Marc Cameron's "Bone Rattle" is a masterclass in suspense, seamlessly blending crime thriller with supernatural elements to create a truly chilling read. The story follows a seasoned FBI agent, Joe Quinn, as he investigates the murder of a young woman in a remote Alaskan village, only to find himself entangled in a web of ancient secrets and unsettling phenomena. Cameron masterfully crafts a sense of mounting dread, weaving together a captivating narrative that balances intense action sequences with moments of eerie stillness. The author's descriptions of the harsh Alaskan landscape and the isolated community add to the book's palpable sense of isolation and unease. While the supernatural elements might not be for everyone, they serve to enrich the story's overall atmosphere, adding a layer of unnerving depth to the already compelling mystery. "Bone Rattle" is a captivating read for fans of thrillers with a dark and atmospheric edge.

This is an excellent series set in Alaska. The places described in the book are realictic and REAL. I lived there for almost 30 years and Marc Cameron has obviously either lived there or done his research.
The characters are well developed and fit the mixed peoples who live there. It takes a special "something" or an awfully good reason to live and work when the weather can swing from spring to summer to winter.....we'll skip the two weeks of fall....as you journey across the state. The stories represent a picture of live in Alaska. Unfortunately, too many people use the remote areas to disappear from something.
Okay....the characters and community are great. The story lines follow the daily news in Alaska's vast spaces and Cameron has done an excellent job of winding the story line in and around the people who populate the events. A great series that I'd recommend to any and every one who's interested in a fictional but "real" series.

What a great book, I really enjoyed reading it! I hope to read more books by Marc soon. Thanks for the great book!

I read the first two books of this series in quick succession and grew fond of the patchwork family of Arliss Cutter (including his workpeople as well). It is a dark series, with the weather and the actual physical location of Alaska weighing into the narrative.
In this instalment, multiple things are happening simultaneously, and they may or may not be related to each other. Cutter tries to establish a little downtime with the kids, but things do not go the way he plans. There is trouble brewing in the background with very nasty people involved.
I cannot really talk of the book's content without the reveals taking away something from the storyline. I did already mention the ambience of the story but could probably elaborate on that.
Arliss Cutter is a federal employee who has one particular kind of task but as a US Marshall, his job description should have remained simple. His services as a tracker are often lent to other departments when there is an urgent need. In this case, he is called to protect, and that's pretty much what he does. The character is someone who you can root for. A straightforward person who doesn't smile or offer pretty words but acts in a manner that his intentions are clear for all to see. Even with the criminal behaviour around him, I look forward to the next book. Especially with a personal conundrum which his niece revealed!
I would not recommend picking this up partway; starting at the beginning of the series provides a better understanding of all the characters' growth arcs.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

There was an opportunity for this to be a great book, as the Alaskan setting and the Tlingit bone rattle being dug up during a gold mining operation was a unique and interesting story line.
However, for me, the characters weren’t engaging, the plot lines were too convoluted and there was a lot of unnecessary writing that didn't seem to add anything. It may be because I haven’t read the rest of the series that I found it a bit disjointed.
Thanks to NetGallery for providing an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

The plot is set in Alaska, a vast and beautiful area. The team, Arliss Cutter and deputy Lola Teariki are on a big case. They need to protect the jurors in a high profile case.
I think it was bad timing because I couldn't connect with the characters.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and to Marc Cameron for an ARC copy for an honest review.

Apologies for the delay, with many books sent to me Net Galley, publishers and authors.

Marc Cameron, an experienced ex-Deputy Marshall himself uses his background to inform and lend authenticity to his Supervisory Deputy Marshall Arliss Cutter of Alaska's Fugitive Task Force led by his boss, Chief Jill Phillips.

U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter is a born tracker. After enlisting in the military and fighting in the Middle East, Cutter is sent to the icy wastelands of southeast Alaska.

Originally from Florida, he is a stand up good guy although with little in the way of social skills, mentoring and training his partner, a New Zealand Maori woman, Lola Teariki, and with a past that includes 4 wives, his last wife dying of breast cancer. He is heavily supporting and very close to the family of his dead brother, Ethan, the widowed Mim, her 8 year old twin sons, Michael and Matthew, and daughter, 15 year old Constance.

Three people have disappeared on Prince of Wales Island. Two are crew members of the reality TV show, Alaska Adventure Jobs. The other is a Tlingit Indian girl who had the misfortune of witnessing their murders.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter becomes involved in the hunt for the murderers of a Native American archeologist, a state senator's son, and an assistant district attorney and his secretary.

Cutter’s job is to find the bodies, examine the crew’s footage for clues, and track down the men who killed them. Easier said than done. Especially when the whole town is hiding secrets, the trail leads to a dead end – and the hunter becomes the prey.

Although the story did not flow as other books I have read of his, sometimes a little slow, chatty, but the last third of the book the pace quickened, the suspense was good and the action was good, just took a while to build up the tension.

Also first book I have read where I read food recipes at the end of the book !!

Four stars

The Arliss Cutter series continues with Bone Rattle. I really enjoy the setting of the series, I like the characters but this one fell a little short. The story was slow in building and the took a while. There seemed to be some disjointed branches of stories - not a real connection. But I like the author, I like Arliss and will willingly read the next one!

Deputy US Marshal Arlisss Cutter and his deputy, Lola Teariki, are pulled from their normal duties and ordered to keep track of sequestered jurors in a high-profile case. The case involves a huge drug conspiracy with ties to several well-known wealthy businessmen and politicians.

When a series of horrifying murders occur, Cutter realizes that more is at stake. Ancient burial sites are discovered by a gold mining company. A female is found washed ashore... without her head, hands, and feet. A prosecuting attorney is killed, a reporter attacked.

That these events are connected is not in dispute. But it has gone well beyond just a drug trial. Someone has secrets and will do whatever it takes to keep those secrets from seeing the light of day.

BONE RATTLE showcases the beauty of Alaska and its culture. As the author, himself, is a retired US Marshal who worked in Alaska, I expected a great deal of credibility .. and I was not disappointed.

Suspense starts on the very first page and maintains throughout this action-packed conspiracy thriller. It's compelling, it's riveting. The characters are finely drawn and lead the way through this page-turner. Although 3rd in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. However, I recommend reading in order to gain all those gold nuggets that make this series an exciting one.

Many thanks to the author / Kensington Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This is the first time reading a book by this author, so I didn't really know what to expect. I must say I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and easy to read. It kept my interest throughout. I highly recommend this book and will be looking for other books by this author.

I note that this is book 3 in a series and I have to confess that I have not read the first two books, but I think this book can easily be read as a standalone.

Arliss Cutter and his partner, Lola get involved in an unusual case. People are disappearing and it is up to them, and native woman Lori (a journalist) to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

I liked the setting - Alaska has long had a fascination for me and one day I will get there - and I liked the various personalities of Arliss, Lola and Lori and their different approaches to the case, and life in general.

There was much to like about this book. It was interesting in terms of archeology and the landscape and it was thrilling when criminals clashed with law enforcement. At times, I held my breath and wondered how it was all going to end.

Loved it!

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington.

In Marc Cameron’s latest novel, Arliss Cutter and Lola Teariki head to Juneau to babysit sequestered jurors. Of course we know their assignment can’t possibly be as boring as it sounds. Sure enough, they are soon investigating murders, dealing with threats, and trying to save lives, all while occasionally standing up to bullies and trying to work with local law enforcement and navigate the usual complexities of cooperating with the FBI. Arliss, a prototypical man of few words who lives by an unshakeable code, is definite movie material, in the manner of an old western hero. His sidekick, Lola Teariki, is complicated enough be interesting while also providing a counterpoint to his rough edges. The bad guys are essentially ridiculous caricatures, but I didn’t really mind. There was so much rich detail about mining, tracking, etc., that I was too busy learning fascinating tidbits about life in Alaska to worry about those guys. The action is compelling, suspenseful, and fast-paced. This book is part of a strong series but can easily be read as a standalone.

Thanks to Negalley and the publisher for a digital advance review copy.

Bone Rattle by Marc Cameron
Arliss Cutter #3

Another late night up past my bedtime as I swiped pages quickly to find out what Arliss Cutter would be dealing with in book three of this marvelous series. I still like him better than Jack Reacher, find him a man I want to get to know better, and can’t wait to find out more about him.

What I liked:
* Arliss Cutter: Deputy US Marshall, uncle, brother-in-law, tracker, teacher, protector, dead-shot, ex-military, swimmer and scuba diver, lethal on land and water, quiet man, wise, sharer of Grumpy Wisdom, admirable – I really like him.
* Lola Teariki: Arliss’s work partner: mid-twenties, Maori, focused, eager, bright, physically fit, lethal, attractive, capable, good, someone I like and want to watch grow.
* Watching Arliss at work – I learned more about tracking, better ways of processing information, and positive ways he interacts with people.
* The way the story was told…and how I was lead toward the conclusion
* Meeting new characters that will play a part in the future stories while catching up with characters met before.
* Arliss’s brother’s family: Mim/sister-in-law, Connie/niece, and twins Matthew and Michael – they are characters that impact Arliss and will no doubt continue to do so in future books of the series.
* Being made too think, care, root for characters, and become invested in the story.
* The eventual outsmarting of bad guys
* Learning more about Alaska
* Being inspired to look up rattles. That said, I did look up bone rattles-shaman-Tlingit and what came up was this book…still did learn about more and will no doubt do some more sleuthing on the subject.
* Finding out how Raven came to be…while sleuthing
* Knowing that there will be a book four and that it will probably include the murderer/serial killer whose victims parts showed up in this book.
* all of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* What I was meant not to like…criminals and the crimes they committed.
* Having to wait for book four.

Did I like this book? Definitely!
Will I read more in this series? As soon as I can!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This is the third in a series about US Marshall Arliss Cutter, a former Army Ranger from Florida who’s now based in Anchorage, Alaska. Cutter and his partner Lola Teariki are sent to Juneau to assist with a protection detail on a trial of two mob brothers, a trial derailed almost immediately when the prosecuting attorney is murdered. The hunt for a witness the attorney was supposed to be meeting takes Cutter and a young freelance journalist into dangerous country, the abandoned mineshafts about Juneau, with a killer on the loose who will stop at nothing to silence the whistleblower.

Although this is the third book in the series, I felt like it gave me a pretty good handle on Cutter and his friends and family. He’s a tough, extremely competent character with some deep psychological flaws he somehow manages to keep from interfering with his work, though it seems evident from a stinger at the very end of the book that his personal and work life are going to collide sooner rather than later.

There’s a secondary case going on, of body parts of young women washing up from the ocean, that doesn’t seem to have any link to the case Cutter is working or indeed any link to the rest of the story, but that stinger does make it seem like it might tie in to something in the next book, so I’m not quite as annoyed by it as I might have been otherwise. I can appreciate an author playing the long game with Easter eggs that won’t come to fruition until much later, as long as it doesn’t overwhelm the major story, and since it was really only a few scenes I’m okay with it.

What did get to me a bit was that the villain was pretty much a caricature, and a stupid one at that. Very rich men don’t do their own dirty work, and while throughout the book that was the case, I couldn’t understand why the villain threw caution to the winds at the end. It seemed contrived in order to engineer a confrontation.

The bone rattle of the title is a Native artefact found during mining works, and although its potential great value on the black market motivates several shady characters to behave unethically, I don’t think it was really a great driver of or central to the plot, so… it was a bit of an odd choice as a title. I actually wanted to learn more about it, but it did appear lost by the end of the book so I guess that’s the end of it.

I enjoyed a lot of this; while Cutter is the stoic and silent type, there are several great characters around him - mostly women, and several women of colour - who were much more forthcoming and definitely held my interest. The villain was, however, a bit too one-dimensional for my taste. Overall a good read and I think I’d read the next in the series, as the stinger caught my interest. I’ll give it four stars.

This was a fine book. I read find the descriptions of Alaska to be fascinating. I felt like the main story was nice and detailed but some of the pieces seemed a little unconnected. The b story was dropped snd then picked up so randomly that when it happened, I had to think “who is this guy, why are we talking about him” and then there’s a family subplot that was pretty meh. It seems the two subplots are setting up the next book but I’m not sure I’m interested enough to pick it up.

This is book 3 in a very good thriller series set in Alaska, featuring Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshall Arliss Cutter and his partner, Deputy Lola Teariki. The story starts out with the discovery of a native burial site while workers are bulldozing to create a road into a mining area. But the wealthy mine owner, Harold Grimsson, won't let a little thing like that stand in his way, not when witnesses can so easily be made to disappear.

Arliss has a reputation for doing 'the right thing, right now' with no thought for his own safety. Will his current job assignment in Juneau pit him against Grimsson and his hired muscle while trying to protect the innocent?

Once again in this third outing, there's loads of action, terrific descriptions of the wild Alaskan territory and well-drawn characters. That combination makes for an exciting, page-turning read.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That led me to discover this author and his books, totally new to me, for which I'm very grateful!

Could an American Indian burial artifact really be worth a cool half million dollars? Marc Cameron weaves a very entertaining tale around just such a find. Couple that with a historic mining area around Anchorage and I could not put the book down. The lead character, Arliss Cutter, shines as a no-nonsense investigator for the United States Marshall Service.

Alaska has attracted some very independent and sometimes unscrupulous individuals. A Senator’s son has fallen for a young lady who has information that will bring the Senator down, but greed goes all the way to the top of the food chain. Cutter with the aid of a local reporter sets out to find and rescue the young woman. Claustrophobia takes hold as the search for the missing witness goes underground.

Mines opened in the first part of the twentieth century captured my imagination, however, the use of language specific to the mining industry kept me asking Wikipedia for further clarification.

All of the characters are well developed and believable. The villains are heinous. I can recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys an atmospheric, fast-paced, well-plotted action-adventure thriller. 5 stars – CE Williams

After a slow start that read like paid announcements from his sponsors regarding outerwear and weaponry, Marc Cameron eventually brings his audience to the incomparable daily lives of Arlis Cutter and Lola Teariki of the US Marshal service. A bit Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a smattering of Longmire, and enough attitude and humor to keep the pages turning as the reader follows in the wake of Alaska's Fugitive Task Force.

There were a few unfinished parts -- where did the body parts come from, Constance’s supposition, and what is the secret Arliss will never tell. Other than that, which could be answered in his next novel, this remains a highly recommended series from a veteran tracker with his own experiences to tell.

Wow. I admit to being a fan of this series but know that each installment, including this one, will be perfectly fine as a standalone. Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter and his more junior partner Lola Teariki find themselves in the middle of a real mess of a trial of narcos when they are assigned to provide support to the court in Juneau. The novel opens, however, with the discovery of a skeleton and the, well, bone rattle, at a mine (as well as the murder of an archeologist). How does the mine link up with the trial? No spoilers from me but know that there's lots of bad guys here, including a very violent man. This also features Lori Maycomb, a journalist who is also a recovering alcoholic. The perspective shifts back and forth between several of the characters, allowing the reader to see the big picture more effectively. Arliss' niece Constance, left at home while her mom and brothers go to Juneau with Arliss, drops a big secret in an internal dialogue (but is she right?) There's great Alaska atmospherics, I liked learning how to know if someone has gone up or downstream, and it's nicely twisty. Know that there are a few shocking moments. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a page turner.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Marc Cameron, and Kensington Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Marc Cameron is back with the third in his Arliss Cutter series, a collection of novels that get better with each new addition. Cameron’s background as a former Deputy Marshall serves him well in this piece, where the action is ever-mounting and the reader is pulled into the middle of a sensational story from the opening pages. Arliss Cutter enjoys his work on the Fugitive Task Force, but has no interest in any management position. When he and his team are sent to Juneau to help with a high-profile trial, things go south soon enough. Cutter is pulled into a situation and must find a young woman who is the target of a crooked businessman, all in rural Alaska. It’s a story that will keep the reader flipping pages well into the night. Another winner from Marc Cameron for sure!

Arliss Cutter loves his job as Supervisory Deputy Marshall up in Anchorage, though there are surely times he misses his native Florida. Working hard all day, capturing those who have tried to evade the law, Cutter and his team within Alaska’s Fugitive Task Force do all they can to help balance the scales of justice. There are bumps and scrapes along the way, but it’s all in a day’s work. When he returns home, it’s to help take care of his twin nephews and teenage niece, a handful on their own. Still, he would not have it any other way.

While there are some odd goings-on in Anchorage, Cutter and his partner, Lola Teariki, are sent to Juneau to help in a high-profile trial. The jury is about to be sequestered and the judge is in need of protection, as the defendants are part of a gang that prefer to take justice into their own hands. With the trial being covered by a sharp reporter, everyone is wondering where she’s getting her scoop. Lori Maycomb is not prepared to say much of anything, as she wants to keep her information under wraps and her informant out of the limelight.

When things at the trial go sideways, Cutter knows that he will be put to work hunting rather than simply protecting. There’s more to the story than a simple confidential informant, but a crooked business owner has plans of his own for the local territory and he’s not prepared to let anyone stand in his way. Even when a valuable artifact is found that might impede a money-making transportation venture, it’s no impediment to progress, as long as the right people can be silenced, permanently.

With a young woman in hiding up in the Alaskan hills, Cutter will have to work quickly to get to her, or at least keep those with a mission to scrub her out from arriving first. It’s a race against time and through a series of hurdles, including a mining area. Cutter knows it won’t be easy, but he’s not prepared to simply let a young girl’s life be silenced to pad the pockets of a corrupt individual. Justice must be done, no matter the cost!

I have long had an appreciation for Marc Cameron and his work, which pushes the reader to think outside the box. Not only is the Alaskan setting unique, but the writing delivers something that is not entirely in line with many novels in the genre. It is a different type of gritty, one that leaves the reader wanting to know more. So much is going on in this book, though it never feels overwhelming. This is definitely a series for those who love trillers and quasi-procedurals. While some applaud this as a decent standalone, I cannot think why anyone would not want to grab the previous two books to have the full context of this sensational series and its protagonist.

Arliss Cutter has grown on me over this trio of novels and there is nothing like seeing how his progression has developed. I love a mix of personal and professional growth in a character, something that Cameron offers in spades throughout. Cutter may be a saviour to his family, after the death of his brother, but he is also one who allows his sister-in-law to take on the primary role, while injecting some of his own familial life lessons when they are needed. On a professional front, Cutter works well with his partner, Lola Teariki, but does not force her to conform to what he does at every turn. The richness of the Cutter character develops well throughout this book and in the previous two novels, making him one that many readers can admire, given the time.

Marc Cameron has done well in this piece to really add some standout supporting characters. From those who recur throughout the series to the people who are one-offs to add depth to the story, there are few who do not make an impact. I thoroughly enjoy how Cameron crafts those who appear on each page, honing their personalities to flavour the narrative and enrich the plot where needed. There is something to love or hate with each person the reader encounters and this is precisely what I needed after reading some novels where things are brushed over too swiftly. While not a dense read, the book is by no means superficial and the characters help add some weight to the final product.

This is the second of Marc Cameron’s series that I have read, neither of which have left me feeling disappointed. The writing is strong and there is something that makes me want to keep reading every time I pick up one of his books. The narrative flows well, offering wonderful twists throughout, without tying the reader up in knots. The characters have depth and prove to be intriguing no matter what they have going on in their lives. Cameron teases the reader with shorter chapters at times, as if to coax them into settling down for the longer and more detailed parts of the book, which allow plot development. I enjoyed the banter through dialogue, which added something to the book and helped me imagine things playing out on the screen with ease. I cannot wait to see what’s next with Arliss Cutter, as there were a few threads left loose, which is another of Cameron’s great abilities, as the reader begs to understand what’s to come!

Kudos, Mr. Cameron, on another stellar piece. I cannot get enough of your writing and hope Arliss Cutter will be back soon!