The Bones Of You revolves around eighteen-year-old Rosie Anderson who has gone missing. As a member of a much-loved, tight-knit family, her disappearance brings the whole community together in an attempt to find her. Sadly, this doesn’t have a happy ending.
What unfolds in the following pages is the story of what happens next, over the course of the year it takes to slowly piece together what happened to the teenager – who killed her, with what, and why.
Howells offers up two perspectives in this book, with the majority coming from Kate, the mother of one of Rosie’s closest friends. It is she who slowly pieces together clues and tidbits of information while, at the same time, allowing herself and the reader to learn a little more about Rosie and the other members of the Anderson family. Such a way of delivering a story is rare, especially since Kate isn’t a police detective or in any way associated with the individuals in such jobs, who often take centre stage when a book focuses on such dark subject matter.
The second perspective, perhaps the better of the two, comes via Rosie and a series of flashbacks. There’s a saying, at the moment just before death, that you see your life flash before your eyes, and that’s how her story starts, before gradually unfolding itself to present a much broader picture that adds valuable detail and context to her demise.
KensingtonA little unsurprisingly, it is revealed that there are many secrets and lies scattered in and around Rosie’s life, along with the lives of her nearest and dearest.
What did surprise me, however, was the fact that Rosie isn’t the only victim in this book, and hers isn’t the only complicated story readers must try and unravel as Kate does – various chapters make for gripping, often intriguing reading.
I will admit that I hadn’t quite worked out who the killer was prior to it being revealed, but if they pay attention, readers will likely find that what starts out as a long list of potential subjects can be whittled down quite easily in the chapters that come beforehand. I don’t often read crime-related books, but I’m glad I received this one and would highly recommend it to others.
The Bones Of You is available now from Amazon.
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