This outstanding novel by Carol O'Connell is about a cold case. A teenage boy was killed 20 years prior to the story, and his brother has come home for the first time since the murder. The brother, Oren, is drawn into a quest for truth when he learns that someone has been leaving his brother's bones on the porch of the family home. As Oren investigates, it becomes clear that the question is not who killed his brother, but rather who did not -- everyone involved has secrets and motivation. O'Connell's writing is lyrical and beautiful. Characters are vividly drawn, and it is easy to sympathize with even the most flawed characters because O'Connell relays their hopes, dreams, and thoughts. It is impossible to guess the plot, and in fact sometimes it's necessary to stop and think through the implications of a seemingly trivial detail which is casually dropped into the story. In addition to the well-done characters and plot, O'Connell's writing also has an element of the unexpected which is delightful. For example, no one will enter the town library. This mentioned several times and little teasing hints as to why are dropped throughout the story. When it is finally revealed why, it makes perfect sense; but who besides O'Connell would include a strange, off-beat detail about a library that no one will enter? The story is littered with such quirks, which reflect the fact that in real life, not everything is cut and dried. People behave strangely, think illogically, and weird events occur. It's always a delight to read Carol O'Connell, on many different levels, and this book is one of her best. I love all Carol O'Connell's mysteries. This one is not a Mallory book- it is a stand alone mystery set in a small No. California town- where a missing teen boy's bones start appearing on his father's porch, one by one. The boy's brother (Oren), who left the town soon after his brother disappeared, just arrived back in town after a 20 year absence, and sets out to investigate the disappearance/death. There is a colorful cast of characters, and typically for O'Connell, many are damaged, estranged, or just plain weird, and all seem to have secrets. Good story, with few quibbles, but I am a little upset about one of the deaths.
Do You like book Osso A Osso (2008)?
Excellent storytelling. Lots of possible directions for whodunnit. Ending was anticlimactic tho.
—BookWorm
