Homicide detective Jane Munro Is nearing maternity leave. So after old human bones are discovered on a construction site, she’s handed the file, assuming it will be a light-weight cold case. Sorry Jane…not so fast!

These bones are about to reveal long-buried secrets!

Once the bones are positively identified, the friends from the past known as the “Shoreview Six” start to sweat!

So far, they’ve managed to escape the public eye for most of their lives. Can they disappear once again? They have so much more to lose now.

I adored Jane’s character. Pregnant with her fiancé missing. I would’ve loved a bit more time spent on her story. Her character felt so familiar to me. Was she in one of the previous books from this author? (I feel like she was...just can't recall)🤷🏼‍♀️
Anyhoo…I enjoyed seeing her (again)! And want more of her character in future books.

My only downside was - there were so many characters to keep track of. To add to my confusion the author used their first names, switching to last names, then referred to them by an alias! Ouch! My head was spinning and I needed a flow chart!😂

Loreth Anne White is one of my go-to authors and I look forward to more of her work. Luckily I still have a couple more on my shelf!💃

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing.

In THE UNQUIET BONES a cold case is finally solved after bones are discovered under a chapel at a ski resort.

Sargeant Jane Munro has been transferred to Cold Cases after an emotional outburst at work. She's dealing with a fiancé who went missing while hiking and an unexpected pregnancy. She feels that she is in limbo and can't move forward or back.

The bones prove to be those of a fifteen-year-old girl named Annalise Jansen who went missing Labor Day Weekend in 1976. The body was preserved in such a way that her torso wasn't skeletonized leading to the information that she was three months pregnant at the time of her death. There's the possibility of getting fetal DNA to help identify the father.

As Jane reopens the almost fifty-year-old case, she begins to reinterview witnesses from the time Annalise went missing. Jane also learns that a young man named Darryl went missing the same night. It was thought at the time that they ran off together. Darryl's reputation had been trashed at the time leaving only his father and sister to mourn him. His disappearance didn't get as much media play since a black young man wasn't as interesting as a cute and perky blond girl.

The story talks about the aftereffects of an unexplained disappearance on those who were left behind. Annalise's parents seem frozen in time fearing even to leave their house lest they be gone should Annalise return. Her best friends, who are all keeping secrets of varying kinds, have built successful lives that could be destroyed if their parts in her disappearance are ever discovered. And the young, ambitious news reporter who is eager to capitalize on the discovery of Annalise's remains also has her life changed by the experience.

This was a fast-paced thriller told from multiple viewpoints. I was intrigued by the story.

Holy Plot Twist!

The Unquiet Bones, put me on a dark and twisted ride of a lifetime.

I cant even begin to describe the way this book was skillfully crafted to come together with an explosive ending that no one will see coming. Talk about twisted! Cue the jaw drop.

This was my first book by Loreth Anne White, but there is no way I will stop now, I just want more more more!

White, is a true storyteller that will have us all eating out of her hands if she keeps delivering books like this. After concluding The Unquiet Bones, I did my research to find any and all books that might have been published previously and imagine my surprise when I had EIGHT books to choose from (I ended up choosing The Maid’s Diary)

I have become a fan of White with just having read The Unquiet Bones and I am sure you will be too! Check out the teaser below :

A shocking discovery of human bones reopens an almost fifty-year-old cold case―and rips apart the lives of a group of friends―in a riveting novel by Loreth Anne White, the Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of The Maid’s Diary.

When human bones are found beneath an old chapel in the woods, evidence suggests the remains could be linked to the decades-old case of missing teen Annalise Jansen.

Homicide detective Jane Munro―pregnant and acutely attuned to the preciousness of life―hopes the grim discovery will finally bring closure to the girl’s family. But for a group of Annalise’s old friends, once dubbed the Shoreview Six by the media, it threatens to expose a terrible pledge made on an autumn night forty-seven years ago.

The friends are now highly respected, affluent members of their communities, and none of them ever expected the dark chapter in their past to resurface. But as Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn peel back the layers of secrets, the group begins to fracture. Will one cave? Will they turn on each other?

The investigation takes a sharp turn when Jane discovers a second body―that of the boy long blamed for Annalise’s disappearance. As the bones tell their story, the group learns just how far each will go to guard their own truth.

4 great female detective stars

My favorite part of this book is the detective, Jane; she’s smart and capable even while dealing with her own personal tragedy. I hope that author Loreth Ann White writes another book for her.

It is a somewhat tired trope, though, with a secret from many years ago, friends who lied about things, but now the truth is threatening to come out. The time gap is quite long here, as Jane investigates a cold case nearly 50 years old.

Things start unraveling for the friends, the Shoreview Six, when the bones of a missing girl are found under a chapel that is being relocated. So much for the theory that the girl was abducted or left town.

There’s an interesting storyline with another strong female character, Dr. Ella Quinn, who’s a forensic anthropologist. As Dr. Quinn begins to examine the bones, she finds clues to who the girl is, and her bones help tell the story to crack the case.

As the Shoreview Six group starts to fall apart, Jane keeps digging into old evidence in the case. This includes another missing person.

Another piece I really liked was the reporter's point of view on the case. I really liked the story arc with her and how she ended up at a very different place than the aggressive reporter who would do anything to get the story at the beginning.

An autopsy can sometimes tell who a person is and manner of death, but someone else needs to find out why they died. That is the job of Cold Case Detective Jane Munro. Jane’s investigation leads to six, now successful, former friends of Annalise Jansen who were with her at a party the night she disappeared. These six friends hoping their secret would never be told, have pushed the guilt of what happened that night far to the back of their minds. An excellent mystery by Loreth Anne White with twists, great layered characters and a story line that keeps you guessing until its shocking conclusion. Thank you Netgalley and Publisher Montlake for the arc. This review is my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
First time reading this author and it feels like this might be a first book in a planned series. I would read another installment.
Definitely a lot of characters and I'm not sure the news reporter was needed and the expert profiler seemed unnecessary. But, the plot and pacing kept me reading.

When human bones are found beneath an old chapel in the woods, evidence suggests the remains could be linked to the decades-old case of missing teen Annalise Jansen. Homicide detective Jane Munro—pregnant and acutely attuned to the preciousness of life—hopes the grim discovery will finally bring closure to the girl’s family. But for a group of Annalise’s old friends, once dubbed the Shoreview Six by the media, it threatens to expose a terrible pledge made on an autumn night forty-seven years ago.

The friends are now highly respected, affluent members of their communities, and none of them ever expected the dark chapter in their past to resurface. But as Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr Ella Quinn peel back the layers of secrets, the group begins to fracture. Will one cave? Will they turn on each other? The investigation takes a sharp turn when Jane discovers a second body—that of the boy long blamed for Annalise’s disappearance. As the bones tell their story, the group learns how far each will go to guard their truth.

It is a riveting exploration of suspense, betrayal, and the haunting consequences of long-buried secrets. With a gripping narrative that unfolds around a shocking discovery of human bones, the author masterfully blends elements of cold-case mystery and the intricate dynamics of a group of friends haunted by a dark pledge made almost fifty years ago. Homicide detective Jane Munro takes centre stage, her pregnancy adding a layer of poignancy to the investigation. The narrative promises to delve into the lives of the once close-knit group, now affluent members of their communities, as they grapple with the resurgence of a past they believed buried.

The atmospheric setting, combined with the skilled storytelling of Loreth Anne White, creates a suspenseful and emotionally charged atmosphere. As secrets unravel and friendships fracture, readers are taken on a journey where the boundaries between right and wrong become blurred, and the characters are forced to confront the consequences of choices made in their youth. Including a second body intensifies the mystery, promising unexpected twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats. "The Unquiet Bones" is poised to deliver a compelling narrative, exploring the lengths individuals will go to guard their truths.

The story kept me turning the pages, especially since the novel has Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell vibes. I love a good mystery when bones and murder is involved. There were enough twists and turnes to keep me guessing (and I am always wrong). An engaging read, and I look forward to more novels with the main character, Detective Jane Munro.

As they say, some secrets can't stay buried forever.
In this story, that secret has been buried, literally, for over 40 years.
So, when the bones of a woman are unearthed beneath a church, there are a lot of questions to be answered.
Who is the woman?
When did she die (before or after the church was built)?
How did she die?
And the most pertinent question, who killed her?

Once the identity of the subject is revealed, the suspect list is obvious - the same people who were suspects when she disappeared years ago. But are there other suspects?

What Sergent Jane Munro doesn't seem to realize or be prepared for; is just how many secrets this case will ultimately uncover. I certainly didn't expect it.

What's most interesting in this story is how the suspects helped Jane, as the guilt of their past actions begins to get the best of them. I also liked how one reporter eventually helps the cops, providing a shared benefit.

In the end, there's some heartbreak, but also some much-needed closure.
Overall, a well-paced and unpredictable thriller worth checking out.

When an excavator digs under an old chapel, female remains are found. A decades-old missing persons case is re-opened. Will a group of friends stick to their pledge or will the truth finally come out?

This is a new author for me. I will definitely read more of her books. I thought the book was well-written. I liked the forensics and police investigation. It is more mystery than thriller to me. Initially, there seemed to be a lot of characters but their personalities develop throughout the book. The ending is a bit of a surprise but explains the weird reaction of one of the characters.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake for an ARC copy of the book.

I must admit I get a bit excited when a new Loreth Anne White book comes available for advance reader copies. Her books are always a compelling, gripping read. She is an auto buy/read for me.
I won’t rehash the plot of this book as there are many other reviews with the plot outline already. But the story of the discovery of old bones at a construction site and a cold case mystery over 50 years old was an interesting plot.
The story in ‘The Unquiet Bones’ is told from a number of different perspectives -too many for my liking- and weaves 2 different timelines throughout the novel. Having so many different voices became a challenge for me to differentiate the individual characters, especially when some were referred to by nicknames in the past storyline and full names in the present storyline.
But overall, ‘The Unquiet Bones’ is a classic Loreth Anne White. It’s a suspenseful, riveting, sad, creepy, page turner. You get to the end of the book and you think you know whats happened, that you’ve figured out the ending and then Ms White throws in a curveball twist to the ending that you didn’t see coming. 4 stars.

I absolutely loved this book. It was gripping and I couldn’t put it down. I loved that there were multiple POVs and felt that it added an extra layer of depth to the story. You thought you knew what was happening right up to the end of the novel. Each character's story was carefully crafted to get a look inside their head as to what was happening. My only complaint was that I felt like the novel gave no resolution to the shore view six and what happened to them after the fact. I would have enjoyed knowing. I also didn’t understand why Jane’s missing husband was such a prevalent side story within the book. I really thought with how hard they pushed that story that his story would be resolved.

DNF @42%

I LOVED the writing style and the complex nature of the story. Thought it was really clever to have lots of possible suspects and victims all in the mix but unfortunately my attention just wasn’t held. I couldn’t get through it.. I gave it two weeks and 42% but I’m sorry it wasn’t for me

Thank you so much for the early copy. Please note I don’t do negative or DNF reviews on my platforms.

Homicide detective Jane Munro is called to investigate after human remains are found at a construction site. The bones possibly belong to Annalise Jansen, a teen who disappeared decades ago. Annalise's close friends, labeled the "Shoreview Six" by the media, are now adults with lives, families, and careers of their own. As Munro investigates secrets that the Six have been keeping come to the surface along with shocking information about the night Annalise went missing.

This was a solid mystery/ thriller - medium paced with strong character development and some genuinely unexpected twists and turns. The timeline alternates between the 70s and the present day, and there are several different points of view: Jane and each of the Shoreview Six. There are some very dark subject matters, but trigger warnings will lead to major spoilers, so proceed with caution. Finding out what actually happened to Annalise and how she was failed by so many people was truly heartbreaking. This book will leave the reader haunted.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

“How far might they go to keep a secret that could cut everything out from under every one of them?”

This book hooked me from the start. White’s writing is captivating and descriptive and perfectly sets up the scene for this chilling novel. I really enjoyed the forensic aspect of the book. Forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella refers to our bones being a silent witness and therefore unquiet. I really enjoyed learning about how all of the different pieces of evidence come together during an investigation. There was a lot of tension throughout the book, and I was curious to see what secrets this friend group was keeping. The ending was shocking and absolutely gut wrenching. There were a lot of POVs, which made it hard to keep track of everyone, which at times can be confusing, but overall I enjoyed this one. I highly recommend this well developed suspense novel. This is my fourth book by the author and I am always impressed with her writing. I look forward to reading her backlist of books.

Read if you enjoy:
✔️Multiple POVs
✔️Shocking twist
✔️Cold case/murder mystery
✔️Forensics
✔️Suspense
✔️Police procedural

Thank you NetGalley and MontLake for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Favorite quote (prepublication):
“Sometimes real danger is invisible to people on the outside.
Sometimes danger is much closer than people think.”

⚠️ Look up TW if you have any

This was my first book by this author but I've long heard of her books and so was excited to read this one. I found it difficult to get into as there were so many characters and story threads to keep track of. The book would be better to read in one sitting (or as close to) as I found each time I'd pick the book back up, I'd get lost. The premise was intriguing and overall it was a decent story. While I didn't love this one, I'd read another by this author as the reputation she has for this genre is significant. 3.5 stars rounded up.

4* Good, but ugh, horrible characters. Surprising that not all was as clear-cut as it seemed.

This is a slightly slow moving police procedural that's well written and engrossing. It shocked and saddened me that so many would be complicit in a crime that was based on a selfish teen's lies and jealousy, and that not one of them had the clarity or morals to make a stand about the wrongness of what they did. Yes, some had more literal blood on their hands than others, but they were old enough to do better and be better. Add in the kind of law enforcement that you often read about in small town America, and you see how this tale could come to be.

I liked but felt sad for Jane, and was interested enough to go checking if this was one in a series of books about her, but it looks to be a standalone. I'd love to read a prequel as well as a sequel, to find out if she finds the missing love of gee life. She was decent enough and strong enough to go it without him, especially with her support system, but it was sad, still, to not have answers or her partner to share her pregnancy.

ARC courtesy of Montlake and Netgalley, for my reading pleasure.

"The Unquiet Bones" by Loreth Anne White is a riveting novel that combines elements of mystery, suspense, and psychological drama to deliver a compelling and atmospheric narrative. The story begins with the shocking discovery of human bones beneath an old chapel, leading homicide detective Jane Munro to reopen a cold case involving the disappearance of Annalise Jansen almost fifty years ago.

The narrative unfolds with meticulous detail as Jane, now pregnant and deeply connected to the value of life, seeks to bring closure to Annalise's family. However, the discovery threatens to unravel the lives of a group of friends, known as the Shoreview Six, who were connected to Annalise's disappearance. The tension escalates as long-buried secrets resurface, and the group, now affluent and respected members of their communities, faces the potential exposure of a dark pledge made years ago.

Loreth Anne White skillfully peels back the layers of the characters, revealing the fractures within the group as Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn delve deeper into the investigation. The plot takes unexpected turns, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, and the suspense builds steadily as the characters confront their own truths and the consequences of their actions.

The addition of a second body, that of the boy blamed for Annalise's disappearance, adds further complexity to the story, creating a multifaceted narrative that keeps readers guessing. The exploration of the characters' pasts and the lengths they are willing to go to protect their secrets adds a psychological depth to the novel.

White's writing creates a vivid and atmospheric setting, drawing readers into the eerie woods and the haunting chapel where the bones are discovered. The pacing is expertly handled, and the twists and turns in the plot contribute to the overall sense of suspense and intrigue.

In conclusion, "The Unquiet Bones" is a twisted and suspenseful novel that masterfully weaves together a cold case, psychological drama, and the unraveling of long-buried secrets. Loreth Anne White's storytelling prowess shines through, making this book a gripping and immersive read for fans of mysteries and thrillers.

Jane, a grief stricken and pregnant detective, is given an assignment that links back to a cold case from over 40 years ago involving not one but two missing high school students. There are a lot of characters involved here and it can be confusing to keep track of them all, but each person really adds a little more depth to the story. I'm one who can usually see things coming but multiple times was completely surprised with the twists and turns this book offered. While the last few chapters were a bit difficult to stomach (there should definitely be a trigger warning) overall the story was engaging and I sped right through it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book.

Lies don't just exist on the surface. They permeate way into the bone.

Loreth Anne White is a favorite author. She always seems to turn out solid reads. The Unquiet Bones is still a worthy read, but things began to shift towards the end. Sometimes rapid release of twisties is a bit much to sift through. Let's discuss.

Sargeant Jane Munro is a homicide detective in British Columbia. She lives in non-stop turmoil. Her fiance, Matthew, has gone missing for several months. Munro suspects foul play. Add to the fact that Munro is now carrying Matthew's child. No matter what, Jane keeps the motor running on her career, on her dwindling coping skills, and on her life. Period.

They say that well hidden things are not always well hidden. A body has been accidentally unearthed at the Hemlock Ski Resort. A chapel from the 1960's is being relocated up the hillside. The excavators were shocked to see a femur bone still attached to a woman's knee high boot. Jane is called to the scene. It's finally a break from operating on cold cases. And yet, this one is gonna be as cold as they get.

White takes us down many roads in The Unquiet Bones. We'll revisit the 1970's with a group of teenagers known as the Shoreline Six. Friendships seem to come and go during those years. Now adults, this little group seems more akin to avoidance than friendship. But something demands their attention relentlessly. Bones be speakin' in a loud voice about now. And what exactly are those bones saying?

The Unquiet Bones has us swimming in a pond of red herrings splashing on almost every page. It worked well in the beginning stages, but I grew weary of the numbers of suspects and clues that kept surfacing. It it were anyone else other than White, I would have bailed. But she keeps you engaged with the need to know. When the hard fought ending arrived, I sat knee deep in disappointment. White implemented an age old plot point used over and over again too many times in other novels. A shocker meant to shock, but it didn't shock.

But I'll still stay tuned for the next one. Loreth Anne White is worth it all.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Montlake Publishers and to Loreth Anne White for the opportunity.