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jcastell's review
5.0
Great book, really enjoyed this and got into the characters. Ready for the next two in the series now.
velsbooknook's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
4.0
It took me a little while longer to get into the story, but overall it was another solid read for me. It's the second book with Ray Mason, but it's no big deal if you haven't read 'The Witness' beforehand. It's also the first book of the 'The Bone Field' series, so keep in mind that there will be added more to the story. The book was tense and thrilling just how I like it. Ray and Tina are a great team in my opinion and I can't wait to read more! Also the end was a sweet cliff hanger so I had to get the 'The Hanged Man' asap!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Suicide, Animal cruelty, and Trafficking
natashaw's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book by Simon Kernick - Im hoping that the fact it is labelled 'The Bone Field Series' means that this is the first of many!
The story revolves around Kitty who vanishes on a holiday in Thailand in the 90s... so how do her bones end up in a field in England in 2016?
The story is told from the viewpoint of several characters - mostly DI Ray Mason who is brought into the case by Kittys boyfriend who hints the case is deeper that it seems, but also a key witness to the case, an ex-cop turned PI for who the case quickly becomes personal and Ramon who is part of an underworld which has links to Kittys dissapearance.
This has a quick moving plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. Kernick winds all the threads of each story together effectively so that what first seems unrelated comes together without being obvious.
HOWEVER the reason why the book has lost a star is that the pace of the plot is great and then suddenly within a few pages at the end everything feels rushed as if Kernick has a page limit and has realised that he has run out of space and then crams the last bits in!
This weird ending is almost redeemed by the last line of the book.... bring on book 2 in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review :-)
The story revolves around Kitty who vanishes on a holiday in Thailand in the 90s... so how do her bones end up in a field in England in 2016?
The story is told from the viewpoint of several characters - mostly DI Ray Mason who is brought into the case by Kittys boyfriend who hints the case is deeper that it seems, but also a key witness to the case, an ex-cop turned PI for who the case quickly becomes personal and Ramon who is part of an underworld which has links to Kittys dissapearance.
This has a quick moving plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. Kernick winds all the threads of each story together effectively so that what first seems unrelated comes together without being obvious.
HOWEVER the reason why the book has lost a star is that the pace of the plot is great and then suddenly within a few pages at the end everything feels rushed as if Kernick has a page limit and has realised that he has run out of space and then crams the last bits in!
This weird ending is almost redeemed by the last line of the book.... bring on book 2 in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review :-)
flogigyahoo's review against another edition
1.0
The first book I have read by Simon Mernick and the last. It actually starts out good: a guy and his girlfriend travel to Thailand. They have a fight and the girl leaves and is never seen again. Her disappearance is big news in England. But 20 years go by and this mystery is not solved until her skeleton is found together with another young woman's back in England. DI Ray Mason a celebrated detective, is put on the case. But then things start to happen Jack Reacher style although not as well written. A group of killers are involved bearing an occult tattoo. Organized crime is involved. Mason hooks up with a private detective named Tina. They soon end up in bed together, of course, in one of the most childish and silliest love scenes I've ever read. Not recommended.
ericwelch's review against another edition
3.0
I remember reading a different Simon Kernick several years ago and noted I would read more of his writing. For whatever reason I got distracted with other books (happens a lot) and never did. Until now.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It's well written, has interesting characters, but leaves you completely hanging at the end. It's clearly the first in a series that intends to drag you to the store (Kindle or otherwise) to buy the following volumes. I don't like that. If you enjoy driving up to the edge of a precipice wondering whether to hit the gas or brake, be my guest.
Some other reviewers have remarked that the first half is better than the second. I concur. It should probably be called the Killing Field rather than Bone Field and it becomes the antithesis of subtlety. Whatever happened to the banality of evil, why must the bad guys be the embodiment of Satan. It's the ordinariness of evil that's really scary. This just becomes a bit unbelievable.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It's well written, has interesting characters, but leaves you completely hanging at the end. It's clearly the first in a series that intends to drag you to the store (Kindle or otherwise) to buy the following volumes. I don't like that. If you enjoy driving up to the edge of a precipice wondering whether to hit the gas or brake, be my guest.
Some other reviewers have remarked that the first half is better than the second. I concur. It should probably be called the Killing Field rather than Bone Field and it becomes the antithesis of subtlety. Whatever happened to the banality of evil, why must the bad guys be the embodiment of Satan. It's the ordinariness of evil that's really scary. This just becomes a bit unbelievable.
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Simon Kernick, and Random House UK for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Bringing his Ray Mason character back for a new round of police adventures, Simon Kernick has a recipe for success with the plot of this novel. During a holiday in 1990, a young woman's body goes missing in Thailand, never to be found. With nothing on which to go, life continues for everyone, including the seemingly distraught Henry Forbes, boyfriend to the victim. Twenty-six years later, Forbes has information about his missing girlfriend and reaches out to DI Ray Mason, citing that the body is in England and the killer is part of a large group that have many sinister plans. While Mason and Forbes are meeting on the sly, a group attacks the house and leaves Forbes dead, with Mason only just able to escape. His superiors are furious but also baffled when they discover the body, as well as that from another cold-case from around the same time. DI Mason is put in touch with a private investigator, Tina Boyd, who was also contacted by Forbes, and they begin piecing together what might have happened and who could be behind the murder decades ago, as well as the recent attack and murder of Forbes. Mason remembers an occult symbol on Forbes' arm and seeks to determine if it is a solid clue. Just as the authorities are honing in on a viable suspect, Mason makes an error that has fatal consequences, which has him suspended. Refusing to give up, Mason works with PI Boyd to trace the events of Thailand and before to determine who might be trying to exact revenge all these years later. What they discover shakes them to the core and leaves the door open for scores of other potential victims. Kernick offers readers a powerful and well-paced story that could flourish into an intriguing series, should the author desire.
This is my first time reading anything by Simon Kernick and I found it highly entertaining. While I might usually read a series in order (meaning I might have secured and read the first Ray Mason novel to get sufficient context), I did not feel lost or out of place by entering at this stage. Kernick develops a few key characters in an effective manner, particularly his protagonist. Mason is a complex police officer, whose past on the Force has been anything but smooth sailing. Added to that, his traumatic childhood, which helps coax out certain dramatic portion of the narrative, as well as allowing the reader to forge an instant connection. The premise of the story is interesting as well, though it was not as 'captivating' as some of the dust jacket narratives might have led me to hope. Murders, especially cold cases, can have a wonderfully complex nature, leaving the detective to pull at any strings and chase many paths, some of which lead nowhere. While I was not up late into the night, wondering what could be waiting in the next chapter, Kernick has developed a strong foundation, should Mason and PI Boyd return for another instalment. I will keep an eye out for it, in hopes that the impact is as effective.
Kudos, Mr. Kernick for this entertaining piece of writing. I see you have a lot of other books in your collection, which might be something for me to explore later on this year.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Bringing his Ray Mason character back for a new round of police adventures, Simon Kernick has a recipe for success with the plot of this novel. During a holiday in 1990, a young woman's body goes missing in Thailand, never to be found. With nothing on which to go, life continues for everyone, including the seemingly distraught Henry Forbes, boyfriend to the victim. Twenty-six years later, Forbes has information about his missing girlfriend and reaches out to DI Ray Mason, citing that the body is in England and the killer is part of a large group that have many sinister plans. While Mason and Forbes are meeting on the sly, a group attacks the house and leaves Forbes dead, with Mason only just able to escape. His superiors are furious but also baffled when they discover the body, as well as that from another cold-case from around the same time. DI Mason is put in touch with a private investigator, Tina Boyd, who was also contacted by Forbes, and they begin piecing together what might have happened and who could be behind the murder decades ago, as well as the recent attack and murder of Forbes. Mason remembers an occult symbol on Forbes' arm and seeks to determine if it is a solid clue. Just as the authorities are honing in on a viable suspect, Mason makes an error that has fatal consequences, which has him suspended. Refusing to give up, Mason works with PI Boyd to trace the events of Thailand and before to determine who might be trying to exact revenge all these years later. What they discover shakes them to the core and leaves the door open for scores of other potential victims. Kernick offers readers a powerful and well-paced story that could flourish into an intriguing series, should the author desire.
This is my first time reading anything by Simon Kernick and I found it highly entertaining. While I might usually read a series in order (meaning I might have secured and read the first Ray Mason novel to get sufficient context), I did not feel lost or out of place by entering at this stage. Kernick develops a few key characters in an effective manner, particularly his protagonist. Mason is a complex police officer, whose past on the Force has been anything but smooth sailing. Added to that, his traumatic childhood, which helps coax out certain dramatic portion of the narrative, as well as allowing the reader to forge an instant connection. The premise of the story is interesting as well, though it was not as 'captivating' as some of the dust jacket narratives might have led me to hope. Murders, especially cold cases, can have a wonderfully complex nature, leaving the detective to pull at any strings and chase many paths, some of which lead nowhere. While I was not up late into the night, wondering what could be waiting in the next chapter, Kernick has developed a strong foundation, should Mason and PI Boyd return for another instalment. I will keep an eye out for it, in hopes that the impact is as effective.
Kudos, Mr. Kernick for this entertaining piece of writing. I see you have a lot of other books in your collection, which might be something for me to explore later on this year.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
kaz_loves_books's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, looking forward to the next instalment. Fast paced page turner, intriguing mystery how could the bones of a woman turn up 20 odd years after she left the country? Just brilliant!
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