Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. 

It was a bit hard to get into this story at girst because it had so many POVs, but once I got into it I was all in! Sp if you're trying to decide whether to keep reading around the 10% mark, I'd absolutely suggest you go on! 

There were many characters, but once you got to know them they were very distinct and it was easy to keep track of them. 

I really loved the mystery and totally didn't see the ending coming! 

I only wish that I read the author's previous books first to get the backstory of certain characters.

Book Review

📖📖📖📖📖

I am so behind on reviews! Thank you to @netgalley and @severnhouseimprint for this early release, due out in November.

This book is fantastic. The setting is Cape Vincent, so it’s literally like reading about home. Add in the Troop D Alexandria Bay State Police storyline and I was hooked! My husband was the Sgt./Station Commander at SP Alex Bay, so it resonated completely!

Celebrity athletes, locals, nods to establishments you will recognize if you live here, a marriage in crisis, a thief, and a murderer. It’s all the things that make you want to turn the pages, or in my case, tap the kindle.

This was my first T.W. book. I really enjoyed the way she writes. The chapters are not daunting and the characters are nicely developed!

Add this one to your list!

#inthebones

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🏒 are a big hockey fan
👀 love multiple POVs
📖 enjoy the Shana Merchant series
🌪️ like a lot of twists

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

It’s almost summer in Cape Vincent, and as the heat rises, ex-professional ice hockey superstar Mikko Helle arrives, ready to move into his extravagantly renovated waterfront home. Mikko is 30, handsome, and wealthy. He’s a stranger in town. There’s no reason to suspect Mikko is anything other than he seems.

Local married mother-of-two Nicole Durham works her connections hard to get hired as his cleaner. She needs this job—and not just because of the money. Nicole is desperate to expose a secret, and she’s running out of time.

But when Nicole disturbs an intruder while cleaning, New York State Police Investigator Tim Wellington discovers that the luxury mansion is hiding its own unthinkable truth. Deep in the basement lie the bones of a young woman, identity unknown.

The celebrity athlete. The local. The thief. Everyone is hiding something—but someone in the North Country’s a ruthless killer, and one of the three knows exactly who it is.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

I love the Shana Merchant series, so I knew I would enjoy this one even though it wasn’t really her case this time. I loved the idea of a phrogger, someone who lives in houses without permission, as it was something that I’ve never heard of before! The entire concept was a lot of fun, and I think this book did well using so many new viewpoints. It helped with the suspense, because I really had no idea who was the culprit and was 100% shocked by the ending! I hope to see more books from more of Mac and Tim’s perspectives, but Shana will always be my favorite!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of In the Bones!

3.5* A quick entertaining read

A complex plot with multiple POVs from numerous characters, often leaving the reader in suspense at the end of a chapter. The amount of characters require absolute concentration. Persevere, it's worth it.

By the last pages of a book, an author will tie up all the loose ends of their plot for a satisfactory conclusion. This didn't happen in The Bones, the inconsistencies left me puzzled. There was no explanation how Nicole escaped from her attacker. One character confusingly had two names (it caught me out every time). Details are necessary in a murder mystery, they add depth to the plot, if missing the reader is left clueless, literally.

Its a good story, keeps you interested until the very end. Lots of twists and turns with each page.. written very well! Very mysterious! With a who done it type vibe!

This was incredible! It was fast paced and entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved the title, it grabbed me immediately, but the writing and the story kept me hooked from start to finish! I loved it, you’ll love it, thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it!

In The Bones is the exciting first installment in the North Country Novel series! I feel like I could hear the Forensic Files theme as I transitioned from chapter to chapter! Ha!

The story takes place in the brilliant Thousand Islands Region (my favorite place in the world!) and Wegert does an excellent job of painting the setting so readers can fully immerse themselves into the story. I could truly smell the dank Rivermouth and hear the hum of the boats on the river :)

In this story, Wegert masterfully builds a complex and engaging story that I couldn't help think about when I was in between reading sessions. It truly left me guessing until the very end! Can't wait for the next one.

I will say that I would highly recommend that readers check out the Shana Merchant series before jumping into this book/series. It definitely can stand on its own, but I think if I were reading this without knowing all about Shana and the gang, it is possible that I might think there were "too many characters" and that it was excessive. However, since I've read all six installments of the previous series, I found this to be an enriching spin-off, if you could call it that.

Oh and thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Very grateful to have gotten the opportunity to read this.

I was so excited to learn that Tessa Wegert had a new series coming out, and I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to get my hands on an advanced digital copy!

I've been a big fan of the Shana Merchant series for years now, so having some familiar characters appear in "In the Bones" felt immediately right. This book was a solid 4 start read for me. I enjoyed the multi-POV structure, and the pacing. There was a point when I simply couldn't put it down unless it was to try and piece together all the clues myself. There were a LOT of threads in this book, sometimes it felt like too many, but in the end I liked how everything came together. I'm so curious to know where the North Country series will go next. Highly recommend "In the Bones" when it comes out on November 4, 2025, and highly recommend Tessa Wegert in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book. I can't wait to get my own physical copy!

I really loved the structure of this one, with each chapter told from a different character’s POV. It gave the story so much depth without ever dragging the pace. The writing let me really get inside the characters’ heads, and I felt like I understood how they thought and what drove them. The mystery itself was fantastic. What started out as a straightforward cold case kept building into something bigger and more complex, and I was hooked the whole way through. It’s fast-paced when it needs to be, more reflective in the right spots, and completely immersive. Honestly, I already can’t wait to see where this series goes next. 5 ⭐️

This is my first Tessa Wegert book, but it drew me in from page one and won't be the last of hers that I read. Loved the writing and the idea behind the story- phrogging. Characters from her Shana Merchant series play a role in this book, but with enough background given to make me feel like I knew them already. Love a book when I don't figure out " who done it" until it's revealed. Looking forward to another in this series to see what happens with Mac, Nicole, and Woody.

Tessa Wegert’s “In the Bones” is the first installment in her new North Country series. It’s still set in New York’s Thousand Islands region and the characters I’ve come to love from her Shana Merchant series make appearances in this book.

While this book could, technically, be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend those unfamiliar with Tim, Mac, and Shana’s history to go back and read the Shana Merchant books first. They provide background knowledge that will be useful when reading this book.

It’s late spring in New York and Mikko Helle, a retired professional hockey player, is getting ready to move into his newly renovated house. He bought the house the previous Labor Day, but renovations didn’t start until a few months ago. Mikko hires Nicole Durham to clean his house before he’s fully moved in, but things don’t go as planned.

After Nicole discovers an intruder who has been phrogging in the house (as well as others in the area), she calls the police. The intruder tells the police there are bones in the basement of Mikko’s house. Tim, Shana, Mac and the rest of their team work to identify the phrogger, as well as the identity of the murder victim. After they’ve done both, they then need to unravel what happened to the victim and how the pieces of the case are connected.

Overall, I recommend this book. I missed Shana being the focus of this book, but it was a solid entry. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

“In the Bones” by Tessa Wegert is book 1 of a new mystery series by this author.
The story revolves around a newly retired NHL hockey player who finds skeletal remains of a young woman in the basement of his newly renovated home in Cape Vincent NY. At the same time, there has been a rash of thefts in the homes of summer residents. Suddenly this sleepy town is crime ridden and everyone in it becomes a suspect.
The concept behind this novel was intriguing to me, but quickly became confusing because of the amount of characters. I will definitely try another book by this author as I really enjoyed the descriptive scenic setting.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In the Bones is an exciting new entry in Tessa Wegert's collection that will keep the reader guessing until the end. It has a an intriguing central mystery, familiar characters (Shana, Tim, Mac) from her previous books and a steady tension that keeps the book going. I loved the Shana Merchant series and, while I kind of missed Shana's POV, I liked getting to the new people and places in the Thousand Islands setting. I would definitely read a book 2 in this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Suspense at its finest! This is my first read from this author and it was not wasted! I will definitely be looking for more reads!

I was given a free copy of this book by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

In The Bones is full of all things thriller. The characters suck you in and keep you confused throughout. Definitely recommend!

This was an excellent mystery novel with plenty of red herrings so that the reader was not easily able to solve the puzzles early on. I enjoyed the way that there were side characters involved in the lives of the main characters and that they also had some involvement in the action. There was just the right amount of chapters going back in time, giving the right balance of background information. Not too cozy, not too gritty, this would appeal to a wide range of readers. Quality writing which will definitely draw me in to trying the next in the series.

Being part of a series, I am curious to see if the same characters will appear or if following novels will just be set in the same town.

The title, the premise, and the mood all drew me in and this book delivered exactly what I hoped for. From the very beginning, it hooked me and kept me invested until the end.

The group was a standout for me—they were a mixture of sharp, compelling, and perfect for the tense atmosphere Tessa Wegert created. I admired multiple of them throughout, even when the situation tightened into that “isolated mystery” feel that I love. The relationships, atmosphere, and surprises worked together seamlessly, creating a story that never really let up in twists and turns.

The pacing was consistent, the tension was steady, and there was always another reveal waiting just around the corner. While there wasn’t anything that truly missed the mark for me, it was the combination of atmosphere and character dynamics that made it memorable.

I’d recommend In The Bones to anyone looking for a mystery that keeps them on their toes from start to finish.

I totally got sucked into this one and loved it. There was a bit of humor and a great premise.

However, I realized at chapter 11 that there are over three points of view and like over 6 characters in this one. It’s also a lot more of a crime mystery vibe I feel like and not a psychological thriller, domestic thriller, etc like I tend to prefer.

If I saw this in stores I would totally buy it but reading this as an ebook is not a fun time for me. I prefer thrillers that have fewer characters and a bit less to keep track of. My thrillers tend to be my easy comfort reads, so this was not quite the experience I was hoping for. It was a similar experience to the Thursday Murder Club as far as the number of characters, although the stories are very different.

I really like the cover on this one and would read other books by this author. There’s just too much to keep track of in this one and I don’t find myself wanting to read more right now. I’m struggling to push past 17% so I am putting it down for now. I plan to potentially pick it back up in the future.

Thank you for this ARC! I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley and Severn House for the advance ebook of this novel.

It’s almost summer in Cape Vincent, and as the heat rises, ex-professional ice hockey superstar Mikko Helle arrives, ready to move into his extravagantly renovated waterfront home. Mikko is 30, handsome, and wealthy. He’s a stranger in town. There’s no reason to suspect Mikko is anything other than he seems.

Local married mother-of-two Nicole Durham works her connections hard to get hired as his cleaner. She needs this job—and not just because of the money. Nicole is desperate to expose a secret, and she’s running out of time.

But when Nicole disturbs an intruder while cleaning, New York State Police Investigator Tim Wellington discovers that the luxury mansion is hiding its own unthinkable truth. Deep in the basement lie the bones of a young woman, identity unknown.

The celebrity athlete. The local. The thief. Everyone is hiding something—but someone in the North Country’s a ruthless killer, and one of the three knows exactly who it is.

I'm so happy to read thd first book in a new series by Tessa Wegert. She is one of my favorite authors. This new book does not disappoint! 4 out of 5 ⭐️

Being a reader of Tessa Wegert’s Shana Merchant series, I jumped at the chance to read the new book after meeting Tessa at an author talk where she hinted at what was to come. Suffice to say, I was not disappointed. This book is incredible! The mystery keeps you thinking all the way through the novel. It feels like you are working along side the team as they work to solve the crime. What starts out as a seemingly standard cold case mystery develops into so much more in a natural way. The depth to the mystery and the characters is wonderful. I feel I was able to get inside their heads and know them and how they think more than I have with other novels. This is due to the great writing and depth of the novel. It is also due to the structure. I thoroughly enjoyed the structure of the novel. Having each chapter be from the perspective of a different character was a great idea. It allowed for the depth to be developed, but what is truly impressive is that it did not slow down the plot. It was still fast paced in all the right spots and reflective in the others, allowing for full immersion into the entire story. I am already looking forward to seeing where this series goes.