Boneyard
A
Kelly Jones Mystery
Michelle
Gagnon
Mira (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7783-2539-3 (0778325393)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2539-0 (9780778325390)
Publication Date: July 2008
List Price: $6.99
Synopsis (from
the publisher): On the trail of a serial killer, the path splits in two
…
FBI special agent Kelly Jones has worked on many disturbing cases in
her career, but nothing like this. A mass grave site unearthed on the
Appalachian Trail puts Kelly at the head of an investigation that
crosses the line—from Massachusetts to Vermont, from wealthy vacationers to
poor transients, from a serial killer to a copycat nemesis.
Assisted by law enforcement from both states and a forensic
anthropologist, Kelly searches for the killers. But as darkness falls,
another victim is taken. Kelly must race to save him before he joins
the rest … in the boneyard.
Review:
All of FBI agent Kelly Jones' investigative and diplomatic skills are
put to the test when she is assigned to a serial killer task force with
victims found in three states (and three jurisdictions, each with their
own special brand of bureaucracy) in Boneyard, the
second thriller in this series by Michelle Gagnon.
Though the remains of the victims were found in multiple locations,
Kelly and her team quickly determine they have something in common:
they were all young men who had criminal records including
solicitation. But there are some significant differences that puzzle
the team: some of the bodies appear to have been buried then unburied,
and the age of some of the bones seems to indicate that the killings
took place years earlier. Could a serial killer be at large for so long
a time yet no casework filed? The way the men died also presents a
twist: some appear to have been meticulously tortured and others
quickly killed. Is it possible there are two killers at work here?
Boneyard
has several unusual elements that elevate it above the standard serial
killer thriller. For much of the book, the focus is on relationships,
primarily between Kelly and her team members, and between the team
members themselves. This creates a character-driven story that is
deeper and more complex than merely the search for a serial killer. And
it has the effect of drawing the reader in, making them part of the
team. For the most part, and to her credit, the author minimizes much
of the graphic detail of the torture the young men experience prior to
their deaths. It's not necessary anyway and it works to the benefit of
the book as a whole.
If there's a weakness here it's in the motivation of the killer which
isn't well established. A hate crime to be sure, but it could have been
better outlined and defined. And Kelly's romantic element, introduced in
the first book of the series, is furthered in this one but is still more of an
intrusion than not.
Kelly Jones is not a typical FBI agent and this is not a typical serial
killer series. Both Boneyard,
and its predecessor The
Tunnels, are recommended.
Special thanks to Mira Books, an imprint of Harlequin, for providing an ARC of Boneyard for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
The
Tunnels
Mira (Mass Market Paperback), June 2007
ISBN-10: 0-7783-2446-X (077832446X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2446-1 (9780778324461)
Boneyard
Mira (Mass Market Paperback), July 2008
ISBN-10: 0-7783-2539-3 (0778325393)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2539-0 (9780778325390)
Omnimystery keywords for Boneyard ...
Location(s) referenced: New England, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, the
Berkshires.