Suspense/Intrigue
Boneyard
By Leigh
Jul 1, 2008 - 4:50:22 AM

It was too good to be true; FBI agent Kelly Jones was just about to leave for a long overdue Caribbean vacation when she is handed a new case.  Skeletal remains have been discovered along an Appalachian hiking trail, and the bone yard crosses the state line between Massachusetts and Vermont.  Kelly is sent to advise and oversee the task force and investigation.

What awaits Kelly in New England is a nightmare.  Local law enforcement would rather believe the bodies are lost hikers than victims of foul play.  Her task force consists of a Massachusetts detective and a Vermont BCI agent who refuse to share and play nice.  The widespread crime scene has taxed both jurisdictions, and the outdated crime labs are deterring the progress of analyzing the remains.  

When more bodies are found, they tell a tale of a gruesome killer who’s been doing this for years.  The nightmare further grows with the suspicion of hate crimes, and Kelly finds herself under the gun to discover the truth before the killer strikes again.  But the killer has drawn the attention of someone other than Kelly and her task force… and that’s where the story really gets interesting!

Author Michelle Gagnon deserves high praise for a well-crafted, uniquely done FBI thriller.  BONEYARD is a compelling murder mystery that will keep you turning pages long after you meant to put it down.  The mystery itself is complex without being confusing, and despite the sensational nature of the crime the characters have a realism that works to pull you into the story.

But what I loved the most is that Gagnon doesn’t follow the cookie-cutter path taken by the legion of FBI-thrillers on the shelves today.  BONEYARD travels in unexpected directions that keep you guessing with an outcome that I never could have predicted – and it all works together to make this the best suspense novel I’ve read all year!