I was initially frustrated with this book as I tried to keep up with the characters and felt a lack of connection to the story. I put it down a few times but in the end I’m glad I stuck around. A few loose ends with characters that were introduced but not fully developed. Hoping that the next in the series is more captivating from the beginning.

Thanks so mich for early access this was a tremendous read. An author that beings so much of modern living into the most compelling of stories. Highly recommend this book and will be watching for more thanks

I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery. The fact that the murder happened inside a defunct asylum made it more intriguing. Kane has a wonderful mastery of character creation. Each character was different, several were a bit quirky, like the onesie wearing man eater, and the former patient turned squatter turned home owner. Kane knows how to tease out the plot and end on a cliffhanger. Each chapter ended with me anxious to move on to the next chapter just to know what happened next. I must confess that as I read and pictured Kirby (The police investigating the murder), I saw and heard David Tennant in my head (I know he's Scottish, but .it was his incarnation as the 10th doctor that I saw and followed throughout The Bone Jar.) This is the first book by Kane that I have read, and after reading this book, I'm definitely going to look for more. It had action, murder, mystery, thrills, suspense, and twists and turns that were utterly unexpected. Thanks for the adventure Ms. Kane, even if some of it was a bit gruesome.

From the attention grabbing cover to the awesome jacket synopsis, if you're a crime thriller fan, you had to pick this book to read. Then you find yourself in the Blackwater Asylum, an abandoned facility due to be torn down for new construction. But the Asylum....yes, with a capital A....becomes a character in the story just as surely as the investigative team assigned when an aged murder victim is found in what was supposed to be a locked down facility. The only witness is the building itself and as you page through the story, the building does come alive, with it's eerie feeling of what happened during the hospital's less than savory history.

SW Kane describes the background of the area with such skill that you will feel the chill and keep checking over your shoulder, what was that noise? The characters come alive as each works through their attempt to solve what seems to be pointless violence on past patients. Their reactions to the Asylum and it's surrounding grounds only serves to make the building seem more alive.

Few writers have the skill to take you into the story and get goosebumps when the doors open onto the long held secrets buried in this book's pages. An absolutely first class reading experience that I'm looking forward to experiencing again when the next book is released.

The Bone Jar mystery begins when the security guard of an old, dilapidated asylum discovers an elderly lady dead in one of the rooms. Soon DI Lew Kirby and his partner Pete Anderson are called to the scene to investigate. What they discover is the building is due for construction with limited access so the question isn’t just who is the lady and why was she killed, but how did they get in.

The story is primarily told from two POVs: DI Kirby and Connie Darke. DI Kirby is a bit unusual for detective novels these days in that he has a fairly normal life. He has a new girlfriend and he gets along with his family. He’s also a competent detective who gets along decently well with his coworkers and during the investigative process finds himself having some rather interesting interviews. Connie is someone we don’t meet until several chapters in. She has ties to the investigation and assists it effortlessly.

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I heard murder at an insane asylum SOLD!! This was an enjoyed read, but there were lots of characters to try and keep track of and whoa they were related to and whatnot. It wasn’t really scary or that creep so I took stars off. Also a bit slow.
Overall, just an okay read for me.

The body of an elderly is found at an abandoned asylum, and Detective Lew Kirby investigates the murder, which seems to be tied up in the past of the asylum itself. This was decent, not spectacular. The daughter of the victim was the best part of the book, an entertaining character. This is the first in a series, and I would give it a second try. Three stars.

London is groaning under a severe snowstorm and Siberian temperatures when the body of an elderly woman is found in an isolated ward of an abandoned and derelict asylum. As soon as Detective Lew Kirby and his partner Pete Anderson start their investigation a second body is found in the River Thames. It soon becomes clear that the past of Blackwater Asylum ,with its tragedies,rumours and whispers,is to play a major part towards the solving of these crimes.
It is a good story and the setting,an abandoned asylum during wintertime,is fabulously atmospheric. The writing is sound and the two detectives are likeable and believable. But,there is always a but,there are so many storylines who are, some closely and some marginally, interweaved that it becomes a tad confusing and it does not always lead to a better story.
And then some secondary storylines are left unsolved ,probably for a second episode, but ,barring a fantasy trilogy, I don't really like that kind of open ending.

Pretty good overall but I did find my mind wondering a lot lol idk if it was the narrator or if I was just like zoned out or what but the ending was alright

A body of an old woman is found battered in a ward of a disused asylum amid a freezing cold winter. DI Lew Kirby is out in charge of the case and the woman is found to be a former nurse of the asylum. Why was she murdered and who would want to kill her?

This was a real creepy read. Anything to do with disused buildings, especially hospitals give me the willies!

There were quite a few characters to keep track of, but I liked the fact they were all interwoven into the plot. There were some characters who only made brief appearances who didn’t add much to the story.

A good ending, but I kind of guessed the twist. I’d like to see more from this author as it takes a lot to creep me out!

I have been looking forward to reading this book for forever! My TBR list is too long! Arg!

Back on track, this book has all my favorite things, an abandoned asylum, family secrets, and murder, I absolutely loved how interwoven all the characters became.

The only thing that was disappointing for me was finishing the book and wanting more. I like my stories to end packaged up with a nice bow. I'm hoping to see this become a series! Lew Kirby, our lead detective is an interesting character, as is his partner Anderson. The writing was really well done.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing, and SW Kane for providing me with an ARC.

Loved this book! So dark and twisted! One of top thrillers this year! It seriously gave me the creeps! I loved everything about it!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The title of the book intrigued me most and it did not disappoint. A complex mystery written in a chilling setting. Mental health and asylum that was shut down in the past sets the stage for a disturbing, frightening yet curious read.

I really enjoyed The Bone Jar. I wasn't sure what to expect but the more I read, the more I wanted to read, making it hard to put down. The weaving of storylines helped to keep the pace steady, the mystery behind the body found and who that woman really was kept me intrigued. I enjoyed exploring the bone jar and the all those hidden mysteries.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
The Bone Jar By S W Kane is a fascinating and interesting book and all sorts of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about who did what to whom. It was just a little bit different from other police stories that you read because of the buildings playing such a major role in the storyline. Blackwater Alysum was a former institution for mental health patients and this former institution played a major part in the story, alongside some of its former residents.
The police officers also played a major role in the storyline and not all because of their solving of the crimes committed. I can see this police team becoming part of a new police series in the future and look forward to reading more books by SW Kane in the future.
Highly recommended.

As soon as I read a book summary that includes an abandoned insane asylum and a dead body, I'm all in. The premise of The Bone Jar is excellent: aforementioned asylum, dead body, missing person, a likeable detective, and a quirky urban explorer. Unfortunately, the author got bogged down with overly complicated storylines and too many characters. It made the book hard to follow. Even worse, two primary characters have similar and rhyming names, making it really difficult to keep their storylines straight (Charlie Palmer and Patrick Calder), which was a real issue as both characters are key to the mystery.

This appears to be the first book in what is to be a series starring DI Lewis Kirby. I think that with stronger editing, the series could be successful

The blurb really drew me in but there was nothing that blew me away on this. It followed the usual tropes and the characters were quite one dimensional. There were also a lot of people to follow which got a little bit confusing but the big reveal was actually quite obvious.

Thank you for providing me with an arc. 3 out of 5 stars.

A big thanks to NetGalley for a copy of The Bone Jar by S.W. Kane. A thriller with the perfect setting – old, abandoned mental institution, frozen river, the harsh winter months – The Bone Jar was an interesting read that is reminiscent of the works of two authors whose works I’ve loved – Tim Weaver and Tony Parsons. Read on for more deets!

Genre:
Crime Thriller, Mystery

Length:
328 pages

Overall Rating:
8 out of 10

Plot:
8 out of 10

Characterization:
8 out of 10

Primary Element:
9 out of 10 for its mystery; 7 out of 10 for its thrill factor

Writing Style:
8 out of 10

Part of a Series:
Yes. This is the first book in the Detective Lew Kirby series.

Highlighted Takeaway:
The setting. S.W. Kane, according to her bio, is fascinated with “urban exploration and crime set in cold places”. She brings both these elements together really well, creating a setting that pulls you right in. Her descriptive narrative adds a whole new level to every scene and every event that takes place.

What I Liked:
I found the characterization really strong – S.W. Kane has created well-woven, complicated people that stand their own with every action and sentence. This is especially true for Detective Lew Kirby who is shown to be a quintessential good guy at his core, but with enough shades of gray to make him seem real and relatable.

What I Didn’t Like:
There was really not much to dislike in the book.

Who Should Read It:
Anyone who enjoys a good thriller or mystery. If you liked Simon Beckett’s Written in Bone (check out its review here), Tim Weaver’s The Dead Tracks (read its review here), and/or Tony Parson’s The Slaughter Man (yep, I reviewed that too and you can read that here), you’ll like S.W. Kane’s The Bone Jar.

Who Should Avoid:
Anyone who does not enjoy thrillers, especially those that tend to have a bit of a macabre setting and outlook.

Read It For:
The pace, and its ability to pull you in from the first page and not let you go until you’re done. For me, this was the start of another series that I’d definitely like to follow.

Well written crime thriller that had me turning the pages to see what would happen next! It had just the right amount of creepiness and a nice twist. I've read other reviews that said there were too many characters, however for me, that is what kept the story interesting. It always kept you guessing as a good thriller should! Interesting characters and clever plot.

I am happy that this is the first book of a series and I will once again be able to read more about these well developed characters in the future!

I would recommend this book, especially if you like crime thrillers!I

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The security guard of an old decrepit asylum scheduled for reconstruction finds an elderly lady dead in one of the rooms. When Detective Lew Kirby and his partner are called in to investigate, they discover another body in the river nearby.

Connie Darke is an urban explorer and is determined to help the detective. She has an agenda .. her sister sister died of a freak accident in the same asylum.

Book Blurb: The secrets of Blackwater Asylum begin to reveal themselves. There are rumors about underground bunkers and secret rooms, unspeakable psychological experimentation, and a dark force that haunts the ruins, trying to pull back in all those who attempt to escape.

Unrelenting suspense starts on Page 1 and doesn't let up until the unexpected conclusion. It's told mainly by two voices .. the detective's and Connie's. The characters are skillfully set amid the swirling dark secrets that someone wants to keep hidden in the shadows.

Many thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing UK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime thriller .. a debut novel by this author. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.