River Bones (A Sacramento Serial Killer on the Loose)

Sara Mason Mysteries, Book 1

By: Mary Deal

Narrated by: Nikki Zakocs

Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

A serial killer is on the loose in Sacramento River Delta.

When Sara Mason returns to her hometown to start a new life, she learns that a murderer is terrorizing its residents. Despite battling difficult childhood memories, Sara is determined to make peace with her past.

But she soon learns that the elusive psychopath is now stalking her. Sara's attempt to rebuild her life is hindered even more by the discovery of skeletal remains on her property. As the investigation focuses on several suspects, Sara discovers critical clues and bravely volunteers to be a decoy for the sheriff's department.

Sara's destiny has brought her back home, but will her decision lead her down a path lined with danger...and straight into the arms of a madman?

©2017 Mary Deal (P)2019 Mary Deal

Enjoyable

This was a joy to listen to! I did feel like the middle of the book was a little slow, but I promise it get's better! The story was well written and kept me engaged. I was expecting some paranormal aspect to it but there wasn't much of it. I enjoyed the narrator, especially Tripp's voice (reminded me a lot of Forrest Gump lol), she was fun to listen to.

I was given this free review copy audiobook on my request and have voluntarily left this review

Very good

I found this audiobook to be a very good listen. It has a great combination of suspense, mystery, drama and danger. The narrator does a wonderful job reading this book.

Killers and bones

Serial killer novels are some of my favorites. This book is one of the best it is well written the descriptions of the floral and fauna are exceptional. A renovated Victorian home, what could be better than that for a serial killer story.. I recommend this novel it is a wonderful story it has it A great ending and it’s full of loving caring people.

Mysterious

Sara, who tragically lost her family decades ago, returns to her hometown to start over. As she is rebuilding her life, she finds dead bodies buried with pets. The murders all appear to be old, but when new murders start occurring, Sara becomes involved in the serial killer investigation, in a more involved way than she imagined. As the serial killer preys on her, she tries to find a way to catch him before she too gets buried.


River Bones was a fantastic story. The content was detailed enough, but not irrelevant, and was well paced with just enough momentum to keep you interested. It was an intriguing story that left no unanswered questions and beautifully completed a well thought out plot. There were elements of mystery, thriller, friendship and romance all of which blended together beautifully.


The narration was good. Nikki has a very pleasant voice that is easy to listen to and follow.


Overall, i recommend this book. It was a great story and to look forward to part 2!


Note: This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this objective review voluntarily.  

Great Story and Narration.

This book is not what I thought it would be and is not the type of book I normally listen to. However, between a good narration and story, I still enjoyed this quite a bit.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

sometimes going back home can be deadly!

Sara grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, but it has always been her dream of owning a mansion. Now that she has the financial means to do so, she returns to her hometown and purchases an old mansion and intends to renovate to its original glory. Once the renovation is on the way, construction workers discover skeletal remains. Could this be connected to the serial killer that is terrorizing the town? Will Sara survive once the killer sets his sights on her?
I enjoyed the story, which was a good mix of suspense, romance, and friendships. The narration was good.
I voluntarily accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Some great characters

Throughout this story, I kept feeling like bits were missing. Things were mentioned without any lead in or background. Even the big reveal at the end was subtle and anticlimactic. Fortunately, the story was completed with no loose ends and no cliffhanger.

Nikki Zakocs gave a pretty good performance. She attempted distinctive character voices, although some were a little too similar to be easily differentiated. But the characters were well developed and compelling, making this a series to follow.

NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Boring waste of time.

This novel reads like the diary of a high school sophomore feminist. The men are depicted grubby, weird, weak and without character. All the women are overachieving superheroes.
The killer is obvious from the first introduction. This all could be forgiven if the story wasn’t so mundane. Ten hours of self congratulatory set up, five minutes of actual excitement as the killer is revealed and the Ahhh! Another hour of boredom to close it out.