Good day, dear readers!
July ran by us laughing, and August has come in full force. I just finished reading These Ancient Bones by Heather Graham, and it was a really good read. I think that you will enjoy it as well. So, stay tuned for more information.
Rating: 3.75/5
Publish Date: 25 August 2026
Publisher: Kensington
Goodreads Blurb for These Ancient Bones:
The case is sensational. Whistle-blower investigative journalist George Maynard has been killed in his St. Augustine home, his body so badly burned the morgue is needed to verify his identity. Paranormal investigator Shelly Mahoney has been transferred to a special unit to help law enforcement. Off the books, the unit is called the Krewe of Hunters and deals with “strange” cases.
At the murder scene with federal agent Grant Markham, Shelly makes an odd discovery: a stone etched with what appears to be a curse that invokes flames. If Shelly can use her ability to summon the dead—providing they have remained behind—she may unearth what happened.
Grant, too, has an unique ability. By holding the hand of the recently deceased, he can see what has happened to them. Yet in this case, neither of their gifts is of any help. As they set out to question those who might have had a motive, they also study ancient “curse tablets”—often used in the Greco-Roman world to cause death or warfare.
What ensues is a shocking discovery by the medical examiner and a search that takes the team to Italy where a similar murder may reveal the creators of the mystical tablets—made deadly with a little human assistance. But soon, the danger is closer than ever—because the target is Shelly . . .
My Review:
When a body is found, burned beyond recognition, there are some fears that the journalist, who has been following a big story, has been murdered. But there are too many inconsistencies, and while he was digging into a story, the person he was investigating did not seem to want him harmed. But when evidence turns up that ties the body to one overseas in Italy, there seems to be something much bigger at play.
As the team works together to tie the two cases together, they are working to try and figure out who the body belongs to, where the missing journalist is, and who might be next.
This was an interesting read. I enjoyed the story. It did not seem to rely on as much of the paranormal as some of her last books did, so there were some “lighter” areas than usual.
The mystery was well done, and I enjoyed the back and forth between the states and Rome.
** Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
