First of all, the narration was really good! I loved how narrator managed to transport you into the book and the characters.
The book is packed with drama and intrigue, but i found the narration quite repetitive at times and a bit too disjointed for my liking so it felt a bit like it was dragging.

This was an excellent book, the developing story came at a really good pace. I liked the unusual stance the author took with the "little bones" character.
It was almost like 2 stories at the same time as you have the "now" story and the "then" story which gave you details about the past and what happened with her dad - the serial killer.
When you think you can see where the story is going next there's often an unseen twist that changes the story.
I liked the different characters and how they interact with each other and how they affect the storyline.
Who wouldn't feel sorry for the child of a child killing serial killer and want her to have a nice normal life and be able to leave her past behind her - unfortunately that's never going to happen and as the story develops it intertwines her past & present and her past threatens to take her new life and rip it away from her and this is where you see whether the characters in her life are going to help or hinder.
How does whats happening in her life make her need to decide if she is going to revisit her relationship with her dad and how will this affect what's going to happen to her own child.
Will Little Bones get her own life back on track, will she get to keep her own family together and how will this end?

Creepy and addictive read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

Cherie Forrester is happily living with her boyfriend and young son, Robin, a really great kid. She is determined not to let her past dictate her future. Because when she was his age, she was Leigh-Ann Hendy, also dubbed Little Bones by the press when her child murdering father was finally caught and imprisoned. Her father, "Mr Bones" used his own daughter to lure in his victims. So with a change of name as soon as she could, she now has a job at a local supermarket, a great best friend and most of all a future. This is, until a boy goes missing and a local journalist makes chilling connections to her father’s case in his true crime podcast. Her former identity is somehow revealed and her whole happiness is threatened. As her life starts to unravel, Cherie turns from a likeable character into something much darker and fiercer, and this is well portrayed by the author and narrator. It’s a good thriller, easy to listen to and keep up with the plot. I particularly liked the character of Jai's mum and the inclusion of some of the actual “Flesh On The Bones” podcasts featured in the story. A nice easy and very entertaining listen.

Cherrie Forrester; quiet mum of her little boy Robin, working at the local butchers living a perfectly ordinary life. Leigh-Anne Hendy; daughter of the notorious serial killer ‘Mr Bones’, bait for his young victims and dubbed the monstrous ‘Little Bones’ by the media. Most would say these women couldn’t be further from eachother – but most don’t realise it’s the exact same person. Cherrie tried to leave her past behind, she tried to never let her father’s crimes haunt her future, but how far do those genes intertwine? When Robin goes missing after a night out to the local funfair, Cherrie is distraught. Is someone punishing her because of what she did as a child? Is there a copycat killer out there desperate to impress? Will she ever get Robin home safe & well or is she destined to relive the traumas that Mr Bones’ victims went through all those years ago…

Stephanie Racine narrated this book well with lots of emotion - easily switching between each character with different accents. She managed to convey the depths of each character really clearly, drawing in the listener and enveloping them into the Little Bones world. I also really liked the cutaways to the podcast episodes narrated by a variety of guest speakers. They added an excellent element to the story and would have loved there to have been even more because they were so intriguing!

Little Bones is packed with drama, suspects and intrigue. As the story went on I was convinced I had sussed out the ending at least 5 times – but still didn’t end up getting it right! I really liked the journey N V Peacock took the reader on, one thing Little Bones isn’t is predictable! At points it almost felt like a combination of two different books – one about a notorious crime daughter and one about a missing child. I understood how and why the author tried to weave them together but it just didn’t quite work for me – often feeling disjointed and convoluted at times. The whole narrative felt quite repetitive throughout the chapters, often going through the same cycle of events, which made it drag on a little bit, then all of a sudden it was a huge out of nowhere ending where everything was wrapped up quickly neatly and a little bit too unrealistically perfect.

As a character, I really hated Cherrie Forrester – and I think ultimately that’s why I couldn’t quite get into the narrative as much as I’d hoped to. It was an odd writing style because she was a very unlikable character yet it didn’t feel intentional. She had a very dark humour about her past, yet also seemed to be very distraught by it – these conflicting identities made her seem insincere and shady. Also, for someone that had lost her only child she just didn’t come across that bothered at all – all she seemed to do was eat, listen to the podcast and sit indoors! I would have loved less description into how constantly hungry she was (at points it felt like it was part of the puzzle piece it got mentioned so often!) If there had been a bit more development on making Cherrie a more relatable character that triggered sympathy or interest from the reader, then I think the story would have been lifted a bit little more.

For a debut novel however, N V Peacock did pretty well! With a few tweaks and refinements Little Bones would have been a great drama packed read. I’d be interested in checking out future books because the ‘bones’ of the story were definitely strong and intriguing!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for my advanced listener copy! 💕

Wow! This is a fantastic book. I was quite shocked by it as it is really bizarre and gory. The story is about a woman called Cherrie whose Dad was a serial killer in the past who killed little boys in order to obtain their bones for his artwork. In the present time, Cherrie's son goes missing and she is on a mission to find him. Who has taken him? Well, I was really surprised when I found out who it was who took him. I thought it was someone else, so I was laughing when I found out I was wrong. What a great book. I really loved it! It kept me reading to find out what would happen next and it was fast paced and very clever. The ending was superb. Highly recommended!

I switched between the ebook and audiobook of this title and both were great. The audiobook narrators were wonderful and brought the story to life. I especially loved the ending with Mr Bones as his voice was scary, creepy and funny at the same time. It made me laugh so much. The netgalley app worked great for me as always. I feel so grateful to receive audiobooks from Net Galley and it means I can carry on with my reading while I am doing my housework, gardening and when I am out walking.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review,

In Little Bones we meet Cherrie who thinks her past is firmly locked away. However the events from Cherrie’s childhood are going to resurface and bring danger with it.

It took me a little longer than usual to finish listening to Little Bones but this was nothing to do with the story. I happened to be in the middle of listening when home schooling began again in January. So I could only listen for very short bursts and didn’t get very far at all. However I will admit that when I wasn’t listening I was still thinking about the characters. Along with wondering what was happening, who was behind it and if Cherrie would get to the bottom of things!

The pacing is pretty good, a few dips here and there but overall the story managed to keep my attention. The narrator did a brilliant job of showing the different aspects of Cherrie’s personality from ordinary mother to perhaps a darker edge that the reader is not quite sure of. The addition of the podcast to the plot brings another side showing the damage that revealing the truth can bring.

The characters all brought something to the story but most of all suspicion! I had a few theories along the way and kept changing my mind. I appreciated all the red herrings and false leads which helped make everything just that little bit more twisty. Some of the twists had an edge of predictability but on the whole I was very interested to see where it would all go. I will admit that Cherrie was a character that could come across like marmite. For me there were definitely times when I wanted to shout at Cherrie. To tell her to act differently but also there were times where I wanted to shout in agreement. Her character is definitely flawed but I found this to be the perfect way to draw me into the story even more.

I do think Little Bones worked very well as an audiobook. The podcast adds tension as Cherrie struggles to keep her cool with every new episode. Along with hearing all of Cherrie’s inner thoughts and feelings as she spirals deeper into a nightmare situation. The final part of the story especially came across so well through audio as it brought a dark touch that I loved.

Little Bones is a dark and intriguing tale!

I couldn't download the file for some reason so I purchased it on Audible - I really enjoyed it. I liked the different voices for male and female it made the story much more believable - I especially found the voice of Mr Bones quite scary! it was one of those stories I just wanted to listen to - it got a bit random towards the end but it was still great

The audiobook of Little Bones is read by Stephanie Raccine (and other narrators contribute to the podcast sections) who I feel does a fantastic job. She is one of my favourite audiobook narrators with great intonation and voices the different characters perfectly. Unfortunately I found this to be a predictable and drawn out listen despite the narration. It's a creepy read that I felt had an original premise but sadly didn't work for me.
3 stars due to the narration.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital audiobook

First her name was Leigh-Ann. She lived with her parents and had an idyllic childhood. Then she was called Little Bones when her father was arrested and convicted of being Mr. Bones, a prolific serial killer. He killed little boys and used their painted bones to make colorful sculptures, using Leigh-Ann to make the rides he offered seem safe. After his conviction, her mother couldn't live with the infamy and killed herself so Leigh-Ann grew up in foster homes, always watched with suspicion and the first to be accused whenever anything went wrong.
But those days are behind her. As soon as she legally could, she changed her name to Cherry. For ten years, she has worked at a butcher's shop, her co-workers her friends. She has a long term boyfriend and the love of her life, her son Robin. All in all, it's a safe, predictable life and it's heaven on Earth to her.

But things are about to change. A young boy has gone missing. Worse, a college student with journalistic hopes has decided to create a podcast and his first case is that of Mr. Bones. He has somehow tracked Cherry down and has outed her on his podcast, giving her new name and her place of work. How can this be? No one knows about Cherry's past. She never even told Leo, her boyfriend. How can she tell him now after all this time?

When Robin goes missing while at the fair with Cherry, everything stops. She can't live without her son and the first boy never returned home. The police assure her that they are doing everything possible but Cherry is determined to pull strings they don't have access to. She reaches out to anyone she thinks can help, psychics, relatives of other missing boys and even her imprisoned father whom she hasn't seen in over a decade. Can she find Robin before he suffers the fate of her father's victims?

I listened to this novel. The main narrator, Stephanie Racine, uses her voice to portray the desperation and heartbreak Cherry goes through. The novel is set in England and her accent transports the reader to that locale. There is a secondary narrator who narrates various chapters on the podcast, a male voice that portrays the juvenile yearnings of the podcaster.

N V Peacock has written a chilling tale of the past finding the secrets about ourselves we hope to hide forever. Cherry has built a new life from an unimaginable past but it can be torn away by anyone determined enough to research her path after the trial. She also covers the popular world of criminal podcasts and the harm that those who cover crimes without investigative knowledge and a police background can do. That's a topic I've thought about quite a bit as the criminal podcast world exploded. Some are very well researched and provide answers that the police don't have the resources to find but some are just riding on the popular bandwagon and probably do as much harm as good. This book is recommended for thriller readers.

Great novel. Kept me hooked throughout. Had a couple of theories re Robin and I’m glad that one of them was correct. Great premise for the book Enjoyed the different narrators

The concept of this book really intrigued me, I'd never come across a thriller like this so it really piqued my interest.
I got a copy of this via net galley on audio - I have to say the audiobook is very well done, the cast do a very good job of conveying the emotions of the characters.
I just felt that the story lacked a little, the first 40% was reallly good and I was intrigued to see where it would go but after that it jusy got a bit repetitive and a bit dull and it didn't pick up even when all was revealed.
I did guess where the plot was going and it didn't really make much sense. It was over before it began so just ended up being rather anticlimactic.
It wasnt necessarily a bad book, i just feel like there could of been more, so ended up being a bit of a disappointment.

After a genuinely creepy start and an intriguing first half...
I found the last half and the ending to be disappointing.

The twist was predictable from very early on & I found all the characters becoming more annoying with every page I turned.

It is an interesting, easy to follow thriller, I've read better & I've read worse but it missed the mark for me sadly.

After a genuinely creepy preface to the book, where I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to even read such a disturbing story. Alas, this the story itself is actually quite boring; any sense of tension or mystery has been replaced by a lot of talk of Greys Anatomy, portions of chips and an old phone that doesn't display emojis. There were some laughs provided though with the florid descriptions such as: anger floated like a bloated corpse just below my smile. Or, the morning approached like insects eating a corpse.

Cherry, the main character, lurches from one hare brained idea to another and no-one seems to hold her back. This is compounded by the odd behaviour of her boyfriend who is alternatively a proper t@@t, or getting into bed with Cherry and acting like father of the year. The attempts at red herrings; her domineering mother-in-law, the vacillating behaviour of her boyfriend, the 'stalker', the missing passport are all thrown in to a confusing plot when it is pretty clear from the start what has happened.

The narration was pretty standard, but the story definitely wasn't one for me.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This book was unlike anything I’ve read/listened to before.

At times the main character drove me up the wall with some of her actions but deep down she only wanted the best for her child so the way she acted was understandable.

This book kept me guessing the whole way through and I did not expect that ending.

Very enjoyable reading experience.

I was so pleased when Netgalley started to offer audiobooks. This one is fantastic! The narrators are wonderful to listen to, as are the characters the author came up with. I was particularly delighted by the way the story concluded, some books have disappointing or unoriginal endings, but not this one! I think I’ll be hearing an evil laugh in my sleep tonight! .

Little Bones had an intriguing premise and I enjoyed listening to some parts of the story, especially at the beginning. However, one dimensional characters, predictable twist, implausible portrayal of police procedures and unrealistic dialogue let the book down. I also couldn’t see the point of the podcasts recordings chapters.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this one! Great storyline and kept me engaged throughout! The outcome was pretty predictable but still a really good book!

Wow loved this book so many twist and turns
The narrator got the pitch so right I am just getting into Audio books as I have started listening to them while walking around a local park trying to get my 10K steps in.
This book at one stage had me say out loud OMG how can that happen.
I went through 4 different suspects which for someone who reads/listens to a lot of thrillers is not like me the book had me hooked.
I don't want to go into any more details but would definetly recomend this book
Cherrie Forrester has a settled life with her boyfriend, Leo, and their eight-year-old son, Robin. Yet Cherrie has a secret. you need to read this to find out what the secret is.
Enjoy

This was the first audiobook I have listened to as an advanced copy. From the description I was really looking forward to it, but boy did I have mixed feelings about this book.
The central protagonist Cherrie is not likeable - in fact she’s pretty detestable at times. Her thought processes and decision making throughout the novel are baffling and infuriating especially once she is revealed to be the daughter of Mister Bones the serial killer. I went from being on the edge of my seat at times to literally screaming with frustration at how stupid Cherrie is. It also didn’t help that I saw a lot of the ‘twists’ coming a mile off.
I did enjoy this book, but it could have been so much better.