Bones of the Barbary Coast

A Cree Black Thriller

De: Daniel Hecht

Narrado por: Anna Fields

In this third novel of the Cree Black mystery series, a friend and homicide inspector asks Cree to help investigate a human skeleton recently unearthed in the foundation of a fine Victorian home, apparently the bones of a victim of the 1906 earthquake. The bones have intrigued the forensic anthropology team at UC Berkeley with their peculiar anatomical deformities. They call the skeleton "Wolfman". Who was the Wolfman?

Cree's historical research takes her back to the unholy glory days of the Barbary Coast, old San Francisco's infamous red-light district. Her narrative is illuminated by entries from the 1889 diary of Lydia Schweitzer, a Victorian woman with her own secret interest in the Wolfman. As the mystery unravels, both women must face human nature's darkest aspects with courage and compassion.

Listen to more Cree Black thrillers.©2006 Daniel Hecht and Christine Klaine (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks

Great Story!

So glad I went with my gut and got this book after reading many reviews. I didn't mind that she was communicating with ghost. So much vivid history.

Superb

This my first review and I've been an audiobook-aholic for over 20 years. I thought this was the best of the three Cree Black novels. The characters are complex, fully realized, not just black or white. You never really know if certain characters are "good" or "bad" or just human with the usual assortment of foibles we all have. Even the minor characters have depth. Hecht does a wonderful job exploring an age old philosophical question -- what is the nature of man? I though it was suspenseful and never lagged, not one bit. There was a lot to think about -- I like characters that are introspective. The historical aspects are fascinating and well-researched.

A Great Listen

This long awaited (for me anyway) addition to the Cree Black series was different than I expected. The first two had more of a supernatural theme. This had a historical theme. It was fascinating and kept me hooked throughout! In addition, Anna Fields does a wonderful job narrating. I highly recommend this audio book.

Different pace

While the pace of the book was slower than the other books I have read by Daniel Hecht, I have to say that I really enjoyed "Bones". I thought it packed a greater emotional punch than the other Cree Black mysteries. I loved the how the story went back and forth between present and past and how both Cree and Lydia were so strong and focused on the tasks at hand. I would recommend this book.

Cree Black and not a single ghost?

No ghosts involved - which would be all right ordinarily ;-) but even ignoring that Cree Black is the protagonist, the story didn't get me hooked at all. I finally (3 attempts) managed to get through it, and yes, it's interesting, it just felt very long for the amount of content it actually has. No comparison to the first two - if you love those (like I do), this one is still hit or miss. A clear "miss" for me.