This book was difficult to get through because it is a disturbing story. I have read worse books and I have definitely read much better books...and I'm not sure if that's due to the subject matter or the writing. While Little Bones had some interesting parts, much of it was boring and redundant. The writing in this book is okay, but the pacing is a little slow and inconsistent. Rather than a continual ramping up of tension and suspense, there's a peak of suspense, followed by an extended period of nothing really happening, until the end of the book when there is the resolution.

The characterization is well done but there wasn't one I liked, also I didn't feel the stakes seemed real. So much more could have been written about how and when who knew what. A complete let down. My actual rating would be a 2.5 if halves were an option.

**This review will be cross posted on my Blog, Instagram, and Facebook page close to the pub date**

When a child goes missing, a podcast brings back the gruesome history of the small town into focus again. Is the serial killer who abducted, killed and made macabre art out of the children's bones many years ago back? Or is it his daughter, who as a child helped him kill, and is now a living an ordinary life? But when her own child goes missing, everyone's a suspect including the mother herself.

This was such an interesting read an I enjoyed it very much. Gripping from the get go and super fast paced. And even though the subject is kinda dark, it's written in a light way, from the perspective of a serial killer's daughter, that does not feel jarring at all but adds more to the feel of the book.

What I really liked was how strong and badass (reckless even, but believable) the protagonist was written as. I was half expecting the typical crying and wailing over the missing kid and the broken motherhood but it was such a delight to read this character for a change. The final reveal was kinda predictable but every character was a suspect at one point or another and it was still fun to solve the whodunit alongside. Recommended! 🙌

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley, author, and publishers. All opinions are my own. Pub date 31st Oct.

This book to be honest wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't enjoy it at all. There were certain times when I felt like giving up but I did manage to finish the book. I really disliked the lead character, Little Bones. She was not a person deserving to lead a book. And the overall story felt too loose, too flimsy for my taste. Overall I didn't enjoy the book. And a big thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me this book in exchange of my review.

🚨📚 book review 📚🚨

I have read lots of thrillers/crime in my time, and never been phased by them but I have to say, certain bits of this - I wasn’t sure if I could carry on reading. The storyline was good but SOME of the details what was done to they boys ....not sure there was any need for that.
over all, I enjoyed the book and the way it showed, that when someone is responsible such crimes, the affect it has on their family and not only the family of the victims.

Thanks #netgalley #nvpeacock #avon

Thank you to #Netgalley, author #NVPeacock, and #AvonBooksUK for an advanced reading copy of this fast-paced thriller!

Cherrie Forrester has it all, an adorable son, a doting boyfriend, and a job she enjoys. But when young boys begin to disappear and a podcast reveals her hidden identity, "Little Bones', the daughter of infamous serial killer Mr Bones., her carefully curated life begins to fall apart. As a child, Cherrie witnessed her father's crimes and he used her to bait the little boys that he killed and made "art" out of.

With her past being dug up by a wannabe journalist, a psychic with dire warnings, an overbearing mother-in-law, and posters of missing boys going up, Cherrie's past become the forefront, threatening her, freedom, identity, and marriage.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A lot of readers mentioned that an unlikable main character ruined it for them, but I didn't find Cherrie unlikable- I found her complex and sometimes her choices had me yelling at the book, but overall I found her to be a really interesting and redeemable character. I found her boyfriend to be similarly complex and at times unlikable, but I think that the reactions they have to their son's disappearance make sense. This book was gripping- I kept waking up in the middle of the night wanting to read it and I finally finished it this morning at around 5am! When a book seriously affects my sleep I know it is a good read. I recommend this to all of the true crime, mystery, and thriller readers!

My only criticism is that the writing was a bit choppy or frenetic in places, but overall I highly recommend this book- especially to read alone at night!

The titlle and description pulled me in, I knew I needed to read this book! Overall I enjoyed the storyline, it had a clever plot and I was looking forward to finding out who had Cherrie’s son!

I didn’t expect the ending, a good twist as it wasn’t something I predicted but I felt it was quite rushed at the end.

I think little bones and Mr Bones have so much potential and further stories could grow from it and maybe even tv series!

Overall a good enjoyable thriller!

“To inspect the young faces on offer, he slips down to second gear.” Ever have a visceral reaction to words?

To say I loved this book would be an understatement! The writing, the tone, the characters - countless reviews mark this as a book you want to consume immediately and I can relate having had to pace myself to read over a day.

From the start there are underlying currents of humour - “Leo’s voice breaks my weird chicken spell” - yet you are reminded there’s a kidnapper on the loose and Little Bones is here somewhere.

Cherrie’s son has gone missing, and in doing so she goes manic, feral even. She’s a one woman mission determined to get her son back. In doing so she will lash out and awaken the dark side of her soul that was buried deep for years.

All of the above means you have to draw your own opinions, or you’ll doubt everyone just as Cherrie did! Though maybe, maybe you’ll start to doubt Cherrie herself.

I really loved that sometimes, you worry Cherrie may start her descent back into being Little Bones, but then she would think about the future and her little family and you’re left to remember that she’s just a distraught mother. Her negative feelings deflate and you have to hold her to her bad actions but you gain a better understanding why she did what she has too.

All of the characters are written with purpose, there are flawed people and I feel this book captures real life within the pages.

Could not put this down. I spent all night reading, desperate to find the conclusion to this thrilling story. It kept me guessing and leading me down different paths, only to add another twist along the way. This has definitely been one of those books I'll have to read again and again in order to pick up all the small clues. Very much enjoyed it and loved falling into the world of serial killers.

This book, for me, was a little more complicated than it needed to be. Little Bones had a great setup: nonchalant dad, secretive mom, and a great kid who happens to get kidnapped. When Cherrie realizes her son Robin is missing, she doesn't know what to do. She's recently been outed on the internet as the daughter of a prolific serial killer, so on top of desperately searching for her son, she must worry about what people will think of her.

My one complaint about this book is how the plot seemed to drag a bit. The story was very good, but I was so tired of hearing about much Cherrie ate and how little she slept, that I was tempted to skip a few pages to get to the end.

I do love the twists and turns and the fact that in this story the reader never knows who they should trust. The mystery was intriguing and there was a decent amount of depth to the personality of each character. If the pace was just a little bit quicker, this book would've been a big hit for me.

I was really excited to read Little Bones by N.V. Peacock for two reasons. The first being that the plot was unique and stood out from the average missing child thrillers I often read. The protagonist is the daughter of Mr. Bones, a serial killer who murdered little boys and used their bones to create macabre works of art. Cherrie has given herself a new name and a new life in an attempt to escape her previous life as "Little Bones," the nickname she received at 8 years-old when the public discovered she was a potential accomplice in her father's crimes. Considering her involvement in the kidnappings of eleven young boys when she was a child, Cherrie is not the typical protagonist. The second thing that lured me in was the mention of a true crime podcast that stirs up Cherrie's life and leads to the subsequent abduction of her young son. I enjoy listening to true crime podcasts myself, such as "Serial," "Teacher's Pet," and "Up and Vanished" to name a few, so I was interested in seeing how the author incorporated her own version of this popular media into the story.

The book had me hooked from the beginning and I was not able to put it down for the first 60% or so. I was rooting for Cherrie to find her son and was very intrigued by her relationship with her serial killer father. Unfortunately, the last 40% of the novel did not live up to the beginning and I was left feeling disappointed and confused. While there were several red herrings introduced, the "bad guy" wasn't a huge shocker. I had suspected the culprit multiple different times throughout the story so the final reveal was less than shocking. My other complaint is that I lost my connection with Cherrie as soon as she switched into vigilante mode. I'm all for a bad ass protagonist, but Cherrie almost came across as being manic where she'd be frantically plotting and scheming on how to run her own investigation into her son's disappearance and the next minute she's sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal and watching Grey's Anatomy. Thankfully, my child has never gone missing, but if she did, I could promise you that I would NEVER be able to chill out and watch mindless television just a few days into her disappearance. One minute she'd talk about not being able to sleep because her mind is racing with fears for her son and the next minute, she's calmly going to bed early as a way of passing time as she waits for developments. It just seemed so unlikely to me that a mother in this position would act the way she does. Her actions made me dislike her which was frustrating because I didn't start the novel feeling that way.

Overall, this was an entertaining enough read, but the inconsistent characterization of Cherrie ruined it for me in the end.

My Rating: ★★★ 1/2 out of 5

*Thanks to the author, Avon Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

They used to call her Little Bones. Her father was the serial killer they called Mr. Bones. Now, 25 years later, she’s got a new identity and new life but they’ve started to call her Little Bones again.

This book was definitely creepy. I found the middle of the book to be boring in parts, it was a bit dragged out. There were a few twists and misleads and I was making guesses up until the very end. It still didn’t have the big shock factor I want in a thriller though. But it was still a unique take on a serial killer thriller that I really enjoyed.

I received a copy of Little Bones from N V Peacock and NetGalley for honest review

Mr Bones was a notorious serial killer, he took the lives of eleven boys. He used their bones to make hideous sculptures. His eight year old daughter loved her dad and would often help him. The press dubbed her Little Bones. Fast forward twenty five years, the daughter has changed her name, built a new life and has a son. A young boy goes missing and is found dead. A true crime podcast outs her real identity. The public start putting two and two together and making five. Then her son goes missing. Little Bones has more of her father than she likes to admit. I devoured this book in one sitting. Sat on the edge of my seat. Did she or didn't she. LOVED IT!!!!!!
Thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

After multiple attempts to get into this book I finally had to admit this one just wasn't for me. Sorry.

Wow, this book had me gripped from the start, it had me on the edge of my seat throughout. I am looking forward to reading more from this author

I really enjoyed reading this crime/thriller; I felt that it did something a little different with a very saturated genre and had me guessing the whole way through. Little Bones is firmly in the past for Cherie, who's father was the serial killer Mr Bones, she's moved on from the awful crimes she witnessed. But, things begin to unravel when boys start going missing and her past is revealed. Then her own son disappears.

Cherie's character was unnerving at times, but on the whole she was relatable and understandable. Despite burying her past away, it's clear that she hasn't recovered or come to terms with what she witnessed and her role in the crimes of her father. As the novel progressed I felt she got more and more unhinged and unpredictable, which really helped the mystery element of the story as you're forced to consider whether she had done something to her son.

I loved the small clues that were scattered throughout this book - it really did keep you guessing until the very end. If you're paying attention there are hints dropped in at the very beginning that appear to point to a suspect later on; from missing items to paint colours, from random acquaintances to close friends. This is my favourite part about these kinds of novels: being able to piece together the clues and come up with your own theories is why, for me, crime/thrillers/mysteries will always be popular.

Little Bones is one of those books that grips you from the start and refuses to let you go. I finished it in just 24 hours - it, quite literally, kept me up at night. The mystery element is fantastic and Peacock elegantly leaves breadcrumb trails that will have you convinced you know the truth before revealing a shocking twist. And look at that cover, how could resist that this spooky season?

hank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and N.V. Peacock for an ARC in return for an honest review. The book is available from October 31st.

Where to start? A miss spent childhood, daddy daughter time with a massive twist.

My memory fails me, but lets fast forward a generation. A family, more than content with the life that they had.

A fair, a skeleton and a world up-ended. Step in psychics and podcasters, all with their own agendas.

I would like to be able to say that I have read even some parts of her back catalogue, but I haven't.

This is a gripping story that has you hanging on for dear life, as soon as you have read the opening paragraph. It ebbs and flows, draws you in and has you jumping to the wrong conclusions.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, if you need some suspense in your life for a couple of days. Do yourself a favour, go out and buy this.

Status: Completed

Rating: 4.8/5.0

I read Little Bones over a couple of days. The plot intrigued me and it was a strong start for the book with me reading the first half really quickly. I found it ducked me in and became a real page turner. However I felt the pace slowed considerably in the latter half of the book as the main character became more unhinged. I didn’t particularly like her from the start but found her vicious outbursts became quite annoying and the foul mouthed rants uncalled for. I get what the author was trying to do but felt some if not was unnecessary and didn’t really add anything. I realised part way through the outcome of the book and felt the ending was a bit lacklustre hence the three star rating. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

Hmmm....
The first 60% of this book I liked. The last part of the book completely let it down in my opinion and I found myself irritated rather than intrigued.
Cherrie as a character was awful! And I don’t mean I didn’t find her likeable - she went from being a nice kind shop assistant to a food obsessed crazy person who was frankly down right terrible.
The way the characters interacted was stilted and unemotional and the way the “investigation” into robins disappearance was handled was unbelievable and just made me mad.
Cherries thoughts during the whole thing we’re not great to read and in most places were downright ridiculous 🤷‍♀️
I enjoyed the first half and so would be interested in reading the authors other works.

A dark tale with many twists and turns that makes you want to keep turning the page. A really enjoyable read - I would definitely recommend..

What a book!

The topic is dark. A "loving" father kidnapping young boys. His daughter being used as bait. He uses the bones of the victims to create artwork...

Yes it's twisted!

Mister Bones is a dark character. His daughter "Little Bones" helped him in haar naive childish innocent ways. She loved her daddy and eventough she knew what her father did wasn't right she kept quiet.

He is eventually caught by the police.
Her mother can't handle the truth and commits suïcide. Little Bones aka Cherrie tries to build a new life. Leaving her past behind.

Growing up, changing her name in to Cherrie was the first step in to a normal live. She's got a job at a local supermarket, has a loving relationship with her boyfriend Leo and is mother of a beautiful son.

Then a podcast "The flesh on the bones" reveals "Cherries" real identity and all hell breaks loose.

With a boy already abducted in her neighborhood people point there judging finger at Cherrie. Because the apple doesn't fall far from the tree... does it?

To top it all of her own son is abducted when they visit a traveling carnival.

Cherrie's world is falling apart... Her boyfriend isn't amused when he discovers her true identity. Her son is missing, people are judging and turning there backs at her, the police doesn't believe her innocence... She knows that if she wants her son back she will have to find him her self.

I liked this book. It reminded me of The Wisperman and Stillhouse Lake.

Cherie is a strong women struggling with her dark past and the DNA she shares with her father. What does it say about you when one of your parents is a maniac? Does it rub off?

You can run and hide from your past but it will always have a way of popping up. Cherrie desides to face her demons in the closet.

I enjoyed the story. Eventough it was dark and twisted. Children being hurt is hard to read about. I loved how Cherrie faced her fears.