I usually give 3 stars for a DNF unless it is super offensive; this is one of those latter cases. After overhearing two kids discussing whether ghosts are real (the winning argument: I just saw Ghostbusters) the MC correlates this debate to her experience at a "Native American festival" ??? where she heard "them" sharing "myths and legends". She punctuated this brain-dead thought by lamenting about all the lives lost on the Trail of Tears.

Tbh I don't know where to start. How insulting is it to think of "Native Americans" (btw, a google search to identify the Indigenous peoples of the region would've been helpful, instead of lumping them all together as the same) because kids were debating whether ghosts were real???? Ghosts are not the same as the traditional narratives regarding religion, ethics, and beliefs that are unique to the Indigenous peoples of said region.

This was an instant DNF. Well-established authors like RIta Herron should be using sensitivity readers if they cannot be fucked to educated themselves. This was a big miss and I hope the publisher, editor, and author take it upon themselves to make the correction before publication.

Just when you think you can't love this series anymore this book comes along. I love Ellie. She's got a complicated case and the mystery surrounding Hawk House is a rough one. There's plenty of suspense and surprises to keep you invested. And that ending! I growled. I can't wait for the next book!

Detective Ellie Reeves is back and facing a sinister situation. When a pit of bones is discovered by kids on a ghost hunt at an old orphanage, the gory details of what happened in the place begin to emerge: child abuse, murder, etc. While Ellie struggles to find answers from the past, a contemporary case arises. Someone is killing women who are a part of an escort service. Another spate of murders seems to be related to the orphanage, as the only living memories are extinguished. Someone doesn't want the truth to come out, but who? It's a twisted and exciting plot. With the craziness at work extends into Ellie's personal life. Two men have romantic feelings for her, but we don't yet know who will win her heart. I can't wait for the next book!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Four teens go out one night for a bit of a ghostly experience. They go to Hawk House, an abandoned orphanage (30 years ago) which is reputed to be haunted by the ghosts of the poor children who died there. It was apparently a brutal place. But - these kids got more than they bargained for. It looks like a dark figure is moving around inside. 19 year old Mandy is freaked out and she runs, promptly falling into a deep pit…..wait for it….full of bones!

Detective Ellie Reeves, who is also Mandy’s aunt races over and is concerned about the whole thing. The next day forensics are called out and the grounds are searched and another pit of bones is found. Eventually it is determined the bones belong to two adults and about five children. Ellie is appalled and is determined to get justice for these poor souls. She calls for FBI agent Derrick Fox’s help as well.

This case is a hard nut to crack. Records are scarce and no one is willing to talk! Some of the children reportedly ran away from this house of horrors, I don’t blame them! When they finally get the names of the staff it seems they are always too late and find a body instead! The beastly man who ran the orphanage, Blackstone, just disappeared one day and has not been seen or heard of since. The sheriff at the time, Edgar Ogden, looked into some of the goings on but it seems to have been a very slapdash investigation. And now he is not saying much at all. Ellie and Derrick are convinced he is hiding something. But what?

Meanwhile a number of young women are being brutally murdered. Is this related to Hawk House? Is there more than one killer running around? The case got pretty complicated towards the end. I enjoyed the story, the characters are all familiar by now and villains were truly villainous. The pacing was crisp and never lagged. I just thought that, at times, it all became a bit melodramatic and I’m also wearying of the female detective who constantly rushes towards danger single handedly and always declares she’s fine when she so clearly isn’t. I guess I’ll have a break from female detective crime thrillers for a while.

I did enjoy the book and I am enjoying series and a little break will ensure I look forward to the next book. Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Rita Herron has outdone herself. Ellie is really coming into her own and becoming more confident. This is my favorite book in the entire series.

Such a thrilling read! It’s a long book but it needs every one of it’s pages to tell this story. The writing is wonderful. The story is gripping and exciting. There are multiple elements to the storyline. The characters were fascinating and complex. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bookouture has so many fantastic authors and series, and Rita Herron and her Ellie Reeves series is just another great example!

This one was a little dark, with lots of twists and turns. I couldn't put it down! Definitely recommend that they are read in order. If you haven't started this series yet, get them now. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

Hidden Bones is part of the Detective Ellie Reeves series and is best read in order. At an abandoned orphanage, teenagers are exploring and hoping to get something creepy on video when Mandy falls into a pit on top of some old bones. Detective Ellie Reeves jumps into a shocking case that tackles abuse and murder in the old orphanage while chasing down a new serial killer along the Appalachian Trail. Case files disappear and the body count keeps climbing as Ellie’s latest case will twist and turn to leave your head spinning. Shocking and unputtdownable, this latest mystery may be Ms. Heron’s best book yet in an already addicting series that deserves to be on every mystery lover’s must read shelf. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Ellie Reeves books. There were lots of twists and turns. My only complaint would be that there were so many characters it seemed like vey chapter there was a new one and I had to stop and think who they were. It definitely kept me guessing until the end.

Hidden Bones returns readers to Crooked Creek and possibly Detective Ellie Reeves hardest case yet, and one that may once again tear this small-town in two.

As nineteen-year-old Mandy whilst reluctantly taking part in a tik tok challenge with friends at the abandoned Hawk House orphanage falls into a pit and discovers skeletal remains.

But that's just the start of a confounding and gripping mystery that spans thirty years. As when Ellie, Ranger Cord McClain and FBI Agent Derrick Fox return the following day. They discover a much more horrifying sight, and as Ellie starts to dig she soon learns all evidence of the Orphanages existence has disappeared.

Then a body is found and a startling symbol identified and the case becomes even more terrifying and as Ellie struggles to deal with the ramifications she also has to cope with a distant Derrick and a sheriff who has his mind on other things.

Yet, Ellie is determined to find the killer no matter the cost even if that means putting herself in the line of fire and exposing secrets someone in Crooked Creek is hell bent on keeping hidden.

And with twists galore and great pacing this truly was an unputdownable read, and one that I can't recommend highly enough.

Hidden Bones (Detective Ellie Reeves Book 6) by Rita Herron is a good mystery book about children who need someone to care enough to give them a voice and justice.

The author's writing style was crisp, and the story kept my interest.

Cord was a mystery on what he was hiding and what his secrets were. Maybe tied to the orphanage, hmmm? I love books when I have a whoa moment while reading. I really did not anticipate a certain revelation (I don't want to give away any spoilers), and I enjoyed reading this book. It was heart-pounding in some places and frustrating in other places but in a good way.

I would recommend this book and this author.

#HiddenBones #NetGalley @bookouture

Detective Ellie is my favorite detective, and Rita’s books with Ellie are so good and this one isn’t any different. Twists and turns keep you enthralled, and a page turner. I read it in one sitting (I stayed up way too late haha) but it was worth it!

A gripping read that I couldn't put down, It was compelling and twisty with such a good level of unpredictability that kept me guessing all the time.

Detective Ellie Reeves is back & this new book doesn’t disappoint. Hawk House has always been spoken about but only the people that lived there knew the true horrors that took place. Ellie has been called there as bones have been found. And the worse thing is that they look like children bones. She needs to call in Special Agent Derrick Fox to help on the case as they need all the help that they can get. What they learn is horrific as someone hurt & tortured the children that lived there but who knew what was happening?
Someone is killing off the old staff that worked there but why now?
They have another serious problem someone is killing young women could their deaths be connected to the orphanage?
Will they be able to find the killer before it is too late?
A good thrilling read. I love Ellie as she is a fierce protector that never backs down. Derrick is a mystery as he is always holding back. Cord is the dark horse he has many secrets and I wonder if he will ever tell Ellie?
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC copy. This is my voluntary review

When children's bones are found in abandoned orphanage, Detective Ellie Reeves is tasked with the investigation. Some people who worked at the orphanage start to disappear and the body count soon rises. This can easily be read as a stand alone, although it's book 6 in the series. The characterisation and plotting are good with plenty suspense to occupy the reader. It's a typical serial killer story which crime lovers will enjoy. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

414 pages

3 stars

Four teenagers sneak onto the property of an old abandoned orphanage. Their plan was to see the “ghosts” that supposedly inhabited the place. One of the girls, Mandy, became frightened, ran away and fell into a pit. Bad enough that she hurt herself, but she saw dozens of bones.

Enter Detective Ellie Reeves and her FBI partner. Mandy is a relative of Ellie’s, so she naturally worries about her. She too witnesses the many, many bones in the pit. Shecalls the appropriate authorities. The bones are estimated to be about thirty years old.

This book alternates between two timelines: the present and thirty years earlier. There have been rumors about Blackstone, who ran the orphanage for years. He just disappeared one day.

This turns out to be a complicated case. There are descriptions of the severe abuse of children. (It was stomach-turning.) I wouldn’t recommend this book for those sensitive to such issues.

It is a well written and plotted novel. The characters are likable, except for the bad guy of course. The teens, in spite of their very bad decision that night, seem level headed. A pretty good read, sace for the abuse of the children.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this interesting book for me to read and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

As the blurb promises, the story is a suspense thriller running through police investigation. Detective Ellie and her team are behind a bag of bones found at an abandoned house. That place happened to be an orphanage with a dark past and ghastly crimes on children. It was Ellie's niece who found the bones and her father, an ex-policeman who worked on the orphanage case, which makes it personal for her. What happened in the orphanage thirty years ago? Who is now killing women and is it linked to the orphanage? This is for you to read.

Firstly, I got to know after finishing this book that it is a part of some series. This is actually my first book of the author and I had no problem as such.

It is a typical serial killer story, one of my favourite genres. I found the diction quite similar to C.M. Sutter, one of my most favourite crime authors. I would suggest you to read her works, if you like this one. The language is quite good and easy to read.

The storyline was initially absorbing for me. I wanted to read faster and know what exactly happened. But halfway into the book, I was reading faster because it became too voluminous for me. I finished about half of it in one sitting and remaining in the rest.

I loved the flow of the story, suspense, entertainment factor and the climax. But I genuinely wish the book was shorter. It felt like the book just doesn't end. Again, if you are someone who reads really long books, you'll love it. I reduced 2 stars only for this reason. It is also why I wouldn't suggest it to beginners. Else, this is a beautiful novel suitable for all crime fiction lovers. People who are totally into serial killers, just go for it.

I have received a review copy from Netgalley and I am posting my review voluntarily.

A group of teenagers are sneaking around an abandoned orphanage in search of ghosts when one of the girls trips and falls into a pit that’s full of bones. Detective Ellie Reeves arrives and rescues the girl & investigates the scene. It’s been 30 years since the orphanage closed and she fears some of the bones could be children. What happened to these kids?

A woman is found murdered and marked with a strange symbol. Soon other victims turn up and Ellie suspects a serial killer. Someone doesn’t want the truth to be discovered and will do anything to cover their tracks. Will Ellie find the killer before they strike again ?

Rita Herron knows how to write a good mystery. I love the characters and she kept me guessing until the end. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rita Herron's Stolen Angels is the sixth book in her Detective Ellie Reeves series.

I've loved every single book so far and this one was no different.

It felt like I was watching a tv show and one that I was completely hooked to.
This is a fast paced thriller. I didn't feel bored and I was literally hooked into the story.
The writing was really good, and the author did a good job bringing the reader into the story.
The mystery element of the story was engaging.
She painted very vivid picture. And the characters were captivating and drew me in.
Rita has become one of my most favourite must read Authors!

I can't wait for the next book in the series.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Bookouture,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Rita Herron has done it again- created an intricate murder mystery that takes so many twisty turns that you have to sometimes hold your breath to see what will come next! From the first riveting scene where a young girl hears her mom being killed and then is abducted, readers will be gripped to their seats. Most of the story is centered around the discovery of a pit of bones found on the grounds of an old deserted boarding school called Hawk House. What happened at Hawk House? Why are people who were associated with Hawk House suddenly being murdered? Are recent murders of prostitutes somehow tied to Hawk House or are their concurrence a mere coincidence? Ellie has a lot on her plate as she and her colleagues work to unravel the mysterious happenings centered at Hawk House! If you love this series, you will not be disappointed!