“Sometimes there’s a reason why buildings stay empty after their primary function has ended.”
~ S W Kane, The Bone Jar
.
.
This is the first book in what is to be a three-book series featuring Detective Lew Kirby and the debut novel of the author. In this novel, the body of an elderly woman is found in the derelict Blackwater Asylum on the banks of the river Thames and after the investigation gets on its way, another body is pulled from the river. Are the two related? Investigations lead to an unravelling of a dark past and to discoveries of secrets the asylum has kept all these years. But there may be help for DI Kirby in putting the pieces together from an eccentric former patient and an urban explorer who tragically lost her sister years before in an accident at the same asylum. DI Kirby must solve the case while dealing with a shocking family secret.
.
.
This was a good read especially since it is a debut novel. The setting and the description of where the story takes place was great and adds to the creepy suspense – it was very atmospheric and effective. There were characters that I loved especially Raymond and others who brought some humour like Karen. However, for much of the book there is really no action until the very last chapters. Then at the very end when it seems as though something else would occur the book ends in a very anticlimactic way. I could not believe that was the end. Despite this however, the major plot line was solved so it is not a case where the next in series must be read to see what happens. There was a good mystery to be solved and I loved the major plot and its unfolding. The twists in the book were not major and could be guessed for the most part but they were nice additions to the telling of the story. There were other sub plots that were developed to various stages with no real closure, but this might be the case because as the other books in the series are released these plot lines will be revisited and continued. I would read the next book in the series now that the foundation has been laid to see how the series progresses.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Where to start with The Bone Jar? If you like complex, psychological thrillers/suspense with brilliant atmosphereic description then this is a book for you. The centerpiece setting is an abandoned London asylum situated on the banks of theThames. During a massive and unusual snow storm, the body of an elderly woman, a former nurse at the asylum is discovered. The case lands with Detective Lew Kirby who soon realizes this isn't going to be your ordinary murder to solve, nor is the one that follows. The with this story the key is that EVERYTHING is connected and has a purpose, although Kane keeps you continually guessing at the hows and whys.

As new and very interesting characters emerge adding more and more threads to a very complex web of relationships and motivations, Kane expertly inserts them into a world that more times than not, is positively spine-chilling. Her descriptions of atmosphere and settings which change frequently, take you right into the space where she wants you. Not always an easy thing to accomplish.

Although we get a peek into Kirby's private life that isn't without its challenges, the involvement of SW Kane's characters, their histories going back decades resulting in these two murders will keep you turning the pages. Kane uses a lot of characters in this story which at times I felt made it a bit of a challenge to keep straight but I could not stop reading. In the end, she skillfully ties all the threads up with fascinating clarity which reminded me in many ways of Christie's 'Murder on the Orient Express'

I loved this book and look forward to the next one!

3.5 stars

S.W. Kane's debut novel The Bone Jar is a police procedural that centers on the murder of an elderly woman at a dilapidated asylum on the banks of the Thames. By far the strongest aspect of the book is the setting, which is gorgeously eerie, especially because the murder occurs during a bitterly cold winter. Blackwater's interiors are full of shadows, broken glass, rusted beds, peeling paint and decayed mattresses. Outside, the grounds glitter in the sunlight and heavy snow clings to the trees. The asylum's best-kept architectural secret – which is revealed at the end - is just as beautiful, just as disturbing.

I also liked the characters, especially DCI Lew Kirby, former patient Raymond Sweet, and “urban explorer” Connie Darke. Kirby's and Connie's efforts to uncover Blackwater's sordid history grabbed my interest from the beginning and held my attention for the rest of the book. Both of them soon realize the asylum's past must be connected with the old woman's death—they just need to figure out how before somebody else turns up dead.

Kane's writing style is crisp and the story's pacing is brisk but not breakneck, which is perfect for a procedural. The biggest drawback, for me, was the plot. As others have mentioned, it's complicated and there are many peripheral characters whose roles are minimal. That doesn't usually bother me – I love complicated – and I don't mind lots of extras. The problem was that Kane doesn't tie up the loose ends by the close of the book. It's impossible to say more without spoiling the story, but there were at least three key plot points that either were not resolved or were rushed to the point that they didn't really make sense. If it hadn't been for the ending, this would have been a four-star rating for me.

The Bone Jar appears to be the first in a new procedural series and I look forward to reading the second installment. Kane's a promising author and it will be interesting to see how detective Kirby's character develops in book two. I'm also excited to see if Kane can create a setting as haunting as Blackwater.

Much thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Jar is an incredible novel. This novel is a chiling police drama set in London in during a terrible snowstorm. The body of an older woman is discovered and the hunt for her killer begins.

The characters are complex and well fleshed out. They story line has some twists I did not see coming.

This looks to be the beginning of a great series. Look forward to spending more time with these engaging characters.

This was an unexpected read. I stumbled upon this book on NetGalley and was intrigued right away by the cover and title. I admit I judged this booked by its cover (but isn’t is gorgeous). To be safe I quickly scanned the description and saw the words “murder” and “asylum” stopped reading and downloaded the book immediately. I was totally hooked from page one.

This is your classic crime novel. From page one we are thrown into the murder of an elder women at Blackwater Asylum. The book has fantastic pacing with 3 different POVs, mainly that of our lead Detective Lew Kirby, but also some from Connie Drake and Raymond Sweet who are all connected to Blackwater Asylum and help solve the case. In my opinion there are no wasted scenes and I love the way the story/mystery unfolded itself. The ending has lots of suspense and thrill and once they catch the killer it wasn’t just over like some other books I’ve read. We actually get some closure along with some hints of things to look forward to in further books.

It was refreshing to have a main character that wasn’t messed up. Lew Kirby is an pretty average, normal, pretty decent Detective. He wasn’t a drunk or drug addict with secrets in his past, he wasn’t going around sleeping with multiple women, nor did he have an estranged relationships with his parents. Connie was also a fantastic character. She was smart and very brave and I wanted more chapters and scenes with her. And then there was Raymond, he is a poor, misunderstood soul and deserved better. Both Connie and Raymond helped the case tremendously and where such wonderful secondary characters. You can tell that S.W. Kane has a degree in History of Design because the way Blackwater Asylum is written and described is so vivid and exquisite that it becomes its own character.

I am beyond thrilled that this is going to be a series following Detective Lew Kirby. I can’t wait to see what other cases Kirby comes across. I’m also really hoping (more like begging) that we get to see more Connie and Raymond!!! I highly recommend this book to fans of murder mystery and crime novels. If it wasn’t on your radar before it should be now.

Blackwater Asylum has been empty for over 20 years and is about to be redeveloped. Detective Inspector Lew Kirby is called there after a security guard discovered a body in one of the old wards. The woman, Ena Massey, used to be a nurse at the asylum. Ed Blake is an urban explorer; his phone has been found near Ena's body and he is missing. His friend Connie Darke is very concerned about him as she was due to meet him at Blackwater but was delayed. The pair were going there on the anniversary of the death of Connie's sister Sarah, who was engaged to Ed. Sarah died while exploring the asylum site. Raymond Sweet is a former patient of the asylum who has won the right to remain living on the grounds much to the dismay of Patrick Calder the developer. Charles Palmer lives at Marsh House, next door to Blackwater. He has recently arrived from Australia having inherited the house following the death of a relative. Kirby and his team struggle to find out who killed Ena, why she was killed and how she was transported to the deposition site. While carrying out his investigations Kirby is also dealing with his worries about his mother's health. When she finally tells him the truth it knocks him for six.

A really good book with a well woven story linking past and present and connecting all the characters well. Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and S W Kane for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Unfortunately i DNFed this book at 27%, i dont know if it was a me problem or a problem with the book but there was SO many characters and i found it so hard to keep up with who was who and what their role was in the story, i kept have to flipping back to reread bits to freshen my memory which isnt the easiest thing to do on an e-arc. I do think ill give this book another go at some point as i did like the writing and the detective was interesting to read about.

Im very grateful to the publisher for a copy of this book. Im not going to review on Goodreads until i finish the book as i dont think it would be fair to rate at this stage but will try again next month when im in a better mind set

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a good read, but I must confess that it was hard to get into and I kept dropping it many times to read something else. When I got into it, however, it was really good and I couldn't wait to Solve the mystery.

It was a book that was gory and creepy. I love psychological thrillers and this one was a very nice one. The characters were good and well written, and I think the pacing could have been faster.

We've got a murder mystery, a police procedural, and a psychological thriller all mixed together to create this gripping story. The author did a good job.

I hope to read other books by this author because this one is excellent.
It's atmospheric, a bit creepy and gripping. I loved the mix of police procedural and psychological thrilling that kept me on the edge till the end.
The setting is vivid and well described, the characters are interesting and the mystery kept me guessing.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The title drew my attention and made me want to look more at the book.
I think this is a strong debut novel, by a UK author set in an abandoned mental institution in London. A throughly enjoyable read. I liked the different setting, and combined historic events with current crime.
The pace is a little slower than I would normally like. Although the pace and tension built up towards the end.
There are quite a few characters and you have to concentrate to keep track of who is who.
The character that I engaged with is Raymond, an ex patient a quirky likeable character with a difficult background. I would really have liked to have read about more of his time as a patient to have got a better feel of him. I wanted this to be Raymond’s story.
It’s a Detective Lew Kirby book, but he isn’t the focal character, it is shared between Lew,Donna and Raymond.
All the ends were neatly tied up, I felt this part could have been condensed slightly. You do get some interesting insight into Kirby’s family life. I look forward to the next instalment.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
#netgalley #thebonejar

Well, this was a creepy and gripping crime thriller. Full of twists and turns, plenty of characters and a family tree that was so cryptic that it left the reader bewildered. I simply loved this. It was the perfect blend of thriller mixed with a wonderful amount of downright creepy that lead me to devour this so quickly.

With two murders, a body found in an old asylum left on a particular bed and a body in the water. Detective Kirby is tasked with figuring this one out, with the asylum already having a horrific history and a hotspot for urban exploration its a challenging task trying to figure this one out. Through his investigations he begins to slowly unravel a connection to the asylum and with that, he starts trying to piece it together but a former patient might actually hold the key.

This book was intricately woven, i felt like i needed to map out a family tree by the end so i could work it out. As a reader it made it so enjoyable that you really had to work for the pay off. I liked Detective Kirby - he was a bit rough around the edges and i could imagine he would be quite brusk when needing to be, irritable but also hard working and dedicated. Connie was determined to get answers for not only herself but for her sister and Ed her urban exploration friend and would get them one way or another. Lastly, Raymond - i simply warmed to him to so much. He was awkward, eccentric and i think lonely, my heart went out to him as he fended for himself.

The writing style was in depth and dramatic, creepy and gripping. It was a real page turner and i really looked forward to every time i got to sit down and delve some more into this, i felt like an investigator myself because i was so invested in the story.

If you are looking for a new series to get into please make note of this one. It has all the elements to keep you interested.....a spooky, deserted insane asylum, two bodies, suspicious characters and of course a ghost! What more could you ask for?

Atmospheric, engaging, and deeply moving I found myself drawn into the story line and quite surprised at the thrilling ending. I look forward for more with these characters and a nicely developing narrative.

Police thriller with an interesting story and some good characters. What secrets does the asylum hide/hold?

There was nothing predictable about this plot line. I had trouble keeping track of the characters but mainly because I read this so quickly, desperate to find out how it would end. I hope this is one of many featuring the lead character!

A great mystery but there's a lot going on. It was almost hard to keep all the story lines and mysteries straight. Dealing with the asylum's mysteries from the past, the unusual death of Connie's sister Sarah and then the present day mysteries and deaths were...a lot to take in. There were also a lot of players to keep track of and, with different timeframes, not always easy to remember who was who and how they tied to each other. It was funny that at times this town felt much smaller than it maybe really was. All in all, though, the mystery was great and I really loved Sweet, Connie and Kirby. It definitely seems set up for there to be a book 2 and I'm absolutely in for reading it!

I don’t normally go for police procedurals or series, but…this one was set in and around an old asylum. You can’t go wrong with that. It’s just so awesomely creepily atmospheric. Even if it wasn’t set in a middle of a crazy winter snowstorm (and it is). Even if it wasn’t very appealingly British (and it is). Even if it didn’t feature a very charismatic protagonist in DI Ludovico (Lew) Kirby (and it does) who lives on a boat (nice) and an intriguing mystery…there would still be that eerie spooky Blackwater asylum to behold. In fact, the story starts off there, with a body of an 84 year old woman found beaten to death. Who’d beat to death a nice old lady? But then again…why do we always think of them as nice old ladies? What if they are just old and not at all nice. Quite evil, in fact. So who’d want to kill an evil old lady? Well, that’s what DI Kirby is going to find out, although he’ll have significant assistance from other people peripherally involved in the crime. So it’s pretty much a fairly traditional police suspense thriller, enhanced by the fact that the reader gets to know all the players and then can try to figure out who’s guilty for themselves as opposed to those procedurals where you’re along for the investigation, uncovering clues slowly and only then getting to the killer. Plus the writing’s good, the characters are great and very engaging, the pacing’s tight, the suspense is taught and the location just can’t be beat. So yeah, totally worth making an exception and checking out. Entertaining read and a promising series debut. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

An atmospheric chilling novel. One that takes you on a twisted journey through time. Loved the descriptions throughout so much so if I closed my eyes I was there in the asylum. The name the Bone Jar perfectly summed up the place under the lake. The book also showcases how the sins of the father can come back to haunt those left behind. Chilling,pacy and brilliant

The Bone Jar is the first book written by S W Kane, and it is a fascinating thriller. An elderly woman is found dead in an abandoned asylum, and Detective Lew Kirby has to find the killer. This book had a lot going on regarding the story and the characters, sometimes a little too much. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, though, and would definitely recommend it since the characters, the story, and the setting were all very well done. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Congratulations to Ms Kane for a refreshingly new outlook on crime thriller genre. Thoroughly enjoyable read well recommended. With an interesting look at the hobby of urban exploration if this actually exists had I been many years younger I would have loved to have participated . Read it and see for yourselves.

i should have known a book about a closed asylum might not be my cup of tea and this mystery wasnt. there are many characters and different narratives that makes it hard to follow and a slowly drawn out p!ot i appreciate the ARC by NetGalley for this review.