Ryan DeMarco returns following Two Days Gone landing on my Top Books of 2017 with a gripping follow-up from the acclaimed author, Randall Silvis — WALKING THE BONES.

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The continuation of Ryan DeMarco leads Marco and his partner to an unsolved murder case of seven African American girls who went missing from 1998 and 2004. A story of things buried―memories, regrets, secrets, and bodies.

Dark hidden secrets are unraveled and exposed in this gripping psychological suspense crime mystery thriller (procedural) with a strong literary twist. The shocking conclusion will leave you gasping, with thoughts of Vladimir Nabokov’s classic Lolita.

“The past is never past, she thought. Every second of their pasts lay gathered inside them. Every incident of their pasts had constructed their present, every cell interlocking, layer upon layer. The past is omnipresent."

Picking up from Two Days Gone, Sergeant (49 yrs. old) Ryan DeMarco of the Pennsylvania State Police is still suffering from the loss of his best friend, Thomas Hutson, his son, Ryan Jr. and the demise of his marriage. Guilt-ridden, he continues to wrestle with his demons spending time at the cemetery.

They were all gone. Only Jayme remained. He hopes he will not ruin her life.

Currently, he is dating Jayme Matson (fellow Trooper), and she is quite concerned about his well-being. She has convinced Ryan to take a medical leave of absence for three months rather than retire. She decides to join him. They rent an RV and hit the road to visit her sick grandmother in Kentucky, her hometown.

However, when they arrive, they become involved in a murder mystery. Seven young females reduced to bone. Seven skeletons found in a four by fourteen by ten-foot space between the walls of a local church.

Each of the girls — are between fifteen to nineteen years of age. All light-skinned African American girls. Not a single Caucasian. Each cocooned in a clear plastic sheeting and sealed with silver duct tape. Each meticulously, obsessively cleaned and stripped.

One per year from 1998 to 2004. A fetish for girls of color, or a hatred of them? Cause of death?

"Sometimes the bones talk, and sometimes they hoard their secrets."

Who was the killer? It had to be someone who knew about the false wall in the church and how to access it. A regular visitor, the pastor, or someone well-known in the community? Later the church was torched.

Flashing back and forth from Ryan’s childhood to the present –we learn more about his earlier childhood. The one which still haunts him.

Between Ryan’s internal struggle, his grief and guilt, emotions, insecurities, disturbing dreams, regrets, his troubled ex-wife Laraine, and his current relationship with Jayne – he has his hands full. The tensions and drama run high. Will he screw up his second chance at happiness?

“Unless you have chaos inside, you cannot give birth to a dancing star.”—Freidrich Nietzche

Neither Ryan nor Jayne knows where their relationship may be going, but they are along for the rocky ride. (Mixed with a few family members and locals). Plus we learn about both their pasts.

In the midst of their personal affairs, they are drawn into this old mystery.

From a senior amateur group of six concerned citizens (Da Vinci Cave Irregulars). Determined to solve this case and help in any way they can —to a registered pedophile, minister, Mennonite, a groundskeeper, a foreman, a tarot-car-reading librarian, a retired coroner, a reclusive chiropractor millionaire, among others.

They have folders for the players: Suspects: Chad McGintey (statutory rape), Lucas McGintey (drug possession), Aaron Henry (teacher), Virgil Helm (caretaker), Eli Royce (pastor & narcissist), and the victims.

Each of the victims had circumstances and were reported missing in the Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri. The all were between five feet and five four. Petite. The cause, date, time, and place of death were undetermined. Runaways. Had their families given up on them long before their bones ended up in Aberdeen?

In addition to Ryan’s haunted past, afraid he was becoming his father—now the seven girls are starting to haunt him as well. Will the cemetery, a bear cage, or being trapped in the woods give him the answers they are desperately seeking?

"History never really says good-bye. History says, see you later.” — Eduardo Galeano

With rich, evocative language, a twisty plot, and well-developed characters, Silvis once again delivers an extraordinary piece of art. Not only is WALKING THE BONES a phenomenal suspense crime mystery, but it also possesses an intense character study. I loved Two Days Gone; however, the followup further delves into the heart and soul of DeMarco and his tormented childhood as well as adulthood.

Both parts of the story (Ryan’s) and the (murder mystery) are equally as gripping. The secret behind the girl’s death was unpredictable and a clever twist. Silvis lyrical prose is spellbinding. Beautifully written, and profoundly moving, an emotional and haunting meditation of acceptance, love, trust, and survival. (an intriguing character).

I enjoyed Jayme’s personality — a strong sassy and witty female counterpart to Ryan’s complicated, moody, emotional, deep, and grief-stricken side, at times. A delicate balance of humor. Enjoying Silvis’ writing and look forward to reading his backlist.

Highly Recommend both Two Days Gone and WALKING THE BONES. For fans of intelligent well-plotted literary mystery suspense thrillers. Looking forward to seeing what is coming next!

Also recommend Only the Rain. (2018)

A special thank you to Sourcebooks and #NetGalley for an early reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

Well done procedural with a more expansive story about the protagonist- DeMarco- than most. DeMarco and his lover Jamye Matson are on a road trip meant to heal his wounds after the death of his friend and his shooting of the murderer. Both DeMarco ad Matson are expert investigators and, when called upon by a trio in Jayme's hometown to look into the deaths of seven young girls over seven years, well they find themselves back in the saddle. The investigation goes slowly, in part because they aren't locals, but as you might expect, they find there are lots of secrets and lies. No spoilers here but it's a well written and carefully plotted novel. I had not read the first book but that wasn't a problem as Silvis gives you the back story. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

3.5 Stars rounded to 4 stars.

Last year i came by chance upon Two Days Gone, the first book of the Ryan DeMarco series and it was an agreeable surprise for me. So i was looking forward to reading this new book

Once again we meet Sergeant Ryan DeMarco, more depressed and broken than ever after the last case that took his friend's life, his only glimmer of hope is with Jayme. So they embark together in a road trip that leads them to Jayme's hometown. There, he was requested to take a look at a cold case.

7 well preserved skeletons of young girls, were found in the wall of the main church of the town. The only thing they knew were the identities of the 7 girls. No crime scene, No murder weapon, No cause of death and No connections between the girls. All the usual suspects were interviewed at the time with no result.
So DeMarco and Jayme decide to take a fresh look at the case.

The mystery of the skeletons was an intriguing factor. The interesting part was that the story seemed to be mainly a journey inside the head of DeMarco. As he was looking for clues, we kept getting more insight into his past. Chapters about his childhood were put now and then.
The actual case he was working on seemed more like a background story for his own.
This was interesting but also a bit tiring sometimes.
Which leads me to what i did not like about the book. The crime was intriguing, but it was practically solved in a couple of chapters. I mean i liked reading all that thinking behind it, but i felt it deserved more elaboration and a bit less dwelling on DeMarco, i mostly sympathized with him, but sometimes i almost skipped the parts were he was thinking alone about everything that went wrong in his life, and that happened a lot in the book, it felt repetitive a lot.

In general, i liked the organization of the book. Quick, short chapters that held my attentions. The
addition of chapters of both his past and Jayme's was also interesting.
And the characters were fascinating, especially the mysterious group we get to meet at the beginning.

"Seven young females reduced to bone," Hoyle said. His eyes remained fixed on DeMarco's. "Seven skeletons in a four by fourteen by ten-foot space between walls. Each one cocooned in clear plastic sheeting. The kind painters use to cover a floor. Each cocoon sealed with silver duct tape."....

Sergeant Ryan DeMarco is back for the second book of this mystery series. We first met Ryan in “Two Days Gone,” a previous book I reviewed. I enjoyed that one, and looked forward to the next installment. It didn’t disappoint!

After events in the first book, Ryan is just trying to take some down time. With his new girlfriend, Jayme, Ryan finds himself drawn into another investigation. While visiting Jayme’s hometown he is made aware of an unsolved crime. Seven young girls gone, and nothing but their bones left behind.

Very descriptive, draws you in from the very first page. Well defined characters and a chilling story line make for a great suspense, mystery thriller.

Small town life, where everyone knows something about someone. Could it help Ryan solve these crimes? Even if he is a reluctant part of this, some things you just can’t walk away from.

While this book is a stand alone, I think it always helps to read the series. It’s interesting to see character development. You never know if a character in the first book is who you think they are. I like to see the life changes, and the roads they take.

Ryan has been through some tragedy and heartbreak. Is Jayme his saving grace? Will his down time bring him back to the state police department or take him permanently away?

Will Ryan and Jayme find justice for these young girls?


Thank you Randall Silvis, Netgalley, and Sourcebooks Landmark

Thanks SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and netgalley for this ARC.

Randall Silvis know how to tread the line between suspense and holding back the plot. Loved the relationship between DeMarco and Jayme- real, compassionate, and full of unconditional love. This mystery reads like a t.v. drama unfolding before your eyes.

The Ryan DeMarco Mystery series by Randall Silvis sets a new standard for noir mystery, a standard not soon to be scaled by any other author any time soon. WALKING THE BONES, the second book of the series, is a story both fragile and gritty with main character Sergeant Ryan DeMarco grappling to understand the meaning of life.

More of a character study than a mystery.

This is a slow burn character study of Detective Ryan DeMarco--roughly 30% is about a case, the remaining 70% is about DeMarco struggling to find his footing after the death of his former friend,Thomas Huston.

Having read the first book in the series, Two Days Gone, which was extremely dark and slow moving (I described the first book as gray and colorless), I was expecting something similar in Walking the Bones. However while the pacing is similar, there’s finally some light in Ryan DeMarco’s life.

Feeling like he isn’t making an impact as a detective, DeMarco decides to take early retirement. His girlfriend, Jayme, talks him into buying an RV and traveling around the U.S. Their journey is interrupted by the death of Jayme’s grandmother, which takes them off course into Kentucky. While there, they are approached by a group of three senior citizens , who are independently investigating a serial killer who murdered 7 young African American girls. The group lures DeMarco and Jayme into helping them discover who committed these heinous crimes.

Not only is DeMarco reeling from Huston’s death, he also is also battling demons of his past, as he shoulders the responsibility for the death of his young son and failed marriage. Also mixed in are snippets from his childhood, which help to explain a lot about his character. Jayme is the only thing keeping him afloat, but he’s struggling to fully open up and share his feelings with her, putting their relationship at risk. As he and Jayme dig deeper into the case of the seven dead girls, it threatens to tear their relationship apart.

The book starts off slowly, but the pacing does pick up. I found the mystery interesting, and I had no clue who the serial killer was. However I have a feeling this won’t work for everyone, since it’s more character driven than plot driven. I really like DeMarco’s character, and his relationship with Jayme, which was enough to keep me invested. I hope there is a third book in which we learn more about Jayme--the little bits about her past that were revealed were quite intriguing.!

Warning--there's a disturbing scene involving a puppy=(

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Randall Silvis, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to read an early copy.

When long-buried secrets come back to the surface...

The bones of seven young girls, picked clean and carefully preserved, discovered years ago... that's all Sergeant Ryan DeMarco knows about the unsolved crime he has unwittingly been roped into investigating during what is supposed to be a healing road trip with his new love, Jayme.

DeMarco is still reeling from the case that led to death of his best friend months ago and wants nothing more than to lay low. Unfortunately, the small southern town of Jayme's idyllic youth is not exactly a place that lets strangers go unnoticed--especially strangers who have a history of solving violent crimes. And if there's anything DeMarco knows, it's that a killer always leaves clues behind, just waiting for the right person to come along and put all the pieces together...

Walking the Bones is a story about things buried--memories, regrets, secrets, and bodies. Acclaimed author Randall Silvis delivers another heart-stopping investigation as DeMarco finds himself once again drawn into a case that will demand more of himself than he may be willing to give.

I was immediately hooked when I saw this gorgeously eerie cover, and Silvis did not disappoint. The setting and characters are just creepy as the cover, and the twists, turns kept me clutching the book until the very end. I thought the character development was really well done. This mystery was a slow burn, but overall, very well done. A must read!

I was excited to have the opportunity to obtain an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from Net Galley.

The second installment in the Ryan DeMarco mystery series provides a vision quest through the protagonist’s psyche. DeMarco is mentally deconstructed and reassembled as he deals with his best friend’s death, childhood scars, ghosts of the past, and promises of the future, while solving a murder mystery.

The story shifts between past and present as DeMarco quits his job and takes an extended road trip with his lady love Jayme. A relative’s death brings a detour to Kentucky and the introduction to a cold case involving the discovery of the bones of seven young women, who went missing between 1998 and 2004. DeMarco feels a special connection to the dead women, who were castoffs from society, beaten down and broken-hearted. He longs to obtain justice for the poor souls, whose sad lives were terminated too soon. He works the list of suspects in search of clues the other investigators missed.

Brilliant writing, solid characterization, and a fascinating whodunit engage the reader. While the focus of the book is on DeMarco and Jayme, Silvis creates a unique and fascinating cast of secondary characters. By the end of the book, one can’t help but wonder what the third book in the series will bring for DeMarco.

Walking the Bones is a tour de force follow up to the fantastic series starter, Two Days Gone. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment.

Really enjoyed this story! Well written! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

Ryan DeMarco is a troubled character that because of his abusive father and the loss of his son struggles with "Love" relationships and his own violent tendencies. I had not read Mystery #1 but did not feel too lost. Lengthy read that took about 25% into the book before any real action and connection was evident between happenings. That being said the remainder of the novel was full of investigative information in solving a cold case of the murder of seven young women entombed in the wall of a church. Ryan's girlfriend Jayme like Ryan is employed with the police dept in Pennsylvania. When Ryan seeks to retire at an early age Jayme also takes a lengthy vacation with him and their travels lead them to Kentucky and the site of this serial killing. Character reveals about Jayme are touched on and will probably be more completely included in a future installment. Not so much a cliff hanger which I so hate; but a knowing that not all has been revealed with Ryan and Jayme. "A copy of this book was provided by SOURCEBOOKS Landmark via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

This book is not what I expected it to be. It is more about DeMarco's troubles and life than the murder of the seven young girls. The short chapters make it a quick read.

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent storyline and great main characters. I would recommend this book.

Demarco is a troubled cop who is on leave from his job after the death of his son. When he and his girlfriend Jayme, who is also a cop, go to her grandmother's funeral they are asked to help solve a case.
The murders aren't the main focus of this book. The story is more about what makes Ryan Demarco tick. Still an interesting read

4 stars

A trio of septuagenarian crime fighters, two men and a woman are on the watch for pedophiles and other n’er-do wells. They are outfitted with the latest gear and disguises and provide the reader with some chuckles at their very serious antics. They live in Evansville, Illinois.

Sergeant Ryan DeMarco is retiring from the Pennsylvania State Police. He is still suffering from the death of his friend Thomas Huston nearly a year earlier. He shot the man who killed his friend. DeMarco’s son is also dead, although from another incident.

Trooper Jayme Matson, Ryan’s girlfriend, convinces him to take a leave of absence instead. She will also take leave and they will travel. Ryan is uncertain as they go to buy an RV, but Jayme convinces him. They’re on the road enjoying themselves when Jayme gets a phone call that her grandmother has passed away. They travel to Aberdeen, Kentucky.

While in Aberdeen, the three septuagenarians conspire to lure Ryan into looking into the murder of seven young girls who were walled up behind a wall in an old church. One per year for seven years. They capture Ryan’s interest. In other words, they rope him into investigating the case.

Jayme and DeMarco’s investigation moves glacially slowly. They interview many, many people and discard suspects one by one. The killer is vicious and somewhat of a surprise. What led to the killings is a bigger surprise.

DeMarco and Jayme learn a lot on their journey. Not just about criminals and killers, but also about themselves. About forgiveness, loss, friendship and love. DeMarco learns much about himself and to throw off his past.

This book is well written and plotted. It starts out a little slowly, but once the basic introductions are made, the pace and suspense pick up. I like both Jayme and DeMarco. I thought that DeMarco was as closed off and mysterious as the brief synopsis led the reader to believe. I thought he was self-effacing and humorous. I like the gentle teasing that DeMarco and Jayme trade back and forth.

I want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for forwarding to me a copy of this interesting book to read and enjoy.

Follow up to the excellent Two Days Gone, Walking The Bones is the second Ryan De Marco thriller and features Sergeant De Marco and his girlfriend Jayme taking a leave of absence from their jobs in the police and driving across the US in a camper van. Ryan is suffering from burnout and feelings of loss after his last case and really wants to retire but Jayme is trying to prevent this by suggesting the road trip.
En route they hear that Jayme's grandmother has died and they drive to the small town of Aberdeen for the funeral. Whilst there they are asked to look into a crime- bones of 7 girls have been discovered in the cavity of a church wall. Who is responsible? Ryan and Jayme must use all their skills to find out and Ryan, in particular, must try and survive in some very extreme circumstances.
Not only is this a mystery story it is also an examination of how guilt can affect human behaviour. We have flashbacks to Ryan's life as a child living in a trailer with his violent father as well as dreams where his dead son appears. As in the last book there are several literary quotations which tie in with the themes of the novel. At times it is quite slow moving with a lot of detail but it always held my attention.
There are many references to the earlier novel so I would suggest reading this first in order to enjoy the full potential of Walking The Bones which is perfect for fans of literary noir thrillers.
I raced through this book enjoying both the mystery aspect as well as the burgeoning romance between Ryan and Jayme. Learning more about both of the main characters' family backgrounds was also interesting and I am now looking forward to the next instalment
Thanks to NetGalley and the the Publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy of Walking the Bones, the second novel to feature Sergeant Ryan Demarco of the Pennsylvania State Police.

Following the events of Two Days Gone DeMarco is a broken man, angry, grieving and perhaps depressed. In an effort to help him his girlfriend, Trooper Jayme Matson, decides that a road trip in an RV is the answer. When Jayme's grandmother dies they detour to Aberdeen, Kentucky where they get involved in trying to solve the cold case mystery of seven skeletons of young women of colour found walled up in a local church.

I enjoyed Walking the Bones more than I thought I would after the first few chapters where my heart sank. The novel opens with DeMarco in a dangerous situation and thinking he might die and most of the novel covers events up to that point. I prefer a straightforward linear timeline but this chapter certainly grabs the reader's attention. The first few chapters also have an alternating point of view with descriptions of 3 pensioners carrying out unspecified surveillance but fortunately this is soon dropped when they meet DeMarco. I have not read the first novel in the series, Two Days Gone, and I'm not sure if this is good or bad. The events in it are referenced frequently and the perpetrator identified so there's not much point but, on the other hand, perhaps a fuller knowledge of the events would have added understanding to DeMarco's angst. Oh, and did I mention frequent, random flashbacks to DeMarco's troubled childhood? I actually came to enjoy them although I can't see much relevance to them, other than to explain some of DeMarco's personality.

Walking the Bones is a more literary novel than I usually read so the angst ridden DeMarco and his problems didn't really engage me. Matson, on the other hand, is an excellent character, strong, feisty and caring. Fortunately they are both top notch investigators and have a great case to investigate which held my attention from start to finish. I liked the vignettes of the characters they met from the venal pastor to the wannabe white supremacist.

Walking the Bones is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

My first exposure to Randall Silvis was Two Days Gone, and Walking the Bones picks up the story of Ryan DeMarco as he is still recovering from the death of his friend.

Walking the Bones begins as a road trip instigated by his girlfriend Jayme, but the cold case of seven young women drags him (kicking and screaming) into investigating who killed the young women and stacked them behind a hidden wall in a church.

The book was simultaneously interesting and slow. For me, the most interesting characters were the three elderly "detectives" who involve DeMarco in the case and are treated rather disdainfully.

The two books featuring Ryan DeMarco are markedly different from Silvis' Blood and Ink, a dark comedy. All three of the books I've read by Silvis feature his love of literature and skillful descriptions, but my favorite is Blood and Ink with the hapless protagonist, Nick.

Read in Oct.; blog review scheduled for Jan. 4, 2018.

NetGalley/Sourcebooks

Crime/Mystery. Jan. 23, 2018. Print length: 464 pages.

Sergeant Ryan DeMarco is on a road trip in an RV with his girlfriend, Jayme. He is still dealing with the death of his best friend months ago and is hoping to relax and enjoy his time alone with his girlfriend. While DeMarco and Jayme are in in Jayme's hometown it becomes common knowledge that DeMarco is known for solving violent crimes. He is soon wrapped up in the cold case mystery of the bones of 7 young girls who have been discovered years earlier.

Both DeMarco and Jayme want to solve the murders of the young women. The bones have been carefully preserved and they both hope to find clues that will lead them to the killer. This is a cold case but one that they can't leave behind. For me, this seemed to take years. I had very high hopes for this book but it just felt like it dragged and dragged and dragged. Ryan and Jayme had relationship issues that consumed many of the pages. When they weren't having sex or running, they were dealing with jealousy over past lovers, being open emotionally, etc.

I should point out that this is the second book in the Ryan DeMarco Mystery series. The first book in the series is "Two Days Gone" which I read and also gave 3 stars. Perhaps I was being impatient, but the investigation took forever. I had high hopes for this book and although it was enjoyable, I found it to be a little slow and I grew impatient. This book is well written but slow. It is still a good read and mystery.

I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks landmark and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took a few chapters for me to get on this ride but once I did it was thrilling. I enjoyed the pace of this thriller. Hope you do too.