The Bones Will Speak -- Carrie Stuart Parks
Thomas Nelson Publishers
331 Pages
Just over one year ago, I reviewed the first book in the Gwen Marcy series, A Cry in the Dust, by Carrie Stuart Parks. I thought it was a magnificent debut novel that brought us an unlikely heroine. Parks explored a piece of nearly forgotten Mormon history and brought it to the reader in an amazing “what it” scenario. At the end of my review, I eagerly anticipated her follow up, The Bones Will Speak. Well, fans, here is that long-awaited sequel.
Amid the hunt for an apparent serial killer, Gwen must carefully step around the mines and traps that are a part of being a single mother of a teenager, and a part of being freshly divorced. Her personal life has almost as many pitfalls as her search for the killer. Her friends and family are put to the test throughout this book. Meanwhile, she is still struggling with the aftermath of her breast cancer.
Craig Bacon has a killer personality. His jokes are to die for.
Gwen Marcy is back, and once again she has killers nipping at her heels. When her dog comes home with a skull, her investigation behind the identification of the body leads her on an adventure that brings the attention of a killer, racists, and law enforcement. Is Gwen being targeted, or is she just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Amid the hunt for an apparent serial killer, Gwen must carefully step around the mines and traps that are a part of being a single mother of a teenager, and a part of being freshly divorced. Her personal life has almost as many pitfalls as her search for the killer. Her friends and family are put to the test throughout this book. Meanwhile, she is still struggling with the aftermath of her breast cancer.
Once again, Gwen leads the authorities to the solution by making herself bait. Her intrusion into the case both irritates and impresses her law enforcement colleagues. She puts herself into danger and escapes. She agonizes over the decisions of her daughter and the apparent target of said daughter by the man stalking them.
In the first book, the story revolved around a real piece of history with much supposition woven into the fictional fabric of the narrative. This time, while still a thrilling mystery, the story revolves less around history and more around Gwen’s personal history. We are given a deeper look at character of Gwen Marcy. Parks uses this novel to build her protagonist into a richer character.
With the publication of The Bones Will Speak, Carrie Stuart Parks continues the tale of Gwen Marcy. With a fast-paced thriller introducing our protagonist, Parks carries on with the second book to build a strong foundation for the continuing adventures of Gwen. By building her character that much more, Parks gives the reader the hopes of finding many more books in the series, and a character that we will love a little more with each reading.
After reading The Bones Will Speak, it is once again my sincere hope that Parks will continue this series. Her writing keeps pace with this avid reader and holds my attention with details, elegant prose, and thrilling adventure. According to Amazon, her next book, When Death Draws Near, comes out August 2nd. I hope the library will have it on their shelves so I can continue the adventures with Gwen Marcy.
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Craig Bacon has a killer personality. His jokes are to die for.