The Unquiet Bones: Loreth Anne White’s newest mystery
© Montlake Publishing Seattle
If you love mysteries set in the Pacific Northwest, or anywhere in British Columbia, then you should read Loreth Anne White’s newest mystery, The Unquiet Bones. White features a powerhouse female cast of characters. The plot centers around Homicide Detective Jane Murno, heavily pregnant, who has lost her partner. Her life and the homicide she investigates highlight the irony in life: she is haunted by the loss of her boyfriend, who has gone missing on a solo hiking trip, while she in turn heads the inquiry into the murder of a young teenager, Annalise Jansen, who has gone missing in the early 1970s, along with another young man who may or may not be responsible for her disappearance and murder.
The story switches narratives between Jane’s investigation, an investigative reporter, and the friends and family members of Annalise Jansen. White manages to keep the reader guessing between several possible motives for the disappearance and murder of Annalise, leaving breadcrumbs for the reader to discover and make sense of along the way.
White does a great job with her female characters, exposing their hopes, dreams, and weak points. She makes them human, which makes the reader empathize with them. While the reader might question some of the characters' choices along the way, there is no need to worry. All actions and motives are clearly explained by the end of the novel giving the reader a sense of ultimate closure. The only storyline not neatly tied up is the mystery of Jane’s boyfriend. Neither he nor his body is found, which begs the question: is this the first in a series of books starring detective Jane Murno?
This book most certainly gives you a sense of place. You feel like you are in British Columbia, along Vancouver’s North Shore, so if you need to escape for a short while and immerse yourself in British Columbia’s beautiful coastline while losing yourself in a murder mystery, look no further.
Many thanks to MB Communications for providing a review copy of the book.