Book: HIDDEN BONES
Author: Rita Herron
Pub Day: AUGUST 8TH 2022
Buy Links:
https://geni.us/B09VTN1FZGsocial
About the Book:
The girl trips over branches, losing her footing. The darkness swallows her and she grabs thin air as she falls, her scream piercing the night. When she slams into the bottom of the pit, her heart hammers. She can’t believe what she’s seeing—a pile of perfect white bones…
In the small town of Crooked Creek, where the Appalachian Mountains climb into the clouds, nineteen-year-old Mandy’s Spring Break takes a sinister turn. Detective Ellie Reeves races straight to the scene, driving through the winding roads to the abandoned orphanage.
Ellie saves the teenage girl but discovers human remains that have been there for thirty years, ever since the home for children closed down. Her heart shatters at the thought that they might belong to the helpless orphans.
Working day and night on the case, Ellie searches for the orphanage’s files, but they have been stolen—somebody is clearly trying to cover their tracks. As she interviews the residents of the mountain community, Ellie finds out that almost everyone connected to the children’s home has disappeared.
Then a woman is found dead, her body marked with a strange symbol. When Ellie learns that the victim used to work at the orphanage, it’s clear that a twisted killer is trying to stop the truth coming out.
Ellie vows to solve this case that spans decades and, when her research into the meaning of the symbol leads her to a local business at the heart of recent controversy, she’s on the right track. Can she bring the secrets to light before another innocent person is murdered? And when she gets too close to uncovering the truth, will she survive?
A totally gripping and pulse-pounding crime-thriller that will have you holding your breath as you race through the pages! Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh.
My review:
Y’all know how much I love Lisa Regan’s books. So I figured Hidden Bones was a perfect read for me.
Guess what? I was right!
As I tend to do, I’ve jumped into the middle of the series here, so I’m getting to know Detective Ellie Reeves on the fly. I was able to follow the story well enough, but I need to go back and start at the beginning to get all the backstory.
The action starts off with a bang when a teenage girl falls into a pit and realizes she’s landed on a pile of bones. The bones are on the property of Hawk House, a former children’s home that closed down due to rumors of abuse and mistreatment. Ellie and her team investigate to determine whether the bones could belong to children that used to live at the home.
What starts out as an investigation of potentially old crimes is brought suddenly into the present when a woman’s body is found. Ellie learns that the victim used to work at the children’s home, and when more bodies turn up, she realizes someone doesn’t want the truth about Hawk House to come out.
This is a heck of a ride, y’all. Rita Herron does an outstanding job of throwing down hints and then spinning the story in a different direction. The dual timeline perspective used to tell the story works wonderfully here.
Lots of twists and turns make for a thrilling read! Character development is excellent, and the story never lags. The tension builds with each new discovery.
And talking about tension – at some point, Ellie is going to have to choose. Ranger Cord McClain or Special Agent Derrick Fox? Decisions, decisions. I think I’m Team Derrick right now. Maybe.
If you love a good thriller, you’ll want to make Ellie Reeves’s acquaintance. I’m glad I did. Five stars from me!
About the author:
USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
