Search This Blog

Friday, February 16, 2018

A Whisper of Bones by Ellen Hart

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.

14 comments:

  1. I guess I've known about this series, but I'm honestly not sure. It sounds good. Might try this one, even without going back and reading the previous 20-odd. LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was the first time I'd even heard of the series when I saw the book offered on NetGalley!

      Delete
  2. I'm impressed that this author has managed to write 25 books in the same series about the same characters. I would have run out of new ideas long before book #25! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :) I am always amazed at the way authors generate such long-standing series!

      Delete
  3. I've been hearing a lot about this one and I really like the set up for the story. But wow, #25 in a series!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I looked this up and the first in the series released in 1989! Wow, a large backlist for someone to tackle. Or they can jump in like you did, but it must have been pretty confusing, not knowing the backstory of the characters. Still maybe sometime I'd jump in towards the end, if my library has one of the books. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really wasn't confusing; the characters involved with the actual mystery get the majority of the playtime. Having the main character in the series play a lesser role than the characters introduced in each new mystery may keep them from getting as well-worn as they might if they were always the star attraction.

      Delete
  5. I've not heard of this series. Sounds like I've a lot of catching up to do should I start with the first book. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whew, I don't think I could begin at the beginning of this one. Too many books, and I didn't like it well enough to go back and pick the 24 previous ones!

      Delete
  6. I am interested in reading this one, but admit to worrying if it would hold up on its own. It sounds like that was not a problem though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It wasn't a problem because the emphasis was on the current mystery. :)

      Delete
  7. This does sound good -- and I like the hint of family secrets here. I think i need to look this series up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was and interesting look at an example of "murder will out" as Shakespeare put it. :)

      Delete