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.

Enjoyed the characters.

I love authors who can write characters that you can see and feel like you know. I felt like I met these people. Also didn't figure out the murderer, I love that. A surprise at the end is always a great gift.
The narrator is a bit slow but i think it's just his voice. I didn't dislike him, it was just different.

Disappointing

Sounded great but was very slow and boring. It took me forever to finish. I don't know if it was the story or the narrator but a wasted credit.

Okay story, lousy reader

This story kept my interest, although I wouldn't say it was good. At times it bordered on ridiculous, but it was mostly enjoyable. The reader was the big problem. His voices were awful - either overly pompous, overly dramatic or they just sound plain crazy. He is particularly bad at reading women. Evelyn sounded like a drag queen and Sally like a creepy midwestern lunatic. Probably better to read this one in hard copy.

Bone by Bone

I could not wait for this to end. I story seemed to drag on and on and on. I listen to a lot of books. This one just didn't click for me.

Poor Story, Poor Narrator

For her next audiobook, I think the author could choose a better narrator. This one was a cross between Mr. Howell on Gilligan's Island, Barny Fyffe on the Andy Griffith Show, and the church lady from SNL. Not only that, but the plot is dumb. The main character was supposed to be an ex-CID man from the Army, but he sounded not only by the narrator, but by the author, to be in high school. There was no credibility. I will probably not waste my money on another book by this author.

Zzzzzzz

Don't know if it's the book or the narrator, or both, but what a bore. I have long been a mystery fan and have read hundreds over the years. This one just doesn't get it. The reader is a drone. The writing is hackneyed. The suspense is non-existant. Don't bother.

Bone by Bone

The most positive thing I can say about this book is that it cost $4.95 in the 'Win-Win Sale.'

I did not enjoy this book, but that seemed appropriate because the reader did not seem to be enjoying it either. Go back and read that sentence in a monotone and then again as Gonzo the Great, and you'll get a pretty good idea of what this book sounded like.

The book itself was repetitive and moved at a snail's pace. The characters were not fleshed out well and did not behave like real people with personalities that guided their behavior. None of them were likeable - not even the victims. Although the initial concept for the book is a promising one, the book does not live up to that promise.

I would not recommend this audiobook.

Just awful

I can barely bring myself to listen to this. Poorly written, badly plotted, and just generally terrible. Don't waste your money!

1 Note Story

This story stayed on one note - never changed. I was waiting for the suspense or anything that changed the slow pace of this story. There were so many characters that in the early parts of the book I was confused by who was who. I liked the narrator, he was good at making different types of voices that were interesting. I figured out the ending really early on. All in all I found this story boring, but gave me something to listen to on my commute.

Zero stars more appropriate

The plot line is sloppy with frequent inconsistencies. Many disappointing contrivances make the story unrealistic and unreadable. I'm not usually one to leave a book unfinished but I feared my frequent eye rolling was making driving unsafe. Spare yourself and pass on this one.