A fantastic premise of a book with an ending I did not see coming at all. Some of the writing stuck me as a bit unnecessary - I don't really need to know a play by play of how Cherrie spends her evening or her thoughts on Greys Anatomy - but the fantastic plot more than made up for it. By the last quarter I was literally making myself late for work in order to find out what happened. I am very much looking forward to reading more of this writers work, a name to watch.

Following Cherrie, whose father was a notorious serial killer called Mr Bones, we get a dark insight into her childhood and what happens when her past resurfaces. The premise is excellent and had me hooked from the beginning. I'm not a fast reader, but devoured this book over 3 days.

As a narrator, Cherrie becomes pretty unlikable, but this is an important part of the book. It wouldn't work with a likable narrator. Little Bones is a compelling read from start to finish and has some really dark and gory details. A missing child, a serial killer past and trial by media; what's not to love?

Even after the mystery of Cherrie's son is solved, there are plenty more twists and turns to keep up the pace right to the end.

Wow - I loved this book! A deftly plotted, twisty - and twisted - thriller which got under my skin and chilled me to the bone! It was excellent from the first page until the last. With fabulous, memorable characters and a fast-paced plot to keep you turning the pages, this is a debut not to be missed.
I give this book ALL THE STARS..

I gave Little Bones 3.5 stars. Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for the e-arc for an honest review. This book is a True Crime Thriller and I loved the story. A mother Leigh-Ann, who had to change her identity to Cherrie because her father was the infamous serial killer, Mr. Bones. Cherrie's life is pretty perfect with her family until one day she listens to a podcast that reveals her true identity and her world gets turned upside down.

I wanted to give this book 5 stars, I thought the book was a page turner specially in the beginning. The serial killer was amazing. Mr. Bones lures his victims by having Leigh Ann go with him so that the boys think they are safe to get in the car with him. (Reminded me of the Chicken Coup murders). After he kills the boys, he cooks them so he can use the bones for his art masterpieces. Unfortunately most of the characters were not as interesting. Cherrie was pretty annoying. I think she made things worse sometimes. Her boyfriend and MIL were also just as annoying.

Its a fast read so if you're looking for that, I would recommend it.

This was possibly my favorite book I've read this year (and I've read over 100 of them) I absolutely loved the story line and didn't want to put the book down. The characters all felt real, rather than making the daughter of a serial killer too weird or too "good" the author makes you sympathize with her, all while questioning some of the decisions she was making. I absolutely loved this book and would definitely recommend it.

An interesting and intriguing book which proves "what goes around comes around", or does it? It's definitely a book which sticks to the typical thriller/mystery genre but with a twist of the protagonist "Cherrie" having seen and been involved in some unspeakable terrors and murders of young boys. When karma seems to hit Cherrie hard in the form of a Podcast about her late father (Mr Bones - legendary serial killer) it is a book that show's facing your truth and past can open up your future and open up to saving you in the present (maybe more than ever - NO SPOILERS)

3.5 stars
True crime story, darker than I usually read but interesting and enjoyable overall.

From the first chapter, I was intrigued to see what happens with a murderer child, now a young woman who has her own life, a new name, a child and a boyfriend. When a child disappears, someone is connecting the murders with her past and everything changes for her.

It’s a bit creepy even, suspenseful and intriguing all the same.

This tale was expertly woven and won't be something I soon forget.I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys true crime or thriller. the author has fantastic pacing and I have literally sat at the edge of my seat while reading this book.

Last night, Thomas Doncaster, a boy, aged 10, went missing between 6pm - 8pm. The last known sighting was near his local newsagents on the Rosemount estate . He had originally been out with his older brother but had gone off on his own.

Cherrie had a night out with the girls when they went to see Mariah, a medium. They had to fill in forms giving some personal details which seemed strange and she was left to last. It seemed a weird reading and she came away with a ‘warning to guard her son’.

The next day Cherrie got to check the news of Thomas’ disappearance. He was still missing but one article mentioned William Hendy, Mr Bones, the serial killer of eleven children in the early 1990’s. It was asking if there was a copycat about? There was a link that brought up another article which showed loads of results including William Hendy, Mr Bones. She spotted a link for a podcast, ‘The Flesh on the Bones’ and read the summary. Jai Patel wrote and narrated it. She had to listen, you see Mr Bones was her dad!

Her real name was Leigh-Ann Hendy, her nickname at school was Little Bones and when she was 17 years old, she changed her name legally to Cherrie Forrester. Leo, her partner, knew nothing of her past and now she’s listening to it being broadcast on this podcast! Everyone around her will know the truth, he stated her new name, roughly where she lived and where she worked. Customers were scarce enough. she hadn’t spoken to her dad since his trial.

Cherrie saw a sign advertising Clives Crazy fair at Black Friars Park and thought it would be nice to take Robin. When she asked him, he was keen to go. When Friday night came, they got to the ground and bought their tickets. Tea Cups were first, Ghost train was next. A skeleton got in with us and left with a ‘see you soon’. They then did the carousel and finally joined the queue for the Ferris Wheel.

When they reached the front of the queue, her phone pinged and she was trying to make sense of the message from Leo. He knew her secret. Robin handed his ticket over to the attendant. How? Oh my god. Where was Robin? Where had my son gone?

This one got you thinking, lots of emotions although only fiction! Well thought out and written to play on those feelings. Must have done some research for this book and it certainly shows in the detail. I quite enjoyed it as there was lots going on to keep your mind ticking over.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for this ARC in return for my honest review. A very modern twisty novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Fast pacy chapters, a very easy and entertaining read.

NV Peacock’s new novel Little Bones is an extremely readable thriller with enough shock and turns to keep the reader guessing until the end with an interesting twist. The reader finally has a survivor tale in the guise of a daughter of a serial killer and how this impacts her life.

Little Bone’s plotting is well thought out and Peacock throws enough crumbs out there to keep you well and truly vested in the character driven story. There are a few red herrings that are expertly thrown into the mix to keep you off balanced but very cleverly placed in but important to the plot. This is a feat that is very hard to pull off and Peacock does this excellently.

The characters are very well drawn and as we are thrown into the one woman’s world and we are with her every step of the way, it is good that she is so well developed. Cherrie is very complex as she should be but to keep the character on that line where she doesn’t cross into being annoying or irritating is a great triumph because it would have been very easy to do this.

The other characters are surprising that the author gives you a first impression of each character and the audience gives a snap judgement about this person. Interestingly, the characters are different from your first impression which pretties much the point of the book. This, I felt, was a huge achievement and loved this aspect of the book.

Overall, this is an excellent written, well thought out book with a fantastic plot, expertly written with characters you feel something for. It is a page turner in every sense of the word and one that cannot be put down until the last word is read. This book could have been easy pulp fiction but Peacock knows how to spin an exceedingly believable yarn and deliver a substantial book that has many themes and ideas expertly woven into the text. Peacock is a definite author to look out for. Fantastic and highly recommended read.

What a ride!

Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy to review!

The overall premise of this book was so interesting to me!
Our story follows Cherrie Forrester and her little family: boyfriend, Leo, and their son, Robin.

Cherrie is keeping a secret from those closest to her. She’s actually Leigh-Ann Hendy aka Little Bones, the only daughter of the serial killer named Mr. Bones who is in prison for the kidnapping and murder of 11 young boys when Leigh-Ann was a child. Cherrie loved her dad and aided him in his sinister pastime without truly realizing what that would do to her in the future.

Years after her father’s arrest, Leigh-Ann legally changes her name to Cherrie Forrester so she can begin a normal life outside of foster homes and the assumptions that the Apple doesn’t fall far from the serial killer tree.

When another young boy goes missing in her town, a podcast appears with unearthed dirt. Cherrie’s true identity is revealed to the internet and she’s scrambling to keep her secrets from everyone in her life, but then the kidnapping comes closer to home when Cherrie’s son Robin goes missing as well!

It’s time to bring out Little Bones and reconnect with her father to solve this mystery and get her son back.

I loved the suspense of this story. It was intense, intriguing, sinister, and had me questioning who truly was committing those new kidnappings! Twists and turns had me unsure of anything going on and with Cherrie being somewhat unreliable, it made everything that much more confusing!

You HAVE to read this book. I can’t get enough of it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the arc of this book.

4 stars- This was a quick read for me, a brilliant one, well written and structured, great storyline and plot, I love the characters as well, sensational read, i definitely recommend to all.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

A sly mystery of missing children. The daughter of a serial killer grows up and her identity is outed. There is a creepy carnival and a psychic that wants to help free of charge. The story can be macabre one moment and flighty the next. I don't usually read about missing children but this fictional account was far enough out there from reality that it was safe. Strong characters with a strong in your face vibe. I guessed the mystery right when the author started revealing clues. Entertaining.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

A thank you to NetGalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be fairly short as I have nothing particularly positive to say. The premise sounded interesting (I'm a huge fan of dark serial killer stories - Harry Hole series, Unsub series, The Chestnut Man, etc.) so Little Bones peaked my interest when I read the description. Unfortunately, things went sour on page one. I will read about many things, but twisted, just plain....things involving children are number one on my 'nope!' list. So, we obviously got off on the wrong foot. This reaction, coupled with a primary character you don't love to hate (just simply can't stand) and the mediocre writing left me wishing that I had never picked the book up. Perhaps if the story and I had been introduced in a more amiable way and/or the description a little more descriptive, I'd feel less harsh. Hard to say.

Good solid crime novel!

Really enjoyed this read, I thought that the true crime podcast element was excellent and a really modern twist on a crime novel.

The character of little bones/Cherrie/ Leigh Anne wasnt a perfect character. At times I found myself questioning her actions however I don’t suppose we know how a person acts in these situations.

I enjoyed how we investigated potential suspects along side Cherrie, and ultimately I didn’t see the end coming.

Recommend for fans of crime!

What an unusual book! The protagonist is a serial murderers daughter who was used by her father in more ways than one. When her son goes missing her background comes back into play just when she thought she had outrun it. Fast flowing, edge of the seat thrill ride. Hard to put down...I had the guilty "one" pegged 3 different times. Very well written

The sins of the father are coming back to haunt his daughter… Leigh-Ann Hendy was only eight years old when her father, notorious child serial killer Mr. Bones, was caught. Too young to understand what happened to the boys she played with sometimes… or was she?

Now with a new name, Cherrie Forrester, ‘Little Bones’ has a son of her own and a new, peaceful life, living with her loving boyfriend and working at a local food market. She’s ordinary. As ordinary as you can possibly get. Until a wannabe crime reporter podcaster ties a modern missing-child case to her father’s crimes and reveals her new identity to the public.

Suddenly, people are asking if Little Bones is following in her father’s footsteps. A stalker appears at her work… and then on her doorstep. A psychic warns her son is in danger. And then, on an innocent visit to a travelling fair, Cherrie’s son goes missing. Is it revenge? A copycat? Or a horrific coincidence? To find her son, Cherrie knows she’ll do anything. Anything at all. Including letting out the darkness she keeps hidden deep inside. With the bones.

This definitely has more than a few resemblances to Prodigal Son - who do the children of monsters become? - but it’s not as atmospherically creepy. There are definite questions as to exactly what Cherrie knew, what she did, but even so… what can an eight year old understand about right and wrong when her father is the monster teaching her that making sculptures from childrens’ bones is perfectly normal behaviour?

The only thing I didn’t quite buy into here was the behaviour of Cherrie’s partner. Discovering your partner is the daughter of a notorious serial killer on the same day your son goes missing didn’t seem to provoke the extreme reaction I’d have expected, in either case. I would have had a whole lot more questions than Leo seemed compelled to ask, just to begin with. I’m also not sure I believed in the happy ending outlined for their little family; how could you live with that notoriety in a place where everyone knew who you were? Surely a name change and a relocation would have been on the cards.

I did really like Cherrie. Despite her shocking background, she was trying so very hard to be normal, to leave it all behind her, and quite frankly, I might have reacted with exactly the same kind of murderous rage if one of my sons went missing.

I’ll give this four stars for an intriguing exploration of what happens to the descendants of the worst criminals. There were a couple of delightfully creepy little touches, but I’d have liked to see more input from Mr. Bones himself and more interaction between him and Cherrie.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very different than other books. I could really see how it became an Tv adaption.

This book blew me away! I loved the tangled up mysteries at the center of the book. I did figure out the big reveal a little early but that didn't stop me from reading.