I received this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book. I was so engaged with the characters and their story, I couldn't put it down once I started reading. I loved the adventure in the story, the setting in a remote town in British Columbia, and the intrigue of the apparent suicide of Noah North. I highly recommend this book.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. It is a fantastic crime/mystery book by a very talented author. It is the second book in a series, I had not read the first book but it didn't really matter I still enjoyed the story thoroughly! 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC

This was a new series and author for me and I found it to be a suspenseful, captivating storyline, with an intricately woven mystery.  There were numerous twists and interesting characters that made this a true page turner.  I found this book to be extremely enjoyable and incredibly easy to visualize - a true strength of the author.

While this book is part of a series of sorts, I did not feel I was missing anything from the previous plot(s). I look forward to reading the first installment and additional books from this author.

I have read several books by Loreth Anne White. The common theme in all of them is that things don’t just get ugly, they get really ugly. She really shows you just how cruel human beings can be to each other. Somehow, she is also able to demonstrate how love can truly conquer all even in the worst of times. The Dark Bones is no different. It’s located in the same town as her previous book, The Dark Lure but I wouldn’t call it a sequel. Characters from the previous book do make an appearance but they play more of a supporting role.

In The Dark Bones, Detective Rebecca North returns home to her small town because of her father’s suicide. She immediately decides that her father who was a retired cop would not have taken his own life, although everyone in town thinks otherwise. To make things more difficult, the man who broke her heart, Ash Haugen is at the center of the investigation in the worst way. Secrets from their past regarding the disappearance of two teens seem to have something to do with all of it. And here in present day, two other teens are also somehow involved. The more Rebecca digs, the harder it is for her to trust anyone. In addition, she and Ash still have feelings for each other. The town seems to be made up of complicated relationships at all levels. Plus, there are a couple of killers on the loose that no one suspects. Since it’s truly a mystery, that’s about all I can say. Nothing is what it seems.

I really enjoyed The Dark Bones. Loreth is very good at writing these types of romantic suspense books. I never had a clue as to what would happen next. The whole book is just one huge puzzle that you have to play out to the very end. The pace was smooth and there is never a dull moment. I look forward to reading more books from Loreth.

I'm a fan of Loreth Ann White's Angie Pallorino series so jumped into this without realising it was already episode two of a new series. Although I now want to go back and read book one, this worked well for me as a stand alone dark tale of murder and betrayal in the cold wilderness of British Columbia.

Rebecca North escaped the small rural town where she grew up to become a Detective in Ottawa but has recently returned after her father ex-Mountie Noah is found dead in his burnt out cabin, from a presumed suicide. She discovers that her father has been following up a cold case of two teenagers who disappeared some 20 years ago and weren't heard from again. Just before he died he believed he'd found important information about the case and Rebecca finds herself drawn in to following Noah's investigations, with the help of Ash Haugen, her former boyfriend before she moved away, as well as two children who were there the night her father died.

White paints a picture of a small close-knit rural town in a frozen but beautiful landscape. As Rebecca revisits events of the past, she uncovers dark secrets and some ugly undercurrents that many would rather see left alone. This is a gritty suspense with some ruthless characters in an environment that could prove deadly.

What a suspenseful story! I was totally engaged from the very beginning. I couldn't put it down. Great writing and great characters. This is the first book I've read from this author and won't be my last. Books like this are why I love this genre. Definitely recommend this. 

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great story. Great mystery. The characters are very well written. The story link is interesting and an enjoyable read. Definitely recommend.

EXCERPT: .... as she took her place in the witness box, a chill trickled down her spine. She was barely able to register the court official in front of her, let alone recall how she'd gotten to the box.

'Do you, Sergeant Rebecca North, solemnly affirm that the evidence to be given by you shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?'

He lied.

You both lied.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: When Detective Rebecca North left her rural hometown, she vowed never to return. Her father’s apparent suicide has changed that. The official report is that retired cop Noah North shot himself, knocked over a lantern, and set his isolated cabin ablaze. But Rebecca cannot believe he killed himself.

To prove it, she needs the help of Ash Haugen, the man she left behind. But Rebecca and Ash share more than broken hearts. Something darker lies between them, and the investigation is stirring it back to life. Clues lead them to the home of Olivia West and her deeply troubled twelve-year-old daughter, Tori. The child knows more about the murder than anyone can imagine, but she’s too terrified to say a word.

And as a cold-blooded killer resurfaces from the past, Rebecca and Ash begin to fear that their own secrets may be even harder to survive.

MY THOUGHTS: I had previously read and loved a book by this author, unfortunately not A Dark Lure, the prequel to The Dark Bones. Although I really enjoyed this read, I think it may have been even better had I had the full back story. 

But putting that aside, although I really do recommend you read A Dark Lure before The Dark Bones, it was still an intriguing and exciting read. The author's descriptions are often graphic, whether it be of the crime or the scenery. She does both beautifully. 

But this is so much more than a crime novel, it is a story of redemption, of love, of rebuilding relationships.

I need to read more by this author.

****

THE AUTHOR: Loreth Anne White is an award-winning, bestselling author of romantic suspense, thrillers, and mysteries. 

A three-time RITA finalist, she has also won the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Romantic Crown for Best Romantic Suspense and Best Book Overall, in addition to being a Booksellers’ Best finalist, a multiple Daphne Du Maurier Award finalist, and a multiple CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award winner. 

A former journalist and newspaper editor who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now resides in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest with her family. When she’s not writing, you will find her skiing, biking, or hiking the trails with her Black Dog. 

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to MOntlake Romance via NetGalley for providing a digital copy of The Dark Bones by Loreth Ann White for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.

There's nothing quite like getting lost in a Loreth Anne White novel. I just can't understand why we still haven't seen any movie deals yet? A complete and utter mystery to me. 

The Dark Bones is the second installment in The Dark Lure series. Although this novel features our beloved Olivia and Cole... and even Tori from A Dark Lure, this novel however centers around Rebecca North and Ash Haugen. Their story begins 20 years ago, when choices were made and hearts were broken. Rebecca North is forced to return to her hometown when she learns of her father's passing. Rebecca, being of the RCMP begins to suspect foul play involved with her father's death. What she doesn't realize is that the events that took place 20 years ago still plague the small town of Clinton. 

The closer Rebecca gets to the truth, the close she gets to danger, and the more unsettling her feelings become toward her ex-love, Ash. Rebecca has to make a choice, can she trust him? 

A Dark Lure was my first Loreth Anne White read, and while it has never been my favorite, at the time I found a great appreciation for Loreth Anne White's writing. The more I have read from her, over time, she has simply become my favorite author. Her descriptive writing is by far superior. Her ability to place a scene inside one's head is truly remarkable. For me, the storyline means nothing if you can't bring it all to life with descriptive writing. The Dark Bones is another example of excellent writing. While this is the second installment in a series, I would go as far to say it could be read as a stand alone and one would not be too lost as the main characters are given their own story that seldom intertwines with the past. 

I want to thank NetGalley, Montlake Romance, and Loreth Anne White for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review.

There are an abundance of suspense/thriller writers, but none is better than Loreth Ann White at fooling the reader as her plotline takes numerous 90-degree turns while she builds suspense one red herring at a time. Exceptional Read !

The second book was much better than the first book IMO. The main reason lies in the the main character, Detective Rebecca North. I like her honesty, directness and loyalty. I also like the idea of the mystery case much better than the one from the first book. I have to confess that I prefer the analytic side in crime solving to the graphical description of the savage brutality of a crime.

Rebecca returns to her hometown to bury her father, former RCMP officer Noah North, who committed suicide after setting his lone cabin on fire. But something is not right here: from her last phone conversation with her father, who was working on some old unsolved case, she knows that he found some important information that could help to solve the case. Was his suicide staged to protect the real murderer or murderers? She needs the answers and she needs the help of someone she can trust. But can she trust Ash Haugen, the man who broke her heart long ago and who is one of the main suspects on her personal list?

The author created a very thrilling atmosphere of a rural Canadian town, full of hidden dark secrets, the wrong and the rights decisions that were made. The story-line remains exciting until the very end.

The Dark Bones could be read as a stand-alone. The characters from the first book play a secondary role in the second book, and you don't need unnecessarily to know their background story to enjoy this one.

The Dark Bones by Loreth Anne White is a suspenseful page-turner that holds your interest from page 1. This is a highly recommended read.

While I did not read book one I did still enjoy this one very much.  I loved that characters and the setting and I can not wait to get a copy of book one.  I loved the frozen setting and the close knit town.  I could not put this one down at all and I finished it in less than a day!

Rebecca North is a great protagonist.  She's relatable, brave and has great common sense for a dectective.  Her past is a mess but she returns to her hometown after her father's death from suicide.  But when she starts searching for answers about what brought her father to this point, what she uncovers is surprising.  Good, writing, good plot, good mystery.

An excellent read, great characterisation and plenty of tension and suspension to keep you turning the pages. The description of setting is so vivid you feel as if you have been transported there.
This is the second book in a series but I had no problems following the story and I will definitely be reading the first one.
Highly recommend this one.

The Dark Bones is a chilling suspense story with a young love gone wrong and having second chances.

When Detective Rebecca North left her rural Canadian hometown, she vowed never to return. A call from her drunken father made her nervous, a follow up call notifying her of his apparent suicide brought her home. However, Rebecca is not content with the suicide findings and is determined to find out what her father was doing before he died, who he was with and why the townspeople are behaving so strangely. Excellent read!

The Dark Bones was an excellent book with plenty of mystery. The main characters are well-developed with complex motivations. I will definitely look for more by this author.

The book was well  written.    I did not realize it was the second in the series, so it was a little hard to get into it.  Detective Rebecca North left her hometown.  She is getting a message from her father, but when her father is killed by suicide, she comes back to find out what happened.  Why did he kill himself when he left a message about a cold case in the town?  There is a noir feeling to the writing which is interesting.   I did like the back in forth in history.  A good book thanks you Net Galley.  I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

3 stars for The Dark Bones. I was pretty excited to read this one, as I LOVED A Dark Lure. This one was good, but just didn't hook me like the first book. There was some predictability in this story that dulled my excitement, but overall there were some positives that I want to call out. I loved that they gave us more of Olivia, Tori and Cole, and introduced us to more characters in Clinton.  I think this sets up nicely for additional stories, and I am HERE.FOR.IT! I am excited for the next book in the series and will be impatiently waiting! 
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review The Dark Bones.

The Dark Bones is the second book in the Dark Lure series and really should be read after reading the first, which I was unable to do.  The story was understandable on its own, but I missed quite a bit of pertinent backstory, character development and emotional attachment that I would have had if I had read The Dark Lure first. That said, it was a well-written, thoroughly crafted dark, small town mystery with a bit of romance mixed in. 

The story centers around Rebecca North, a Canadian Mounted Police detective who is called home upon news of her father’s apparent suicide. She has her own reasons from her past that make her reluctant to return home, but she also has a hard time believing that her father would kill himself. She soon discovers that her doubts have merit. As she begins to investigate the cause of her father’s death, she finds that her former love is deeply embroiled in the mystery himself. 

This novel definitely has darker elements to it and is not always an easy read given certain content. I had a bit of a hard time keeping certain characters straight and following some of the plot lines, and did have an idea, given the narrative, who the culprits were. That said, I did not anticipate the surprising reveal at the conclusion. Overall, The Dark Bones is a chilling, well-developed, complex plot with a nice conclusion.