Reviews

Her Lonely Bones by Wendy Dranfield

jadeanne91's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

ophelia98's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

zooloo1983's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Wendy has done it again, a detective series that made me cry. When I found out the truth about this book I cried.

So much to unpack with this tale, Owen off to college, Madison adjusting to the fallout from the last book, Nate's restlessness and a missing child. There is nothing worse than that…well what about her entire family bludgeoned to death. It’s harrowing.

The case takes so many twists and turns and goes painstakingly slow as we deal in real time and the fact a little girl is missing makes things more upsetting.

His book also sets up the next one perfectly as we know what case we are going to be following.

I have been a huge fan of Wendy’s from the start. She captivates me with her writing, and boy does she go dark. I say it every time but this is her darkest work to date. She knows how to play on your fears and she amplifies them with a slow real-time pace. I’m surprised I have any nails left.

This is most definitely the Madison Harper series but Nate is forgotten, he has his demons and own story to tell but he is always linked to Madison. Never straying too far, but now his cold case is linked to her, just not in the way we thought imaginable.

What a book. 

marosberg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

cah1974's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

nadenetotallyaddictedtoreading's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

bethelizabethuk's review against another edition

mysterious tense

5.0

This is such a fantastic series and although each book can be read as a standalone I recommend reading them in order so that you understand the characters and their growth. Madison and Nate are such great characters and I’m really rooting for them both. I’m not 100% sure how I feel about a certain event in their personal life but I look forward to reading more. As for the murder, I had no idea who the killer was and I wasn’t expecting that twist. The pace does slow in the middle as they work on identifying the family and you can feel the frustration of not much happening. It soon picks up again and the flashbacks start to make way more sense.  


I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

abercrombie1986's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 

A little bit of a romantic chase, a huge case to solve, life changes to contend with, and a dog.  This book had it all.  I thought I had read a book in this series before this one, but I am either getting forgetful or I haven’t.  I liked the back story of Madison and Nate and with them both having been in prison and now they are working to find justice for those wronged.  Her as a detective and him as a PI.  It makes me want to read the previous books in the series to read more on their back story.

But more about this one.  A family brutally murdered that Madison must work to figure out who they are before attempting to solve the case.  And then she discovers there is a missing infant.  That ups the stakes of the case.  The case was complex and layered.  I like the personal and professional lives of the characters.  I love that Madison is both spunky and at times vulnerable.  This one kept me guessing and that is always a plus.  And Brody, a working yet playful dog made me smile as the case was sometimes a little intense.

This worked as a stand alone for me, but I now need to go back and learn about these characters.  If you love crime procedurals, you should give this one a read. 

cj_mo_2222's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

Her Lonely Bones is the sixth book in the Detective Madison Harper series. I've read all five of the prior books. For new readers, basic information is given about the two main characters, Madison and her friend, private investigator Nate Monroe, making the book accessible to new readers. However, I would recommend at least reading the first one or two books in the series first to get more details about the things Madison and Nate have gone through in their lives. While it's not necessary to understand this case, it will help you appreciate how far they've come in their lives since the series began. 

After a gruesome beginning describing the murder of a couple and their twin boys, the pace of the book slows down. Part of the reason for the uneven pacing is the flashbacks to an older case which are relevant but interrupts the momentum of the current case. The story picks up about midway and becomes more suspenseful as Madison tries to solve this brutal killing that may have ties to a cold case that Nate, who is working as an investigator for an attorney, is looking into. The case has a dramatic ending, and fans of the series will especially enjoy the developments in Madison's personal life. 

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Bookouture, but my review is voluntary and unbiased. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Murder

jonannlovesbooktalk's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Her Lonely Bones (Detective Madison Harper Book 6)
By Wendy Dranfield
Pub Date: 5 October 2023
Bookouture
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Rating: 4.25/5

Her Lonely Bones (Detective Madison Harper Book 6) is an intricate and hands-on police procedural. Staying on top of multiple characters requires close attention to details. Madison is a skilled investigator, but she and her team must dig deep into the past to uncover the truth about an increasingly baffling case. It is filled with twists and turns that kept me engaged until the very end.

I read all of Wendy Dranfield's books and find them highly entertaining. Intriguing plots and vivid characters make each story a page-turner, and I look forward to the next installment. The more I read, the more invested I become in their struggles, and I'm always eager to see what adventures they'll have next. This is book 6 in the Madison Harper series, but it can be read on its own. 

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this book with me. I am a huge fan of the Madison Harper series. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrilling mystery with a strong female protagonist.