The Unquiet Bones

Author: Loreth Anne White
Genre: Crime Fiction
351 pages
Publisher: Montlake, 2024

Synopsis
When human bones are found beneath an old chapel in the woods, evidence suggests the remains could be linked to the decades-old case of missing teen Annalise Jansen.

Homicide detective Jane Munro—pregnant and acutely attuned to the preciousness of life—hopes the grim discovery will finally bring closure to the girl’s family. But for a group of Annalise’s old friends, once dubbed the Shoreview Six by the media, it threatens to expose a terrible pledge made on an autumn night forty-seven years ago.

The friends are now highly respected, affluent members of their communities, and none of them ever expected the dark chapter in their past to resurface. But as Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn peel back the layers of secrets, the group begins to fracture. Will one cave? Will they turn on each other?

The investigation takes a sharp turn when Jane discovers a second body—that of the boy long blamed for Annalise’s disappearance. As the bones tell their story, the group learns just how far each will go to guard their own truth.

My review
The Unquiet Bones is a crime fiction/mystery novel by Loreth Anne White. The true highlight of the story lies in its intricate forensic anthropology details, centered around the discovery of a body during the excavation of a site in a small community near Vancouver, British Columbia. From the moment the body was unearthed to the confirmation of its identity, I was completely absorbed by the meticulous investigation led by the protagonist and detective, Jane Munro. The insights shared by Dr. Quinn on forensic genealogy and familial DNA testing were especially fascinating and more compelling than the overarching storyline.

After reading White’s The Patient’s Secret, I had high expectations for this novel. Unfortunately, after the first few chapters, I found the storyline and characters underwhelming. While I appreciated getting to know Munroe, her partner, and the lead forensic anthropologist, the characters overall felt flat and one-dimensional. The mystery was also too predictable, making it hard for me to truly enjoy the story. The plot involving Annalise’s old friends—once dubbed the Shoreview Six by the media—centers on a dark secret from 47 years ago and the lies they’ve maintained under intense police and media scrutiny. Unfortunately, this familiar and overused trope failed to add any fresh intrigue to the narrative.

While the forensic details were fascinating, the storyline and characters left me underwhelmed. The Unquiet Bones is a passable whodunit mystery but lacks the intrigue needed to truly stand out.

My recommendation: skip it.