A very quick and enjoyable read. Much shorter than expected but it is a complete story. Don't expect a lot of character development if you haven't read any of the other books in this series. It's enjoyable on it's own, but a bonus if know the characters a little bit

3.5 stars.
Another engaging, quick read in the Widow’s Island series, “Buried Bones”, by Melinda Leigh (Montlake), with a strong heroine, Tessa, dealing with an ailing mother at home and crime solving in her job as a deputy.
Tessa Bailey and park ranger Logan Wilde form an incredible couple, very supportive of each other in family and work issues. Tessa is strong and confident, and Logan is an incredible caring partner.
This was a quick read about a murder in a small community where helping and supporting your neighbor really matter.

I really enjoy this series. And this fast paced visit was no exception. Tessa is a great character. I love her strength from being a cop but also her raising her sister and taking care of her mom with dementia. I also absolutely love Logan. As well as the friendships.

Buried Bones was a quick read, which is right up my alley these days with my attention span sorely lacking. I have not read Melinda Leigh before and I realize this is book 7 in the Widow's Island series, but I fell easily into the storyline and never felt like I was missing any background or info.

Tessa and Logan, who are engaged to be married, are working together on a case involving a murdered collage student who came to Widow's Island to work a summer job. Melinda keeps the story moving along at a steady pace and I really liked that there wasn't all kinds of filler dialogue or overly descriptive scenes. Just nice, concise telling of what is happening. It's a little suspenseful, with a whodunnit vibe, which I love because I'm always looking for clues to see if I can figure out who commited the crime before the author reveals it.

I really liked Tessa and Logan's characters, although I couldn't help but wonder why Logan was so focused on eating all the time. Making sure he and Tessa ate breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, all the time. Other than that curiosity, I liked their relationship, and I'm really going to need to go back and read about them from the beginning to see how they got to where they are today.

There is a good cast of secondary characters that I'm interested in learning more about, and as I mentioned the story went at a really good pace, and I was invested from beginning to end. I can't wait to go back and explore this series from the beginning!

Many thanks to the publisher, Montlake and Netgalley for providing me with an advance review copy of this story in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Tessa finds a body when she went hiking with her younger sister. The body is a college student named Aurora. This book kept me guessing until the very end

‘Buried Bones’ is the 7th novella in this series. I wouldn’t recommend starting with this book, you definitely need to read the previous books in this series as more background on the characters and their circumstances are all established in the earlier books.
With this novella, we jump straight in. Sheriff Deputy Tessa Black is out hiking with her sister when they stumble across a buried body. The body is identified as Aurora Franklin, a college student there on the island for a summer job. It’s up to Tessa her fiancé park ranger Logan Wilde to find out who killed Aurora.
This was a quick, fast read. A nice addition to the series. 3.5 stars

When I received the ARC of Buried Bones, I wasn’t aware it was a novella. I was disappointed only because it wasn’t a longer book. Tessa Black is the sheriff on Widow’s Island, a remote island in Washington. She is out hiking with her sister and stumbles across a body. Identifying the victim and solving the murder is the storyline. In the course of the novella, we come to know Tessa, her sister, her fiancé and her mother. I was surprised to see this is book 7 in the Widow’s Island series. I will be looking for the rest!

This was everything I expected from a Melinda Leigh story and more. Her character development is top notch. She masterfully weaves the murder mystery with twists and turns to develop a wonderful reading adventure.

Melinda Leigh has such a way of creating characters that come alive off the page. She has done it again with this fun story keeping the reader guessing about who did it and adds a little fun sprinkled in the story.

This is number seven in this series of novellas - every other written by either Melinda Leigh or Kendra Elliot. These are two of my favourite authors, both have similar writing styles, and I think I have read all the books they have written. This series takes part on Widows Island with Deputy Tessa Black and her boyfriend ( soon to be husband) Logan Wilde the park ranger two of the main characters. Along with the other residents of this community each book is a separate short story about their lives but also about the mysteries and murders committed on the island. This time Tessa while hiking with her sister literally stumbles over a dead body…

Melinda Leigh is a definite read for my and I wasn't disappointed in this novella. The characters, the storyline they grab my attention and keep it until the last word.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I want it to be a bigger story though because the potential of getting yourself lost in this addictive suspenseful thriller is immensely higher than anything else.
And after reading it I feel like I need a reread of the series just to refresh my memory of why do I love this author’s books so much

I've been reading this series since the beginning and am really enjoying the progression of Tessa and Logan's relationship. While I don't think you necessarily need to have read the previous books - the mystery in this story is self-contained - I do think it would add something to the story if you saw how far both Tessa and her sister and Logan have all come.

In this addition to the series Logan and Tessa are left searching for answers about the half-buried body in the woods that Tessa and her sister Patience stumble upon while out in the woods - all while dealing with the issues of their own personal relationship and how that is developing.

The mystery itself isn't particularly complex, but I didn't immediately pick up on who the killer was, either. There are some nice action scenes, and enough of the local colour written into the book to really bring the island setting to life, but it isn't quite up to the same standard as earlier books, so my rating would be more of a 4.5. if you're new to the series I definitely wouldn't start with this one, but it's a solid - if a little safe - edition.

Buried Bones by Melinda Leigh is another suspense novella in the Widow's Island/Rogue River series. I have enjoyed reading all of these novellas, and are a special series written with the author Kendra Elliot. I think I have read all of Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot's books. They are not to be missed!
Deputy Tessa Black is shocked to find the remains of a young woman while she is on a hike. The body had been left off a path in the woods. As Tessa investigates the crime, she learns the student had never been reported as missing and this murder could have remained undiscovered. Tessa depends on the support of Park Ranger Logan Wilde who is also her fiancé. I won't post spoilers, but this is a short suspense with some favorite characters. As I read these novellas it is like short visits with my "book friends" in Oregon.
Publication Date: October 19, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

BURIED BONES is part of a series of RS novellas by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh in the ‘Widows Island’ series. Deputy Tessa Black and her sister discover a body during their hike. When they find out the identity of the victim and that no one has been looking for her, Tessa vows to get justice for the victim. She does this all while caring for her teenage sister, her mother who has Alzheimer's and with the support of her fiancé Park Ranger Logan Wilde. Another good book in an entertaining RS series.

This is part of a series. I am really enjoying this series. Love her books and am waiting for her next series

I'm usually not a fan of novella's, but I love this series by 2 of my favorite authors!!

I love visiting with old friends, meeting new friends, and seeing how it all intersects. There is a little something for all of us...murder and the hunt for the murderer, twists/turns, non-stop page-turning action, and just enough romance.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

#Tessa #Logan #Aurora #LovedIt #NetGalley #BuriedBones #MelindaLeigh

Buried bones, the investigation reveals a dangerous predator hiding in the Widow’s Island community. With her fiancé, park ranger Logan Wilde, by her side, Tessa must find Aurora’s murderer before they strike again. A gripping thriller that I devoured in one sitting!

Another smash hit from Kendra Elliot. As always it kept me up reading well into the night. The surprises just kept on coming and just when I thought I'd figured out the ending something else happened. Certainly one of my favourite authors of all time.

Number seven in the Widows Island series. Absolutely brilliant!! Melinda can always be guaranteed to deliver. Even tho it's a short novella just like Melinda's regular books it packs a punch. Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Melinda for allowing me to read this Arc.