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The Bones of You

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The Bones of You

By: Debbie Howells
Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson, Jenny Funnell
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A Richard and Judy Book Club bestseller, Debbie Howells' The Bones of You is a gripping psychological thriller about the dark side of suburban England.

I have a gardener's inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft-petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer.

Children who don't die before their parents.

A community in shock

When eighteen-year-old Rosie Anderson disappears, the idyllic village where she lived will never be the same again. Local gardener Kate is struck with guilt. She'd come to know Rosie well, and thought she understood her - perhaps better even than Rosie's own mother.

A family torn apart

Rosie was beautiful, kind and gentle. She came from a loving family and she had her whole life ahead of her. Who could possibly want to harm her? And why?

A keeper of secrets

Kate is convinced the police are missing something. She's certain that someone in the village knows more than they're letting on. As the investigation deepens, so does Kate's obsession with solving the mystery of what happened to Rosie.

 Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction Genre Fiction Mystery Psychological Thriller Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Crime Suspense
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Critic reviews

The Bones of You is a brilliantly twisty read that delves deep into the dark heart of the seemingly perfect family. Recommended.
I couldn't stop reading this from the moment I picked it up. An intelligent thriller which looks behind the perfect facade of village life to reveal the dark secrets within. Written with heart and real depth, and with some real hand-over-mouth moments - I was gasping in surprise in a cafe! This is going to be a huge hit, and deservedly so.
Utterly compelling and addictive. A memorable debut
The Bones of You is one of those books that captivates you from the first page, holds tight and never lets go. I savoured every word, character and psychological twist. Truly brilliant!
Suspenseful and poignant
A dazzling debut from a writer who looks to me to have an exceptional future. Howells's novel has a rare freshness and depth that set her apart
This is a book about secrets and deception, the story told from alternating points of view and time frames, with Rosie's voice coming through in her own dedicated chapters. A debut psychological thriller that's intricately plotted, from a writer with a promising future
This is not a fast-paced, edge-of-the-seat crime story but a psychological thriller about the dark side of suburban England where finely pruned rose bushes hide what lies beneath
Twists, turns and a shock ending - it's the most exciting whodunit we've read in years
An exceptional debut that announces a potential star of the future from a young florist in Sussex whose love for the natural world inhabits every paragraph of a story that focuses on the disappearance of a popular local 18-year-old, whom everyone in the idyllic rural community seemed to adore
All stars
Most relevant
Great story although child voice quite irritating at times strange diction. Dark but written with good awareness

Very good

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"The Bones Of You“ is the first book I have read by this author chosen as it was a recommendation of Richard and Judy bookclub. I would say it was written well with some dark moments.
The narrative was ok
A small Sussex time sees the disappearance of Rosie. Kate knew her as she helped out with her horses and her daughter Grace was approximately the same age. Kate tries to help Rosie’s mother Joanna who seemingly has the world at her feet. Her husband is a famous TV journalist. She has two perfect daughters with money and a big home.
Rosie is one of the book narrators seeing the ‘movie of her life’, she tells the reader the reality of living in her family.
Revelations are slowly drip fed to the reader with Kate and Rosie alternating chapters.
I guessed quite quickly where this was ultimately going. I soon realised that with this character anything was possible.
However the most important thing I wanted to know was “What was the story of the horse”? That would have been important to be explained instead of all the padding with Kate’s husband having his own sideline plot of total irrelevance to the story and the reader.
There are so many characters which in my opinion did not endear themselves to the reader in any way. Kate was such a wet dishcloth. She says Jo is her best friend yet Jo is so mentally ill she is unable to be anything to anyone. Kate is supposedly an experienced Landscape Gardener yet there is this apple tree in Jo’s garden acting very suspiciously and Kate the expert gardener does not suspect anything!
There are some quiet unbelievable things for example a man is arrested for Rosie’s mother and no-one bothers to check his home. In fact his wife goes straight ahead and redecorates it?
Overall it is an ok read and I would recommend it as something to pass the time.

Something to pass the time No great story

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It was ok. Not a patch on the first book sadly. Rather predictable and blandly performed

Disappointing second book

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Gripping and amazing. Kept me on the edge of my seat. One to re-read.

Perfect

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The Bones of You was slow to get started but once I got used to the pace of the story I was hooked. I enjoyed Rosie's narration the most which allowed the story to slowly unravel, exposing the truth.

I'm not sure why the horse had to die, it seemed unnecessary! Also the police involvement was minimal which seemed unbelievable at times.

Overall I enjoyed this novel and would recommend to others.

I give this book 3 stars.

Slow-burner

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