The Bone Queen is a chilling horror-thriller debut from Will Shindler where a mother's search for her missing daughter battles against the shadows of a historic, dangerous legend.

I loved the concept of this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the folklore and small town legend that this book had to offer. I could tell where one of the twists was going, and by the end I was pretty certain I had figured out the whole story.

I will say that it was not as scary as I was initially hoping for, but I enjoyed the unease that filled me when reading certain parts. I’m still a little confused about what actually happened with the original murders, but overall a good read.

A big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC. 3.75 stars rounded up

Will Shindler’s "The Bone Queen" a horror-thriller debut takes place on the island Athelsea as Jenna, a divorced mother searches for her daughter Chloe who has run away. Jenna is a journalist who has had a decline in work after issues with her recent divorce. She notices Chloe change over the weeks before she disappears leaving her electronics behind.
This is written swapping between both Jenna's and Chloe's perspectives as well as flashbacks from events that tie into the story. It starts off as a search for Chloe, Jenna uses her laptop and phone to narrow down where she might have gone and any reason to warrant her disappearance. Following the trail seems more than what it seems as myth and legend bleed into the story bringing out twists, turns and the unexpected.
I enjoyed the story and love when the supernatural bleeds through, adding extra suspense and altering the ‘rules’ of the world.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “The Bone Queen” is scheduled for release on February 3, 2026.
This debut horror-thriller started off like gangbusters, with a woman racing through the woods to escape her pursuer, only to throw herself off a cliff rather than succumb to the evil chasing her.
Fast-paced, very upbeat.
But it was a slow, downhill grind from then on.
The premise of the story is divorced mom Jenna travels from her home in London to the shores of Athelsea island in search of her 16-year-old daughter, Chloe, who has run away. Chloe had been acting strange for several weeks. Jenna has no idea why. And it’s only through the electronic devices (laptop and phone) left behind that Jenna learns where Chloe went.
But why Athelsea?
Jenna checks into a B&B in the village of Ravensgate and begins her search.
Almost immediately, mystery develops as Jenna interacts with the villagers. She learns the legend of the Bone Queen, a vengeful woman who it seems appears every 22 years and terrorizes the villages.
Soon, human bones wash up on shore, and several villagers who appear to share a secret thought to have been buried long ago are murdered one by one.
Periodic chapters provide a flashback or backstory to the events leading up to Chloe’s disappearance, as well as events from 22 years ago that may hold the key to the recent murders and revenge-seeking Bone Queen.
But here’s the thing. For a horror/murder mystery, I found nothing scary in the narrative. People were being murdered, sure, but there was nothing frightening about the incidents. Some graphic language doesn’t a horror scene make.
The characters were also quite boring. I never cared what happened to them, especially when they repeatedly did stupid things. I mean, why would you drink something given to you by the same people who kidnapped and previously drugged you? That’s just dumb.
There was also little suspense, and the narrative was void of surprises. It was predictable, and the ending was about as anticlimactic as can be. So while the premise was interesting, the narrative never fully delivered.
Two-and-one-half stars (rounded down to two where necessary) for “The Bone Queen.” It just left me unfulfilled.
And you can check out all my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) book blog.

The Bone Queen was horror-infested, mysterious, and absolutely kept me on my toes the entire novel! Not very often do I read a book where I am unable to guess the ending or even what will happen next. There were so many twists and turns in this book, and something that seemed as simple as bringing an angsty, runaway teen back home turned into something so much more horrific, and I found myself so invested in Jenna and Chloe's story.
This is an absolute must-read, and I gave it four and a half stars. Truthfully, my only critique of the book is a few missing quotation marks, making a few conversations difficult to understand.
Will Shindler did a fantastic job creating a scary lore and intertwining it into many people's lives throughout the entirety of the book. I also loved the third-person POV and how it got everybody's thoughts and opinions, which made the overall lore of the book that much more intense.

Absolutely chilling. For a debut novel, this one sent literal chills down my spine. This is the story of a mother trying to save her daughter from an evil that is unknown.

It took me a bit to get used to the time line, and to be truly captured by the characters, but this novel is true horror. It was fast paced, with lots of plot twists and Shindler really captures a sense of urgency. Once you get into it, you won't want to put this one down!

Thank you, Net Galley, for the ARC!
***
"Single mother Jenna arrives on the tranquil shores of Athelsea fueled by the desperate hope to find Chloe, her teenage daughter who’s disappeared from their London home. She has no idea why–all she knows is that Chloe had changed in the previous two weeks, haunted by something, or someone, and the ferry ticket here is the only clue she has." As Jenna's hunt for Chloe unravels, she comes across the dangerous and haunting history of the island.
***
While I did enjoy some of the descriptions, I truly did not find this book "scary". It did have a plot twist that caught me off guard, but overall it felt very predictable. I gave this three stars because while it wasn't quite what I would've imagined, I did enjoy the overall writing style and wanted to find out what really happened to Chloe.

Review posted to GoodReads & Tiktok

Family dynamics, trauma, mystery, with a richly described setting. It would make a great live action series. I will say it was a little slow in the first half while some parts toward the end felt a little rushed and could use a bit more development. Overall, I enjoyed this story.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Will Shindler’s "The Bone Queen" is an enthralling read that captivates from the very first page. The hauntingly beautiful imagery paints a vivid picture of a world rich with wonder and darkness, drawing readers into its depths. Shindler masterfully weaves a narrative that is both enchanting and eerie, leaving us with lingering questions that spark curiosity and intrigue. The characters are complex and relatable, enhancing the emotional depth of the story. As I reached the conclusion, I found myself yearning for more, eagerly anticipating a sequel to uncover the secrets that still beckon on the horizon. This is a must-read for anyone who loves a beautifully crafted fantasy with depth and mystery!

I really enjoyed this book. The world building was on point and there was never a time that the book slowed down. The third person and multiple POV's were so refreshing after reading so many first person and single POV books. You could really feel the sense of urgency as Jenna is trying to find her daughter. I love the plot twists in this. The ending gave me cold chills for hours.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC of The Bone Queen by Will Shindler.

Decent 21st century English folk horror-leaning tale where the internet meets centuries old evil and more recent tragedy to spark an Cornish island-based race by a mother to save her daughter from a dead woman's revenge.

The atmosphere is pretty well done and the main characters are believable, though the book is probably too short to really get too far into the characters who are the island natives with whom Jenna, the mother, interacts.

I could've done with a bit more length and therefor depth of the mythos but enjoyable nonetheless.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me early access.

The Bone Queen is a short read with short chapters.
I felt the characters were disjointed and surface level in nature. The story skipped around and a was a little confusing. I found myself having to go back and figure out “where we were”.
The book was very cultish feeling in nature.
I just could not connect. I put my copy down many times to read other books before pretty much forcing myself, unfortunately, to finish “The Bone Queen”.

Thank you to Netgalley and Will Shindler for letting me read this book!! This is a good book. It kept my attention, the characters were likeable. It did seem to slow down a bit in the middle, but then BAM, came back with some twists I did not even see coming and was full force ahead for the rest of the book! It was tense, worrying about Jenna's daughter and I felt like the author really had me wondering what the heck was real and what was not towards the last 1/3 of the book. I would recommend reading. It has a lot of elements...mystery, cult feel, supernatural, island vibes. Thanks!!

The Bone Queen is a 5 out of 5 killer summer read. It's dark, spooky and thrilling. There are a couple of great twists and turns that kept me on my toes and the ending was very satisfying. It's the perfect beach read or cozy fireplace thriller. I, for one, will be checking out other books by Will Shindler and the DI Alex Finn series is my next stop.

I was granted an ARC from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review. This is a horror thriller about a teenage girl named Chloe who becomes tied up in the ancient curse of The Bone Queen. As Chloe goes missing her mother Jenna is led by clues to Athelsea Island. With her sister’s support, her investigative journalism skills and her instincts she does the best she can. Athelsea has a lot of secrets apparently as bones are found in a body of water right as Jenna and her sister Hattie get off the Ferry. What is hiding on this small chilly island and why do people keep dying here? Jenna will stop at nothing to get Chloe back especially because she feels guilty for the way her own trauma has manifested in their relationship and her life. After speaking to Liam who is a part of local law-enforcement she realizes she has to investigate this on her own. No one believes that a curse would bring Chloe here especially since no one has seen her on this small island. Will Jenna find Chloe dead or alive or is this visit to Athlsea a waste of time?
I loved the pace of this book and I’m generally not into horror but this one was super good! This is my first book by Will Schindler and I can’t wait to read more! I give The Bone Queen 4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Bone Queen
By Will Shindler
(3.5/5)

Thank you to Will Shindler and St Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In The Bone Queen, we follow Jenna Tipton as she travels to Athelsea Island, part of a small chain of vacation islands in the UK, in search of her missing 16-year-old daughter, Chloe. Their relationship has always been complicated, but lately, Chloe’s been acting especially distant—withdrawn, exhausted, and lacking her usual spark. When she suddenly vanishes without a trace, leaving behind her phone and laptop, Jenna follows a series of clues to Athelsea.

Once there, she discovers a chilling local legend: the Bone Queen—a spectral figure said to mark and kill her victims in violent, gruesome ways. Jenna begins to suspect that Chloe might be entangled in this sinister lore and races against time to uncover the truth before it’s too late.

This was a fun, fast-paced read that delivered a solid mix of horror and mystery. It kept me guessing, and there was one twist in particular that truly caught me off guard—which I always love when reading thrillers.

What worked for me:
The atmosphere and imagery were excellent. Will Shindler’s descriptions made my skin crawl in the best way and built suspense beautifully. I often struggle to picture scenes vividly when I read, but here I felt fully immersed in the setting alongside Jenna and Chloe.

What didn’t work as well:
I didn’t feel a strong connection to the characters. They came across a bit surface-level, and I would have liked deeper character development—especially in exploring the mother-daughter dynamic. For example, Chloe refers to her mother as “Jenna” in her POV sections, which felt jarring. It’s unclear whether that was intentional or a detail that needed more editing/context.

Overall:
The Bone Queen was a quick, compelling read that got me out of a bit of a reading slump. With eerie supernatural elements and an intriguing mystery, it’s perfect for fans of creepy folklore and fast-paced thrillers.

I enjoyed the atmosphere of The Bone Queen. Gloomy island mysteries are always a hit with me. I liked the lore and legend of the eponymous character. I thought it was fun to follow the clues around and find out what happened to Adam and Lily 22 years ago. But I thought it wasn’t complicated and the twists were a little easy to figure out. I still enjoyed reading this and I liked how the epilogue left the ending open to continuation.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Bone Queen by Will Shindler is a spine tingling story about a mother searching for her missing daughter. She's followed her daughter to an island after finding a couple of notes that pointed her in that direction. Upon arrival, bones washing a shore have the entire island spooked. As more deaths occur, Jenna (mother) continues to hunt for her daughter Chloe, and can feel that something evil is lurking. It's clear to her that stories of The Bone Queen have a hold on the island. On the other hand, a group of friends who long ago were with another victim on the day she died, are hiding secrets and trying to find their own answers.

The characters in this book are well-rounded. Their story expands past the haunting of the island and therefore gives insight into why they take the actions they do. I was rooting for Jenna, it was clear that she had overcame some difficult times and just wanted to be better, and her missing daughter is a tipping point for her.

The time jumps from past to now in this novel are well-placed and added to the eerie mystery in a perfect way. I appreciate an unravelling history that lands the current storyline to a critical point. Overall, a great horror story.

Wasn’t bad by any means. The lore was interesting and the twists were twisting. I just didn’t keep track of characters so I got confused at some parts. It just didn’t have me as scared as I thought I would be? But the writing was good.

Grateful to have received an advance reader’s copy from NetGalley!

This book was my first foray into contemporary horror/mystery (with the only other book being The Shining!) so I feel like that’s worth saying at the top if you’re a die hard horror fan.

This book opens with Jenna, a freelance journalist and recovering from alcohol addiction, on a boat headed to a remote island looking for her teenage daughter who has suddenly disappeared. Pretty much as soon as she sets foot on the island, divers discover human bones and the police find themselves trying to solve a decades old murder while Jenna frantically searches the island for her daughter. All roads lead back to the tale of the Bone Queen, and when people on the island start being killed, Jenna knows she has to find Chloe before it’s too late.

This book took me awhile to get into and warm up to the main characters. But once I hit the 30% mark on my kindle I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up to 2am reading the end of this story and I think that says something.

There were a few twists I didn’t see coming, so that was fun. I’m having a hard time fully reviewing this book without giving away spoilers, but if you’re looking for a grisly and spooky story to get hooked into, I definitely recommend this one!

This one was creepy in the best way — haunting and full of eerie tension that pulls you right in. Watching Jenna unravel the village’s dark legend while desperately searching for her daughter kept me hooked from start to finish.

The story blurs the line between hallucination and reality so well that you feel as disoriented as the characters. If you love unsettling, folklore-inspired mysteries that keep you guessing (and maybe checking the shadows), this one is definitely worth picking up.