The Bone House is the third instalment of the Slayton thriller series, and it did not disappoint!
I absolutely love everything about this series. I love the characters, the writing style, the plots and all the twists. I was so excited to catch back up with Sarah and all the other characters in this book.

I won’t give too much away, but wow! This might even be my favourite book so far in the series. I really loved the plot in this book and it was interesting trying to work out whether something supernatural was at play or not. The twists blew me away and I could not put it down, especially towards the end!
This was brilliant and I hope there will be a fourth instalment of this series in the future.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A terrifying reality that had my heart pounding hard. Someone knows your secret and could murder be involved?

I normally enjoy Caroline Mitchell but I found this book too creepy to read much of. All the talk of animals' skulls was bad enough but once she started talking about dead birds falling from the sky I decided that it was all too macabre for me. I tried several times to start over with this book but the only thing I succeeded in doing was giving myself nightmares.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

This was my first crime thriller ready by Caroline Mitchell. It is part of a series and I will be going back to read the other books in the series. That being said, it was still easy to follow and I did not feel like I really needed to read the other books in the series to get a grasp of the characters. Definitely would recommend to anyone that loves crime books. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat!

I thought this was a great read. The more I got into it the more it was hard to put down. I recommend this book to all Caroline Mitchell fans and any one looking for a good crime thriller to read.

A gripping read that was well written with a compelling story line. It was twisty and kept me guessing the whole time

A roller-coaster ride of emotions and suspense, this thriller will have you gasping one moment and holding your breath the next.

I found this book to be quite eerie and chilling to the bones. It is quite an immersive read that was chilling and a thrilling read. Did not disappoint

The Bone House is another excellent read in the brilliant Slayton Thriller series!
Detective Sarah Noble is asked to attend a local lake where a pram has been recovered. The bones of a tiny baby are still strapped into it. Who would do such a thing to an innocent newborn!?
When local resident, Cora, hears of the discovery panic sets in.
What follows is a highly emotional story with so many shocks and surprises along the way. I honestly didn’t know what to believe!
A heart-wrenching tale solved with intelligent policing, empathy, and a determination to discover the truth. Shocking, saddening truth.
Such clever writing.
I very much recommend!

** Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley. Apologies for the late review, after I requested this I realised I still needed to read books 1 and 2 first! **

Loved this story. It was an interesting case with many facets and a great ending that didn’t necessarily tie every5img up. Planning to read the first two books in this series.

Another cracking book from Caroline Mitchell. She always delivers a good read. Likeable and relatable characters with just the right amount of suspense and spookiness. Can't wait for her next obey

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a great read!! The story was packed with creepiness and mystery. I will be reading the rest of this series immediately.

I can't express how much I enjoy the Slayton series. It started with The Midnight Man which was enjoyable and just got better with the next two in the series. Creepy and twisty, you'll be reading with the lights on. While Ms. Mitchell does a great job of back filling the previous plot lines, I recommend reading them in order for the character development

It builds on stablished mythology skilfully woven by Caroline, whilst adding in new elements from those who come into Slayton's environs-even the deeply Southern Elsie, close friend to protagonist Sarah Noble, who appears to all and intents of purpose not to belong there, has an origin story which binds her to this bizarre little town.

A crowpocalypse is a scary enough way to begin a novel, a not entirely unexplained phenomenon which has happened worldwide, birds falling, en masse, out of the sky, dead before they hit the ground.

In this instance, however, it is what that mass of black feathers reveals rather than hides which becomes the bones of the mystery on which this book is constructed, not the other way around.

The clean up mission reveals a deeply broken and aged carcass of a pram from the lake, not an unusual find, however, why were the wheels weighted with bags of rocks?

Who is the occupant of the pram , who deposited in the lake and what were they trying to hide?

As Sarah finds herself pulled to examine someone far too close to home for comfort in connection with the most brutal and unfathomable crime imaginable, murdering a baby, she finds herself trapped in a situation that defies logic, whilst simultaneously cleaving to everything that she, and we, the readers, know about Slayton.

It's a shocking crime, the death of an innocent baby, and the reactionary way which the forces of justice, the moral codes of the reader and society at large behave towards those accused of such malevolence reveals a great deal about how we treat those alleged to be innocent until proven otherwise. Particularly towards women whose suspected crimes transgress boundaries of gender norms.

In the court of Facebook and online speculation, evidence is secondary to feelings leaving Sarah and her troops with an ever complicated web to unravel both from the past, and in the present.

Slayton may be highly unusual in the events which have shaped it, but it has provided a refuge for many and there are reasons why someone would want to hide themselves in a town like this, both good and bad. Sarah's experiences as a police officer in Slayton are put to the test in the first investigation that she is heading,  where everyone from her new boss to the much admired forensic expert bought in to assist has their eyes firmly on her.

Solving the mystery is just half of the journey you go through as a reader, you are juggling, along with Sarah, her understanding of the dark depths of the human soul, why ignoring your instincts can be perilous and giving a safe space for those do not feel they have one, to talk about experiences which embrace the supernatural.

There are things which happen that cannot be explained by conventional logic, there is a dark edge to this thrilling crime novel that touches areas which leave you feeling stained and uncomfortable, and it is a joy to see the evolution of a writer like Caroline Mitchell, expanding from writing crime, to straddle a crime/horror/supernatural genre all the while adding that element of wry humour and deftness of touch with dialogue that constant readers of hers have come to know so well.

Thanks to Netgalley and Embia books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In a weird town, a baby carriage with the bones of the baby are found in a river. It appears to have some relation to Cora, the new bookseller in town. Detective Sarah Noble investigates.

After reading this for one month and only getting to 70%, I had to call it. I am giving it a 3 because I don’t think I have been in the best frame of mind for reading lately. I also think if it was a great book that wouldn’t have mattered and I would have wanted to pick it up when I put it down which wasn’t the case.

This is a supernatural thriller that gave me goosebumps. I could not put this story down. There was do much going on in the town of slayton that I kept turning the pages faster and faster to see how this story is going to turn out. It held my attention to the very end.

Moody, dark and suspenseful, this is a twisted psychological thriller with supernatural elements.

There are several trigger warnings but it’s definitely gripping!

A baby's pram is pulled from a lake and a tiny skeleton is found inside. A woman confesses but her story doesn't match up with the evidence...
The Bone House is the third book set in Slayton. I have not read the previous books: there are mentions of past events but no spoilers.
This book is seriously creepy. It is a curious mix of chilling horror and police procedural that I found interesting and engaging.
In the present day, hundreds of crows have mysteriously died and the pond is dredged to remove their carcasses. But a baby in a pram is found as well. Cora confesses yet she has an exceedingly troubled history. Police officer Sarah Noble needs to unpick the lies and secrets from the truth when Cora's confession doesn't make sense in light of the forensic evidence. Cora has a haunting past which saw her stepfather murder her mother. Then her own life spiralled out of control with a teen pregnancy.
Most of the book is written in the third person to show Cora and Sarah's experiences as the case progresses. Some chapters show a little boy Elliott who has nightmares or a psychic connection to the case. Other chapters show a first person viewpoint of a dangerous man who is stalking Cora and has sinister knowledge of the past and present.
Sarah is a dedicated cop with a potential romantic angle towards her partner Richie. She forms strong friendships and these help her to make a difference to the community. Sarah is kind and caring yet also brave and determined. I liked the strength of her character and was rooting for her to uncover the truth. Meanwhile Cora is vulnerable and damaged so I wanted her to find peace and move away from her past.
The Bone House is a creepy and sinister book. I am eager to read the earlier books in the series.

The Bone House by Caroline Mitchell is the third in the Slayton Thriller series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Embla Books  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Slayton is a town that is a little strange, where the "odd" is the normal, where the myths and legends seem to mingle with the everyday life.  Detective Sarah Noble has come a long way since the death of her husband.  Her boss Gabby, although a pessimist is her good friend, and their new boss is cheerful DI McGuire.  Co-workers include Yvonne, a rather rude woman, and Richie, who is Sarah's rock. Sarah's best friend Maggie has a child who "knows" things.  Elliott's dreams terrify him, but he often helps Sarah solve crimes, and there is usually something strange going on in Slayton.  Elliott's teacher, Miss Grogan is also helping him.  Sarah's other friend Elsie is a romance author, and her natural nosiness also helps Sarah.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
In a rather bizarre event, hundreds of birds fall to their death into the local lake.  When the lake is dredged in clean-up efforts, an old pram is pulled up, a baby still wrapped inside.  When the "find"  becomes public knowledge, Cora, the owner of a bookstore, ends up being front and center.  She always knew her actions may come back to haunt her,  but the only thing she wants is to protect her new baby.  But she fears that the "bone house" of old, is still with her, and her father still wants her.

Meanwhile, Elliott has been having nightmares about that pram, and about beetles.

Sarah is assigned this "cold" case, which ends up being quite current.  She knows there are a lot of secrets out there, and that a lot of people are lying to her, but what she doesn't know, is that not everyone will survive this case.


My Opinions:
Really enjoying this series.  The atmosphere of the town is creepy, the plot rather dark, and the characters are full of surprises.  I love Sarah, her compassion, her drive, her character.

There were a number of twists and red herrings that kept me invested in the story

I'm not sure if I missed it, or if the reason behind the dead crows was washed away, but I'd like to know why they ended up in the lake...., although it was a good creepy beginning.

Anyway, I really liked the book, and am ready for the next one!