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A review by timothyneesam
Bone Rattle by Marc Cameron
4.0
I mostly enjoyed the first Aliss Cutter book because of its Alaskan setting. I then skipped the second book in the series because, as I started it, it could have been set in any US city. I may return to it, but in the meantime, Bone Rattle fully met my expectations and then some.
I mentioned in my review of Open Carry that Alaska is almost an additional character. In Bone Rattle, a portion of the book is set in the wilderness surrounding mine shafts. The descriptions are great and immersed me in the story.
Bone Rattle takes place in Alaska, where a mine is being revived. The title ‘Bone Rattle’ refers not only to an Indigenous artifact, the theft of which forms a plot line, but also to the action, which is nonstop in the book's second half.
Cameron uses several techniques to keep the story moving. The story isn’t always told from Cuter’s point of view, so we see scenes from another person’s point of view. The author also plays with time shifts so that a chapter may begin slightly earlier than the timeline of the previous chapter. It’s a clever device and not overplayed.
Cameron juggles many characters, some of whom are little more than sketches. The book could have settled more on some of them, including the Alaska Senator, his family, and an unfortunate Indigenous archaeologist. Particularly well drawn is journalist Lori Maycomb, who becomes Cutter’s de facto partner. The baddies are evil. Cutter’s family are surprisingly now-you-see-them-now-you-don’t, and a subplot dangles unresolved (next book, perhaps?).
Cameron is doing a great job with this series, and I’m immediately drawn to the next one as one of the plot lines is heading for the next book. I give it two thumbs up.
I mentioned in my review of Open Carry that Alaska is almost an additional character. In Bone Rattle, a portion of the book is set in the wilderness surrounding mine shafts. The descriptions are great and immersed me in the story.
Bone Rattle takes place in Alaska, where a mine is being revived. The title ‘Bone Rattle’ refers not only to an Indigenous artifact, the theft of which forms a plot line, but also to the action, which is nonstop in the book's second half.
Cameron uses several techniques to keep the story moving. The story isn’t always told from Cuter’s point of view, so we see scenes from another person’s point of view. The author also plays with time shifts so that a chapter may begin slightly earlier than the timeline of the previous chapter. It’s a clever device and not overplayed.
Cameron juggles many characters, some of whom are little more than sketches. The book could have settled more on some of them, including the Alaska Senator, his family, and an unfortunate Indigenous archaeologist. Particularly well drawn is journalist Lori Maycomb, who becomes Cutter’s de facto partner. The baddies are evil. Cutter’s family are surprisingly now-you-see-them-now-you-don’t, and a subplot dangles unresolved (next book, perhaps?).
Cameron is doing a great job with this series, and I’m immediately drawn to the next one as one of the plot lines is heading for the next book. I give it two thumbs up.