previous books. Despite never having read any of them, I did not feel lost or confused as to the central idea surrounding the novels. As a result of the shortcomings that I listed above, I do not feel the desire to continue reading either the previous novels or any future ones. Because of this, I would be hesitant to recommend A Whisper of Bones to other readers.
March 3, 2018
Summary from Goodreads:
"Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.
Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family's garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can't help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt's death an accident, suicide, or homicide? What dark secret has this family been hiding for decades? It all depends on Jane Lawless to unravel."
My Thoughts:
A Whisper of Bones is one of those books that I was intrigued by from the very beginning. With a great cover and a unique summary, I just couldn't help wanting to read this one. The idea of a woman remembering a little boy from her childhood only to be told that he doesn't exist was too much for me to resist. I just knew that I had to read it despite the fact that this is book #25 in this long standing mystery series. Happily enough, it didn't matter in the slightest that I hadn't read the previous books as I found myself sucked into this book with ease. The thing that I really liked about this book was the mystery portion and how unexpected that it all was. Jane is hired basically to determine if Timmy is real or not. That alone had me reading without stopping because I just couldn't figure out how she was going to be able to do that. Then the bones were found in the garage and I was seriously hooked. This book also featured some interesting secondary characters that I enjoyed reading about. I'm sure that without having read the previous books I'm missing some back stories there but it didn't detract from my reading experience in the slightest. Instead it just made me go and the first book to my TBR list to read soon. I really enjoyed my time with this book and found that I didn't want to stop reading. I loved the way this book wrapped up but I won't tell you much more than that so I don't spoil anything. I just found it to be perfectly tied up and it left me excited to read more from this series!
Overall, I found this book to be a really great mystery and a series that I want to read more of. I find it so surprising that I hadn't heard of this author until now but I'm glad that I found her books. I'm looking forward to picking up book one in the very near future. I do love that I have so many books to look forward to! Readers that are looking for diverse characters - this book features a main character who is LGTBQ. I thought it was worth mentioning because so many readers are really trying to expand their reading in ways like this - I know that I am! If you are looking for a unique mystery, I would definitely recommend this book! I think that this series is considered to be a cozy mystery series but I'm really not for sure on that. All I can say is that I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read more! Mystery, suspense, and cozy mystery fans alike should give this book and series a shot!
Bottom Line: An enjoyable mystery that left me excited to read more from this series!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.
"Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.
Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family's garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can't help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt's death an accident, suicide, or homicide? What dark secret has this family been hiding for decades? It all depends on Jane Lawless to unravel."
My Thoughts:
A Whisper of Bones is one of those books that I was intrigued by from the very beginning. With a great cover and a unique summary, I just couldn't help wanting to read this one. The idea of a woman remembering a little boy from her childhood only to be told that he doesn't exist was too much for me to resist. I just knew that I had to read it despite the fact that this is book #25 in this long standing mystery series. Happily enough, it didn't matter in the slightest that I hadn't read the previous books as I found myself sucked into this book with ease. The thing that I really liked about this book was the mystery portion and how unexpected that it all was. Jane is hired basically to determine if Timmy is real or not. That alone had me reading without stopping because I just couldn't figure out how she was going to be able to do that. Then the bones were found in the garage and I was seriously hooked. This book also featured some interesting secondary characters that I enjoyed reading about. I'm sure that without having read the previous books I'm missing some back stories there but it didn't detract from my reading experience in the slightest. Instead it just made me go and the first book to my TBR list to read soon. I really enjoyed my time with this book and found that I didn't want to stop reading. I loved the way this book wrapped up but I won't tell you much more than that so I don't spoil anything. I just found it to be perfectly tied up and it left me excited to read more from this series!
Overall, I found this book to be a really great mystery and a series that I want to read more of. I find it so surprising that I hadn't heard of this author until now but I'm glad that I found her books. I'm looking forward to picking up book one in the very near future. I do love that I have so many books to look forward to! Readers that are looking for diverse characters - this book features a main character who is LGTBQ. I thought it was worth mentioning because so many readers are really trying to expand their reading in ways like this - I know that I am! If you are looking for a unique mystery, I would definitely recommend this book! I think that this series is considered to be a cozy mystery series but I'm really not for sure on that. All I can say is that I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read more! Mystery, suspense, and cozy mystery fans alike should give this book and series a shot!
Bottom Line: An enjoyable mystery that left me excited to read more from this series!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.
August 3, 2025
This seemed like an interesting premise when I picked it up at the library. Woman thinks someone existed, certain people are now telling her that he didn't. Pretty cool. And I started into it tonight, and - well, I only got about 20 pages. It was decent, too. But here's the problem: it was so much like Ms. Hart had an agenda, and a timeline. "I must get all these boxes checked in the first thirty pages: lesbian lovers, someone is a professor of evolution, mention Rachel Maddow, fat snarky friend..."
I really don't care about the sexual orientation of a character. It shouldn't be a plot point though. Not unless it's truly relevant. I'm so sick of these shove-it-in-your-face liberal agenda books. I don't care what political affiliation you claim. I don't want to read about it. But lately it's been like every time I go to the library, they're showcasing these books where the characters are gender-fluid, gay, trans, et cetera. Can't I just read some good fiction without being preached at?
So I looked at the inner flap, back cover to read about this author. Yup. Picture says it all. Then in the text, it says "a top novelist in the cultishly popular gay mystery genre." Gay mystery? That's a thing now? Listen. All you people who want to call me a bigot. I have plenty of gay friends and I love them all. We don't sit and talk about orientation. It's irrelevant. I know who they are, they know who I am. If a character is a private detective and he's gay, so be it. That's not a gay mystery. Why try to make it one? Get out of my face with that crap.
Then it said this was like the 20th book in the Jane Lawless (the gay detective) series. So I'm not even starting at the beginning of a saga. Which I would well love to get into. If I can find a good writer with a good series, I'll eat it up like a plate of corn dog minis. But I'm NOT going to start this late in the action, and I'm not going to waste my time looking for the first one when you tell me it's gay mystery. LIFE DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND SEX AND ORIENTATION!
I just want to read good books. Is that so wrong?
I really don't care about the sexual orientation of a character. It shouldn't be a plot point though. Not unless it's truly relevant. I'm so sick of these shove-it-in-your-face liberal agenda books. I don't care what political affiliation you claim. I don't want to read about it. But lately it's been like every time I go to the library, they're showcasing these books where the characters are gender-fluid, gay, trans, et cetera. Can't I just read some good fiction without being preached at?
So I looked at the inner flap, back cover to read about this author. Yup. Picture says it all. Then in the text, it says "a top novelist in the cultishly popular gay mystery genre." Gay mystery? That's a thing now? Listen. All you people who want to call me a bigot. I have plenty of gay friends and I love them all. We don't sit and talk about orientation. It's irrelevant. I know who they are, they know who I am. If a character is a private detective and he's gay, so be it. That's not a gay mystery. Why try to make it one? Get out of my face with that crap.
Then it said this was like the 20th book in the Jane Lawless (the gay detective) series. So I'm not even starting at the beginning of a saga. Which I would well love to get into. If I can find a good writer with a good series, I'll eat it up like a plate of corn dog minis. But I'm NOT going to start this late in the action, and I'm not going to waste my time looking for the first one when you tell me it's gay mystery. LIFE DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND SEX AND ORIENTATION!
I just want to read good books. Is that so wrong?
August 14, 2018
I'm not sure if I wasn't in the right mood for this book or if it's just my cozy mystery reading binge had me expecting something that was a bit happier or nicer. I liked it but it wasn't one I that I couldn't wait to get back to reading.
The premise is fantastic. Britt is intelligent, logical and not particularly driven by emotion. Her memories of her cousin Timmy aren't a glowing haze of perfection. He was what made an awkward and tense trip to her mother's estranged family bearable and her memories were so real and realistic that she's sure she didn't make him up and bothered by the shrug off she gets from her aunts.
Jane is good at her job. She knows what she's doing in an investigation and isn't afraid to act on impulse at times. I did feel like her personal life got in the way a bit both for her concentration and page time. While I did like seeing her in her regular world her complicated relationship with girlfriend Julia didn't feel like it advanced the plot and took up a lot of conversation space with friends that were helping with the investigation. However, this is book #25 so I may feel different is I was a long time reader.
The mystery is good with all kinds of twisty secrets. However, I did question how possible it was for the secrets to be kept for so many years. While I did like the conclusion and the setup I questioned this little detail - especially given how dysfunctional 2 of the primary characters were.
This was a solid mystery with an interesting and diverse cast of characters. If you're not in the mood for a cozy but don't want a high intensity psychological thriller this is a perfect fit.
The premise is fantastic. Britt is intelligent, logical and not particularly driven by emotion. Her memories of her cousin Timmy aren't a glowing haze of perfection. He was what made an awkward and tense trip to her mother's estranged family bearable and her memories were so real and realistic that she's sure she didn't make him up and bothered by the shrug off she gets from her aunts.
Jane is good at her job. She knows what she's doing in an investigation and isn't afraid to act on impulse at times. I did feel like her personal life got in the way a bit both for her concentration and page time. While I did like seeing her in her regular world her complicated relationship with girlfriend Julia didn't feel like it advanced the plot and took up a lot of conversation space with friends that were helping with the investigation. However, this is book #25 so I may feel different is I was a long time reader.
The mystery is good with all kinds of twisty secrets. However, I did question how possible it was for the secrets to be kept for so many years. While I did like the conclusion and the setup I questioned this little detail - especially given how dysfunctional 2 of the primary characters were.
This was a solid mystery with an interesting and diverse cast of characters. If you're not in the mood for a cozy but don't want a high intensity psychological thriller this is a perfect fit.
April 11, 2018
Ellen Hart was always on my list of “seriously under-appreciated authors” until she won the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award last year. It “represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as for a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality.” I hope that prestigious honor has inspired more people to pick up the Lawless novels to see what all the fuss is about. I’ve read all of them, except for maybe two or three of the older ones; this is a series that’s gotten better with age (2005’s "The Iron Girl" and 2010’s "The Cruel Ever After" are my favorites).
Jane Lawless is a restaurateur in Minneapolis who eventually gets a side gig as a P.I. due to her success as an amateur sleuth. Her frequent partner in crime is her flamboyant best friend, Cordelia Thorn, who runs a local playhouse. Some readers have criticized Cordelia as being too over-the-top, but I think she’s the perfect foil for the more buttoned-up Jane. Plus, having spent a lot of time around theater people, I know that many of them are larger-than-life characters.
In "A Whisper of Bones," Jane is hired by a woman to find her cousin, a childhood playmate whom she lost touch with due to a family feud. When Britt visited her two aunts after years of estrangement, they denied the cousin ever existed. Are they gaslighting her, or trying to hide something horrible?
Read the full review
Jane Lawless is a restaurateur in Minneapolis who eventually gets a side gig as a P.I. due to her success as an amateur sleuth. Her frequent partner in crime is her flamboyant best friend, Cordelia Thorn, who runs a local playhouse. Some readers have criticized Cordelia as being too over-the-top, but I think she’s the perfect foil for the more buttoned-up Jane. Plus, having spent a lot of time around theater people, I know that many of them are larger-than-life characters.
In "A Whisper of Bones," Jane is hired by a woman to find her cousin, a childhood playmate whom she lost touch with due to a family feud. When Britt visited her two aunts after years of estrangement, they denied the cousin ever existed. Are they gaslighting her, or trying to hide something horrible?
Read the full review
December 26, 2017
Whew, this is the 25th book in the Jane Lawless series, but the first one I've read.
A Whisper of Bones involves PI and restaurateur Jane Lawless--an interesting combination of careers.
From description: Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.
Britt is disbelieving and angry about her aunts response and hires Jane to find out more about the boy she remembers. Britt's aunts rent rooms in their large old home to help make ends meet, and Jane decides renting a room might help her get to the bottom of the mystery.
A fire destroys the old detached garage and during the investigation, bones are discovered in the root cellar. Do they belong to Timmy? The secrets are many and of long-standing.
An interesting assortment of well-developed characters.
Read in December, 2017; blog review scheduled for Feb. 16, 2018.
NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
PI Mystery. Feb. 27, 2018. Print length: 320 pages.
A Whisper of Bones involves PI and restaurateur Jane Lawless--an interesting combination of careers.
From description: Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.
Britt is disbelieving and angry about her aunts response and hires Jane to find out more about the boy she remembers. Britt's aunts rent rooms in their large old home to help make ends meet, and Jane decides renting a room might help her get to the bottom of the mystery.
A fire destroys the old detached garage and during the investigation, bones are discovered in the root cellar. Do they belong to Timmy? The secrets are many and of long-standing.
An interesting assortment of well-developed characters.
Read in December, 2017; blog review scheduled for Feb. 16, 2018.
NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
PI Mystery. Feb. 27, 2018. Print length: 320 pages.
February 14, 2018
I requested this book for review, not realizing this was book twenty-five (!!) of a series. But I could jump right in; it wasn't difficult to get to know the characters, the way it does in some series. You can easily jump in right here with A Whisper of Bones, though I'm now tempted to start at book one...
The mystery here was solid and intriguing: who is buried under the garage, and why is the whole family trying to cover it up? The story is very atmospheric, the mystery is well-written, and the series element doesn't get in the way of things--no lengthy sidetracking storylines about the secondary characters, like some series do, especially this far in.
There are quite a few perspective shifts, which made me want to get back to our lead character, and how she was going to solve the crime. But overall, I really liked this, and I'll be checking out the authors other books. Recommended, if you're behind the curve, like me (book twenty-five! how did I miss this series for so long?).
**NetGalley provided copy for review**
The mystery here was solid and intriguing: who is buried under the garage, and why is the whole family trying to cover it up? The story is very atmospheric, the mystery is well-written, and the series element doesn't get in the way of things--no lengthy sidetracking storylines about the secondary characters, like some series do, especially this far in.
There are quite a few perspective shifts, which made me want to get back to our lead character, and how she was going to solve the crime. But overall, I really liked this, and I'll be checking out the authors other books. Recommended, if you're behind the curve, like me (book twenty-five! how did I miss this series for so long?).
**NetGalley provided copy for review**
August 6, 2019
I love Ellen Hart books, especially the Jane Lawless mysteries which is just as well as they only ever appear in hardback now but are worth £20 a year. Jane is a P.I./restaurant owner based in the twin cities who always gets caught up in some local mystery of which there is a never ending supply. Her best friend Cordelia is a large than life theatre director who also helps jane with the sleuthing and together they make a hilarious, effective team. This book centres around the mystery of some bones that are discovered when the garage of two elderly eccentric women burns down. Its a family drama as they so often are that led to a murder and illegitimate children being denied their birth rites. I should probably mention that Jane and Cordelia are also lesbians which is how and why I began reading these books. In the last few years Ellen has also included other LGBT characters which is pleasing in the stories because obviously they aren't the only gays in such a huge 'village'. Fabulously engaging light reading.
January 6, 2021
This was a very good mystery and a good story overall. I will read more of this series.
Britt Ickles doesn’t remember much from her only visit to her mother’s childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That’s why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she’s shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can’t shake the feeling that Timmy did exist…and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.
Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family’s garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can’t help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt’s death an accident, suicide, or homicide? What dark secret has this family been hiding for decades? It all depends on Jane Lawless to unravel.
Britt Ickles doesn’t remember much from her only visit to her mother’s childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That’s why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she’s shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can’t shake the feeling that Timmy did exist…and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.
Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family’s garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can’t help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt’s death an accident, suicide, or homicide? What dark secret has this family been hiding for decades? It all depends on Jane Lawless to unravel.
May 10, 2018
A Mystery That Will Shake Your Core
I rated this book five stars, because I really liked this book from start to finish. This is the first mystery book i have ever read! I didn't have any dislikes at all! What I loved about it was how the main character Jane was onto the mystery, she has a charming and loving personality and it shocked me how evil people could really hide their true self, like an Apple which is red but turns dark and cold if not fully eaten.
Jane, is searching for answers for a woman named Britt, who hired her to find answers on her missing relative Timmy. She believes her aunts Elanor and Lena had something to do with his disapperance. However, there are a few hidden secrets and a betrayal that not even Jane and her friends would ever come to think would even be possible.
I would recommend this book to adults who love mystery, but not for children.
I rated this book five stars, because I really liked this book from start to finish. This is the first mystery book i have ever read! I didn't have any dislikes at all! What I loved about it was how the main character Jane was onto the mystery, she has a charming and loving personality and it shocked me how evil people could really hide their true self, like an Apple which is red but turns dark and cold if not fully eaten.
Jane, is searching for answers for a woman named Britt, who hired her to find answers on her missing relative Timmy. She believes her aunts Elanor and Lena had something to do with his disapperance. However, there are a few hidden secrets and a betrayal that not even Jane and her friends would ever come to think would even be possible.
I would recommend this book to adults who love mystery, but not for children.
February 27, 2018
A Whisper of Bones is the 25th book in the Jane Lawless series by author Ellen Hart. This is a great series set in Minnesota.
Jane is busy running her restaurant and looking after old love Julia who is sick with some mysterious illness. Jane cannot turn down a request to find out what happened to a client's young cousin. Jane rents a room at a house the client's elderly aunts live in to help solve what happened to the mysterious cousin Timmy. Jane's old friend Cordelia also helps with this latest mystery.
I really enjoyed the latest Jane Lawless mystery. There was a lot going on but the mystery was easy to follow. I loved all the twists at the end. Families are always fascinating!
Highly recommend A Whisper of Bones.
Jane is busy running her restaurant and looking after old love Julia who is sick with some mysterious illness. Jane cannot turn down a request to find out what happened to a client's young cousin. Jane rents a room at a house the client's elderly aunts live in to help solve what happened to the mysterious cousin Timmy. Jane's old friend Cordelia also helps with this latest mystery.
I really enjoyed the latest Jane Lawless mystery. There was a lot going on but the mystery was easy to follow. I loved all the twists at the end. Families are always fascinating!
Highly recommend A Whisper of Bones.
March 15, 2018
This story stayed with me. It's the first book by Ellen Hart I read. I read it twice and enjoyed it way more the second time when I already know where the story was going. The first time was a bit confusing, some characters felt a bit out of place, almost as if their stories were on a completely different page and didn't contribute much to the main storyline, but once you get to the end you see that it's all connected.
I was a bit disappointed that Jane didn't seem to contribute much to the resolution of the mystery, but I like her character and her development throughout the book.
The story is interesting, it will hold your interest and will surprise you even if you suspect where it's heading from the beginning.
I was a bit disappointed that Jane didn't seem to contribute much to the resolution of the mystery, but I like her character and her development throughout the book.
The story is interesting, it will hold your interest and will surprise you even if you suspect where it's heading from the beginning.
April 4, 2018
While in Minneapolis for a conference, Britt Ickles visits her elder aunts, having last seen them 40 years earlier. She winds up hiring Jane Lawless to investigate the disappearance of her cousin Timmy, after being told by her aunts that Timmy never existed.
Unlike some mystery novels where the plot development occurs when the private investigator comes up with clues after complicated searches and communications with shady characters, the plot of A Whisper of Bones seems to develop effortlessly due to the sequence of events and introduction of secondary characters. Like a well-greased piece of machinery, everything makes sense at the end, after the author has skillfully manipulated the reader's ability to predict the ending, as the truth comes out bit by bit.
Unlike some mystery novels where the plot development occurs when the private investigator comes up with clues after complicated searches and communications with shady characters, the plot of A Whisper of Bones seems to develop effortlessly due to the sequence of events and introduction of secondary characters. Like a well-greased piece of machinery, everything makes sense at the end, after the author has skillfully manipulated the reader's ability to predict the ending, as the truth comes out bit by bit.
November 2, 2020
Not bad. Fairly engaging. I more or less enjoyed myself, but mostly time spent with Jane.
There were one or two sticking points however.
To sum up, the characters were pretty decent but I feel things fell off a bit near the end.
There were one or two sticking points however.
To sum up, the characters were pretty decent but I feel things fell off a bit near the end.
June 25, 2018
I didn't realize when starting this that is was number 25 (!!) in a series; I saw it on the shelf at work and grabbed it.
It was okay. A mystery with lots of side stories and characters, nothing that is ever truly fleshed out. We learn basically all the points of the mystery very early on; it's the backstory the reader is really waiting for. When it comes, the twists and everything seem sort of extenuating. The red herons seem ridiculous when they are revealed. The editing/grammatical errors in this book were numerous and infuriating to keep stumbling upon.
Overall it was okay. I wouldn't read the ones before it, nor would I pick up another one, but it was a quick summer read.
It was okay. A mystery with lots of side stories and characters, nothing that is ever truly fleshed out. We learn basically all the points of the mystery very early on; it's the backstory the reader is really waiting for. When it comes, the twists and everything seem sort of extenuating. The red herons seem ridiculous when they are revealed. The editing/grammatical errors in this book were numerous and infuriating to keep stumbling upon.
Overall it was okay. I wouldn't read the ones before it, nor would I pick up another one, but it was a quick summer read.
July 7, 2019
A Jane Lawless Mystery, #26 in fact. Ellen Hart gets better and better. Her characters are believable, multi-dimensioned people, she peoples her stories with LGBTQ people, her plot is intricate but not convoluted. Jane’s friend Cordelia continues to delight with her quirky behavior. In this story, both Jane and Cordelia go undercover to unravel the mystery Jane is hired to solve. A house may or may not be haunted, and women are accused of being witches. Small bones might belong to a missing small boy. Or not. Neighbors are nosy, helpful, and scary by turns. I can’t wait for the next one, which comes out next month.
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