Bones Will Speak

 

Title:  The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Parks
Media Source: Nook
Rating: 5 out of 5 paws

Recommendation:  Simply read this book.  Any murder mystery enthusiast would devour this novel.  Even if you haven't read a mystery yet, make this your first.

The Bones Will Speak is a murder mystery where a serial killer who uses religion as an excuse  for his killings.  He stalks a forensic artist to seek revenge calling her a traitor, but a traitor to what?

When Gwen's dog unearths a human cranium she embarks on a journey she never expected.  While searching for the rest of the remains, Gwen discovers the unconscious body of a missing girl.  This discovery leads to a whirlwind tale of a serial killer targeting Gwen and her family because of a previous case she worked on.  IT is discovered that he is a member of a supremacy group that uses the Old Testament to justify their beliefs.  The serial killer takes it farther and uses the same doctrine to justify his killing spree.

Wow, is all I can say about this book.  It has been a little while since a book has blown me away.  I devoured the book so quickly that I finished it in one night.  It captivated me throughout the entire story.  There is not a thing I didn't like about this novel.  Readers are thrown into the story from the beginning and are thrown into a roller coaster of a tale.  Throughout the book we see characters becoming more complex, Gwen goes through changes as she learns to forgive her ex-husband, those around her who constantly ask "how are you feeling", even her ex husband's new fiancé.  She becomes a stronger woman because of her struggles related to the serial killer and those in her personal life outside of the story.  I loved that Carrie Parks added that element to the story.  The readers get to see Gwen in different roles other than being the victim of a crime.

The way she reveals information is wonderful as well.  Some is revealed through other characters doing research, character dialogue, or character experience.  She mixes up the ways she uses to expose information such as the church groups or the killings in another city.  This keeps the story interesting and fresh.  As you are reading this book, you think you have it figured out but then Carrie throws in a plot twist and changes the whole thing. Bones Will Speak keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

I also enjoyed the Christian elements of Beth talking to Gwen about forgiveness, Aynslee praying with Maddie, and the scripture references, even the ones the serial killer was using.  It was interesting to see in a fictional novel someone taking the Old Testament and twisting it to suit their needs.  It was almost scary to think there are really people who believe the same things the serial killer and other organizations that Carrie mentions did.

Carrie Parks does an excellent job with this novel, I cannot wait to read more from her.  She has the same effect on me as Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti.  Well done Carrie, well done.

**Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program.  **