Thanks to Netgalley and Embia books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In a weird town, a baby carriage with the bones of the baby are found in a river. It appears to have some relation to Cora, the new bookseller in town. Detective Sarah Noble investigates.

After reading this for one month and only getting to 70%, I had to call it. I am giving it a 3 because I don’t think I have been in the best frame of mind for reading lately. I also think if it was a great book that wouldn’t have mattered and I would have wanted to pick it up when I put it down which wasn’t the case.

This is a supernatural thriller that gave me goosebumps. I could not put this story down. There was do much going on in the town of slayton that I kept turning the pages faster and faster to see how this story is going to turn out. It held my attention to the very end.

Moody, dark and suspenseful, this is a twisted psychological thriller with supernatural elements.

There are several trigger warnings but it’s definitely gripping!

A baby's pram is pulled from a lake and a tiny skeleton is found inside. A woman confesses but her story doesn't match up with the evidence...
The Bone House is the third book set in Slayton. I have not read the previous books: there are mentions of past events but no spoilers.
This book is seriously creepy. It is a curious mix of chilling horror and police procedural that I found interesting and engaging.
In the present day, hundreds of crows have mysteriously died and the pond is dredged to remove their carcasses. But a baby in a pram is found as well. Cora confesses yet she has an exceedingly troubled history. Police officer Sarah Noble needs to unpick the lies and secrets from the truth when Cora's confession doesn't make sense in light of the forensic evidence. Cora has a haunting past which saw her stepfather murder her mother. Then her own life spiralled out of control with a teen pregnancy.
Most of the book is written in the third person to show Cora and Sarah's experiences as the case progresses. Some chapters show a little boy Elliott who has nightmares or a psychic connection to the case. Other chapters show a first person viewpoint of a dangerous man who is stalking Cora and has sinister knowledge of the past and present.
Sarah is a dedicated cop with a potential romantic angle towards her partner Richie. She forms strong friendships and these help her to make a difference to the community. Sarah is kind and caring yet also brave and determined. I liked the strength of her character and was rooting for her to uncover the truth. Meanwhile Cora is vulnerable and damaged so I wanted her to find peace and move away from her past.
The Bone House is a creepy and sinister book. I am eager to read the earlier books in the series.

The Bone House by Caroline Mitchell is the third in the Slayton Thriller series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Embla Books  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Slayton is a town that is a little strange, where the "odd" is the normal, where the myths and legends seem to mingle with the everyday life.  Detective Sarah Noble has come a long way since the death of her husband.  Her boss Gabby, although a pessimist is her good friend, and their new boss is cheerful DI McGuire.  Co-workers include Yvonne, a rather rude woman, and Richie, who is Sarah's rock. Sarah's best friend Maggie has a child who "knows" things.  Elliott's dreams terrify him, but he often helps Sarah solve crimes, and there is usually something strange going on in Slayton.  Elliott's teacher, Miss Grogan is also helping him.  Sarah's other friend Elsie is a romance author, and her natural nosiness also helps Sarah.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
In a rather bizarre event, hundreds of birds fall to their death into the local lake.  When the lake is dredged in clean-up efforts, an old pram is pulled up, a baby still wrapped inside.  When the "find"  becomes public knowledge, Cora, the owner of a bookstore, ends up being front and center.  She always knew her actions may come back to haunt her,  but the only thing she wants is to protect her new baby.  But she fears that the "bone house" of old, is still with her, and her father still wants her.

Meanwhile, Elliott has been having nightmares about that pram, and about beetles.

Sarah is assigned this "cold" case, which ends up being quite current.  She knows there are a lot of secrets out there, and that a lot of people are lying to her, but what she doesn't know, is that not everyone will survive this case.


My Opinions:
Really enjoying this series.  The atmosphere of the town is creepy, the plot rather dark, and the characters are full of surprises.  I love Sarah, her compassion, her drive, her character.

There were a number of twists and red herrings that kept me invested in the story

I'm not sure if I missed it, or if the reason behind the dead crows was washed away, but I'd like to know why they ended up in the lake...., although it was a good creepy beginning.

Anyway, I really liked the book, and am ready for the next one!

Slayton is one creepy place. Hundreds of dead birds fall from the sky into the lake, When dredging up the lake, an old pram is discovered with a baby skeleton inside. Detective Sarah Noble investigates the cold case and isn't satisfied with a quick solution when local Cora confesses. The simmering tension among the residents and the supernatural vibes lend an eerie vibe to the story. Thoroughly enjoyed this!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. This was an excellent read.
Thoroughly recommended

The small village of Slayton has always been covered in a shroud of darkness that cannot be seen but is usually felt by most of the residents who live there. Some people want to leave Slayton but they just can't find the means to to so where others choose to live there knowing their dark secrets are safe since everyone seems to be hiding something they want kept from the light.

New mother Cora is one of those people who has always been running from the darkness of her past and the part she played back then. When suddenly without warning, hundreds of black birds fall from the sky into the lovely lake where swimmers and families picnic, Cora knows the presence she has felt following her is about to reveal a horrible secret from her previous life.

DS Sarah Noble is called out to the toxic lake while it is being dredged of the dead birds and whatever else that shouldn't be in the water, when the divers pull out an old baby pram that contains something buried among the folds of pieces of old cloth or possibly a blanket. What type of monster could have have pushed a pram with a tiny baby inside? Sarah is determined to find out what what's behind this story and hopefully bring the perpetrator to justice because this is her first big case that has been assigned to her and she wants to make her team and her new superior proud of her. Sarah knows what a huge task and risk this case will be for her because Sarah also has a darkness that follows her from her past and that's why she has chosen to reside in Slayton although she hopes her secrets don't interfere with the new life she needs to hold on to.

This was a wonderful police procedural with a terrific cast of interesting characters. I didn't know it was part of a series but it was definitely a stand-alone read and I enjoyed the story so much that I am looking forward to reading future books and also the previous ones I missed. The storyline and writing were very good and I was intrigued about the mysterious Slayton and what secrets it held. It's not often one finds a good detective story with believable supernatural vibes blended together and this book had both. The supernatural elements were not overbearing in any manner but eerily and quietly done. Some of the crimes were pretty blatant and horrific, not for sensitive readers, that's for sure. The characters were well-written and likeable for the most part while the evil baddies were completely dispicable but fun to read about. There were plenty of red herrings and twisted turns to make this book unputdownable (is that a word? If not it should be).

All in all an above average mystery/thriller book with a touch of horror written by "Caroline Mitchell" that I highly recommend!

I want to thank the publisher "Embla Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read one of their books and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 4 DARK AND DISTURBING 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

The Bone House’ is a chilling thriller that really gets under the reader's skin! It is a creepy book that feels catastrophic as the malevolence builds up to a frightening crescendo. This is the third book in the Slayton Thrillers but it is easily read as a standalone. I haven't read the first two books and I thoroughly enjoyed this one and didn't feel as if I was missing out on anything!

Newsreaders have called it the ‘crowapocalypse’ as hundreds of crows suddenly died and landed into Slayton’s lake. The population of the local area is unsettled and wondering if it is an omen.When the lake is dredged to clear it of the birds, a pram is discovered and it looks as if there is the body of a baby in it. Detective Sarah Noble is tasked to finding out what has happened. It's the moment a local resident, Cora has been dreading…

This was a creepy book and I even ended up dreaming about it. They were not happy dreams! I really liked Sarah’s characters and the bond with her friends and of course with Elliot. The supernatural elements were extremely well done and they didn't feel as if they were unbelievable.

Let me know if you pick this one up!

Slayton is a village with sinister undercurrents making it a place I wouldn't want to live but am addicted to reading about at a safe distance. The strong sense of place and grounded dark atmosphere always provides the foundation for the multiple layers of fear added when the police investigation begins and secrets are uncovered. The previous novel The Night Whispers gave me nightmares and with some cinematic scenes, this was just as creepy; Caroline Mitchell excels at giving the reader just enough information for their own imaginations to kick in and create their own fear. It was impossible to put down at night. One more chapter just wasn’t enough because I needed to know the conclusion before I could think about sleep.

The Bone House could easily be read as a standalone but it did revisit characters from the previous novels, namely Sarah, Elsie, Maggie, and young Elliot who has been mastering his own unique skills. Unlike some series not knowing their full backstory to this point doesn’t hold back any of the enjoyment.

Discovering a baby’s body was always going to be unnerving but with a terrifying poem muttered throughout and snippets from the events in the bone room, it was a tense read. Bookshop owner Cora invoked sympathy but it was difficult to know who to trust when facts were revealed in this unexpected twisty case.

The Bone House is a strong example of Caroline Mitchell’s talent for blending unnerving paranormal elements with a twisty crime thriller. Gripping and chilling with characters you begin to care for this is a series that as soon as a new release is announced, it is eagerly anticipated and added to the TBR list.

This is a creepy but gripping thriller. It’s the first Detective Sarah Noble title that I have read but I have read the DI Amy Winter books by the same author so I knew that I would likely enjoy it.
The prologue is set in the past and intrigues you, Why is this woman frightened of her husband when she has just given birth to their second child?
Then we skip to the present day and the start of everything. Crows fall from the sky en mass into a lake and it has to be dredged as a result. Unfortunately this leads to the discovery of a pram with a very small skeleton inside. Cora has a baby daughter and this discovery brings back memories of her childhood and how her father changed when he found an old bunker on their property. It became known as the Bone House in the media and it seems the past is never far away after all.

A creepy poem is a recurring theme throughout the book. The investigation is assisted by a young child who has visions and this is the bit I struggled with. It wasn’t at all believable (even setting aside the debate on whether such things exist) It didn’t fit well into the story. That aside, Sarah’s investigation progresses and the truth unfolds slowly. One character starts off as a seemingly good person but then transforms for reasons of plot despite their prior helpful and dependable actions.

It is a good crime.mystery and I didn’t guess the ending in advance. It is well written and so I give it 5 stars.

I found "The Bone House" by Caroline Mitchel to be an intriguing and captivating read.

The story revolves around a town called Slayton, where hundreds of birds fall dead from the sky into a lake, leading to the discovery of a rusty old pram containing the bones of a baby. The protagonist, Detective Sarah Noble, works with forensic anthropologist Sophia Hudson to solve a cold case related to the baby's death.

The book combines supernatural elements with a detective's effort to solve a mystery. I found the plot twists and turns to be both unexpected and exciting. However, I did feel that the story wrapped up too quickly and some parts could have used more elaborating. The characters in the book were interesting, and I was invested in their stories.

Overall, I would definitely recommend "The Bone House" to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a supernatural twist. The author also did an excellent job of creating a creepy atmosphere that kept me on edge throughout the book.

I really found myself so interested in the premise of this book and I was so excited to start it. But within the first few chapters I was really just finding myself completely uninterested. This is a series with two previous installments but it is said that it can be read as a standalone. I'm not sure if I would benefit from reading the other two books but at this time, this book was a DNF for me. I am about a quarter into the book and I am just cannot get into the book. I'm not sure what exactly it is about the book because, again, the premise sounds interesting. But, this just isn't it for me. So far there seems to be so many details that are irrelevant to the story and most recently there is a very odd supernatural twist seemingly just thrown in. It's completely thrown me and confused me.

I am so thankful to NetGalley and Carline Mitchell for giving me the opportunity to read this book before the release date.

Slayton is a place where strange things happen- like crows falling dead from the sky! Many birds fell into the lake & as a health hazard it needed to be dredged. Apart from crow bodies, an old pram was found & inside was the body of a small baby.

Cora keeps herself to herself. She has her bookshop & most of all she has her baby, Millie. Now this has happened, her past is likely to catch up with her. Detective Sarah Noble investigates this cold case. But things in Slayton are not always as they seem.

Caroline Mitchell is a master of the creepy atmosphere. Even ordinary things can take on a menacing mantle, so the reader is almost looking over their shoulder. I read & enjoyed the first in this series but missed the second. I really enjoyed this one & will make sure I look out for more. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

The Bone House is a complex novel that is filled with twists and turns. I did not read the first two books in this series, so missed out on some character development. The premise of the story is that crows falling dead from the sky leads to a pram with a baby's skeleton being found in the local lake. This novel weaves supernatural elements with a detective tryin to solve a cold case. The characters in it were interesting and I didn't anticipate all the different twists. That said, I thought that the book tied up its plot rather quickly and some parts needed more fleshing out rather than a neat ending. Overall, this book was a quick read and I would recommend it.

This is the third book in the Slayton Thriller series and just like the previous two I found this one a superb read. Right from the start Caroline Mitchell has a knack of reeling you right into the story and you will just want to keep on reading until you reach the dramatic conclusion. The Bone House is a creepy and atmospheric read that had me on the edge of my seat at times. This can be read as a standalone but I really recommend reading the other books in this series as they are also excellent.

This is book #3 in the Slayton series. In this series, Caroline Mitchell has developed the town of Slayton as a character in the books. The town's eerie, creepy feel comes through in every chapter. It's like watching a movie, when the creepy music plays, you just know something is going to happen. In THE BONE HOUSE, that something is a flock of birds falling dead from the sky into the lake. The town dredges the lake to clean up the mess but finds an unexpected surprise that opens many doors into the town's secrets. The investigating team finds clues that lead even further down that eerie road. And then........well, you'll just have to read the book, and while you're at it, read the first two too, you won't be sorry.

I shamefully admit this is the first novel by Caroline Mitchell I have read. I can't believe it has taken me so long to find such a stunning author. I used to think that C.J.Tudor and James Oswald were the only two writers on this side of the Atlantic who really understood how to bring a chilling element into a mystery thriller but Caroline Mitchell is a more than competent rival to Stephen King.
Reading this novel was like entering an old dark house, still telling myself there was no such thing as ghosts, until the shivers down my spine made me think again. The author has the talent to keep realism in place whilst allowing her characters to come into contact with dark forces which are from a realm beyond the veil. A powerfully emotive thriller. I loved it.

Wow! I loved this book. I have read a few by Caroline Mitchell and she always delivers on the twists and turns! Kept me guessing throughout.

Atmospheric and creepy, what secrets are hidden in The Bone House? Only Cora knows, but when an old pram is pulled from the lake with the remains of a baby still strapped in, she knows it’s time for her to pay. And that the residents of the strange town of Slayton will make sure she does.

Detective Sarah Noble from the first two books in the series is given the cold case to solve, but it turns out to be more than just that. I don’t know Sarah’s back story, but I gather it was traumatic, as I also don’t know about her next-door neighbour Maggie or Maggie’s son Elliott, who has extraordinary powers of clairvoyance. Is that what it is? He ‘sees’ things that others don’t, as does his teacher – we meet her part way through the book. I will need to read The Midnight Man and The Night Whispers to find out more. They also sound really creepy – just up my street.

But back to the ‘now’. Cora has a beautiful, eight-week-old baby named Millie and runs a bookshop called Turn The Pages. She has an assistant, Timmy, who also helps with babysitting. Life was looking up for her until hundreds of birds fell into the lake. It was when it was dredged that the pram was discovered.

Cora’s history is shocking. Her time at The Bone House with her stepfather, a well-respected consultant, her fragile mum and baby sister is just terrifying, but I won’t say more in case I give anything away. But you will be horrified, as was I. What follows is full of red herrings and numerous suspects, but it’s Cora’s story that will keep you up at night.

I can’t get over how good this book was; it’s absolutely riveting. I couldn’t put it down. I read Silent Victim by the same author some time ago (before I started reviewing on my blog) but this was even better.

Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour