Throw Me a Bone

Flint & Co Paranormal Investigations #2

by Rachel Ford

I’m a magic-wielding Freak. My partner is a sentient skeleton. My fiancée is a broke lawyer. We’re Flint & Co Paranormal Investigations. And we’re going to change the world.

Being a Freak cost me my job with the police department, but that’s okay. My magic isn’t a curse, and I’m done running from it.

Which is good, because with my fiancée too busy saving the world one pro bono lawsuit at a time to take a case that actually pays and my partner losing his shirt on a Crypt Coin investment scam, it’s going to take some supernatural help just to keep the lights on.

Never mind track down the Southside Stalker, the notorious serial killer terrorizing New Boston and baffling law enforcement. Or the Pestilence, the mysterious vigilante targeting the undead. (Come on, universe! Throw a girl a bone, why don’t you?)

But, whatever: I’m ready. I can shoot fire from my freaking fingertips. I’ve got this.

I hope.

Genres: Urban Fantasy

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 2, 2022

About the author

Rachel Ford lives in beautiful Central Wisconsin. She is a programmer, who works in everything from SQL to .NET to Cisco CVP and IVR. Her latest foray into new and exciting things has been developing custom Java plugins for CVP applications.
Rachel also enjoys recreating historically authentic jewelry, and mixing historical recreations with fantasy elements to create exciting new pieces.
When not designing jewelry or tinkering with computers, Rachel spends her time writing and reading science fiction and fantasy.

Reviews

[J H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still really enjoying this series

SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: not a romance, out of your comfort zone, unusual job, established couple, disaster - possibly more categories

I don't know if any other authors have come up with this premise, but I haven't read it before. The creativity behind the many types of existing beings after the celestial event, and their "as is" condition is brilliant. The prejudice against the gifted and non-dead are relevant today - stemming from fear and ignorance.

This series is a blend of several genres, and it's well-balanced, regardless of which way the situation leans toward at the moment. Will we we've find out about the causes of the feral condition? Will Flinty Jack or Jill witness another skeleton coupling? I look forward to finding out if the questions will be answered.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Formerly a police detective with an outstanding record, Jill’s life changed forever when the meteorite fell. Bizarre consequences of this event included the dead coming back to life – in whatever state of decay their bodies happened to be – and some of the living, now called ‘normals’, developing strange powers. In Jill’s case, she can shoot fireballs from her hands.
Handy, (pun intended) for a police officer, you might think. But the PD will only employ normals, and so Jill is left without a job. Making use of her skills, she sets up a detective agency with Flinty Jack, who was a police officer last century. Now he’s a skeleton.
Along with the dubious assistance of mobster, Big Z, and his crew of zombies, Jill and Jack are on the case of someone permanently killing the undead. The press has come out in support of Jill at the expense of the PD, who aren’t happy about being made to look bad in the eyes of the public, and there’s a conspiracy theorist sending Jill tips. Tips that lead her to an entirely different type of murder – one dedicated to her in a letter left at the scene.
So now New Boston has two serial killers on the loose, and one of them is targeting Jill.
This series is a lot of fun. Plenty of action, some good old-fashioned detective work, great characters (even if they aren’t all alive), and sharp, snappy dialogue. Descriptions are non-intrusive but succeed in producing great visuals.
It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I appreciated the world building: when there isn’t a logical explanation for something, such as how Jack’s skeleton is held together with no soft tissue, the characters acknowledge things with a shrug, and an admittance they have no idea how it works either.
There’s always a lot going on, and yet it isn’t a lengthy read. I’ve managed to read three of this series now, out of order, and had no problem picking up where I am in the overall scheme of things.
Highly recommended for lovers of paranormal detectives with a healthy dose of snark, and an ability to wrap things up in a satisfying manner, yet leave the door open for the next book.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throw Me a Bone (Flint & Co Paranormal Investigations Book 2), my fortieth highly enjoyable read from author Rachel Ford. No matter the genre a Rachel Ford book can be counted on to be entertaining & enjoyable. A Rachel Ford read is like a visit with an old friend. This one is more of a mystery than the other books in the series so far, yeah I read book 4 before books 2 & 3 but I liked book 4 so much I went out & bought book 2, and is the second book in the Flint & Co Paranormal Investigations series. “I received a free Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Susan Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the world, I like the characters, they're funny and sarcastic, but that warred with the fact that I absolutely hate this trope: the brilliant serial killer who is obsessed with the detective and leaves taunting letters etc. In this book there are two serial killers, one of them fits that description and one is something else. So I was sort of mixed on this story. Still, it's a fun read and many people enjoy that sort of high stakes hunt for a killer.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't have much to say about it other than this was another fun reading and all the characters (with the exception of the villains, pain in the arse ones) were delightful. And the plot, quite engaging too. I just wish we got to see more of the supernatural aspect of Wallace, she has all these powers and now with the Cathedral and such, would be a shame not to use it more. I'll be hoping book 3 tackle it a bit more.

[Ashleigh Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book worth reading

Rachel Ford has done it again, the story flows, the heros and anti-heros are fun to follow and the villians are psychologically twistie. Two killers, several bodies and a bunch of undead gangsters supporting our paranormal detectives... Such fun!!!!!!

[Wanda Jewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

This is a wonderful mystery from a papa normal perspective. I loved the various characters. I would highly recommend it!

[Zayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. It, in some ways, actually improves off the first book with newer, more interesting characters and interactions with all sorts of night time creatures and ghouls.