Bloodie Bones

Written by Lucienne Boyce
Review by Leslie Hockin

Gamekeeper Josh Castle has been murdered, and the culprit has not been found. Dan Foster of the Bow Street Runners goes undercover in the village of Barcombe in a quest to uncover the truth tangled in the gamekeeper’s past and his demise. Joining with the locals in midnight poaching expeditions, Dan uses his relationship with the villagers to infiltrate the heart of the community. But there are so many questions to be answered and Lord Oldfield has hardly made himself a popular landlord having fenced off Barcombe Wood. Will Dan find what he needs and uncover the truth surrounding the mysterious murder?

Bloodie Bones is a terrific novel and was very difficult to put down. It is amazingly well written, with a smooth expert hand and faultless flow. This is apparent throughout the book but is particularly noticeable in the descriptions of the fight scenes as Dan is called upon to use his fighting skills to remain undercover.

The main characters are engaging and believable, and the clever writing style evokes the feel of the Georgian era. Occasionally we get glimpses into Dan’s home life and as a reader I was excited to see what would happen to him in the story, and whether he would be successful in solving the case. It had a thriller feel that kept me turning the pages, eager to discover what would happen next.

I loved this book, highly recommend it, and eagerly await the second Dan Foster mystery.