At the beginning of A Thousand Bones, Miami homicide detective
Joe Frye is going to face the man she loves and confront
the demons of her past. She has a story to tell, something
she’s never told anyone.
The reader is taken thirteen years back in time, to 1975,
to the birth of Joe’s career. Recruited from a criminology
class, Joe graduates from the police academy and takes a
job with the Leelanau County sheriff’s department
in Michigan. And nothing could have prepared her for the
case she finds herself working on.
It’s fall. Winter is fast approaching. And a few human
bones have been found in the woods. Not enough to make an
ID, at this point. A few other items, including a charm
bracelet, have been recovered as well. The sheriff’s
department has never had to deal with an investigation like
this.
The level of tension rises through the story as the details
unfold. Joe thought she’d faced sexual discrimination
in the police academy, but on the job must fight to be included
actively in the investigation. Others take credit for her
accomplishments and the sheriff lets the men push her around.
The tension within the department is realistic, and adds
to the intrigue of the case. Soon, more bones are recovered.
Joe’s hunches prove correct, and it isn’t long
before they realize they have multiple victims.
There are a few things I wondered about as I read, but I
don’t want to elaborate. Doing so would move into
potential spoiler territory, and what they were isn’t
important. The only thing to note is that everything in
this book was resolved to my satisfaction. This is a wonderful
start to a new series from PJ Parrish. A riveting page-turner,
I was kept up half the night reading because I just had
to know what happened next. Of course, the worst thing about
finishing a wonderful book is that you know you have to
wait a year for the follow-up, but if A Thousand Bones is
any indication of what PJ Parrish can do with this character
it will be well worth the wait.
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER
Sandra Ruttan’s debut suspense novel, Suspicious Circumstances,
was released in January, 2007. For more information about Sandra visit
her website
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2007 SPINETINGLER Magazine - All rights reserved
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