Customer Reviews

Skin and Bone

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In Kathryn Fox's new electrifying thriller, Detective Kate Farrer is back after her four-month leave due to her abduction and the stress she suffered because of it. She has a new partner, a rookie named Oliver Parke and a couple new cases that demand to be solved right away.

The first case is that of a house fire where a badly burned corpse was found inside. The owners of the house are away on vacation and the identity of the corpse is unknown. After some investigating, Kate and Oliver find a diaper bag with baby supplies in it, but no baby can be found anywhere in the house. Also a credit card is found with a woman's name on it. But without any other clues, the detectives are stuck in a dead-end case without any ideas on who the perpetrator is and why they would set fire to the house. When Kate and Oliver's superior assigns them a new case and tells them to hand over the house fire case, Kate becomes very angry. The new case is that of a missing nineteen year old girl whose rich parents are worried about her whereabouts. Kate feels that the case isn't worth her time, but when it starts relating to the house fire case, she becomes determined to solve the mystery.

There are numerous suspects and no one can be trusted. In the meantime, Kate suspects that the Homicide Unit is under investigation and she starts to mistrust her partner Oliver. Is Oliver really the family man he says he is, or is he secretly taking bribes from criminals?

Skin and Bone is the first novel that I've read by Kathryn Fox and I am immensely impressed! The mystery is tightly woven and plenty of red herrings keep readers guessing until the exciting conclusion. Every page of this novel is suspenseful and filled with clues to put together to solve the case. The characters are strong and the dialogue is well written. This is a truly fantastic, superb read that will knock your socks off!

Armchair Interviews says: An immensely satisfying thriller that will keep you up all night reading!

This author is definitely one to watch. Her first two books had a forensic physician as the main character and this time. Skin and Bone has Kate Farrer, a prickly detective with a great heart, and matches her with newcomer Oliver Parke. Fox brings a refreshing new angle to the jaded-fresh faced partnership. Oliver may be knew to homicide, but his experience and knowledge move the case forward and challenge Kate in a positive way.

Kate Farrer appeared in Malicious Intent, the author's first novel, so it looks as though she's planning books with an ensemble-type cast of characters, similar to authors like Lisa Scottoline. Seeing familiar characters is a real bonus and I don't get bored with the same series.

The forensic info was fascinating (Fox is a physician) and really added to the plot. Overall, I loved the characters, the setting and the story. I did not see the twists at the end, which were disturbing, but really well done.
I'd thoroughly recommend this as a great summer read.

Kathryn Fox is a great new talent in the forensic mystery genre. Her books are hard to put down. After I read the first one, I had to buy the other two. I think she is better than Cornwall or Reichs because her characters and settings are fresh and new. A great read. Five starts.

I read Skin and Bone and loved it. This is the first Kathryn Fox book I've read and as soon as I finished it I immediately bought the previous two in the series. I thought this book did an excellent job of portraying a character recovering from a trauma.

I found the character extremely interesting. A woman on her own, in a male profession, recovering from a previously traumatic situation, working hard to be professional and solve a crime. I didn't find Kate, the main character, unsympathetic at all. I found her dedicated to her job and dealing with her own sense of isolation as she works through her own personal demons.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters including Oliver! If you like a good mystery with interesting characters I'd give this book a try.

Ms. Kathryn Fox is a very detailed writer. I love the mystery that she captured. If anyone is a forensic fan then this is must. The suspense kept you on edge until the very end...

Shawnnya for:

TWIN SOUL + FRIENDS BOOK CLUB

I picked this book up at a book fair not really reading the cover, thinking Skin and Bone and Crime Thriller well why not. Wanted to try new authors and thought this would be a good start. Well blow me down I thoroughly enjoyed it and knowing nothing about the author or that she was Australian gave me even more of a thrill.

Kate Farrer was damaged goods from a previous case but she was sassy, intelligent and damn good at her job. Really enjoyed it and will now and go and discover the other minor characters mentioned in the book.

The writer uses all the cliches and the reader learns nothing new from this book, but the mystery's solid enough. The protaganist couldn't be any more annoying or less sympathetic a character but one does develop a fondness for all the characters she despises. With such clumsily drawn characters, you'd expect bad writing, too -- but it's surprisingly well done. Just not very interesting.