Cherrie Forrester has a secret: her name's not really Cherrie and she's the daughter of notorious serial killer "Mr. Bones." As a child she helped her father lure young boys into his car and gained the nickname "Little Bones" for what came next. She's successfully put that past behind her, that is until a new little boy goes missing. What will happen when people find out who Cherrie really is?

N.V. Peacock has a killer concept for her book and starts with a deeply creepy prologue that had me excited for more. But the rest of the story devolved into clumsy writing, wooden dialogue, and a highly erratic protagonist, all leading to a predictable ending. Also included are a bizarre number of comments related to greasy food and emojis. The result is disappointing. A good concept that was executed poorly.

I wanted so badly to love this book. It started out with a creepy premise where we learn the MC has big secrets and her own son might be in danger. I also loved the psychic scene, and hoped for more of that. I felt like the clues given along the way were too obvious and that distracted from me being fully into the story as a whole. I also found the characters unlikable. Positives: I liked the Cherrie’s voice and could relate to her in ways. I appreciated the focus on the relationships in her life and how they affected her. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book really kept my interest. I could not put it down. As a mystery it does a pretty good job. The author basically gives us two main viable suspects. I thought it was pretty obvious from the beginning which of the two was going to be the perpetrator and I was right. Don't expect a "big twist" kind of book or you might be disappointed. Some of the things the main character said and did were a little unbelievable but I thought this was a fun little mystery.

Engrossing, emotionally charged & well written. An interesting take on a well worn subject. For fans of 'Good Me, Bad Me'.

Cherie had been born Leigh Ann, but at 17 she had been forced to change her identity, because her father had been William Hendy or better known as Mr Bones a serial killer from 25 years ago, who kidnapped young boys boiling their bodies and using the bones to make macabre art. Leigh Ann was 8 years old, her father had used her as bait to get the young boys into his car.

Now Cherie has a son Robin, a boyfriend Leo and a job. She has left her past behind. No one knows who she is her boyfriend or her friends have no clue. Until a young boy goes missing and Cherie starts to follow the story. She sees a podcast ‘The Flesh in the Bones’ and out of curiosity she listens to it, little did she know that her new identity, her workplace and where she lived was mentioned. Now she doesn’t know what to do, half hoping people won’t listen to it, but knowing that someone who knows her might and gossip can soon spread.

She takes Robin to the fair one night and he vanishes into thin air, she had been watching him all evening, until she had received one text which distracted her, that’s when Robin vanished. The police are called, but when they learn who she is some of the questions make her feel they believe she killed her own son. With a few twists and turns to keep you guessing, although I guessed pretty early who was behind it.

When I first started this story I actually liked Cherie, but as I read more and more I gradually came to dislike her. She was so annoying at times, her anger took over, she just wasn’t acting like a mum who has lost her son, and the more she acted up the more I got annoyed with her. There were a couple of other characters that I found frustrating as well. Some of the story was gripping but then other parts just went on too long. Cherie’s musings were just too many. It just became unbelievable, I wanted to believe the story, but several plot lines were sadly just ludicrous and that just spoilt it for me personally.

The writing is good, it flowed, it had some tension in it at times, I just wish some of the actions of the characters could have been more believable, but sadly they weren’t.

I will however be looking out for further books by this author in the future.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #AvonBooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

When Cherrie was little, she had a different name and a different life helping her serial killer father Mr. Bones to make art out of children's bones. She may have only been 8 at the time but the cruel media dubbed her Little Bones.

Now Cherrie is living a new life and trying to put the past behind her. Everything is going well until her child goes missing and a podcaster dredges up the past, exposing Cherrie's secrets.

This story is a fast paced read that keeps you interested in finding the outcome. It makes you question everyone as you wonder who the guilty party is. Cherrie's character is a bit abrasive and moody, with a questionable morale compass, but you can't help rooting for her. If you like stories without a clear suspect, this would be a story for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Cherrie lives a nice life in Northamptonshire until one day, a child goes missing...
Is it a copycat killer of the notorious killer Mr Bones from 25 years ago? A podcast seems to think so and suddenly Cherie’s life starts to unravel as her identity is revealed. She is Little Bones, the serial killers daughter. She is identified as a villain but friends and family. But she says she’s not, she’s a victim. Who do you believe.

This is a really good book, a quick easy, addictive read. The story is well paced with plenty of suspense and twists and turns. , it is perfectly dark and creepy in places. The main character Cherie is a really strong leading character and you can really feel her rage as she begins to be suspected of terrible things!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an early copy.


There's nothing quite as scary as a serial killer that specialises in little kids, and, as creepy as that sounds, having one featured in your thriller is almost a sure way to get the audience interested in what's happening.

In Little Bones, the shadow of a serial killer – the aptly named Mr. Bones, who made art out of the bones of the kids he killed – becomes stronger as children start disappearing in a small town.
And his memories have never been stronger as when the son of his daughter, nicknamed Little Bones, disappears.

The summary sounded more than awesome, and, in the whole, the plot was strong and interesting.
I think where this book failed to become a great thriller in my opinion, it's in the writing style.

One of the big issues, in my opinion, was how unrealistic the different characters' actions sounded.
On the one side, there's the boyfriend of Little Bones, who flees at the first occasion and (generally speaking) sounds like a right asshole I would have gotten rid off.
And on the other side, there's Little Bones herself, Cherrie (or Leigh-Ann, depending on the timeframe). Cherrie goes from one decision to another, to still another, in the space of two lines of text. So, yeah, alright, I'll admit that I have no experience of missing children, and I'm sure it must be a terrifying and highly confusing moment for all involved.
That being said, the constant change of mind read as if the author didn't actually know where to go and in which order everything was going to happen.

All in all, that made for a quite confusing read at time, where you just wanted to see the next thing happening.

It also made for suspenseful chapters that sometimes became a little flat. Whereas the author smartly tries to introduce multiple possible culprits, there are so many of them at times that it's hard to really believe a single one of them could have done it.
Even the plot twist wasn't as surprising as it might have been – through sometimes not-so-subtle hints throughout the whole book, I'd guessed pretty early on where Robin was.

In short, a thriller that didn't quite live to my expectations. It has some great aspects (notably the originality of featuring a serial killer's child as the main character), and a solid plot, but it lacks in some of the elements that make a great thriller: suspense and characters you feel strongly for.

Cherrie Forrester is a mother in a stable relationship working part time at a local store. However, her life begins to unravel when a local boy goes missing and a true crime podcast reveals and names her as the daughter of notorious serial killer, Mr Bones.

Soon, Cherrie is trapped in a nightmare when her own son is taken. She will stop at nothing to get him back!

This book starts very strong but I found the second half quite frustrating. I knew who had Robin from the start and felt that a lot of Cherrie’s actions were out of character. I also had major issues with the mother in law. Cherrie has proven herself to be outspoken in a lot of ways, so why didn’t she stand up for herself when she was being insulted? I thought the secret extension arc was quite silly too. Who lets their partner build an extension on their house without looking in it?

It’s not a bad debut, and it’s nicely written. I’d definitely try another by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Looking at other people's reviews its clear that lots of people loved this book, which Im happy about - but I didn't enjoy reading it unfortunately. I don't know if the subject matter was too close to home, having an eight year old myself, but I couldnt relax and enjoy it. Thank you for the chance to read it though.

Special thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked right from the beginning. I really enjoyed the premise and the build up of everything. There are some gruesome details that a few people might not be comfortable reading about (the serial killer dad uses children's bones for his sculptures and it gets pretty gross), so watch out for that if that isn't your thing. If the description of the book intrigues you, I think you would like this.

I did have a few issues with the writing. I feel as though there wasn't a single solid character in the entire book. They all contradict themselves completely at some point, and it's pretty jarring. Once you, the reader, realize who kidnapped Cherrie's son, the book becomes insanely frustrating. I think the ending was anticlimactic and unrealistic.

Although there was a lot I didn't like about this one, the first half was SO STRONG. I also have faith that the issues I had will be improved upon in another book.

For a debut thriller, I think this is pretty good. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from N.V. Peacock.

Happy reading, little bones! (too soon?)

Wow, just wow. This isn’t normally a genre I would go for but since getting into true crime podcasts this has opened the door for so many new books! I wouldn’t have thought this was a debut, the characters are so well developed it was like I knew them.

A slow burner, full of angst as the subject of child abduction is front and centre. She hid her past and built a new future until a little boy goes missing and suddenly her familial link to a serial killer is announced by podcast. From the side-lines we have the judgement of internet trolls who fan the flames to an inferno and the rising anger in the woman who was once known as little bones.

Little Bones is a very good debut novel for it was an unputdownable book that had a gripping start. From being the daughter to a serial killer, a perfect mother yet a mysterious person to her closest people, Cherrie aka Leigh-Ann aka Little Bones is the protagonist of this story. The plot revolves around the phase of life where her carefully hidden past is exposed, her identity questioned and of all her lifeline(her son) is missing. The book from start to the end where Cherrie finds her son is quick-paced until it gets a bit boring in between just before the huge revelation which definitely can be excused given the other positives that are overwhelming.
I give 4 stars for this book one star each for the writing style, gripping start, clever premise and one special star for Little Bones being the Debut Novel by NV Peacock. The missing star counts on to 2 things 1. The slow part in between 2. The kidnapper was predictable ( for me).
Final Verdict: Read It!!

What did I just read? Goodness can we breathe now because wow what a book.This book was about a woman who is tryna recover that is reminded of her childhood after a young boy goes missing. You see her father was a famous serial killer and she used to help lure children *sob*. This book was dark and all but I was engaged. The plot was quite intriguing. Huge thanks to Avon for my e-ARC

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre,  however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different. Characters were so well developed that I felt as though I knew them. I love when a book draws you into the story and it feels like you are living it with them.

Fantastic, brilliant, thrilling, absolutely loved this book and read in in a matter of hours, was gripping, my favourite book this year.

Thank to NG for the ARC of this book! I liked the premise of the story, the daughter of a now jailed serial killer has a new identity and family. Cherie aka Leigh Ann Hendy in the past was a young girl when her dad was convicted of multiple serial killings of young boys "for his art," literally as he used the boys' bones in his artwork. Creepy. Then her mother killed herself and Cherie was left alone. She grew up and changed her name, now has a boyfriend and a son herself. A new podcaster outs her, a boy disappears and Cherie is freaking out because her identity is slowly being exposed. There are many twists and turns in this book which kept it interesting but it was a little bit long and wordy. Cherie is also not the most likeable character either. She is really whiney and kind of annoyed me throughout the book. However, the more I read, the more I wanted to see what happened so the plot definitely kept me hooked. Worth reading because it is a new angle on the typical thriller.

What a fantastic read! ‘Little Bones’ has a brilliant plot with numerous twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The story is fast paced which enables the reader to feel connect to the plot and hooked until the last page. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

I was really excited to read this book when I read the synopsis. I enjoy crime novels and this one is different from the regular crime novels I have read. I am finding myself only rating this novel a 3 stars because I couldn't really get into the story. I tried hard to get into it. I read it and wanted to keep reading except for a few spots here and there that I found myself wondering if I should keep reading. I just didn't find myself being drawn into the story like I was excepting to. I didn't feel like any of the characters were that likable especially Cherrie or her boyfriend, Leo. I found myself cringing every time Cherrie would say I am not Mrs. Duffill or I am not his wife when the police would refer to her with Leo's last name. Does Cherrie really hate her boyfriend? The character development for me was lacking. Overall I liked this book but I wouldn't read it again.