syren1532's review
4.0
A missing woman’s body is found in the grounds of a school the only problem is she went missing in Thailand. The man who was with her at the time of her alleged disappearance contacts Detective Ray Mason - he wants to tell him what happened but wants immunity. Before Ray can find out the truth the man is killed. Ray and Private Detective Tina Boyd investigate the case and that of another missing girl and in their search for the truth put themselves in grave danger. A great read.
quietlyreading_'s review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
velsbooknook's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
4.0
It took me a little while longer to get into the story, but overall it was another solid read for me. It's the second book with Ray Mason, but it's no big deal if you haven't read 'The Witness' beforehand. It's also the first book of the 'The Bone Field' series, so keep in mind that there will be added more to the story. The book was tense and thrilling just how I like it. Ray and Tina are a great team in my opinion and I can't wait to read more! Also the end was a sweet cliff hanger so I had to get the 'The Hanged Man' asap!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Suicide, Animal cruelty, and Trafficking
ericwelch's review
3.0
I remember reading a different Simon Kernick several years ago and noted I would read more of his writing. For whatever reason I got distracted with other books (happens a lot) and never did. Until now.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It's well written, has interesting characters, but leaves you completely hanging at the end. It's clearly the first in a series that intends to drag you to the store (Kindle or otherwise) to buy the following volumes. I don't like that. If you enjoy driving up to the edge of a precipice wondering whether to hit the gas or brake, be my guest.
Some other reviewers have remarked that the first half is better than the second. I concur. It should probably be called the Killing Field rather than Bone Field and it becomes the antithesis of subtlety. Whatever happened to the banality of evil, why must the bad guys be the embodiment of Satan. It's the ordinariness of evil that's really scary. This just becomes a bit unbelievable.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It's well written, has interesting characters, but leaves you completely hanging at the end. It's clearly the first in a series that intends to drag you to the store (Kindle or otherwise) to buy the following volumes. I don't like that. If you enjoy driving up to the edge of a precipice wondering whether to hit the gas or brake, be my guest.
Some other reviewers have remarked that the first half is better than the second. I concur. It should probably be called the Killing Field rather than Bone Field and it becomes the antithesis of subtlety. Whatever happened to the banality of evil, why must the bad guys be the embodiment of Satan. It's the ordinariness of evil that's really scary. This just becomes a bit unbelievable.
canada_matt's review
4.0
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Simon Kernick, and Random House UK for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Bringing his Ray Mason character back for a new round of police adventures, Simon Kernick has a recipe for success with the plot of this novel. During a holiday in 1990, a young woman's body goes missing in Thailand, never to be found. With nothing on which to go, life continues for everyone, including the seemingly distraught Henry Forbes, boyfriend to the victim. Twenty-six years later, Forbes has information about his missing girlfriend and reaches out to DI Ray Mason, citing that the body is in England and the killer is part of a large group that have many sinister plans. While Mason and Forbes are meeting on the sly, a group attacks the house and leaves Forbes dead, with Mason only just able to escape. His superiors are furious but also baffled when they discover the body, as well as that from another cold-case from around the same time. DI Mason is put in touch with a private investigator, Tina Boyd, who was also contacted by Forbes, and they begin piecing together what might have happened and who could be behind the murder decades ago, as well as the recent attack and murder of Forbes. Mason remembers an occult symbol on Forbes' arm and seeks to determine if it is a solid clue. Just as the authorities are honing in on a viable suspect, Mason makes an error that has fatal consequences, which has him suspended. Refusing to give up, Mason works with PI Boyd to trace the events of Thailand and before to determine who might be trying to exact revenge all these years later. What they discover shakes them to the core and leaves the door open for scores of other potential victims. Kernick offers readers a powerful and well-paced story that could flourish into an intriguing series, should the author desire.
This is my first time reading anything by Simon Kernick and I found it highly entertaining. While I might usually read a series in order (meaning I might have secured and read the first Ray Mason novel to get sufficient context), I did not feel lost or out of place by entering at this stage. Kernick develops a few key characters in an effective manner, particularly his protagonist. Mason is a complex police officer, whose past on the Force has been anything but smooth sailing. Added to that, his traumatic childhood, which helps coax out certain dramatic portion of the narrative, as well as allowing the reader to forge an instant connection. The premise of the story is interesting as well, though it was not as 'captivating' as some of the dust jacket narratives might have led me to hope. Murders, especially cold cases, can have a wonderfully complex nature, leaving the detective to pull at any strings and chase many paths, some of which lead nowhere. While I was not up late into the night, wondering what could be waiting in the next chapter, Kernick has developed a strong foundation, should Mason and PI Boyd return for another instalment. I will keep an eye out for it, in hopes that the impact is as effective.
Kudos, Mr. Kernick for this entertaining piece of writing. I see you have a lot of other books in your collection, which might be something for me to explore later on this year.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Bringing his Ray Mason character back for a new round of police adventures, Simon Kernick has a recipe for success with the plot of this novel. During a holiday in 1990, a young woman's body goes missing in Thailand, never to be found. With nothing on which to go, life continues for everyone, including the seemingly distraught Henry Forbes, boyfriend to the victim. Twenty-six years later, Forbes has information about his missing girlfriend and reaches out to DI Ray Mason, citing that the body is in England and the killer is part of a large group that have many sinister plans. While Mason and Forbes are meeting on the sly, a group attacks the house and leaves Forbes dead, with Mason only just able to escape. His superiors are furious but also baffled when they discover the body, as well as that from another cold-case from around the same time. DI Mason is put in touch with a private investigator, Tina Boyd, who was also contacted by Forbes, and they begin piecing together what might have happened and who could be behind the murder decades ago, as well as the recent attack and murder of Forbes. Mason remembers an occult symbol on Forbes' arm and seeks to determine if it is a solid clue. Just as the authorities are honing in on a viable suspect, Mason makes an error that has fatal consequences, which has him suspended. Refusing to give up, Mason works with PI Boyd to trace the events of Thailand and before to determine who might be trying to exact revenge all these years later. What they discover shakes them to the core and leaves the door open for scores of other potential victims. Kernick offers readers a powerful and well-paced story that could flourish into an intriguing series, should the author desire.
This is my first time reading anything by Simon Kernick and I found it highly entertaining. While I might usually read a series in order (meaning I might have secured and read the first Ray Mason novel to get sufficient context), I did not feel lost or out of place by entering at this stage. Kernick develops a few key characters in an effective manner, particularly his protagonist. Mason is a complex police officer, whose past on the Force has been anything but smooth sailing. Added to that, his traumatic childhood, which helps coax out certain dramatic portion of the narrative, as well as allowing the reader to forge an instant connection. The premise of the story is interesting as well, though it was not as 'captivating' as some of the dust jacket narratives might have led me to hope. Murders, especially cold cases, can have a wonderfully complex nature, leaving the detective to pull at any strings and chase many paths, some of which lead nowhere. While I was not up late into the night, wondering what could be waiting in the next chapter, Kernick has developed a strong foundation, should Mason and PI Boyd return for another instalment. I will keep an eye out for it, in hopes that the impact is as effective.
Kudos, Mr. Kernick for this entertaining piece of writing. I see you have a lot of other books in your collection, which might be something for me to explore later on this year.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
kaz_loves_books's review
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, looking forward to the next instalment. Fast paced page turner, intriguing mystery how could the bones of a woman turn up 20 odd years after she left the country? Just brilliant!
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