Island of Bones

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended!
Review: While there is plenty of mystery, page-turning suspense and all the thriller aspects---more than anything, P.J. Parrish's "Island of Bones" is a marvelously intriguing tale peopled with powerfully motivated characters.

A hurricane deposits a baby's scull at PI, Louis Kincaid's beach bungalow. Days later, a woman's body washes up nearby. Are these two related to the disappearances of seven young women from the area over a thirty-five year period?

Ft. Myers Police Chief Al Horton feels Louis can be useful on the high profile case by "baby-sitting" his Chief of Detectives (Mel Landeta), who appears to be a serious burnout case.

Louis's client fears her father (librarian Frank Woods) is somehow involved with the missing women. Newspaper clippings she finds in his possession and his flight appear to confirm her worries. Is he a serial killer, where are the bodies and where is Frank?

Adroitly plotted, richly textured, a strong sense of place and smartly written, "Island of Bones" seizes the reader and keeps you immersed.

The ending is a shocker as the past melds into the present. The journey is irresistible, compelling and rings true.

Louis is a resourceful, self-reliant, persuasive lead character. As he doggedly follows the trail and clues, he learns not everyone is what they appear to be and surprising allegiances are formed.

"This place is built on skeletons, young man. Millions of humans, millions of sea animals, dead and gone. Florida is just one long island of bones."

Rating:
Summary: Absorbed and transported!
Review: Wow! This is a book which sucks you in and transports you to another place. It absorbs you to the point that you forget what is going on in the "real" world. Just as you think you understand what is happening, the author drops another bombshell which explodes your theories. The surprises continued through the last page. Although this book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand alone. Follow Louis Kincaid as he tracks down a series of missing girls and finds the incredible truth. You'll be glad you did.