BoneMan's Daughters [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Ted Dekker (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 14, 2009

A Texas serial killer called BoneMan is on the loose, choosing young girls as his prey, His signature: myriad broken bones that torture and kill - but never puncture.

Military intelligence officer Ryan Evans is married to his work; so much so that his wife and daughter have written him out of their lives. Sent to Fallujah and captured by insurgents, he is asked to kill children not unlike his own. The method: a meticulous, excruciating death by broken bones that his captor has forced him to learn.

Returning home after the ordeal, a new crisis awaits. A serial killer is on the loose, and his method of killing is the same. Ryan becomes a prime suspect, which isn't even the worst of his problems: Ryan's daughter is BoneMan's latest desire.

In a story that is devaststing in its skill and suspense, - Ted Dekker brings to bear his ability to terrify and compel in BONEMAN'S DAUGHTERS.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The BoneMan, a serial killer, who murders his victims by breaking their bones, but not their skin, re-emerges after a two-year hiatus and abducts 16-year-old Bethany Evans, the estranged daughter of military intelligence officer Ryan Evans. Having recently returned from Iraq, where he was captured and psychologically tortured by insurgents, Ryan is an emotional wreck. His mental state not only impedes his efforts to find Bethany, but also gives the authorities reason to suspect him of being the BoneMan himself. Robert Petkoff's narration matches the novel's tense pace step-by-step. He handles the diverse cast of characters with ease, and though his voice sounds too youthful for Ryan, it works perfectly for the BoneMan, who Petkoff infuses with chilling malevolence. A good—and gruesome—suspense-filled ride. A Hachette/Center Street hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 9). (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Well known for taut, supernatural thrillers (Sinner; Skin) that push readers to the brink, Dekker goes over the edge with a gruesome plot that may make sensitive readers squirm. A serial killer is kidnapping young girls, breaking their bones, and leaving them to die. Ryan Evans is an intelligence officer who is alienated from his own family. When the BoneMan kidnaps Ryan's daughter, Ryan must take on this deranged killer himself to save her. Full of Dekker's trademark suspense, this well-written thriller is bound to elicit strong demand from fans. Despite the dark material, it does not contain overly graphic accounts of violence. For CF suspense collections.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Center Street; 1ST edition (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599951959
• ASIN: B0046LUXHO
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (246 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #358,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 88 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a terrible thriller, but a little too melodramatic for my tastes June 22, 2009

By J. Norburn

Format:Hardcover

I`d never heard of Ted Dekker before (it turns out he's a remarkably prolific author of Christian fiction) and picked up The Bone Man's Daughters as an audio-book because, well, it was a new release and the selection of unabridged audio-books in my library is limited.

I had a mixed reaction to this novel. On a positive note, I appreciate that the author tries to explore issues, ranging from the relationship parents have with their children to the morality of causing innocent casualties of war. Dekker poses the question, what are you prepared to sacrifice, including the lives of other people, to protect your children? As a thriller, The Bone Man's Daughter mostly succeeds and for the most part I enjoyed the novel.

I have some complaints though. First off, the relationship between the protagonist (Ryan) and his estranged wife is something of a mystery. She shifts from a kind of indifference towards him to a level of fear and hate that feels contrived and without basis. 2nd, Ryan is a brilliant military strategist but does a lot of things that seem pretty stupid. Granted, his thinking may be clouded by his daughter's plight, but again this felt like a necessary contrivance of plot rather than a genuine extension of his character. Ultimately though, these are really just two examples of a larger issue for me, which is that the whole novel is just too melodramatic for my tastes. The surprise twist near the end (I don't want to give it away) is predictable and as these twists often are, undermines much of the rest of the novel.

I didn't realize until after I had finished listening to the novel that Dekker was an author of Christian fiction.... I did notice a couple of instances where Dekker referred to Christian beliefs in a factual way, which struck me as odd at the time (not being familiar with the author) because they were the kind of statements that would normally be couched with `many Christians believe...' or words to that effect. The novel is ripe with Christian themes and a serial killer who calls himself Satan, but for the most part, this is not overtly Christian fiction. It's a pretty standard commercial serial killer novel although, not an especially good one. 2 1/2 stars. Read more ›

71 of 82 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Dekker Book in a VERY Long Time April 14, 2009

By Anna Bowlus

Format:Hardcover

BoneMan's Daughters is a story that will shock you, haunt you, amaze you and then just totally freak the living daylights outta you. Ted Dekker has truly bested himself with this story, this protagonist, and this honest-to-goodness bad guy who for sure tops even the infamous Marsuvees, at least in my mind. The characters in BoneMan's Daughters are driven to their own individual (and each understandable) ends and I love that, because it leaves you guessing at every step. Though considerably violent, this story has completely restored my excitement and faith in future Dekker releases. Because it poses a signature Ted Dekkery question: How far would a Father be willing to run into the bleak unknown for his daughter? It's that key unknown that'll keep the pages turning until you hit the very end.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dekker Just Keeps Getting Better April 14, 2009

By Jake Chism

Format:Hardcover

Ryan Evans has served his country well as an intelligence officer for the navy. On the other hand his role as a husband and a father has been lacking at best. When a mission goes wrong near Fallujah, Ryan comes face to face with a horrific reality causing him to reflect on his own personal failures. After a narrow escape Ryan vows to return home a better man for his wife and his daughter, Bethany.

Meanwhile in Austin, TX, new evidence has come to light regarding the capture of the serial killer known as Boneman. Two years ago Boneman went on a rampage capturing young girls and then torturing them by breaking all of their bones without breaking their skin. Boneman was finally captured, but the new evidence suggests they have the wrong man. Their suspicions are confirmed when the real Boneman captures Bethany Evans soon after her father returns from Iraq. Ryan will now stop at nothing to save his daughter from this monster. Unfortunately for Ryan, the FBI is convinced that he is Boneman.

Ted Dekker has sold more than three million copies of his titles and Boneman's Daughters shows us why. With an astonishing twenty-three novels in nine years, Dekker has done what many authors fail to do after time: he only continues to get better. This latest installment easily showcases the best writing of his short, yet illustrious career.

This well crafted plot is packed with tension and suspense. Dekker gives just the right amount of information to keep us hooked, but never enough to spoil the ride or reveal the final destination. Each of the main characters are wondrously brought to life, and the twisted glimpses into Boneman's world are terrifying and disturbing. Dekker has crafted his share of memorable villains, but Boneman may be his darkest creation yet....

While I was effortlessly drawn in by the mystery and relentless pacing of this story, my favorite aspect was the personal struggle of Ryan Evans. This is a brilliant, yet flawed character that has completely made a mess of his life. Ryan's resolve to make things right is the driving force that fuels this story along. In the end we are left with perfect closure and a fitting message of redemption that resonates loud and clear.

Boneman's Daughters is Ted Dekker's first book not published by Thomas Nelson. While that relationship continues, it's great to see a publisher like Center Street/Hachette making an effort to get this story out to the masses. I hope this move will introduce Dekker and his writing to a whole new host of fans who have truly been missing out on some of the best storytelling around. Read more ›

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Christian Fiction Label Put Me Off This Author For A Long Time September 7, 2009

By carol irvin TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I think calling fiction Christian needs some further study. I was raised a Catholic and went to Catholic schools so I would assume I am aware of Christian beliefs. I also studied philosophy in college so I have a good basis for understanding belief orientations.

A few years ago I read a book that had that Christian fiction label. It was written by Dee Henderson. It was set in the FBI and terrorist plotting world. In between fights with the bad guys and often killing them, the main characters (FBI agents) would sit down and pull out the bible and begin to talk about how this whole experience stacked up against Jesus. I did not finish the book. This heavy handedness pulled me out of the tale.

I wanted to read Dekker much earlier but I kept seeing this same label on his work, "Christian author, Christian fiction," and I thought he was going to do something equally heavy handed. Finally, I gave in and decided to give my second Christian fiction book a try (but with much misgiving). I am happy to report that I personally find Dekker to be more of a philosophical writer who ponders, and has his characters ponder, the afterlife and good and evil vis a vis the world as we know it, while a rollicking good story is going on.

All the above said, if you like intricate mystery-thriller books involving serial killers, it is hard to find them better than this. Dekker does an extraordinary job. This is a serial killer book about fathers and daughters and the killing of children. You don't fully understand this until the end but that is the underpinning of his idea. He turns it on its head in several ways but I don't want to give away any more than that.... An Army Intelligence officer, back home in Austin, is pulled into these murders while trying to reestablish his relationship with his daughter. He neglected her emotionally while away at war year after year after year.

Dekker hits us with many ethical and moral questions in his books that other authors in this serial killer genre do not. I find this adds to the book and I do not find those questions uniquely "Christian." I pondered these very same questions in my college philosophy class and these questions are pondered by many religions, not just one.

It might be best to call these philosophical thrillers, which I think is a lot closer to the mark, than Christian fiction. Yes, Dekker believes in God and an afterlife, obviously, and that does come through in his books but he doesn't use his belief to recruit. Rather he makes it believably part and parcel of an excellent storytelling ability. I have read three of Dekker's books now and I like them all. Read more ›