Saturday 7 May 2011

The Boneyard by Michelle Gagnon

BoneyardTitle: The Boneyard
Author: Michelle Gagnon
Series: Kelly Jones (Book #2)
Previous in Series: The Tunnels
Next in series: The Gatekeeper

My Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis: Following the discovery of a mass grave, FBI Agent Kelly Jones is on the trail of two separate killers and at the same time must cope with jurisdictional issues, rival police officers and a suspicious cover-up. To top it all off, she is in a race against time to save the life of the latest victim.

Review: Following my enjoyment of the first book in the series, I had built up certain expectations with regard to this installment but was severely disappointed. The plot fails to live up to its potential and there is one thread that remains unresolved at the rather lackadaisical conclusion.

The character development is virtually non-existent, aside from Jack and Kelly, who have gone from mere acquaintances to a fully-fledged couple with absolutely no buildup of their relationship, the other characters are completely one dimensional. The identity of the primary killer is obvious from the very beginning due to an insufficient suspect pool and an excessive number of details provided regarding his personal life. Moreover, there is no explanation for the motivation behind his crimes.

The writing flows smoothly but lacks the background detail and descriptions that made the first book so engrossing. Hopefully the next one will be better.

2 comments:

  1. Hi--first off I am a new follower and enjoy some of the same authors as you: Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner, etc. Nice blog! Anyway, I also read this book and totally agree with your review-- I liked The Tunnels and The Gatekeeper (books 1 & 3) but didn't enjoy this one as much for pretty much same reasons you stated about the development of the criminal and the motive. I need to take a few minutes to browse here on your blog--for instance, want to see if you have read Alex Kava books yet; (I see the book cover on your widget) and if she is your "type" of author. Thanks-Rae from Best O' Books http://thebestobooks.blogspot.com

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  2. I haven't heard of this one before. I think you would enjoy Andrea Kane's books, start with Twisted or her new one coming out in June. I read your TessG review, that is my book club choice for June, glad to see you gave it 5stars.

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