Review: The Bones of Paris by Laurie R. King

I first came across Laurie R. King as a teenager when I read her Katie Martinelli books, which became the first series I ever followed. I hadn’t read the Mary Russell series as historical fiction is not really my thing, but when I saw that King had written a new thriller I couldn’t pass up the chance to read and review it.

The Bones of Paris is an historical (1920s) novel following PI Harris Stuyvesant as he searches for missing American Philippa Crosby, a girl with whom he has previously had an ‘encounter’ with. As he follows her movements he comes across something darker than just a missing girl.

As I’ve said, I’m not a fan of historical fiction but King’s descriptions of old Paris drew me it. It was a little strange having so many famous people encountered or namedropped such as Cole Porter and Man Rey, and whilst these people were part of the artistes’ scene of the day in Paris, it did seem a tad overdone and each time drew me slightly out of the flow of the novel. I have to admit that King has tried to blend them in seamlessly with the fictional characters but for me it didn’t quite work.

The plot itself is slow to start but builds well and is full of intrigue and suspense. There is a dark, disturbing side to The Bones of Paris that I don’t remember being in the Kate Martinelli books, but it added to the reading experience; as did the weird and wonderful characters Stuyvesant encounters.

I had not read the previous Stuyvesant novel Touchstone, and at times, particularly in the first few chapters I did feel like I was missing something, but overall it did not impact my enjoyment of the book. I would however recommend reading Touchstone before moving onto The Bones of Paris.

Overall a good solid read that I really enjoyed. The Bones of Paris will delight fans of historical fiction and thrillers alike. You can get it from Amazon.co.uk for £19.99 and from Amazon.com for $15.60. 

Review: Buried by Kendra Elliot

A school bus full of children goes missing on summer’s afternoon and the children disappear without a trace. Two years later a lone survivor, Chris Jacobs, walks out of the woods and into the arms of his parents. He claims to have no memory of where he has been or what happened to the others.

Buried takes place years after the school bus goes missing and follows Jamie Jacobs (Chris Jacob’s estranged sister) and Michael Brody (the brother of one of the still missing children). The bunker where Chris Jacobs was kept captive has been discovered, along with the bodies of all but one of the missing children, Daniel Brody, Michael Brody’s brother. Michael makes it his mission to find out what happened that fatal day, but will he cope with what he finds out…

Buried kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, and was a book I finished in one sitting. The story has a good pace, and unlike some thrillers, I was kept guessing right until the end. There is a big surprise near the end of the book, which was very thought provoking and was something I would never have guessed.

I have not read the previous two stories in the series, but was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't required, and I felt like I didn't miss anything by having not read the rest of the series. It is always a sign of a good writer, when you can read a book either as part of a series or as a true stand alone.

The thing for me that let down Buried was the romantic aspect. I know, I know, it’s a romantic suspense novel so has romance, but I truly felt that the book was very strong without the romance, and that the romance (or random sex scenes) detracted from what was a very good suspense thriller. I fear the mere mention of romance in the genre will put off readers who otherwise would really enjoy this book.

Overall, a very solid read, and readers should not be put off by the romance, jarring though it is. A word of warning: apart from some explicit sex and language, this book deals with some difficult topics, and as such is not one for younger readers. 

Buried is available from Amazon for £3.99.

[A review copy was provided]