The Bone Factory

by Yolanda Sfetsos

Max Patella just wants to do her job, which includes dealing with cases the corrupt police don't want to dirty their hands with.

When she stumbles on a bunch of skeletons found in different warehouses, all wearing mysterious rings, Max finds herself in a dangerous and deadly situation that leads back to her...

Cover by Adrian Baldwin

(Murder! Mystery! Mayhem! Book 5.)

66 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 27, 2020

About the author

Writer. Bibliophile. Collector. Animal lover. Horror freak.

My name is Yolanda, and I live in Australia. I write horror tales that bleed into other genres. I'm a horror freak from way back and a total bibliophile! I also collect cute stuff, love cozy vibes, and enjoy going for walks.

You can find all my book & social media links here: https://linktr.ee/yolandasfetsos

Reviews

[Steve Stred · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

3.5/5

Over the last few years, I’ve become a massive Sfetsos fan. Between her Demain release and the short stories I’ve read in anthologies, Yolanda has delivered time and time again.

When her latest was announced, ‘The Bone Factory,’ through Demain no less, I was beyond excited. The cover that Adrian Baldwin has created is one of the best ones to grace a Demain release, which should draw in even more fans.

What I liked: ‘The Bone Factory‘ follows Max Patella as they investigate some untimely deaths for a corrupt police force. We get a little background on both Patella and the force as well as Patella’s relationship with Gab, the coroner.

The mystery that occurs right off the bat is intriguing, as is the city setting. Corruption everywhere, as well as the factories that seem to be the main way of life. Sfetsos writes with ease, making reading a joy, not a chore and as the story unfolds, we really get to see the level of depravity surrounding the corrupt people involved.

What I didn’t like: It might be more on me for missing this, but I was believing I was reading a straight forward mystery/investigative book, until some paranormal items became involved and suddenly I found myself knee-deep in an Urban Fantasy book. While the story still worked well, it made me have to stop and rethink a few things and just what may have been behind the events.

Why you should buy this: I really enjoy Yolanda’s work and this is another fine entry into her growing world of releases. The intrigue here of just what has happened hooks into you early and will drag you along all the way to the end.

Fun stuff.

[Richard Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fifth book in Demain’s ‘Murder! Mystery! Mayhem!’ line is a book unlike the horror laced crime fiction book I was expecting going in. There is murder aplenty and the mystery is an intriguing one, but ‘mayhem’ doesn’t quite do justice to the unbridled creativity on display here.

Max is often brought in to assist the police in cases they cannot or will not investigate. When a skeleton of a young woman is found at a local factory the police call her in due to the unusual circumstances and seeming lack of clues. Was this an accident, or is there a killer on the loose?

As the body count rises and Max begins to believe supernatural forces may be at work, what at first appeared to be an industrial accident turns out to be something far more sinister and dangerous, with link to Max’s troubled past. If she wants to help the women she has sworn to protect she is going to have to dredge up memories of past deeds she would rather leave forgotten.

‘The Bone Factory’ mixes detective noir, urban fantasy and horror to create a murder mystery story with a macabre bent. It is an unusual story in that it starts out as a fairly straight murder mystery, albeit in the inherently creepy setting of a doll factory. From there, Sfetsos begins to gradually drop in elements of the supernatural until an ending which is pure fantasy, complete with witchcraft, necromancy and rituals. It is a fun mix but, reader beware, the story you expect going in may not be the one you end up getting.

The book actually feels like an instalment in a long-running series as opposed to a standalone novella. It has all the elements that such series require (strong supporting cast, epic scope, lots of room for further stories) There is an impressive amount of world-building on display and it is a world I would happily revisit should Sfetsos ever decide to write more.

Such a series lives or dies based on how willing the reader is to follow the main character through multiple books, and Max is definitely one of those characters. She is outwardly very self-confident and strong and demonstrates a great deal of empathy and resourcefulness from the very start, but as we spend more time with her we begin to see vulnerabilities that humanise her. She reminded me a great deal of Charlie Parker from John Connolly’s long-running horror/crime series, or John Constantine of ‘Hellblazer’ comics fame. Both are compassionate and often heroic but struggle with traumatic pasts and a sense of disillusionment about the world they inhabit, and Max fits in perfectly alongside these two famous fictional sleuths

The Bone Factory may ultimately be too steeped in magic and fantasy for the crime fiction fans, and a little too grim for the fantasy crowd, but if this melding of the two, replete with a horror cherry on top, is something that appeals, then ‘The Bone Factory’ is a great story with a fantastic lead character. Hopefully, this isn’t the last we hear of Max…


You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
I also promote indie horror via Twitter - @RickReadsHorror

[Wayne Fenlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories are all about the connection. Whether it's a reaction, something I relate to, or just something to admire, and this one by Yolanda did all of that. Let's begin with the intentional-or-not city of Lorn and what takes place inside of a doll factory. That's one hell of a coincidence if it's not a nod to my good friend and fantastic author, Edward Lorn. If you know him, you'll understand. Anyway, this story runs on such a unique idea. One, I haven't seen done before, and one I can't go into as it will spoil all the fun. But, I will say the way the story unravels works brilliantly.
Now, there are a few silly moments that didn't quite work for me, I'm not going to lie, and I won't go into them either because it's just a personal thing. The story is a bit bonkers anyway, but I would've rather seen it just stick to something a tiny bit more believable. And I do mean tiny bit because it is what it is and it still totally works. I'm rambling, sorry. Just know that this was hugely enjoyable. Run with it, embrace your inner child if you must, and just appreciate a great little story that's been carefully worked out and written extremely well.
For me, this sits perfectly for the Halloween season.
Read it. I think you'll have fun.
I certainly did.
It's on Kindle Unlimited. It's cheap to buy.
There's nothing stopping you.
Five stars deserved.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 but 4 for goodreads. Very unusual whodunnit with some great supernatural vibes and a distinctly different setting. The character of Max Patella and the very bleak setting, with its occult overtones is a refreshing change to the traditional mystery. I will admit to wanting more 'fleshing out' of Patella's back story and feel a longer form might have provided this, however I did enjoy it and look forward to reading more of Sfetsos' work.

[Sarah Budd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've become a huge fan of Demain Publishing over the years with their Short Sharp Shocks Series of little bites of horror and now it's time for me to check out their Murder! Mystery! Mayhem! Series.

This time I'm reading The Bone Factory by Yolanda Sfetsos! In the crime ridden city of Lorn, ruled over by corrupt power and patriarchy, a young woman, Max Patella is trying to solve crimes the police don't want to touch.

Whenever something weird goes down, Max Patella gets a call, and her latest case may be the strangest one she will ever have to deal with.

Inside the Dollhouse, a skeleton is discovered, it's presumed to be accidental but when the bones start to speak, Max knows otherwise. It's not long until more skeletons pop up, all within factories, all with strange rings.

No one cares about these victims, all women, and Max battles against time to find the culprit before more vulnerable women are slain.

I really liked this tale. A great murder mystery tale with elements of fantasy. It's a tale I could definitely see continuing. The characters are great and I'd love to read more about their escapades.

[Morgan Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to the city of Lorn. This shortish tale thrusts you right into this dystopian setting, never in elaborate over-explaining detail, but enough to make you feel the grime and taste the corruption.

And what would be right at home in place like this? That’s right, murder. When a body is found in a doll factory (not a bone one, yet) the cops bring in their expert of the weird. Max Patella is a lady with a troubled past, but by helping the police in these strange cases she hopes to give herself some semblance of normality in this anything-but-normal city.

I say body, she’s actually called in to investigate a skeleton. All flesh and tissue is gone. What’s more creepy is that when Max touches the skull, she hears the voice of the victim pleading with her. And then there’s the strange ring in the bony hand.

More skeletons appear (and more rings) and before she knows it Max is deep into this case. What begins as a murder investigation suddenly spirals into a dark tale of witches, magic, and occult rituals involving some right nasty baddies.

There is some great imagery here, with some genuinely spooky moments. Who can Max trust, who is in on these murders and the big conspiracy?

As with all shorty stories, I can’t say much more here. But our Yolanda has created another corker of a story here. Perhaps it could have been a bit longer, but most things are explained and I’m kind of being a bit nit-picky with that complaint, so I’l stop.

This is another great release from Demain, and Yolanda Sfetsos continues to kick some bony butt!!

Go and check it out!!!!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yolanda Sfetsos’s horror novella The Bone Factory was an enjoyable read, but it needed a bit more to it. I love horror novellas because frankly the genre seems to lend itself naturally to the length, but in this case more length might have helped.

Miss Patella (Max) is an investigator in the city of Lorn. She’s one of the few who will stand up for women, and unlike the corrupt police force, she doesn’t take bribes. She gets a nominal amount of payment for helping the police out on cases they don’t want to be bothered with themselves. Detective Morado, her contact in the police department, has some sort of strange interest in her. This time, she’s been called in to investigate the presence of a skeleton–a person was killed and essentially melted in a vat of super-hot plastic in a factory. The skeleton is wearing a strange ring, which Max pockets–something tells her she doesn’t want to turn it over to the police. More skeletons are found under similar circumstances, and Max feels like she’s being watched.

Max has a strange ability: when she touches her bare right hand to the skeletons, she can “hear” their voices. And these skeletons? They don’t want “him” to take them. The world this takes place in is fascinating. It’s seedy (most of the female characters were formerly strippers at a particular club), and it’s very male-centered. Women have to fight hard to not be trampled upon. The police are also extremely corrupt–they take bribes all the time. The large number of factories have turned the rain distinctly acidic. There are witches and necromancers afoot. It’s a bit dystopian in nature.

Max has some sort of past “incident” that still affects her, and that gets referenced obliquely from time to time. Detective Morado seems more antagonistic toward her than anything, even though he’s the one who called her in. When we eventually do find out what past incident affects Max so strongly, it’s lacking a serious amount of context. It’s an info dump about something that happened entirely outside the scope of the book. It needs more book length to work it into the story better, to make it not come out of left field.

There were also a number of things that didn’t add up to me with this story. It’s hard to say much about this without including spoilers, but I’ll just say I kept finding myself saying, “but why didn’t they…” or “why did they…”. There just seem to be little plot holes in the details of the crimes.

I enjoyed this book–it’s extremely creative–and I will definitely read more by Yolanda Sfetsos, but this story needed to be half again as long.


Original review posted on my blog: https://www.errantdreams.com/2021/03/...

[Sarah Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, it's a mystery that keeps the reader hooked. I also would love a part two or more. The characters were brilliant

[Kai Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

CW: murder, misogyny, ritual sacrifice