Beastly Bones

Cover image and summary from Goodreads:

The highly anticipated follow-up to the “rich world”* of the “lighthearted and assured debut,”† featuring an “irresistible character”‡ whose first thrilling and original adventure “demands sequels.”*

“I’ve found very little about private detective R. F. Jackaby to be standard in the time I’ve known him. Working as his assistant tends to call for a somewhat flexible relationship with reality.”

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer R. F. Jackaby are called upon to investigate the supernatural.

First, a vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered with a single mysterious puncture wound. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, now home to the exiled New Fiddleham police detective Charlie Cane, dinosaur bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

I got an ARC of Jackaby, book one in this series, at BEA last year and it was being touted as Sherlock meets Dr. Who. I was intrigued, and although it felt more like Sherlock meets Supernatural to me, I totally loved it. So when I had the opportunity to borrow my friend Ciara’s ARC of Beastly Bones, the sequel to Jackaby, I jumped at the chance!

I love the writing in this book. William Ritter’s descriptions are vivid and he makes the world feel rich, alive, and real. I can feel like I’m right there. And I love Jackaby himself! He’s still somewhat of a mystery, but intriguing and kind of charming.

Our heroine, Abigail, is plucky, intelligent, and brave – I love her, and her platonic relationship with Jackaby. I truly loved that, while there is a light romance in the book, it isn’t between Abigail and Jackaby.

Loving supernatural and paranormal stories as much as I do, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had so many elements of stories I love: action, adventure, supernatural creatures, humour, and platonic, non-romantic relationships. I may have enjoyed this even more than Jackaby, to be honest.

I truly hope that there will be another book in the series. I feel like the world Abigail and Jackaby innhabit is so rich and full of stories to be told. Also, I have a theory about Jenny, the ghost in Jackaby’s house (or, to be more accurate, the ghost in whose house Jackaby lives) and her life, and I need to know if my theory is correct. So more Jackaby books please!

This is a series that I must own. Highly recommended!!