This is a story of family, love and the tangled mess we sometimes get into because we loose control once we fall in love so you don't know what the outcome will be because you just follow your heart. But with family it's a lot to put on your plate. Sometimes they help and a lot of the time they make things worse. So that's what this book is about but I don't want to put you off because it's a great book. The descriptions of the surroundings make you feel your right in the middle of it all. But we are just a fly on the wall watching from the sidelines. Go ahead and jump into it, You won't be sorry. This is also my first book by this author and I am going to check out some of her other works. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for approving me to read, its my favorite pastime in life!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

I could not connect with the writing style and I decided to put this one down.

Entertaining and creepy. A very intriguing cover which was what initially piqued my interest I jumped right in to it. Not only is the cover art strangely mesmerising and a little bit creepy, but the stories contained within its pages is even more compelling. For once in a long time, the artwork reflects or hints towards the ominous atmosphere that builds up and surrounds you with each new turning of the page.

A chilling tale of betrayal, guilt, and the ripple effect in every life involved, set against the backdrop of an old flour mill with plenty of gruesome history.

If the cover for Bone Deep caught my attention, the blurb grabbed me by the collar and shouted at me. This one had me from the very first glance. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. It does have its moments and I liked the Gothic feel, but he story moves too slowly for my taste, and the writing is choppy much of the time. We have two unreliable narrators in this one, and the point of view moves back and forth between them, plus we have a story within a story as Mac writes her book of sisters with deadly secrets. The only character I liked was Arthur, and I began to question his judgment as the story progressed. Unreliable narrators and unlikable characters aside, my biggest problem with this psychological thriller is I failed to find the thriller part of this story, psychological or otherwise. There is murder and what are supposed to be twists, but I guessed those before we got there with one exception concerning Lucie, and I found it to be completely unbelievable, like eye-rolling unbelievable. I realize that my opinion is in the minority here, and that's okay. This is just one person's opinion, so take it for what it's worth. In the end, I think I liked the idea of this one more than the reality of it.

Bone Deep takes all the elements of a good thriller - and then turns them into a tightly woven story that hits you out of nowhere. Did I expect this ending? NO. Did I love and hate both Mac and Lucie? Absolutely.

Sandra Ireland created an atmosphere that hung over my head when reading. I felt cold and creeped out. I was angry at Lucie, scared of Mac, and more than a little worried about where this story was heading.

This isn't a cut and dry thriller. The burn is slow, but oh so good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A little darker and more predictable than I expected it to be. Wasn't a bad story, but I wasn't captivated by it either.

3.25 stars. The folklore aspect of this book was far and beyond the most captivating part, and the connections between the story Mac is writing and "real life" with both Lucie and Mac caught my attention. Despite being a fairly short book, the writing is fairly dense and the language is very careful and doesn't waste words.

Bone Deep
by Sandra Ireland

Paperback, 272 pages
Expected publication: June 11th 2019 by Gallery Books (first published July 5th 2018)




Goodreads synopsis:
A twisty and propulsive read, this dark psychological thriller of sibling rivalry, love, betrayal, and the dire consequences of family fallout brilliantly plays on our fears of loneliness and abandonment, harkening to the modern gothic bestsellers by Ruth Ware and Liz Nugent. 

Is a story ever just a story?

Mac, a retired academic and writer, is working on a new collection of folktales, inspired by local legends, and at the insistence of her only child, Arthur, she hires a young assistant, Lucie, to live in a cottage on her property and help her transcribe them. What Arthur doesn’t know is that his mother is determined to keep the secrets of her past from ever being discovered. And what Mac doesn’t know is that Lucie has a few complicated secrets of her own.

The creaking presence of an ancient water mill next to Mac’s property that used to grind wheat into flour serves as an eerie counterpoint for these two women as they circle warily around each other, haunted by the local legend of two long-dead sisters, ready to point accusing fingers from the pages of history.

This atmospheric page turner evocatively gives voice to the question: What happens when you fall in love with the wrong person?


***

2.5 Stars

This book is a re-release. It was first published in July 2018 under the same name. It also has a new cover. Not sure why the new packaging but the new cover is much better than the old one, IMHO. You can just imagine old bones being ground up by the old mill. Chilling, eh?

I wish the book had been half as compelling as the cover. It has some outstanding ratings and reviews on Goodreads so maybe this just isn’t my cup of tea and take this all with a grain of salt. I think I wanted to love this but came away disappointed. I feel like a bit of a bully giving low ratings. Realistically 2.5 would be an average rating out of 5. So, over all, just okay for me.

It’s really bad when you want to gush over something but are only left with regret. This book was not something I could completely invest in. It had two unreliable characters. Not one but two! I mean, really? I couldn’t and wouldn’t want to root for them. That alone made it a struggle for me to get to the end of the title. Plus it had another trope I really despise: a story inside a story.

It is hard enough sometimes to follow the main plot of a book. When you add another entirely different storyline, it becomes a convoluted mess. Add again to that the fact that pieces of this story inside the story has some bearing on the main plot and my mind starts to scramble. For some people, this trope is their jam. Not for me, unfortunately. I completely skipped the story inside the story in Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and still enjoyed it. Mainly, I don’t want to be further confused by an alternate storyline that may or may not have a bearing on the current plot.

I got to a point where I wondered why I was still reading this. I didn’t care about the characters. Their actions as time went on made me hate them more and more. Evil brewed in them both. Mac, the seventy year old mom of Arthur, unraveled and treated him horribly. Lucie knew she shouldn’t sleep with her sister’s husband but seemed to like him more knowing it might upset her sister when she found out. They both went out of their way to be buttheads.

Were there light moments? Sure. Mac’s son, Arthur seemed to bring the light to the darkness of this. Not sure why he felt Lucie was the girl for him. I wanted to tell him to run and take his tasty treats to someone who deserved them more.

Like I said earlier, rooting for the characters make me push through books like this. With such unlikable protagonists, I was underwhelmed. I wanted to move on. It was a definite struggle for me. But then again, I am not the right market for this book.

This may be your total jam. So don’t pass it up based on this review. Refer to all the other 4 ad 5 star ratings this book received on Goodreads. Make your own decision. This could be your cup of spooky tea.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Bone Deep is a slow building suspenseful read that takes you on a wild journey.

Let me tell you it definitely appears that everyone is keeping a secret in this book and wasn't sure where the author was going to take us. This has a nice gothic tale vibe to it and loved the atmosphere in this one that Ireland weaves in nicely.

I felt that the plot was a tad predictable and was a bit slow moving for my reading tastes. I feel that I would have enjoyed this more if there were more unexpected twists/surprises along the way.

This was my first book by Ireland but I will be checking out more from her!

3.5 stars

Thank you so much to Gallery, Threshold Pocket Books for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication date: 6/11/19
Published to Goodreads: 6/3/19

I have problems with this book. I am disturbed by this book... and not in the "this is a thrilling psychological mystery with lots of twists and turns!" sort of disturbing. It was just... not right.

The premise was cheating, adultery, and coveting that which is not yours.

Oh, and murder. Lots of murder. And there's an old mill that was abandoned because mills that can turn grain into flour can also turn bones into dust... just saying.

If you want a book with an unreliable narrator, I'm pretty sure this book has two.

If you want a book in which women are kind of awful to each other, this book is your thing.

If you want a book where you keep going "wait? what? how does that work?," get this book.

I do give this book two stars because it was good enough to read to the end. I just... I have problems with this book.

(I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.)

Bone Deep
Sandra Ireland

Bone Deep is a dark psychological thriller by author, Sandra Ireland.

Mac has retired from academia and is now a full time writer. Lucie is Mac’s newly hired assistant. Mac’s latest project is the retelling of local legend of two sisters. Lucie has issues with her sister and is captivated by Mac’s story which appears to be mirroring her situation.

The novel starts slowly put picks up the pace fairly quickly. The story is revealed through the alternating viewpoints of Mac and Lucie. This could be confusing, but the author handles it with appropriately named chapter headers. I rate Bone Deep 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it to readers who enjoy a suspenseful novel.

My thanks to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

I liked the language of this book. It reminded me of the books of Carol Goodman as well as Mark Mills' Savage Garden. However, neither of those authors circulate that well in my library.
Additionally, the end of this book was predictable which takes away some of the suspense. I think one of the problems is we never knew a Mac that wasn't crazy and her son was one-dimensional.

Bone Deep starts off with a two unlikely people who are drawn together by mystery. The chapters switch between the different characters in the story that can cause readers to get a little lost. The story moves quickly page after page readers will be pulled into a tale of mystery until the predictable ending will leave readers shaking their heads.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Polygon for the advance copy of Sandra Ireland Bone Deep

DNF at 36%. More of an old-school gothic mystery than a the comparisons to Liz Nugent led me to believe. Not my cup of tea but could be popular with those looking for a time/generation mystery. (Though the transitions could be smoother)

This was my first Sandra Ireland book, but it definitely will not be my last. Hauntingly creepy story about a young woman who takes a job with an elderly writer who wants her stories transcribed. When Lucie takes this job she is running from her own guilt over an affair with her sisters boyfriend. As Lucie begins her job she realizes that her new boss has lots of secrets of her own and is struggling with mental illness as she gives her story over to Lucie. As the story includes two sisters who are rivals for the same man, it begins to mirror Lucie’s own life. Excellent gothic thriller that was difficult to put down.

I enjoyed this chilling psychological thriller, and thought was written in a manner that was very intense and creepy. The setting or atmosphere of the book really helped make it more chilling and loved seeing a plot showing how competitive siblings can be. I would truly recommend to my fellow thriller lovers!
Will be using in Chapter Chatter Pub!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the preview copy of Bone Deep. This starts out a a pretty typical psychological thriller with an ancient flour mill as the backdrop and a pair of sisters who are involved with the same man. Mac and her son, Arthur were well developed characters, as was Lucie. There weren't any big surprises in the book, but it was well written and I enjoyed it.

The Mystery/Thriller genre has become increasingly hard to please the readers. Especially the masses which are heavily into the genre. Everything begins to sound familiar or seems like it has all been read before. And that isn't the fault of the author, we just live in the era of <i>Gone Girl</i> and <i>The Girl on the Train.</i> That being said, I am sympathetic and appreciate the writing trade. But I would not be doing any favors by sugar coating my feelings on this. So lets dig in!

Per the synopsis, the story is told in alternating views of Lucie and Mac. Lucie is a pretty selfish female with no sense of direction. Mac is an old historian who spends most of her time creating fictional tales of local legends. Mac takes Lucie on as an employee and provides lodging while she finishes her last novel. Lucie's job is to type up Mac's story and other odd jobs. As the story progresses, we get insight into the secrets of Lucie and Mac. And so unfolds our tale.

There are quite a few issues I'd like to discuss without providing any spoilers. The story jumps around from past times to current times quite frequently through out the novel. Yes, there are defining words and phrases used. But it became confusing and the jumps occur far too frequently. I took a creative writing course during my under graduate. And one lesson in particular stuck out to me because it is exactly what I had planned to do for my final story. You must be careful when writing about the past, it isn't easy and it takes talent. This story is a prime example of why that rule is taught to inspiring writers. A certain skill is required to execute past and present tenses smoothly. Furthermore, I had some issues with the story unfolding. It was presented in a really choppy manner. The transitions of this novel would best be compared to a dirt road that has been driven on since the start of the earth. For example, Lucie one night is woken to find Mac at the Mill. The next chapter is told from Mac's perspective, the chapter heading indicates it is now May. Yet, Lucie brings up seeing Mac at the Mill like it happened the night before. While I understand this could have happened on the last day of the month, it would not make sense then to indicate it is now May. Nor would it flow with the progression of the month indicators. The progression of time was a major struggle and down right confusing.

Next issue, I hate all the characters aside from Arthur. In addition to hating them, when I was at the 50% point, I still knew very little about Mac or Lucie. I knew Lucie was grumpy and had questionable morals. And Mac was a historian with a son. The historian portion was interesting, I didn't really understand what the point of making her a historian happened to be? Through out the novel, I questioned this a few times considering she wrote fictional accounts of local legends. Eventually, it played a weird, very minor role. Honestly, I greatly dislike when authors apply odd details that are essentially ignored until they need something to come full circle. It felt like Ireland's editor found a hole and they needed to fill it somehow. And this was the result.

Now, I will not give away the "twist" with Lucie. But it really felt like it was from left field, but not in a good way. And furthermore, it seemed a little too unrealistic for even a fiction novel. Yes, there were some hints, but it still just does not add up properly. I truly have a hard time believing this would have gone undetected. I look forward to other reviews to see how they felt about this. Because I was not a fan of this at all.

Overall, I found this story to be jumpy and confusing. The attempt to build a slow tension feel fell flat. And much of the story felt forced. I don't often leave critical reviews. But I finished this book so quickly because I wanted it to be over. Had it not been a NetGalley read, this would have been a DNF.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy.

Title : Bone Deep

Author: Sandra Ireland

Pages; 272

Genre: General Fiction adult

Galley Books

Jun 11, 2019

Netgalley ARC

book synopsis

A twisty and propulsive read, this dark psychological thriller of sibling rivalry, love, betrayal, and the dire consequences of family fallout brilliantly plays on our fears of loneliness and abandonment, harkening to the modern gothic bestsellers by Ruth Ware and Liz Nugent.

Is a story ever just a story?

Mac, a retired academic and writer, is working on a new collection of folktales, inspired by local legends, and at the insistence of her only child, Arthur, she hires a young assistant, Lucie, to live in a cottage on her property and help her transcribe them. What Arthur doesn’t know is that his mother is determined to keep the secrets of her past from ever being discovered. And what Mac doesn’t know is that Lucie has a few complicated secrets of her own.

The creaking presence of an ancient water mill next to Mac’s property that used to grind wheat into flour serves as an eerie counterpoint for these two women as they circle warily around each other, haunted by the local legend of two long-dead sisters, ready to point accusing fingers from the pages of history.

This atmospheric page turner evocatively gives voice to the question: What happens when you fall in love with the wrong person?



My thoughts

rating : 4 stars

Would I recommend this book ? yes

Would I read anything else by this author ? yes

It does take a while for the story to pick up and doing that time I was like nope not going to finish it going to have to DNF it but the more I read the more I began to get a fell for the story and what I saw I actually started to like , because the more you get into the story you start to see that its not just about 2 sisters , felling for the wrong guy, its more then that, its about dark secrets , and how far some people will go , the madness of one of the characters and I would definitely say that the person is crazy , its about how the mill is linked to the secrets and how far back they go , and will they come out in the oping , its about a son not knowing about his mothers secrets ,in fact its all of those in one story and how their linked . The story is told in the views of Mac and Lucie ,as well as how the 2 sisters fit in all of this . So yes while its slow and seems boring ,it does take time to get in to the story , it turns around and gets dark, as well as creepy . With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review exchange for my honest opinion.