Published: April 1st 2022
Publisher: Isis Publishing
Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural
Format: Audiobook, Kindle, Paperback
Welcome to my delayed stop on the blog tour for this gripping thriller. Thank you to Danielle for the invitation to take part in the tour and to Isis Audio for the gifted audiobook.
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SYNOPSIS:
SOCO Maya Barton is called to a canal where a heavily decomposed male body has been discovered. A bank card belonging to Trevor Dawlish is found in the cadaver’s pocket, and the name matches that of a missing person. All seems straightforward – until Trevor’s wife phones the police to say that Trevor has returned home, leaving Maya and the team wondering who the unknown male is.
When it’s revealed that the male was dead before he entered the water, Maya finds herself with a murder on her hands. But when another body is discovered, the case becomes further complicated. The hope is that facial reconstruction of the first victim will help solve the mystery – but it may lead Maya and her team down an even darker path.
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MY REVIEW:
When a heavily decomposed body is found in a canal and a bank card is found in the cadaver’s pocket belonging to Trevor Dawlish it looks like a pretty straightforward case for SOCO Maya Barton and her team. But when Trevor’s wife calls saying he just assaulted her and then disappeared things get more complicated. But the crazy twists in this case are only beginning…
This gripping audiobook packs a punch from the start with a rage-filled prologue that is immediately followed by a gruesome crime scene. I was caught on the author’s hook and on the edge of my seat as I listened.
While Shattered Bones is the second in Kate Bendelow’s Maya Barton trilogy, it was my introduction to both the series and the author. Despite this I never struggled to keep up or understand what was happening, making this a great standalone or introduction to the series. The story is skillfully written, the author’s history as a CSI shining through in the gritty, authentic feel and small details.
This story is a tangled web with many threads, some that I found hard to imagine how they wove together. But as the investigation goes on they slowly begin to weave together and I saw the final picture take shape. And it looked nothing like I’d imagined. I love it when a thriller is hard to predict and this one really was, forcing me to reassess my predictions again and again.
Maya is a great protagonist. I found her likeable, interesting, witty and adept. I loved her relationship with her mother Dominique and enjoyed the tension and emotion that their shared history added to the story. I was very invested in this particular thread of the story and listened with my heart in my throat and even tears in my eyes at one point.
Tense, twisty, unflinching and compelling, Shattered Bones was one of my favourite audiobooks yet and I look forward to the final part of this trilogy. A must-listen for anyone who enjoys a really well-written thriller.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
I am the author of The Real CSI: A Forensic Handbook for Crime Writers. I also deliver presentations on the same subject to crime writers. I hope you find The Real CSI a useful resource.
Bloodhound Books are the publishers behind the SOCO Maya Barton trilogy. It’s crime fiction with a twist, as the main protagonist is a scene of crime office rather than a detective. The first two books in the series are Definitely Dead and Shattered Bones and are perfect for you if you’re interested in forensics crime scene investigation.
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BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon*
*This is an affiliate link
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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles 😊Emma xxx
Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.
Emma's Biblio Treasures 