Mystery

Small Bones

Small Bones

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  • Create Date：2021-06-16 22:31:08
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Kerry Buchanan
  • ISBN：B095KTWGNN
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Summary

AN ABSOLUTELY JAW-DROPPING CRIME THRILLER FEATURING DETECTIVES ASHA HARVEY & AARON BIRCH

If you can’t trust your father and you can’t trust the police， who can you trust？

Sue Hearn is planting a herb garden on the site of her grandfather’s old greenhouse。 She’s spent the morning digging up all sorts of odds and ends already。 But she doesn’t expect this grisly find。

Could it be the remains of her mother， Monica， who went missing thirty years ago？

Sue’s father， in hospital with dementia， insinuates that a police officer was involved in her mother’s disappearance。 But can he be trusted？

So now Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch might be looking for a bent copper。

As they dig deeper into the past， Sue and Asha find secrets so dangerous it will put all their lives in danger。

Fans of BBC’s Line of Duty， Lynda La Plante， Tana French， Patricia Gibney， Brian McGilloway and Helen H。 Durrant will devour this electrifying crime thriller by one of Northern Ireland’s newest talents。

MEET THE DETECTIVES

DETECTIVE ASHA HARVEY

Asha Harvey has always had a powerful sense of right and wrong。 She has wanted to be a detective since she was a child， and while she can be a little too trusting， her open manner makes people want to confide in her。 She is especially driven to succeed as a woman of colour in a largely white， male police force in Northern Ireland。 Her family support her and are ridiculously proud of her， which adds to her internal pressure to succeed。

DETECTIVE AARON BIRCH

Boyish and gangly， Aaron Birch entered the police force as a detective through a graduate recruitment scheme。 This makes him the butt of snide remarks by fellow officers， so he always feels he has something to prove。 He also has a tendency to stretch the rules to suit himself， which can lead to him getting into trouble。

THE SETTING

A city of contrasts， Belfast is filled with beautiful old relics dating back to a golden age of shipbuilding and wealth， as well as the scars of more recent wounds。 The city has an exciting sense of newness and potential， but it can’t quite shed those who lurk in the darker shadows born of its turbulent past。

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Reviews

rita simpson ，

BrilliantCouldn't put it down ， as good as the first can't wait for the next。 Great characters and nice twist at the end。 BrilliantCouldn't put it down ， as good as the first can't wait for the next。 Great characters and nice twist at the end。 。。。more

Ruth Matheson ，

Overall 4。5*Having enjoyed the first book in this series， I eagerly awaited the next one and I wasn't disappointed。 What initially appears to be a cold case when a child's body is unearthed in a back garden， starts to grow tentacles which lead back to police corruption reaching back 30+ years。 So we find detectives Harvey and Birch trying to solve this old murder and at the same time， trying to stay alive！ I really enjoy reading this series set in and around Belfast and its two detectives。Thanks Overall 4。5*Having enjoyed the first book in this series， I eagerly awaited the next one and I wasn't disappointed。 What initially appears to be a cold case when a child's body is unearthed in a back garden， starts to grow tentacles which lead back to police corruption reaching back 30+ years。 So we find detectives Harvey and Birch trying to solve this old murder and at the same time， trying to stay alive！ I really enjoy reading this series set in and around Belfast and its two detectives。Thanks to Joffe Books for the ARC to review。 。。。more

Patricia Leggett ，

Fabulous StoryI was pretty much hooked from the first page，the plot led you back and forth and just when you thought you knew where it was going something else came along and you were taken off at another tangent。

Emily Burrows ，

Sue Hearn discovers bones in her garden while digging around the greenhouse。 The house has been in her family for generations。 Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch come to investigate。 The bones are around 30 years old， the same time since her mother disappeared， however the bones are of a young boy not a grown woman。 Who was this boy and who in the family buried him there？ Sue and the detectives are caught up in the investigation， being attacked as someone clearly doesn’t want the reason behi Sue Hearn discovers bones in her garden while digging around the greenhouse。 The house has been in her family for generations。 Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch come to investigate。 The bones are around 30 years old， the same time since her mother disappeared， however the bones are of a young boy not a grown woman。 Who was this boy and who in the family buried him there？ Sue and the detectives are caught up in the investigation， being attacked as someone clearly doesn’t want the reason behind these bones to be discovered。A gripping crime thriller that keeps you wanting to know what happens next。 Second book in the series and can’t wait to read the next instalment。 。。。more

Greg ，

Thanks to NetGalley， the publisher， and the author for allowing me to read and review this book， Small Bones。A human skeleton is found by a woman digging in her garden。 When the police are called， Acting DI Asha Harvey is sent to investigate。 This starts an investigation into missing persons， police corruption， and danger for the team of detectives。This story gives a good look at how power can corrupt and cause desperate people to do things which were not considered normal。 The book is well thou Thanks to NetGalley， the publisher， and the author for allowing me to read and review this book， Small Bones。A human skeleton is found by a woman digging in her garden。 When the police are called， Acting DI Asha Harvey is sent to investigate。 This starts an investigation into missing persons， police corruption， and danger for the team of detectives。This story gives a good look at how power can corrupt and cause desperate people to do things which were not considered normal。 The book is well thought out， and the ‘good’ characters are likable。 Hopefully， real life is not so gruesome。 。。。more

M ，

Solid murder mystery， alternating between current time and 1992 during the Troubles。 For detailed synopses， please see GoodReads and Amazon。 I’m reading this in early June 2021， after the April post-Brexit riots in Northern Ireland。 I prefer not to read fiction about the Troubles， but authors who write crime fiction set in or near Belfast seem to—at the least—touch on the Troubles。 Of course there are cops with ties to the Royal Ulster Constabulary （RUC）， the police force until 2001。 The Police Solid murder mystery， alternating between current time and 1992 during the Troubles。 For detailed synopses， please see GoodReads and Amazon。 I’m reading this in early June 2021， after the April post-Brexit riots in Northern Ireland。 I prefer not to read fiction about the Troubles， but authors who write crime fiction set in or near Belfast seem to—at the least—touch on the Troubles。 Of course there are cops with ties to the Royal Ulster Constabulary （RUC）， the police force until 2001。 The Police Service of Northern Ireland （PSNI） succeeded the RUC in November 2001， a mere twenty years ago。 Happily， there are no sectarian bombings or executions， but yes to police corruption， shakedowns， protection rackets， blackmail， and murders。 Acting DI Asha Harvey and DC Aaron Birch of the PSNI investigate a cold case murder from 1992。 The book is set in current time， but cultural and political problems persist—albeit in slightly altered form。 I anticipated the plot twists， including those at the end。 So， if you’re a crime fiction fan and a history buff， the plot is predictable with no jaw-dropping surprises。 3。5 stars 。。。more

Theja ，

Small Bones， Part Two of the Harvey and Birch series was set in Belfast， the Capital of Northern Ireland。 Since， being set in a real place made the story more real。 Coming to the story， I have no words to describe it。 It was so Great。 Was it a crime book ？ Yes， involves a cold case。 Was it a thriller ？ Definitely， Yes。 There were so many places where I had to hold of my breath。 That doesn't mean the book was only raw。 It was Emotional and Sentimental too。 It was heart wrenching sometimes， that I Small Bones， Part Two of the Harvey and Birch series was set in Belfast， the Capital of Northern Ireland。 Since， being set in a real place made the story more real。 Coming to the story， I have no words to describe it。 It was so Great。 Was it a crime book ？ Yes， involves a cold case。 Was it a thriller ？ Definitely， Yes。 There were so many places where I had to hold of my breath。 That doesn't mean the book was only raw。 It was Emotional and Sentimental too。 It was heart wrenching sometimes， that I found myself asking out loud， WHY ？ WHY DID THIS EVEN HAPPEN ？Apart from the story and as an whole book， I think I loved how the author gave great details to the readers about the real procedures and real demonstrations that's carried out during cases like these。 Also the words chosen by the author were so precise that got me hooked up with the story to keep reading。 Finally， as always I learnt a lot from this Book。 Mostly new things and about what needs to be done at times of emergencies like the ones that took place in the book。 To be honest， I'm still not convinced with the end。 Though the answers were provided to some extent， I'm pretty sure there's more to it。 I'm hoping there's part 3 to this series。 So， eagerly waiting to know what happens further。 。。。more

Melinda ，

Pulls you in from beginning to end。A tense and suspenseful storyline that is very well written。 Well developed characters on both sides of the line。 Realistic and sometimes humorous dialogue add to the overall story。

Annie ，

I didn't realize ahead of time that this was part of a series， but it wasn't really vital to have read the first book。 Sue finds a finger bone in her garden at the house that has belonged only to her family for over a century。 She assumes it's her missing mother's skeleton that is later found， but it is a child's bones。 Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch investigate， but their lives are in danger when it turns out that a corrupt officer may be involved。 I enjoyed this and would definitely like to read I didn't realize ahead of time that this was part of a series， but it wasn't really vital to have read the first book。 Sue finds a finger bone in her garden at the house that has belonged only to her family for over a century。 She assumes it's her missing mother's skeleton that is later found， but it is a child's bones。 Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch investigate， but their lives are in danger when it turns out that a corrupt officer may be involved。 I enjoyed this and would definitely like to read more of this series。 4 stars。 。。。more

Kim Melbourne ，

What an absolute cracker of a book。 Drew me straight in from the first page， fast paced， twists， a book I just had to keep reading to find out the truth。Sue is living in her families house。 She currently shares and cares for her father who is suffering with dementia。 Her gran dad has past away and her mother went missing 30 years ago and it remains unclear whether she is alive or dead。Sue is assembling a herb garden。 Her grandfather's old greenhouse is beyond repair and as Sue removes the paving What an absolute cracker of a book。 Drew me straight in from the first page， fast paced， twists， a book I just had to keep reading to find out the truth。Sue is living in her families house。 She currently shares and cares for her father who is suffering with dementia。 Her gran dad has past away and her mother went missing 30 years ago and it remains unclear whether she is alive or dead。Sue is assembling a herb garden。 Her grandfather's old greenhouse is beyond repair and as Sue removes the paving slabs it was built on， and starts to dig， she finds human bones。 Could this possibly be the remains of her mother？Investigations identify the remains to belong to Will， a 10 year old boy。 However what unfolds is hidden family secrets， police corruption， with many lives being placed in danger。Great twist at the end， absolute must read。 。。。more

Amanda ，

‘Small Bones’ is the second book to feature the detective pairing that is Harvey and Birch。 The first book in the series was called ‘Knife Edge’ and it was released on 15th April 2021。 I though ‘Knife Edge’ was good but ‘Small Bones’ was even better。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Small Bones’ but more about that in a bit。I love the detective pairing of Harvey and Birch。 Harvey is now an Acting Detective Inspector and Birch is a Detective Constable。 Both work for the Police Service of Northern Ir ‘Small Bones’ is the second book to feature the detective pairing that is Harvey and Birch。 The first book in the series was called ‘Knife Edge’ and it was released on 15th April 2021。 I though ‘Knife Edge’ was good but ‘Small Bones’ was even better。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Small Bones’ but more about that in a bit。I love the detective pairing of Harvey and Birch。 Harvey is now an Acting Detective Inspector and Birch is a Detective Constable。 Both work for the Police Service of Northern Ireland。 It didn’t take me long to feel as though I had reunited with old friends in Harvey and Birch。 I love the way in which they are friends as well as colleagues and I got the impression that both think the world of the other。 You can certainly say that they have each other’s backs。 By the time I got to the end of the first page， I realised that I wasn’t going to be able to put this book down for any length of time。 I was intrigued by the crime and I needed to know how the story panned out。 To say that reading ‘Small Bones’ became addictive is a huge understatement。 I would pick up the book only intending to read a chapter but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would sit be sat there reading half a dozen or more chapters later。 My Kindle was certainly well travelled as it accompanied me wherever I went。 I just couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story。 I found ‘Small Bones’ to be a gripping read， which certainly kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat。‘Small Bones’ is extremely well written。 Kerry certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into what proves to be a compelling story。 I loved the fact that the story is set in Northern Ireland as I have relatives from there。 The story is written using different timelines。 One describes events as they happen in the present day and the other timeline is written using flashbacks to events as they happened in the past， which help to explain why the main characters are the way they are in the present day。 I was a bit concerned to start with that this might prove to be confusing but I needn’t have worried because the chapters interlinked well and the story flowed seamlessly。 For me， the story hit the ground running and maintained a fairly fast pace throughout。 As I mentioned above， I thought ‘Knife Edge’ was good but ‘Small Bones’ is even better。 This is a series that is destined to go from strength to strength。In short， I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of ‘Small Bones’ and I would recommend it to other readers。 I will certainly be reading more of Kerry’s work in the future。 The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*。 。。。more

Angela ，

Thank you Netgalley and Joffe books for offering this ARC in exchange my honest review。I enjoyed this story and This is a 2nd book in a series。 The plot is so great and it drew my attention and grasped my mind to ponder what happened next。 It definitely was well written with good narrative。 It's so fast paced and I really enjoyed every page。 The characters are interesting and well developed。 I do love both Asha and Aaron。 I am looking forward to read more about this team。 There were lots twists Thank you Netgalley and Joffe books for offering this ARC in exchange my honest review。I enjoyed this story and This is a 2nd book in a series。 The plot is so great and it drew my attention and grasped my mind to ponder what happened next。 It definitely was well written with good narrative。 It's so fast paced and I really enjoyed every page。 The characters are interesting and well developed。 I do love both Asha and Aaron。 I am looking forward to read more about this team。 There were lots twists and turns that would give my heart pounding and keep me on the edge of my seat。 Absolutely it would shock you at the very end and give you nail-biting read。 I read this book so fast because I could put it down and miss any page as it thrilled me from beginning。 I hope to explore more in next book。 Highly recommend。 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more

Vaishali Sridhar ，

When Sue Hearn is busy planting her herb garden， she doesn't realise that all the digging will reveal secrets that are long buried in the garden。The discovery of a skeleton in the garden makes Sue wonder if it belongs to her mother， who has been missing for many years now。Living with her father， Michael， who is suffering from dementia， Sue is certain that there is something her grandfather was hiding all the while。As Micheal has periods of lucidity， he reveals somethings that involves the police When Sue Hearn is busy planting her herb garden， she doesn't realise that all the digging will reveal secrets that are long buried in the garden。The discovery of a skeleton in the garden makes Sue wonder if it belongs to her mother， who has been missing for many years now。Living with her father， Michael， who is suffering from dementia， Sue is certain that there is something her grandfather was hiding all the while。As Micheal has periods of lucidity， he reveals somethings that involves the police as well。 This is a 2nd book in a series。 While I have missed reading the first one， the story is intriguing。 The characters of Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch are interesting and looking forward to more adventures with them。 。。。more

Joan Hall ，

I always enjoy a good “who done it” story。 After a friend recommended Small Bones， it sounded like it would deliver。And it did。 Set in Belfast， this is the second book of Kerry Buchanan’s Harvey & Birch Mysteries。 While I haven’t read the first one， this could easily be a stand-alone novel。 When Sue Hearn discovers a skeleton in the site where her grandfather’s greenhouse once stood， she fears someone in her family might have been responsible。 It also brings back painful memories of her own moth I always enjoy a good “who done it” story。 After a friend recommended Small Bones， it sounded like it would deliver。And it did。 Set in Belfast， this is the second book of Kerry Buchanan’s Harvey & Birch Mysteries。 While I haven’t read the first one， this could easily be a stand-alone novel。 When Sue Hearn discovers a skeleton in the site where her grandfather’s greenhouse once stood， she fears someone in her family might have been responsible。 It also brings back painful memories of her own mother’s disappearance thirty years earlier。Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch are sent to investigate， but someone on the police force doesn’t want them to learn the truth。 Whoever it is will stop at nothing to silence them。 Buchanan threw in plenty of breadcrumbs to keep readers guessing， and although the culprit’s identities are soon made known， it’s unclear who Asha and Aaron can trust。 What’s more， the author left us with a twist at the end， the answer I hope will be explored in future books。 I also enjoyed the relationship between Asha and Aaron—they make a great team。 Four solid stars for this one。 A special thanks to Joffe Books at Net Galley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Rebecca ，

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the eARC！When Sue Hearn finds a skull in her garden， she fears it belongs to her mother， who disappeared when Sue was a teenager。 She soon learns that the remains are those of a missing child， whose murder may be connected to her mother's disappearance。 As Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch investigate the case， they find that both the Hearn family and the PSNI are keeping secrets。 Solving this mystery may have deadly consequences。This is a solid 4-star book。 Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the eARC！When Sue Hearn finds a skull in her garden， she fears it belongs to her mother， who disappeared when Sue was a teenager。 She soon learns that the remains are those of a missing child， whose murder may be connected to her mother's disappearance。 As Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch investigate the case， they find that both the Hearn family and the PSNI are keeping secrets。 Solving this mystery may have deadly consequences。This is a solid 4-star book。 I found it to be a bit less gripping than the first book。 It took me a few days to finish because I didn't feel quite so desperate to find out what would happen next。I liked the way the book flipped between the past and present。 It made me frustrated， in a good way， to have answers that the detectives didn't have and be waiting for them to figure things out。 The book ends with a little twist of dramatic irony that will likely drive me mad in the sequel - I'm excited to see what happens。I liked that this book was mostly in Asha's POV。 I think it makes more sense for this type of series， which is meant to follow the detectives， Asha and Aaron。 We got to learn more about Asha and I now feel much more invested in her as a character。I wish there had been a bit more forensic anthropology and/or archaeology。 Maybe an explanation of how they determined the skeleton's age， why they couldn't estimate the sex of the skeleton， or how they verified the child's identity skeletally。 Of course， maybe I'm the only person who would be interested in that， being a nerd who studied forensic anthropology。Overall， I enjoyed this book and am excited for the next in the series。 。。。more

Crimefictioncritic ，

Small Bones by Kerry Buchanan—For die-hard fans of nail-biting crime thrillers， Kerry Buchanan is the real deal。Crime thriller by one of Northern Ireland’s newest talents。“Human finger bones can easily be mistaken for bits of clay pipe when you gig them out of the soil。 It couldn’t be human she told herself。”I apologize in advance for the superlatives but it seems the only way to convey adequately how much I enjoyed this book。 I requested it as soon as I learned the digital advance review copy Small Bones by Kerry Buchanan—For die-hard fans of nail-biting crime thrillers， Kerry Buchanan is the real deal。Crime thriller by one of Northern Ireland’s newest talents。“Human finger bones can easily be mistaken for bits of clay pipe when you gig them out of the soil。 It couldn’t be human she told herself。”I apologize in advance for the superlatives but it seems the only way to convey adequately how much I enjoyed this book。 I requested it as soon as I learned the digital advance review copy was available on NetGalley。 This second book in the Detectives Harvey & Birch series sounded appealing， and I was already aware of the brilliance of Kerry Buchanan’s writing having previously read Knife Edge， the first novel in the series。 I devoured this one the moment I downloaded it。After the set up prologue， the book begins from the point of view Sue Hearn， a woman in her forties who has given up working to become the full-time caregiver for her father， a dementia sufferer。 While tilling up the back garden Hearn uncovers skeletal remains which brings in the central characters Acting Detective Inspector Asha Harvey and DC Aaron Birch。 They take up the investigation once they exhumed the full remains of a child from Hearn’s backyard and the evidence points to homicide。Buchanan masterfully moves the story back and forward from 1992 when the crimes detailed in the book happened， and the present day as the detectives sift the evidence and clues hoping to identify the child victim and the killer。 The novel continues to unfold from a few other points of view， notably that of Alistair King， a retired former high-ranking corrupt police office， and dips into the past – via memories， interviews， and testimonies at the time。I really loved the growth of the Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch characters since the first novel in the series， Knife Edge， in which they were introduced。 Here we get to know them even better。 Alistair King， who turns out the chief villain in the book， is also a magnificently villainous character who we quickly develop an intense dislike for， yet respect as a worthy adversary for Harvey and Birch。There are some truly mind-bending twists and turns that make Buchanan’s latest offering a deliciously nail-biting read。 She also does a fabulous job in keeping us guessing throughout。 Without apology， I proclaim Kerry Buchanan my favorite contemporary crime thriller novelist and can’t wait for the next book。 I highly recommend Small Bones by Kerry Buchanan for die-hard fans of nail-biting crime thrillers。 Kerry Buchanan is the real deal。I received an advance review copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley used for this review but purchased a copy for my personal library。 。。。more

Marion ，

This is the second book in the Harvey and Birch series 。Asha has recently been made acting Detective Inspector at her branch of PSNI and along with her DC Aaron Birch they find themselves given a cold case to investigate。Sue Hearn has decided to plant a herb garden in the area previously covered by a green house。As she digs she unearths what looks to be human finger bones。When she unearths a skull obviously belonging to a child， she knows the discovery cannot go unreported。AS Asha and Aaron inve This is the second book in the Harvey and Birch series 。Asha has recently been made acting Detective Inspector at her branch of PSNI and along with her DC Aaron Birch they find themselves given a cold case to investigate。Sue Hearn has decided to plant a herb garden in the area previously covered by a green house。As she digs she unearths what looks to be human finger bones。When she unearths a skull obviously belonging to a child， she knows the discovery cannot go unreported。AS Asha and Aaron investigate Sue tells them the story of her mother disappearing more than 30 years ago。 Although her father is still living with her， he cant offer much of an explanation as he is suffering from dementia。Determined to discover the truth they eventually turn up evidence which points to the two cases being linked。When Sues father in a moment of clarity insinuates a policeman was involved with his wife`s disappearance， they realize they could now be looking for a bent policeman。The secrets they uncover put all their lives in danger！An exciting， tense， action packed read with a cliffhanger ending that left me wanting more。Thanks to Joffe books for sending me this as an ARC in return for my honest opinion。 。。。more

Kathryn Algeo ，

What a book！I've been waiting with baited breath for this book， and it didn't let me down。 I was hooked from the very first sentence。 The characters are relatable， I feel as if they are old friends and the plot had me on the edge of my seat to the very last page。 My only complaint？ I have to wait for book 3！Kerry has definitely become one of my favourite authors。。。。。if you haven't read any of her books， you are missing out！ What a book！I've been waiting with baited breath for this book， and it didn't let me down。 I was hooked from the very first sentence。 The characters are relatable， I feel as if they are old friends and the plot had me on the edge of my seat to the very last page。 My only complaint？ I have to wait for book 3！Kerry has definitely become one of my favourite authors。。。。。if you haven't read any of her books， you are missing out！ 。。。more

LJ （On The Shelf Reviews） ，

Acting DI Asha Harvey， along with her partner Aaron Birch， are back to solve another mystery。 This time when Sue Hearn finds the skeleton in her garden。 As they dig further into the mystery， they find that Sue's mother Monica went missing thirty years ago and was never heard of again。 Are the two cases linked or is there something more going on？This series is part psychological thriller， part police procedural with a whole heap of twists and turns along the way。I enjoyed we got to see a bit more Acting DI Asha Harvey， along with her partner Aaron Birch， are back to solve another mystery。 This time when Sue Hearn finds the skeleton in her garden。 As they dig further into the mystery， they find that Sue's mother Monica went missing thirty years ago and was never heard of again。 Are the two cases linked or is there something more going on？This series is part psychological thriller， part police procedural with a whole heap of twists and turns along the way。I enjoyed we got to see a bit more of Asha and Aaron in this book than we did in the first， getting to know them a bit better。 Asha is a kind and caring copper， trying to prove herself， which bumps up nicely next to the loyal and sweet Aaron。 Sue was an interesting character， too。 Looking after her dad， who had dementia， full time would be enough for anyone to cope with， but finding a body on top of all that？ It amazed me to see she didn't fall to pieces （I would have） and became integral to the case。I would say that I found this story a little slower to start than the first in the series but of course that's just my opinion。 Also， it leaves a few unanswered questions， paving the way for the next in the series which I'm looking forward to。Small Bones is a well written and action packed mystery that was both entertaining and intriguing in equal measure。 。。。more

Hazel ，

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Joffe Books for the electronic copy。This is Book#2 in the series featuring Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch （now Acting DI and DC respectively）， though I haven't read Book#1 - Knife Edge， this read well as a standalone。Based in Northern Ireland， around Belfast， and showcasing the PSNI。 Sue Hearn is excavating the base of her grandfather William Hearn's defunct greenhouse to make a herb garden。 Carrow Lodge had been in the family for many years; her father， Michael My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Joffe Books for the electronic copy。This is Book#2 in the series featuring Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch （now Acting DI and DC respectively）， though I haven't read Book#1 - Knife Edge， this read well as a standalone。Based in Northern Ireland， around Belfast， and showcasing the PSNI。 Sue Hearn is excavating the base of her grandfather William Hearn's defunct greenhouse to make a herb garden。 Carrow Lodge had been in the family for many years; her father， Michael， is still in the house and she cares for him daily， giving up her job in a pathology lab to look after him。 He has dementia， complicated by minor stokes。; her mother Monica， had disappeared without trace almost 30 years previously whilst sue was a teenager。 The house is becoming dilapidated， but she's doing the best she can。The story is told between the present day and 1992， when Sue's mother disappeared。 Sue unearths some small bone fragments and engages her friend at the pathology lab to double-check for her - is this her mother？ Something happened to her - was her grandfather， or father， involved？ She really didn't want to know the truth。When Asha and Aaron become involved the greenhouse base is viewed as a crime scene。 What could have happened all those years ago？ The truth can be stranger than fiction - after Sue's father suffers another stroke and is hospitalised， Michael has something to say - bit by bit - there's a police officer involved in this mystery。We are taken into the realms of police corruption， protection rackets and murder。 Who can you trust？This is a twisty and emotional read。 Is there just one bad apple - or more？The story leaves the reader with questions - perhaps to draw in to the next book， but speculation is rife。 I think I'd like to catch the next one。 。。。more

Linda Strong ，

Sue Ahearne makes a disturbing discovery while planting a herb garden on the site of her grandfather's greenhouse。 Thanks to a major storm that went through the are， she's spent the morning picking up bits and bobs of varied items。Unfortunately her father has dementia and often mistakes his daughter for his wife。 Monica， who disappeared 3o years ago。 In his rantings， he has said that the police were somehow involved 。。 and that it should have been him， not her， who had to pay。Turning to Detectiv Sue Ahearne makes a disturbing discovery while planting a herb garden on the site of her grandfather's greenhouse。 Thanks to a major storm that went through the are， she's spent the morning picking up bits and bobs of varied items。Unfortunately her father has dementia and often mistakes his daughter for his wife。 Monica， who disappeared 3o years ago。 In his rantings， he has said that the police were somehow involved 。。 and that it should have been him， not her， who had to pay。Turning to Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch for help， she finds herself mired in a decades-old secret and cover-up。 The more the detectives and Sue investigate， the more danger they face。 Someone will do anything 。。anything at all 。。 to keep these secrets buried forever。From start to finish， this is an action-packed， page-turner with twists and turns involving multi-layered characters。 The plot is well-crafted with chapters alternating between today and the past。 The suspense maintains a high level carrying through the final unexpected conclusion。Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of crime fiction / thriller。 Read and reviewed voluntarily， opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own。 。。。more

Rekha ，

What a fantastic police procedural！ Completely gripping and engrossing。 Excellent character development and storytelling。 The suspense is well-maintained throughout and I was hooked on to the story till the end。 Highly recommended！

Lou ，

Small Bones is the second instalment in the （Acting） Detective Inspector Asha Harvey and Detective Constable Aaron Birch （of the PSNI） Mysteries series set in Belfast， Northern Ireland in the midst of The Troubles。 The prologue begins in 1992 with an unknown male out under the cover of darkness to bury a body in a secluded garden。 The gardens of the Victorian mansion were surrounded on all sides by either tall hedges or walls so he buries the small child under slabs of concrete where the ground Small Bones is the second instalment in the （Acting） Detective Inspector Asha Harvey and Detective Constable Aaron Birch （of the PSNI） Mysteries series set in Belfast， Northern Ireland in the midst of The Troubles。 The prologue begins in 1992 with an unknown male out under the cover of darkness to bury a body in a secluded garden。 The gardens of the Victorian mansion were surrounded on all sides by either tall hedges or walls so he buries the small child under slabs of concrete where the ground had just been levelled ready for the installation of a greenhouse。 Back in the present-day Sue Hearn is digging around the same area under her ailing grandfather's defunct and dilapidated greenhouse hoping to plant and cultivate a herb garden when she discovers a small skull and part of a finger bone。 Harvey and Birch are called in to investigate and after inspection they estimate the bones to be of a young child who was buried about thirty years ago。 Sue mentions that her mother， Monica Hearn， disappeared in 1992 under suspicious circumstances so they begin to investigate whether the two cases could be linked and discover that police corruption could very well be involved。 Unfortunately， Sue’s father， who has dementia， cannot remember much that'll aid the investigation。 Small Bones is a compelling read with a complex， wide-ranging plot that travels in unexpected directions。 Featuring graphic violence， the detectives don't know who they can trust as a cover-up appears to be ongoing。 Police corruption， protection rackets and murder seem to have been rife。 Buchanan brings Belfast to life， for those of us who have never been， with superb descriptions， and I found myself turning the pages faster and faster。 Asha and Aaron make a brilliant team; they are intelligent， tenacious and close to one another too。 It does end on a cliffhanger which leaves you hanging so we shall see what the next book brings。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Kat Dietrich ，

Small Bones by Kerry Buchanan is the second in the new detective series starring Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch。First， let me thank NetGalley， the publisher Joffe Books （in particular Nina Kicul for sending me a widget）， 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）Detectives Asha Harvey， and Aaron Birch handle crime in Belfast， Ireland。 Small Bones by Kerry Buchanan is the second in the new detective series starring Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch。First， let me thank NetGalley， the publisher Joffe Books （in particular Nina Kicul for sending me a widget）， 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）Detectives Asha Harvey， and Aaron Birch handle crime in Belfast， Ireland。 Asha is always trying to prove herself as the rare Indian woman in a largely white， male police force。  Aaron， too is trying to prove himself， because he became a detective through a graduate recruitment scheme， so his fellow officers think he jumped procedures。  Their boss is CS Yvonne Patterson， who can be a little abrupt。My Synopsis:   （No major reveals， but if concerned， skip to My Opinions）Asha is now Acting Detective Inspector of the branch， and she feels even more determined to prove herself capable。When the remains of a child are found in a garden， she is right there。Sue Hearn was planting a herb garden， outside the family estate。  It is just her and her father left， and he has dementia。  She didn't expect to find a child's skeleton on the site of her grandfather's old greenhouse。Asha and Aaron start trying to finding out the identity of the child， and also start looking into the disappearance of Sue's mother when Sue was just a teenager。  It seems she went missing about 30 years ago， which is also along the timeline that the body had been buried。Sue's father has been talking to her about her missing mother lately， and seems to be under the impression it could have been a policeman who was responsible。  But with his memory issues， how much does Sue believe。As the investigation continues， it appears that Sue's father may have been right， and now more lives are in danger。My Opinions:   This is only the author's second novel （and the second in the series）， and it is really good。  The author continues to prove herself as the books are well-written and the plots good。Yes， sometimes the descriptions are a little long， but all in all， I enjoyed the from start to finish。The characters are great。  I love both Asha and Aaron。  Again， I was pleased that the victim （Sue）  was very involved in the book。  The story is told from different perspectives， and I really enjoyed Sue's take on everything that was happening around her。  As in the first， the book had a glossary of terms for "US readers"。  Maybe I have read enough British authors， but this didn't really seem necessary。The book ended in a bit of a cliffhanger， and but definitely peaked my interest in reading the next book。For a more complete review of this book and others （including the reason I chose to read/review this book， as well as author information）， please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog。wordpress。com/ 。。。more

Elaine Tomasso ，

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Small Bones， the second novel to feature Acting DI Asha Harvey and DC Aaron Birch of PSNI。Sue Hearn is digging in her garden when she unearths human bones。 She is worried they belong to her mother who disappeared almost thirty years ago。 Then her father who has dementia says a policeman was involved。 Now Asha and Aaron are investigating a cold case and potentially a police officer。I thoroughly enjoyed Small Bones which is an I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Small Bones， the second novel to feature Acting DI Asha Harvey and DC Aaron Birch of PSNI。Sue Hearn is digging in her garden when she unearths human bones。 She is worried they belong to her mother who disappeared almost thirty years ago。 Then her father who has dementia says a policeman was involved。 Now Asha and Aaron are investigating a cold case and potentially a police officer。I thoroughly enjoyed Small Bones which is an absorbing read that expands from the find of a bone to something much broader and unexpected。 I liked where the story took me， although I was disappointed that it wasn’t finished completely and left probably not a cliffhanger but enough loose ends and unresolved issues to suggest that the follow up will involve them。 They are intriguing， so I hope it comes soon before I forget the detail of this one。I think the plot is great。 It occupies the mind and gets the reader thinking as more information comes to light and the possibilities widen。 Sure， there are lucky breaks where information suddenly appears to move the investigation forward， but so what？ It’s entertainment。 It should also be noted that this is quite a violent novel with physical attacks and gunplay。 It’s always strange to see guns on UK soil， so I’m assuming that the rules are different in Northern Ireland。Asha and Aaron are fast becoming one of my favourite detective teams。 They are smart and dedicated and very close， saving each other time after time。 Could there be romance in the future for them？ Maybe， but circumstances etc。Small Bones is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more

Ilona ，

This is book 2 but I am looking for Book 1 now！ Great read and page turner。 While digging to plant an herb garden， Sue Hearn finds a small bone， is it a o;d pipe or a finger bone， next a skull。 Detective Asha Harvey and Detective Aaron Birch are looking into skeleton found and but find that there is much more at play， and it reaches back 30 plus years， who can be trusted。 Great team work， I also liked the diversity of characters and look forward to many more books in this series。 I did not read This is book 2 but I am looking for Book 1 now！ Great read and page turner。 While digging to plant an herb garden， Sue Hearn finds a small bone， is it a o;d pipe or a finger bone， next a skull。 Detective Asha Harvey and Detective Aaron Birch are looking into skeleton found and but find that there is much more at play， and it reaches back 30 plus years， who can be trusted。 Great team work， I also liked the diversity of characters and look forward to many more books in this series。 I did not read book 1 and even though you get glimpse of it was not so glaring that I felt I was missing something， and the book read fine without the knowledge。Thank you to NetGalley and Joffee Books for an early read in exchange for my opinion。 。。。more

Staci Troilo ，

Solid Crime ThrillerWhether I intend to or not， when I choose crime thrillers， I tend to gravitate toward those set in Great Britain。 I don’t know if it’s the covers， the blurbs， or the stories， but I definitely seem to have a type， even without intentionally seeking them out。 When I saw the cover for Small Bones， I was instantly drawn to it。 When I read the blurb， I knew I had to read it。 Once I started， I was hooked。 And I couldn’t put it down。Small Bones is book 2 of Kerry Buchanan’s Harvey & Solid Crime ThrillerWhether I intend to or not， when I choose crime thrillers， I tend to gravitate toward those set in Great Britain。 I don’t know if it’s the covers， the blurbs， or the stories， but I definitely seem to have a type， even without intentionally seeking them out。 When I saw the cover for Small Bones， I was instantly drawn to it。 When I read the blurb， I knew I had to read it。 Once I started， I was hooked。 And I couldn’t put it down。Small Bones is book 2 of Kerry Buchanan’s Harvey & Birch series， but I didn’t realize that until after I was well into the story， and it didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all。 This is easily a standalone， though reading the first book would undoubtedly enhance a reader’s experience。Buchanan has a distinct ability to create characters of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds with equal believability， which is a gift。 I rooted for the protagonists and loathed the antagonists with equal passion。 Even the secondary characters were well-developed and relatable， but of the entire cast， I had a particular fondness for William。 I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Belfast， but the author brought the area to life for me。 And the unveiling of the plot kept me turning the pages。 The ending promises a third book， which I look forward to reading。 Small Bones delivers a solid crime thriller in what is shaping up to be an enjoyable crime thriller series。 An easy 4。5 stars from me。I received a gratis copy of this work from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review。 。。。more

Susan Underbrink ，

A big thank you to NetGalley and Jaffe Books for the ARC。 I am voluntarily reviewing this book。 This is the 2nd in a series。 I have not read the first， but this reads well as a stand alone。 I found this to be a sad mystery。 Interesting characters， and more than one mystery。 3。5 stars

Teresa ，

Small Bones is second in the Harvey & Birch series but can be read as a standalone。 Northern Ireland， 1992， someone buries the body of a small child in the Hearns' garden。 Present day， Sue Hearns finds the skeletal remains and acting DI Asha Harvey is assigned the case。 During the investigation， Sue mentions that her mother went missing in 1992， and Asha turns up evidence that the two cases may be linked and that corrupt police may be involved。 The plot alternates seamlessly between 1992 and the Small Bones is second in the Harvey & Birch series but can be read as a standalone。 Northern Ireland， 1992， someone buries the body of a small child in the Hearns' garden。 Present day， Sue Hearns finds the skeletal remains and acting DI Asha Harvey is assigned the case。 During the investigation， Sue mentions that her mother went missing in 1992， and Asha turns up evidence that the two cases may be linked and that corrupt police may be involved。 The plot alternates seamlessly between 1992 and the present investigation， revealing pieces of the puzzle a bit at a time。 Lots of action， a twist here and there， hints of a greater conspiracy that will presumably come into play in future book（s） in the series。 The characters are well written， likeable， and draw you into the story。 An excellent police procedural。 。。。more

John Derek ，

The novel 'Small Bones' is a cracking read。 It's an emotionally charged thriller， full of suspense and mystery。When Sue Hearn finds a skeleton whilst digging under her grandad's old garden shed， She knew there would be trouble。 Sue didn't bargain for how much trouble she'd made for herself and our intrepid Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch。Have to admit I missed the first instalment of the Harvey & Birch Mysteries in Knife Edge By Kerry Buchanan。 But it didn't interfere with the reading of The novel 'Small Bones' is a cracking read。 It's an emotionally charged thriller， full of suspense and mystery。When Sue Hearn finds a skeleton whilst digging under her grandad's old garden shed， She knew there would be trouble。 Sue didn't bargain for how much trouble she'd made for herself and our intrepid Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch。Have to admit I missed the first instalment of the Harvey & Birch Mysteries in Knife Edge By Kerry Buchanan。 But it didn't interfere with the reading of this novel at all。The author catches your attention from the outset， and you become immersed in the story as the history and present-day begin to collide。 It is a well-conceived story， well crafted and well written。 The lead characters Harvey and Birch， are beautifully portrayed， with passion andsensitivity and emotion。 Once I started reading 'Small Bones'， I found it difficult to put down。 I could surmise what was coming within the story， but it didn't stop me from carrying on reading to check if I was correct。What happened to the three main protagonists during the book， I was surprised about， but no spoilers， so you'll have to read it to find out for yourselves。I will definitely be getting Knife Edge and looking forward to the next instalment of Harvey & Birch Mysteries。Kerry Buchanan's 'Small Bones' is a must-read Thriller。 But be warned， it may be the end of the case， but this is not the end of the story。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Small Bones

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Small Bones&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Small Bones&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0