I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoy locked room mysteries, and this one was no different. What a great read… it really kept me guessing.

From Goodreads:
The twisty locked-room mystery from two-time Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning author Carol Goodman, about a group of former classmates trapped on their college campus—with a murderer among them.

What can I say? I could not get into this book no matter how many times I picked it up. I felt the first half was very slow. I would put the book down and not remember anything when I picked it up again.

A slow burn mystery with a few twists. Throughout the story, I found myself thinking this would have been even better as a short story. As a whole, it was entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this was a dud for me. I really don’t like giving books below 3 stars but I just have to. The first half of the book is so slow it was painful. If I didn’t made a video TBR including this book and it wasn’t a netgalley ARC I might not have finished it. The details though out the “then” story were convoluted and insignificant to the overall story for the most part. I figured out who the killer was pretty early on though I was surprised by the motive which is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1. I didn’t think this book was captivating until 50% of the way through but quickly fizzled out and just wasn’t for me.

Also , the ending is incredibly far fetched that I can’t even suspend disbelief enough to move past it. I was rolling my eyes so hard I almost lost my vision.

History comes to haunt the present in this locked door academic mystery. Nell is now a Dean of her alma matter, Briarwood College where she found escape from her mother and peers who taught her about friendship. Her past however is haunted by a student who went missing and a professor who died during the search and rescue. As the college seeks out a new writer in residence, Nell is forced to comfront the memories and guilt as her past "friend" group arrives for the occassion. When a present day student goes missing and bones are found despite the winter storm that is brewing, Nell is forced to confront the past and the killer who is lurking amongst them. A twisty mystery that was somewhat predictable I found this book to be enjoyable. A little long in parts it took me awhile to get through it. Definitely a snowy day read for the winter! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for a honest review.

Twenty five years ago at Briarwood College, a student went missing in the ice caves and a distinguished writing professor died while searching for her. The college president has decided it’s time for a commemorative event to honor the professor. As the weather worsens and many leave the event a group of alumni stay. A group that were the last to be taught by the brilliant Hugo Moss. An elite group called The Ravens. When a bones are discovered in the ice caves above the college, the group is shaken. They have a secret, one that they have kept for the past twenty five years, but is their pact about to be broken? One by one the group starts to die in the same way they depicted in their senior writing projects, but who wants them dead and why? Goodman has written a creative locked room mystery that will have you guessing until the end. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I tend to enjoy most dark academia and while this was fantastically narrated (I did a combo of audio and digital) with a very eerie atmospheric setting it didn’t quite work for me.

It has all the components of what I enjoy in a mystery. A college setting, a 25 year old mystery, complex characters, cutting relationships, and a chilling location. But I struggled with just how many murders and twists there were and it really wasn’t a locked-room mystery at all which bummed me out a bit.

I’d say it’s best to go into this with the willingness to suspend reality and not expect a truly locked-room mystery and you might like it a lot!

Thank you William Morrow for the arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

From my blog: Always With a Book

I was thrilled when Cindy from the Thoughts of a Page Podcast selected this book for her Patreon group to read early as I had already had my eye on it. I had read two of Carol’s previous books and really enjoyed them and have been meaning to read more, so this was the perfect opportunity to do so and then be able to not only discuss it with the Patreon group but also with the author, too!

Between the dark academia vibes and the locked-room mystery, this book really had such an atmospheric pull to it that really grabbed me initially. There are some And Then There Were None vibes here that I loved, but in true Carol Goodman form, she put her own spin on things so that you really didn’t know what to expect. There is such a strong sense of place here and I am always a fan of that. The wintry setting really sets the mood here and adds to the overall tension.

This is a dark and ominous story that kept me engaged from start to finish. Between the traditions of the school that we learn from the past storylines to the secrets that are being kept, this is one twisty story that you just cannot stop reading and one that kept me guessing all the way through!

I was expecting a fast paced thriller and this is not that. The story was good but I was not compelled to pick it up so it took me quite a while to read it.

I’ve loved Carol Goodman since reading The Lake of Dead Languages and The Night Villa. I love the atmospheric, dark academia themes of her books and The Bones of the Story is no different.

25 years ago, a girl goes missing and a writing professor dies while looking for her in the ice caves of Briarwood College’s campus. The current college president wants to honor the professor and invites that year’s class of students and other alumnus to attend the festivities. Nell Portman, the current Dean, is one of them and recollects that time.

The book is set in Then and Now dual timeline chapters and we read about the pact that the group put in place 25 years ago. While they all gather, danger follows them and one by one, they meet their untimely deaths inspired by their own self written horror stories.

This is a slow paced book with twists that has a good but formulaic ending. I enjoyed the relationship aspects and the locked room mystery setting. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this eARC. The Bones of the Story is out now.

Audiobook/Book Review

The Bones of the Story by Carol Goodman
Pub date: July 11, 2023
Pages: 326
Audio Length: 10H 1M
Read by: Elisabeth Rodgers

"𝘈𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵"

The setting and atmosphere of this book is the catnip to my little kitty soul. A dark and wintery setting with murder afoot. A true whosdoingit (Ha, made that up on the fly).

The past and present collide at Briarwood College over one fateful weekend. Past students, some more successful than others, meet for a weekend to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of Hugo moss – first and last writer-in-residence of the Wilder Writer’s House.

Moss’s last class of students has been invited to stay at Wilder House and more than one is hoping for the position of writer-in-residence. Who knows what they’ll do to get it?

With traditions like the exclusive Raven Society keeping the students at each other’s throats, it’s no wonder the competitive edge is so brutal but will history be repeating itself? There’s plenty of secrets being kept, both past and present, but when each past students writing projects appear to come horrifically true, those with the most to hide are forced to reconcile with the past.

Dark and ominous, this twisty academia thriller has a chilling atmosphere and whip smart plot! Thoroughly enjoyed!

Narration: Wonderfully narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers. She is exceptional and carried this thriller with perfect pitch and tone! Bravo!

My thanks to @WilliamMorrowBooks for this gifted copy and to @HarperAudio @Libro.FM for this gifted audiobook.

Once a student a Briarwood, Nell is now a dean. No one can forget the tragedy 25 years ago of the deaths of a fellow writing student who fell into a cave, and Hugo Moss, the revered writing instructor who disappeared at the same time, Now 25 years later, the President of Briarwood gathers important alumni back to honor these two and also to secure funding for a writer's workshop that will help the school with its money troubles. Once the guests arrive a snowstorm hits trapping them all at Briarwood and then strange things began to happen as one by one they begin to die in a manner eerily similar to stories they wrote in Hugo's class. This was a good read with a lot of tension built up throughout. The book goes back and forth between the present and 25 years ago when Nell and her friends Chilton, Truman, and Ben were all caught in the orbit of it girl Laine, and present day where they are reunited and the murders start happening. Unfortunately I was able to figure it out about 3/4 of the way through so that kind of diminished things for me a bit but I think lovers of dark academia will like this one.

I have to say unfortunately this was a DNF (do not finish) for me, it was my very first DNF. As a huge Mary Higgins Clarke fan, I thought this book would have a similar style. I found it uneventful and it seemed like there was too much backstory on characters rather than focusing on main events. I’m used to reading thrillers that are quick paced and always keep you guessing and I was very bored reading this. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley giving me the opportunity of reading this book in trade for an honest review. However, I made it 40% through on my kindle and couldn’t bring myself to read further. Apologies, but this just wasn’t for me.

A college student, missing for twenty-five years, along with the professor who went looking for her. Now their college wants to honor the two.

This one was a slow burn. I had trouble connecting to the characters, never becoming fully vested in the story-line. I typically enjoy locked-room mysteries but this one just fell short. I attempted a re-read in audio but unfortunately it did not help me to connect. Just not a good fit for me.

This was my first read by Carol Goodman and have a few of her older works on my shelf so I’ll likely be giving her a second chance.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow

The Bones of the Story is a dark academia novel, set at a small private college known for its writing program. Bones are found in the ice caves during a school ritual and our main character seems to know something about how they've come to be there. The story goes back and forth between Nell's time as a student and her time in the present day as Dean of Students.

This book is all about the atmosphere! I thought the setting of Briarwood College was perfect and what I wouldn't give to be in the Raven Society - Briarwood's exclusive writing program under its writer-in-residence! In the present day, the college is trying to resurrect its writing program after the pandemic, but when the Raven Society of one particularly fateful year come back to Briarwood, tragedy strikes.

I thought this book was a fun read - one of those books that you fall inside the setting for a while. Makes you question all of your life choices - I mean obviously I should have been a writer and gone to a college with an intense writing program, steeped in tradition and ritual, with a writer-in-residence to give me a recommendation letter at the end. Preferably Stephen King - wasn't he a writer-in-residence at a few colleges?

I read this in less than 24 hours. It sucked me in and I loved it! Such a great thriller. I did figure out some of the twists but not all and the journey was worth it. I look forward to more books from thus author!

I have been a fan of Carol Goodman since I read her first novel, The Lake of Dead Languages 20 years ago. And to my mind, she is the best writer of dark academia mysteries out there and her newest novel is the perfect example of her skill.

As usual, Goodman delivers with this locked room mystery rooted in academia. Yes, I got And Then There Were None vibes. And while there is clearly an allusion to the Christie classic, Goodman imbues her novel with superior depth and moodiness. Her ability to create a sense of place and atmosphere adds a visceral element that allows the reader to become completely immersed in the novel and it’s sinister climate.
The novel takes it’s time in letting the tension build, but rest assured, when the twists start coming there is hardly time to catch your breath and the build up makes the final denouement especially powerful. If you are a lover of dark academia, complex mysteries that are character driven, and books that are thick with eerie atmosphere, pick this one up immediately.
Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for this e-arc.

The Bones of the Story by Carol Goodman

If you love a campus novel, this is a good option for you. I've seen it billed as dark academia, and I would say it's on the lighter side of that genre. In my opinion it's not the best in the genre, but it was a story worth reading.

With dual timelines, we're following a group of friends and former classmates in the present that are haunted by something that happened in their past. This is a classic locked room (or campus) mystery/thriller with several turns along the way. The pacing picks up in the second half once the characters and background are established. I had pieces of the mystery figured out, but not everything, and I enjoyed the ride.

Thank you to #NetGalley and William Morrow for a free copy of #TheBonesoftheStory by Carol Goodman. All opinions are my own.

I have been a longtime fan of Carol Goodman. The Bones of the Story has reminded me once again why I love her books. This story is about a group of friends that head back to their college years after graduating but they all have a secrets and now don’t know who they can trust. Told in the then and the now, readers become immersed in a mystery that has spanned time.