Bone by Bone

By: Carol O'Connell

Narrated by: Benjamin Harris

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

In the northern California town of Coventry, two teenage brothers go into the woods one day, but only one comes back. No one knows what happened to the younger brother, Josh, until 20 years later, when the older brother, Oren, now an ex-investigator for the Army CID, returns to Coventry for the first time in many years. His first morning back, he hears a thump on the front porch. Lying in front of the door is a human jawbone, the teeth still intact. And it is not the first such object, his father tells him. Other remains have been left these as well. Josh is coming home...bone by bone.

Using all of his investigative skills, Oren sets out to solve the mystery of his brother's murder, but Coventry is a town full of secrets and secret-keepers; the housekeeper with the fugitive past, the deputy with an old grudge, the reclusive ex-cop from LA, the woman with the title of town monster and, not least of all, Oren himself.

But the greatest secret of all belonged to his brother, and it is only by unraveling it that Oren can begin to discover the truth that has haunted them all for 20 years.

©2009 Carol O'Connell (P)2009 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

why the rating

i feel like this book is probably a 4 or 5 with most mystery lovers. but i just can't ! normally i like this author's writings. the book has all the things a good mystery needs, good plot, good characters and lots of twists and turns. i had great expectation, i thought for sure it would get at least 4 if not 5 stars. but it just never got there. i kept wanting to skip foreword but didn't as that is not to the writer. but from beginning to end, it just seemed to drag. i think mine will be a minority ratting so you may want to read other reviews or just read it for yourself to see what you think.

not awful

Previous reviewers get it right; the narrarator could have been better and the story line is a stretch. I was doing garden work while listening; perhaps that's why the narration didn't bother me as much as it did others. This is also my first O'Connell book.

Couldn't stop listening

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! I really enjoyed the story and the performance and was sad that it didn't last longer.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, the mystery is very compelling and right up to the end you're not sure who the guilty party or parties might be.

Which scene was your favorite?

Describing it would ruin the surprise.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I hate this question....

Any additional comments?

I found this book to be compelling and full of characters that I cared about. I was genuinely disappointed to find that this is a one off and not part of a series.

The best book I have "read"

I have listened to dozens and dozens of Audible.com books and this is the best one yet. The narrator is incredible. Every character is distinct and clear and the story is compelling and beautifully written/read. The book kept me enthralled and I never once felt like it was predictable. The book was so touching and I am not that much of softie but this one made me feel like a townie.

Excellent listen!

I rarely submit reviews, and recently realized how much I depended on them to make my own choices. So....I think this book is Carol O'Connell's best, and the narration completely lives up to that. Listen and enjoy!

good not great

disappointed in the ending.......it kept my attention but, as i said didn't care for the ending

I enjoyed this

I have to say that the reviews here all have valid points but I still very much enjoyed the book. I think the suspension of belief is a key element to enjoying it because there are definitely some scenes that are a little hard to swallow. The pace of the book is slow, but not in a bad way. There are many metaphors in the book that support the slowness; the fact that no one drives over 15 miles per hour in Coventry, how the bones appeared one by one over a period of months, how the judge kept the house exactly the same as the day Josh disappeared. Coventry has no cell towers and gets no cell reception. It's like Coventry is suspended in a time when life did not move as quickly as it does now and I did not think it was a bad thing.

I think O'Connell did a masterful job of weaving this complex story together and wrapped it up well at the end. Oren and Isabel's relationship is implausible, but it was a powerful story line even though they only exchanged about ten words. It takes some talent to write a story where the two main characters never speak but still have such a complex relationship.

I agree that the narrator had some issues. I especially disagreed with his portrayal of the CBI agent Sally. She sounded creepy and mildly insane but we are supposed to like her in the end! It did not happen for me.

I think it was definitely worth the money and I recommend it. Happy "reading"!

Bone by Bone

This is a delightful book with the best combination of mystery, humor, pathos, great characters and well written prose. I've actually listened to it twice, and enjoyed it even more the second time around. Carol O'Connell is now on my favorite authors list.

good but a little hard to follow

It was a nice change from the usual detective novel but I found it a little hard to follow. The secondary stories were weak and the final revelation was a little disappointing. It's a good read but not in my top 10

Good book

Once I got going into this book, it was enjoyable. It wasn't terrific but I was glad to read it. The ending was unexpected which was nice. I would recommend it with the understanding it isn't a thriller but it did keep you wondering how everything was going to turn out. Mr Harris did a good job articulating the various characters so you knew who and what with no problems.