(4.25/5 stars)

Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski is a fun mystery featuring a former Hollywood PR fixer.

This was such a fun read! It took me a little bit to get into it, but then I was absolutely strapped in and enjoying the ride. There were a few twists I definitely called, but it zigged and zagged and exceeded my expectations. I especially loved the final ~25% of the book; I was at the edge of my seat and felt propelled to keep reading.

I really loved Madeline and her teammate rapport with Dash. It's always great to see mutual respect between (non-romantic) partners in mysteries. There's some good neurodivergent representation in Dash, he suffers from anxiety and panic attacks.

Sometimes the clues and answers felt a little on the convenient side, but I still had fun reading. I'll list it in the CWs, but I do want to specify it here too, especially after the last few months: a wildfire is a plot point in this book. Obviously this book was written long before the actual events, but it's worth giving folks a big head's up.

I'm truly hopeful that based on the ending, this is the start of a series! I'd love to continue to follow Dash on other adventures. I think this would make an amazing tv series as well; I'd absolutely watch it.

If you're a fan of dark comedy, detective/sleuth mysteries, or books set around Hollywood, you absolutely need to pick this one up.

CW: California wildfires

I admit I went into Where the Bones Lie somewhat blindly, because even though I must have read the blurb at one point (and I’m 100% sure I did as I helped with the cover reveal ages ago, and also because it got my interest enough to make me want to read the book), I had no idea what was waiting for me. And as this is the first book I read from Nick Kolakowski, I had no previous experiences or expectations, which was nice. No bars to jump – well, at least only just the very high one of my personal enjoyment. Which, thankfully was cleared by Where the Bones Lie.

I always end up enjoying books (and documentaries) that make us look behind the scenes of celebrity life, and I’m not sure what that says about me. I guess it’s the validation that life can’t be as picture-perfect and glittering as Hollywood would like us to believe. And the higher someone climbs on the celebrity ladder the bigger the fall is. I like to believe I’m not interested in these stories to gloat or feel better about myself, but I’m genuinely curious about the hows and whys as well as the human pshyché. I guess that’s also why I find mysteries fascinating.

In the case of Where the Bones Lie, we get to look into the life of a Hollywood fixer, well, an ex-fixer, whose job was to keep various up-and-coming celebs out of trouble, no matter the consequences as long as the public (and the studios) were happy and oblivious. And Dash Fuller was one of the best at what he was doing until a case made him quit. Not that it made things any better, as he became an alcoholic (or nearly so) and attempted to become a comedian, even though he is not funny. And the past always comes knocking.

Madeline hires him to help her find out what really happened to his father, whose remains were recently found at the bottom of a drying lake. Ken Ironwood himself was a sort of Hollywood legend as a smuggler and murderer. Since Dash wants to be as far away from LA as possible for the time being, he agrees and they head out to the Californian countryside. I liked the dynamics between these two, their dialogue, and the way they worked together and I think we can safely say built a friendship. I’m definitely giving bonus points for not forcing the characters into a romantic relationship. But Where the Bones Lie feels more like a plot-driven book, because even though we see everything from Dash’s POV, I never felt connected to him somehow. Oh, I could sympathize with him and liked him as a character with his faults and all, but I never bonded with him on an emotional level. But that happens and it did not lower my enjoyment of the book.

That said, Where the Bones Lie kept me engaged enough to read it much faster than I thought – then again, this is a book on the short side, so it’s not very surprising. And I think it could have done with a bit more as it felt too bare bones (pun absolutely intended). For the majority of the plot, the investigation felt too easy. Things kept falling into their laps, everything seemed to point in one direction and a seemingly obvious conclusion. And I didn’t really mind, because as I said, I enjoyed the ride, Kolakowski definitely has a style of writing that makes reading fun, but I felt that not everyone might feel compelled to stick with it until the end. This in turn leads me to say that the ending feels a bit rushed, if more satisfying than I would have expected. Interestingly, recent events in California add an unintended extra layer of tension to the book, which actually works very well.

All in all, I had a good time with time with book and I’m hoping that at one point there is going to be a sequel, because I very much would like to find out what Dash Fuller gets up to next. Where the Bones Lie is an action packed romp of a book, that shows us the ugly side of Hollywood in Kolakowski’s quirky and highly entertaining style. I sure will keep an eye out for any other books of his.

Wow what an action packed thriller this was! I was hooked from the beginning - the twists in this book were genuinely surprising and was such a wild ride from start to end. I loved the plot of this story and its hints of dark humour. Such likeable characters and I can’t wait to see what this author has installed next.

When Mr. Kolakowski asked me to review his gritty noir mystery, I seized it at once. And, believe me, I was not disappointed. From the seedy parts of Hollywood to the fire-torn wine country, it’s a race against time when a former fixer and bagman and his new young client are thrown into a quagmire of murder and betrayal.

Dash Fuller is a former Hollywood clean-up man turned struggling stand-up comic trying (and failing) to leave his tumultuous past behind. When Dash’s old boss Manny offers Dash a job that dredges up memories of a botched gig that sent him running from that life, he finds himself pulled back in, convinced it’ll be the last time. But we all know how that goes.

The plot thickens when Dash is contacted by the daughter of Ken Ironwood, a man who has been MIA for decades and whose body has just been discovered. As they work together to piece together what really happened, it escalates into a cat-and-mouse game, one that had me laughing out loud one moment and on the edge of my seat the next. And let me tell you, the ending? Wow. It was a masterpiece with all of the chaotic loose ends tied up as I sat there wondering what the hell just happened.

Nick Kolakawski is a very fine writer, one of those authors equipped with the ability to hook the reader in just a few sentences and keep them nailed until the very last word. I literally could see this book on the big screen. It’s that good!

If you love crime fiction and even if you don’t read it much, give this superb novel a try! You will be thrown into a whirlwind of humor, suspense, and unexpected twists. One of my favorite books this year.

Thank you so much to Nick for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Thank you to Datura Books for sending me a copy of this novel. Here are my thoughts!

Dash Fuller is giving up his rough past of making Hollywood’s most famous’ secrets disappear and he’s going to become a stand-up comedian. That is until Madeline shows up, her father went missing 20 years ago and his skeleton was recently discovered. Madeline wants Dash to figure out what happened.

I was immediately drawn in by the character, Dash. He was blunt and had this coolness about him that made me want to learn more. His backstory was intriguing, and I loved that he went from like a fixer to a stand-up comedian (a poor one at that). Madeline was his complete opposite. The two balanced each other out very nicely and once they started working together, I was even more drawn into the story.

The novel continued as your usual crime thriller but then BAM, twist after twist after twist. I didn’t expect any of them so was completely shocked. I basically finished the last third of the book in one go just to see what happens. It was very challenging to put it down. I would love if more books were added about Dash, I think there is so much expansion in Hollywood as well as his backstory.

I can’t recommend this one enough and I highly recommend it if you are into crime fiction and thrillers!

In a Nutshell: A detective thriller based in Hollywood-land California. Set in contemporary time but feels like a classic crime fiction. Strong characters, some good twists, and witty humour. A bit too convenient and farfetched at times, but the final section elevates the overall experience.

Plot Preview:
Modern-day Los Angeles. Dash Fuller spent many years working for a Hollywood “fixer”. Anytime celebrities get into a mess, Dash and his boss Manny were the ones they call to clean the slate. But after one messy incident, Dash decided to call it quits. Now, he spends his time either attempting stand-up comedy or downing a glass of bourbon.
Madeline is the daughter of Ken Ironwood, a notorious smuggler who vanished twenty years ago when she was just a child. A drying lakebed has revealed a barrel containing Ken’s skeleton, and Madeline wants to know who killed him. When Madeline approaches Dash to do this detective work for her, he sees it as a chance for redemption. But as the two of them venture into some elite LA territory, the last thing they expect is for the cold case to be not so cold.
The story comes to us in Dash’s first-person perspective.


While I do read a variety of books, there are some genres I haven’t touched in ages. One such category is private sleuth stories. So when this novel promised to reveal the darker underbelly of Hollywood, I was intrigued. Picking this was a reading gamble as many of the potential elements didn’t seem to be my cup of tea, but I do like to challenge myself. And thankfully, the gamble worked to a great extent.

Bookish Yays:
🎯 Madeline – a young woman with spunk and sass. Never lets the circumstances defeat her and approaches everything and everyone with unfiltered honesty. Loved her!
🎯 Dash – Not your typical cocky PI who considers himself the best at his job. Dash has his mental demons and also a sensitive side. He makes for an unusual sleuth with his imperfections.
🎯 Dash and Madeline have a mutually-respectful partnership, though he is obviously senior to her in age and experience. I like how he doesn’t look down on her or patronize her, nor does she allow him to dictate every move but holds her own in a conversation.
🎯 Plenty of banter between Dash and Madeline, lending a fun quotient to many scenes even when the overall proceedings are serious.
🎯 No forced romance between the lead pair, and not even shoved-in comments about physical hotness and attraction and the like – much appreciated.
🎯 The writing approach – Sometimes, it feels like the book is paying homage to classic crime noir, and sometimes, it seems more like a PI parody. Either way, it’s fun if you just go with the flow.
🎯 The details about the “fixing”. Makes me wonder how many such fixers might be actually there in Hollywood, hiding murky truths about our favourite stars! 👀
🎯 The setting – Nicely used in the plot. Though LA and Hollywood are part of the background, the story focusses not on the glam side but on the dirty underbelly of moviedom and gangland.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🔎 Though fast-paced in general, the actual storyline takes a while to get going. The initial 20% is about another unrelated case being handled by Dash. Even once Madeline comes into the picture, the writing still takes a while to deliver adrenaline rushes.
🔎 While there is some solid high-octane action in the book, it appears only sporadically. Some of the action sequences get resolved too soon, and a major chunk is present only in the last quarter of the book.
🔎 The final section – I did see a part of the twist coming but the extent of the twist was a surprise to me. The ending is overall quite good, with many surprises and plenty of action, and only a decent-sized infodump confession. However, one of the reveals was somewhat unconvincing and hence disappointing.
⚠ Not exactly a bookish issue, but I was surprised to see references to climate change and forest fires popping up regularly throughout the plot. In fact, the fires are mentioned quite casually, as if they are now a normal part of LA life. (Hope this is not the case! ☹) I realise that this novel was written well before the destructive January 2025 wildfires in LA, but this fire-related content might be a bit triggering to a few readers.

Bookish Nays:
💥 I wish the ages of the main characters were clarified. Madeline seems to be in her early twenties, but Dash’s age is not revealed at all. Knowing a character’s age helps us in understanding and anticipating their behaviour better.
💥 Too coincidental at times! Dash and Madeline seem to have more than their fair share of luck, because even when they are reckless and impulsive, they end up in minimal danger and they get out of it equally fast.. Basically, this has many of the convenient plotting methods of contemporary thrillers, which does not seem to bother most thriller fans but keeps me away from the genre. Golden rule: Don’t overthink while reading. (This rule is more for myself; I keep forgetting it!)
💥 While the ending has surprises, the rest of the plot has no red herrings or multiple suspects to pick from. The story seems surprisingly straightforward in that respect. I would have liked to challenge my brain cells more throughout the story.

All in all, though this wasn’t my kind of book and it did go a little too straightforward in the initial half for my liking, the main characters and the climax redeemed the book to a great extent.

The story in this novel is complete, but it looks like Dash might abandon his stand-up comedy for a new career. I hope he does, because comedy is clearly not his forte and he has the potential to be the lead PI of a series.

Recommended to those who enjoy darkly comic sleuth stories with an imperfect PI at the helm.

3.5 stars.

My thanks to author Nick Kolakowski and Datura Books for providing the DRC of “Where the Bones Lie” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

What a WILD ride. This book honestly went off the rails about halfway through and just absolutely raced to the ending. I loved Dash's background as a professional fixer / coverup agent for the rich and famous. Though I do say, it doesn't seem like it's skill based and he mostly just stumbles into solutions. I also wish he was a tadddd less "mysterious" because it was hard to really connect with him / visualize his character and personality.

This book was all over the place, drama and danger and more drama. If you love an action-packed thriller then this is definitely for you! I know I was yelling out loud as I furiously turned the pages.

Dash Fuller is trying to make it as a comedian. The only problem is… he is not that funny.
Well, he kind of is on his way through the book.
The author, on the other hand, IS funny. 😂

He used to be a Fixer. He has put that life behind him. However, they want him back. He was good at what he did. And they are not used to getting 'no'for an answer

A mystery person calls and wants his services… to dig up information. Her father’s bones have just been discovered due to a lake evaporating due to climate changes.

Going out of town with a stranger, being stalked by another, wait, was that just the sleeping pills?
No, it was real. This takes them to a smaller community where the sheriff seems to have a finger in every pie and everyone knows everyones business.

They slowly dig up new leads to take them to the trush about Ken Ironwood. The question is, can they both survive this little mission of theirs?

There are some good twists here. And it reminded me that I am still house scared. I’ll just stay in my flat for now.🫣

I enjoy Dash's thoughts. He seems to be thinking quickly on his feet. He seems to have a compass that points fairly northwards. He is very likeable. And he jumps around the twists like a pro. Madeleine is learning, and I quite like them as partners in crime.😊

And the biggest clue of was right under my nose!

Nick Kolakowski's "Where the Bones Lie" reads like a stand-up comedian is telling you a joke that turns into one of the best darkly humorous thrillers you've ever read! I mean this literally. The book's not simply fast-paced, atmospheric, intricately plotted, and full of pop culture references - it's also quite original in its selection of the main character: a former LA fixer turned stand-up comedian! I rarely read crime fiction, but I finished this one in a couple of sittings, devouring the book to find out where the whole thing was going; it's so smartly written, with fully fleshed out and solid characters, the more I read the more I was feeling sure I would not be disappointed. Indeed, the book delivers, and it in fact goes places I never suspected it would (climate change), developping an offbeat sort of Hollywood detective mystery story which I can easily see myself binging if it were a TV series, or a blockbuster movie on the big screen. The book begs for it, and a well done series would certainly fit the plot's moral ambiguity and the cinematic writing style of the author. Highly recommended!

If you are a fan of old school, hard-boiled crime fiction, you are going to want to pick up a copy of Where The Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski. It has all of the elements you’ll love – disenchanted investigator, feisty female character, seedy underworld operatives and a convoluted crime to be followed to the bitter end.

I am not a big reader of this genre but I do like to dip my toe in now and again and, having dipped my toe in here, I am happy to confirm that you should plunge ahead, the water is lovely. I enjoyed every minute of this book and was on the edge of my seat throughout.

Our heroic narrator is Dash, a former Hollywood fixer turned standup comedian, although he is isn’t turning out to be as successful at the latter as he was at the former. When his former mentor tempts him back to do one last job, he is reluctant but agreeable, although he soon wishes he hadn’t taken it on, as it is stirring up some bad memories and reminds him why he quit in the first place.

However, he is then approached by a woman who is investigating the death of her father, who has been missing for years and whose body has recently been discovered. Dash agrees to help, but it soon becomes clear there is more to the case that they anticipated and they head straight into danger, and the plot takes on more twists and turns than a rollercoaster.

The plot is full of intrigue, red herrings, double dealings and deadly peril and will have you guessing and gasping throughout. Dash is suitably tortured and jaded, Madleine is quick-witted, sharp-tongued and ballsy and the baddies are sinister and determined. The book has plenty to say about Hollywood corruption, morality and climate change and the whole thing was just hella entertaining. All in all, a fabulous read.

Dash Fuller lives in Los Angeles, working as an aspiring comedian and part time delivery man to pay the bills. Though this wasn’t always his way of making of living. In his not too distant past Dash worked as a fixer of sorts for Hollywood’s glitterati. When he is approached by Madeline Ironwood who is searching for clues about the disappearance and subsequent death of her infamous father Ken, Dash agrees to help, albeit a bit hesitantly. They embark on a trip together to find the truth, no matter how difficult the journey seems.

Where the Bones Lie reads like a hard boiled detective novel even though this protagonist doesn’t share that line of work. The dialogue and humor veers in that direction. While I found the plot interesting, I couldn’t connect with the characters and felt the whole story a little unoriginal. Not my favorite, but a passable thriller. 3.25 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Thank you for the free ebook Datura Books @daturabooks , Netgalley @netgalley , and Nick Kolakowski @nickkolakowski
“Where the Bones Lie” by Nick Kolakowski ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Mystery Noir Location: San Douglas, north of Santa Barbara, California, USA. Time: present.

Dash Fuller is a cynical burnout who loves bourbon a little too much. Why? He’s spent years in Hollywood’s underbelly as a fixer/bagman helping disappear the film industry’s worst secrets. Now they want him back for 1 more job-finding superhero movie star Karl Quaid. Madeline is the daughter of Ken Ironwood, notorious smuggler/murderer who disappeared 20 years ago. Ken’s skeleton was just found in a barrel at the bottom of a dried-up lake, and Madeline wants to know who killed him. When she asks Dash for help, he sees it as a chance for redemption. They head for San Dauglas where they uncover a massive conspiracy amid raging wildfires.

Author Kolakowski has written a fast-paced, darkly funny noir thriller that touches on crime, family relationships, redemption-and climate change. It’s particularly relevant due to the recent LA wildfires. He has a way with cynically amusing prose: (“…skin so sun-darkened it was almost purple…She reminded me of a burned-out match.”) (“In my experience, cops ask a lot of questions…They can’t help themselves.”)(“…a pelaton of bikers in bright spandex…”) Kolakowski adds in lots of pop culture references, both present and vintage. If you like crime noir based in present day with a scoop of humor, pick up this book! It’s 4 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️

Nick Kolakowski really gets around, genre-wise. Although he has plenty of crime capers under his belt, with books like Payback is Forever and his Love & Bullets series, it’s his few - and excellent - horror novellas that I first became acquainted with his work, specifically Absolute Unit and, later, Beach Bodies. And let’s not forget his awesome Friday the 13th X Groundhog Day riff, appropriately titled “Goundhog Slay,” in the Monsters (Dark Tide Book 5) novella collection. Indeed, Kolakowski has found a pretty sweet spot as a crossover author in his own right, effortlessly hopping back and forth between crime and horror and mixing up the two on occasion (The Boise Long-Pig Hunting Club and its sequel, regrettably, remain unread in Mount TBR, along with Maxine Unleashes Doomsday, and I can only imagine what those books must entail based on their titles!).

With Where the Bones Lie, Kolakowski turns his attention to the old reliable of crime fiction, the private detective, albeit in a round-about way, which fits Nick’s style to a T. Dash Fuller is a former Hollywood fixer. Got a celebrity you need dried out before dying of an OD just before making the publicity rounds for a new flick or big-budget streaming series? Or maybe the celeb has already OD’d and the cause of death needs to be adjusted to something more palatable by way of favors made to the police and medical examiner? Or maybe it’s the body of a rando the celeb was hooking up with that has sadly expired and now needs to be hidden? Or, hell, maybe you just need some paparazzi kneecapped. Dash is your guy. Or was, anyway. Dash is reformed and failing at being a stand-up comedian because, funny enough, he’s not all that funny. This means, of course, he’s broke and making fast food door deliveries and Ubering folks around isn’t making ends meet. Enter his old boss, Manny, with one last job. One thing leads to another, yada yada yada, and pretty soon Dash find himself involved with Madeline Ironwood, who has hired him to find out who murdered her drug-running father, Ken. Ken’s skeleton, you see, has recently been discovered in a barrel that had been sunk in a lake, but climate changing being what it is, said lake is no more, wildfires are ravaging the landscape, and all kinds of secrets are finding their way back into the sun.

Kolakowski’s opening pages set the stage for an interesting dilemma — what happens when you’re really good at doing bad things? For Dash, it’s a personal crisis that results in stomach cramps best relieved by punishing amounts of alcohol and snark because he is, after all, a not-quite private eye of the hard-boiled tradition, and because healthy coping mechanisms make for poor drama. Both Dash and Madeline make light of the fact that finding out what happened to Ken is cheaper than therapy, but there’s an unmissable truth in such jokes. Both have long-standing, albeit wildly different, issues in need of resolution. For Dash these are brought to the forefront as Manny reenters his life and dredges up a past that Dash finds impossible to escape, and which has literally crippled him with guilt. During the course of his investigation into Ken’s disappearance he suffers a panic attack. His dreams are waking nightmares that make for fitful sleep. He sees a black-clad figure in a skull mask stalking him wherever he goes, a figure that may or may not actually be there.

Dash makes for an interesting character study. He’s impulsive and self-assured in his skills, but so riddled with doubt and guilt that he can’t keep doing all the things he’s so good at. His talents have made his existence a living hell. But it’s not until Madeline enters the picture that he finds a pathway into do-goodery. Former footnote of an actress Madeline makes for an equally intriguing foil, and it’s clear Kolakowski had a lot of fun writing these two. She’s a wildcat, and there’s a natural charm to the repartee between her and Dash. It’s refreshing, too, to see their relationship founded on mutual respect and professionalism, rather than the typical ‘will they or won’t they’ tropes often found in similar set-ups.

Where the Bones Lie subverts just enough of the usual expectations that it feels fresh and enjoyable, and Kolakowski puts a unique spin on the private dick character with his focus on mental health and finding balance in a truly off-kilter world. With shades of Robert Crais’s Elvis Cole novels by way of Jordan Harper’s outstanding Everybody Knows, Kolakowski delivers an intriguing PI page-turner that reminds us just how dark sunny California can get.

A quirky and twisting Hollywood set mystery! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher.

I love a book set in Hollywood. Most of this actually takes place out of Hollywood itself and more in wine country, but even so Hollywood is pretty integral to this story. We have missing movie stars and a fixer. Our MC is a fixer who ends up on a mysterious mission to help a woman investigate the death of her father. This has them following clues, receiving threatening warnings to stop investigating, encountering nefarious characters. I actually really enjoyed the forays outside of Hollywood and the way the investigation took place in wine country and how that was woven into the story and the clues they found.

Our main character was pretty cool, a fixer was an interesting concept as an investigating character. I really liked the gently friendly relationship with his client too. There was a comfort between them that worked really well for building trust as they delved deeper into their investigation.

Overall an intriguing mystery, great setting with an unexpected ending.

A story for those readers like a twisting mystery with some deathly dark humour. I didn’t see the ending coming. Dash McClane used to be an LA fixer, not the tradesman kind. But one too many problems solved sees him trying something else. Stand-up comedy. This may be a way to feel better about himself, but his jokes are an acquired taste and not necessarily appreciated. Neither is the trouble he finds himself in when he reluctantly agrees to step back into his old life’s shoes and accept Madeline’s request to help her find out what happened to her dad. He’s been found dead in a barrel, and she doesn’t think it’s a barrel of laughs as she’s been given the run around trying to find out what happened. Let’s hope the joke is not on them as the bodies start to mount up. Thank you to Datura and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Top Notch from Nick. Been a fan of his for years. He is a master at writing crime stories.
Definitely recommend this book.
Check it out.

Thanks to Datura Books for the ARC.

I have read some Kolakowski books before and they're always smart and funny. This sounded like a bit of a shift in direction, and by the description I thought it would veer into similar territory as Jordan Harper's brilliant book Everybody Knows. A hard metric to live up to, as it is one of my faves from recent years.

However, despite some superficial similarities - the LA setting in the world of sketchy Hollywood PR fixers - it is actually a much different beast. Most of the book isn't even set in LA, but slightly north in wine country. Where the Harper book was very much channeling the freneticism of James Ellroy in its prose style, this was more akin to a classic PI novel, where the 'hero' is a reluctant and morally compromised character - not to mention quick with a pointed barb. The tone is closer to Travis McGee - funny, loose, cool.

Like all detective stories, there's a build up of clues and twists, some of which I was half expecting given the nature of the genre. This doesn't really lessen the enjoyment though. The tropes are part of the fun. I did find myself getting lost in the weeds a bit in terms of who did what somewhere in the middle, but again that is always the case with mysteries (at least for me...maybe I'm a silly billy) and it all comes together in a nice symmetrical way by the end.

Definitely recommended for fans of crime fiction and mysteries. Also sounds like the start of a very cool series.