Quiet in Her Bones Book Review

Title: Quiet in Her Bones

Author: Nalini Singh

ISBN: 9781473229570

Publisher: Orion Publishing / Jonathan Ball Publishers

Pages: 374

Source: Review copy from Jonathan Ball Publisher

In this gripping thriller set in New Zealand, New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes you into the twisted world of an exclusive cul-de-sac located on the edge of a sprawling forest.

My mother vanished ten years ago.
So did a quarter of a million dollars in cash.
Thief. Bitch. Criminal.
Now, she’s back.
Her bones clothed in scarlet silk.

When socialite Nina Rai disappeared without a trace, everyone wrote it off as another trophy wife tired of her wealthy husband. But now her bones have turned up in the shadowed green of the forest that surrounds her elite neighbourhood, a haven of privilege and secrets that’s housed the same influential families for decades.

The rich live here, along with those whose job it is to make their lives easier. And somebody knows what happened to Nina one rainy night ten years ago. Her son Aarav heard a chilling scream that night, and he’s determined to uncover the ugly truth that lives beneath the moneyed elegance…but no one is ready for the murderous secrets about to crawl out of the dark.

Even the dead aren’t allowed to break the rules in this cul-de-sac.

Official Summary

I need to start this review with a thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for sending me a review copy of this book. It was an unexpected mail delivery that sat on my TBR pile for a week or two before I got to it and of wow what a pleasantly reverting read it turned out to be.

The Quiet in Her Bones is a gripping thriller that follows a son’s search for the truth behind his mother’s disappearance. It explores the bond between a mother and a child, looking at both the good and the bad in that relationship.

This was my first encounter with Nalini Singh and I found her writing extremely entertaining. She manages to keep you wondering as you turn the pages, revealing a little bit of the plot as she goes and right at the end drops a surprise you simply didn’t see coming. I loved that her characters were not picture-perfect, she explores the good and the bad in everyone making them all extremely likeable.

After a fight with Ishaan, Nina Rai drove off in a huff late at night in the middle of a storm. Aarav, only sixteen at the time was convinced she would return as soon as she calmed down. When she doesn’t he does not understand why she would leave without him. Twenty-five years later her car is found with her body inside – not far from the family home. Despite his struggles with his memory, Aarav is determined to find out who is responsible for the death of his mother when the police inform him that it does not appear to have been an accident. Aarav wants the truth, but he also wants to kill the person responsible. Can he put the piece of the puzzle together when he cannot trust his memory?

This was one of those books I picked up with very little expectation, yet I found myself quickly intrigued by the various characters who lived in this upmarket cul-de-sac. A community where everyone seemed to have something to hide. I loved the author’s description and her extremely colourful characters. There is guaranteed to be someone in this story you can relate to.

Aarav, a young author who just had his first taste of success quickly reveals that he is a lot more complicated than you might think. His memory problems caused by a car accident quickly have you wondering about him, while you simply cannot help feeling sorry for him. The emotional damage he suffered when his mother disappeared shows him as a vulnerable character you like immediately, even when you start thinking he is not nearly as innocent as he appears.

The Quiet in Her Bones easy flies onto my Loved list for 2021. This story drags you into this fictional world and keeps you glued to the pages right to the end. I loved how all my suspicions were proven incorrect. The ending was simply brilliant – you are just gonna have to read it for yourself to see what I mean.

Thriller fans will simply eat this up. This book is worth checking out, it has everything that makes a good read. Family, mystery, suspense, and a colourful cast in a beautiful setting. You simply have to read this, you will not be disappointed.

About the Author

I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I spent three years living and working in Japan, where I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page.

I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher, but not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency, but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. All of my stories held a thread of romance, even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Creating unique characters and giving them happy endings is my favourite thing. I even love the voices in my head, so there’s no other job I’d rather be doing. When I got the call in September 2002 that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

Thank you, Jonathan Ball Publisher for this review copy – you guys clearly know exactly what I enjoy reading and you got it spot on when you sent me this book.

Thank you for reading my review, I hope you will enjoy The Quiet in Her Bones as much as I did. Have you read this book? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. Until next time……Happy Reading!