Lifelong Friends. Summer Breezes and Sleepovers. Farewells midst July fireworks.
What could go wrong?
Plenty.
A serial killer on the loose threatens the last days of Summer. Only three friends survive, and one of them may be the killer. Is he guilty or innocent?
The Birds are back in Shanessa Gluhm’s THE BONE NEST, and this time, they lead us right to their nest, full of memories both thrilling and chilling.
There are no “muddy middles” in Shanessa Gluhm’s novels. In fact, this novel becomes more enticing, its pacing more speedy, the more pages turned. Even her secondary characters leap off the page, creating a poignancy amid a suspenseful plot. Her gift for delving into her characters’ minds ensures there are no purely “evil” villains—only layered, complicated people whose deluded motivations unfold in surprising ways. This one will keep you guessing—and may open your eyes to how the death penalty can go terribly wrong, especially when the suspect is working class and Black.
The novel is told in two timelines in the same town, BlueSummer. It’s Independence Day 1986, and a group of lifelong friends meet for one last goodbye. But when one ends up dead, the goodbyes are final, not just for her, but for a friend who may be wrongly accused of her murder. The 1980s timeline dives deep into the motivations and stakes from all angles and for all characters — from the teenaged friends to their families. Fast forward to 2024, and two intrepid investigators with more stakes in the game than they’d like to admit fight for justice and against the romantic vibes between them. Will they succeed in either area?
An innocent man’s conviction seems final and death sentence certain, and the clock is ticking toward his execution. The vibes between them have to wait as they uncover secrets, lies, and hidden evidence, witness testimony, and the relics the killer collected from victims left in their “bower.”
Is Troy the Songbird Strangler, or is it the person we’d least suspect? Gluhm’s third novel has a surprising ending and will take the reader on a thrilling ride to solve a complex mystery. If you like coming-of-age murder mysteries with a dark edge and psychological suspense, and a touch of romantic tension with some police procedural thrown in, you won’t be able to put Shanessa Gluhm’s THE BONE NEST down. And you won’t want to.
~ Kathryn Brown Ramsperger, Award-winning author of The Shores of Our Souls and A Thousand Flying Things
Shanessa Gluhm 