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Anne Brooke
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The Bones of Summer: A dark psychological thriller about one man's journey to confront his own past (Maloney Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Anne Brooke (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 63 ratings
There are aspects of his past that Craig Robertson can no longer remember ...

When Craig Robertson's religious fanatic father disappears, Craig is forced to return to the home he left behind after an underage affair in order to look for answers.

He takes with him his new lover, private investigator Paul Maloney, who is more than willing to help solve the mystery. The search soon becomes an investigation into Craig's past, and, because of distressing gaps in his memory, he's terrified of the truths he might find.

As Craig's obsession with uncovering clues grows, his fragile relationship with Paul begins to disintegrate. Haunted and stalked, Craig has to face down the horror of his memories if he wants to have any hope of a future at all.

The Bones of Summer was awarded third place in the inaugural 2009 Rainbow Mystery Fiction Awards.

Reviews:

"All I can do is recommend that you read The Bones of Summer. Actually, this goes beyond recommendation to a plea - if you like mystery; if you like character driven books; if you like reading compulsively, unable to part with the story for even a short time; then you must read this book.” [A 5+ star review at Jessewave Reviews]

“This is an exceptionally well written and thrilling mystery novel. This novel grabbed hold of me almost immediately and would not let go. I found myself reading until the early morning hours. The last few chapters are especially chilling and will stay with me for a long time.” [A 4.5 star review at Romance Junkies Reviews]

"Well, Anne Brooke has done it to me again. I read the first book in the series (Maloney's Law) where Paul Maloney, a broken man, was the main character. At the end of the book, he met Craig Robertson and even though they didn't end up together, they established a connection. This is Craig's story. And what a story it is." [A 4-star review at Mrs Condit Reviews]
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  1. Book 2 of 2
    Maloney
  2. Print length
    312 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    June 24, 2015
  5. File size
    1.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anne Brooke lives in Surrey, UK. She is a multi-published author in a variety of genres, including gay erotic romance, fantasy, comedy, thrillers, biblical fiction and the occasional chicklit novel. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Prize (for novels set in London) and the Royal Literary Fund Scheme. When not writing, she spends time in the garden attempting to differentiate between flowers and weeds. Occasionally, she can also be found in the kitchen making cakes. Every now and again, they are edible.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B010E3EOYA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anne Brooke Books (June 24, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 24, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.9 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1518716067
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 63 ratings

About the author

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Anne Brooke

Anne Brooke

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Anne Brooke writes fiction about prime-time women & how they live their lives. She's also a poet. She loves gardens, swimming and the theatre.

Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Prize (for novels set in London) and the Royal Literary Fund Scheme.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
63 global ratings

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Customers find the book to be a fantastic read with a wonderful suspense story.

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5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a fantastic read, with one customer highly recommending the series.

"...I highly recommend the series. Thanks for a beautiful read." Read more

"...The story, while enjoyable, dragged in spots and the secondary characters were not well developed or interesting...." Read more

"great book..." Read more

"An outstanding read...." Read more

4 customers mention "Suspenseful story"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful story of the book, with one customer highlighting its deep backstories and romantic elements.

"...The main characters, Craig and Paul were likeable with deep back stories which were slowly revealed throughout the story...." Read more

"...This is a wonderful suspense story and I hope there will be third (please write a third one). This is without a doubt a great squel to Maloney's Law." Read more

"The story was very well written and I really liked the characters I just felt so bad for Craig having to figure out his past before he could fully..." Read more

"This is a wonderful romance thriller. I loved it. It kept my eyes glued to the page until I was able to finish it." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely a fantastic read.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Loved the characters. I could identify with them and relate to them. I was able to see through their eyes. I wish the author would write more about them and their lives together. I highly recommend the series. Thanks for a beautiful read.
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  • Ann Somerville
    4.0 out of 5 stars Dark and angsty
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2009
    Towards the end of Maloney's Law, Paul Maloney, at the lowest of low points and newly discharged from hospital, encounters a young man called Craig and they engage in a brief, intimate moment that stands out in the novel as one of the few times that Paul is close to real happiness.

    "The Bones of Summer" is Craig's story, at the point where his life and Paul's intersects once more. Seeking no more than a trouble-free, pleasant sexual interlude with a man who kisses amazingly well, his reunion with Paul coincides with a family friend alerting him to his father having gone missing. But in looking for his parent, Craig discovers the mysteries about his past are far murkier, and far more dangerous than he could have imagined.

    Ostensibly Craig's story, this novel is also as much about Paul Maloney. Paul's moved on a little past the sorrow and grief, but he's still very damaged and raw. The irony is that despite that, he's not anything like as damaged as Craig, and he has to be the mature adviser as Craig struggles to untangle his history and confront some very distressing memories.

    So if you read this without reading Maloney's Law, you'll enjoy it, but not as much as someone who knows who Paul Maloney is. I'm not convinced that Ms Brooke has made Paul's inner anguish entirely clear without a reading of the first novel, just as Paul is given to making statements about Craig for which we are given very little supporting evidence - or shown Paul's train of thought. That's probably my biggest gripe with the novel, and over all, it's not a big issue.

    The story's told in third person past tense, which worked slightly better for me than the first person present of the first novel. Brooke's writing is clean and easy to read, and the plot straightforward, albeit with a slightly predictable ending. It reads very much like a double episode of a superior BBC crime programme, with similar dark themes and somewhat overblown story, but is highly enjoyable for all that. Craig isn't as fascinating to me as Paul, but that's because I fell for Paul first, I suspect. In his own right, he's a well-drawn character with a credibly horrific past of abuse and a first love gone terribly wrong. The relationship between the two young men, both so scarred and battered, is also believable, and far from easy.

    As a sequel, I heartily recommend this, though it's not a light read, or a particularly cheerful one - anyone looking for a romantic Happily Ever After will have to settle for something much less certain, though still very welcome. Ms Brooke stares unflinchingly at the dark underbelly of every day existence, and makes it uncomfortably real.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Sallie
    5.0 out of 5 stars great book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Great detail. Flows well. Keeps your interest and makes you feel the characters. Definitely need to read it. You won’t be able to put it down.
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  • Ann F
    3.0 out of 5 stars I would recommend this book for its uniqueness
    Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Honestly , a 3.5 star review. This story combines mystery, intrigue with mm romance- a unique combination. The story, while enjoyable, dragged in spots and the secondary characters were not well developed or interesting. The main characters, Craig and Paul were likeable with deep back stories which were slowly revealed throughout the story. I would recommend this book for its uniqueness.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Karen E. Morrison
    5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding read.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book will keep you up at night because you can't put it down and the characters stay with you after the story is finished. This is a wonderful suspense story and I hope there will be third (please write a third one). This is without a doubt a great squel to Maloney's Law.
    One person found this helpful
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  • mnix
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Bones of Summer
    Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2009
    Model Craig Robertson is very surprised to get a call one night from Paul Maloney, a guy he hooked up with at a club almost two months earlier. They meet up again, and things go very well. Then Craig gets the news that his estranged father is missing, and things begin to spiral out of control.

    The Bones of Summer is a hard book to describe. Before I even try to do so, my preface to the review: I strongly recommend reading Maloney's Law before The Bones of Summer. While it isn't absolutely necessary, Maloney's Law gives the setup for The Bones of Summer, gives a detailed portrayal of Paul (who is the main character in that one), and is just a really good book.

    That said, The Bones of Summer stands on its own as a romance and more so as a mystery. Craig is a conflicted character. He had a difficult childhood with a fundamentalist father. After leaving home, he changed his name and tried to forget his past. Unfortunately, the secrets of his past won't stay hidden, even though he's forced many of them from his own mind. Paul is also conflicted. He's had a great deal of sorrow and betrayal in his past. His job as a private investigator makes him the perfect person to help Craig look into his past, but their budding romance complicates things. Secondary characters, including Craig's roommates, his father, and a former neighbor, are well-drawn. The mystery is sufficiently twisty and interesting, especially since a great deal of it is in Craig's mind. The Bones of Summer isn't perfect by any means. The villain is a bit over-the-top, and parts near the end are pretty horrifying (sensitive readers beware). The ending is hopeful, but not as sweet as my romantic side wanted. I also would have preferred some from Paul's point of view as well, although I know why Anne Brooke chose to write in one point of view. Despite those cautions, The Bones of Summer drew me in and kept me clicking the page turn button on my ereader throughout. Little touches of humor and bittersweet emotion, likeable characters, and an interesting mystery make The Bones of Summer well worth a read.

    Cassie
    Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars MOVING
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The story was very well written and I really liked the characters I just felt so bad for Craig having to figure out his past before he could fully embrace his future, I like how Paul tried to help, I would love to read the first book and the next book that follows this one.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Terry Osman
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is a wonderful romance thriller. I loved it. It kept my eyes glued to the page until I was able to finish it.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Damaskcat
    5.0 out of 5 stars Confronting the past in order to live in the present
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    Craig, part time model and actor, is surprised to receive a phone call from Paul Maloney with whom he once had a brief encounter. He is more than pleased to renew their acquaintance. Paul is a private investigator and Craig keeps seeing his estranged father and wonders if he is being stalked. He enlists Paul's help in trying to find out what is going on. But things are not as simple as they seem and Craig must face up to events in his past and above all he must be honest with Paul if he is to help him.

    While trying to nurture their budding relationship, Paul and Craig are caught in a web of suspicion and violence which includes a member of a fundamentalist Christian sect who takes things to extremes. I found this story compelling reading as more and more of Craig's past is revealed both to the reader and to Paul. Anyone who has read this author's previous book - 'Maloney's Law' - will see Paul in a new light in this book.

    The writing is crisp and the dialogue realistic and I found the way the relationship between Craig and Paul develops intriguing. The way Craig's memory of the past is dismantled bit by bit is excellent showing that what we remember is not necessarily what really happened but just the stories we tell ourselves about what happened. I also liked Craig's two housemates who are very supportive of him. I loved the ending and it absolutely fitted the story. Are we going to see more of Paul and Craig? If so I shall definitely be buying the book.
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  • Otterpuss
    4.0 out of 5 stars On one hand I enjoyed it but on the other it annoyed me
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I'm confused about how I feel about this book. On one hand I enjoyed it but on the other it annoyed me.
    I read it straight after finishing Maloney's Law and was surprised (and not pleasantly) that it was told in Craig's PoV. It took me a chapter or two to get used to that.
    I enjoyed the intrigue and the 'who dunnit' aspect (although it doesn't hold a candle to the mystery of the first book and it was very obvious from early on who did what) but found the relationship between Paul and Craig irritating.
    I got frustrated with Craig and Paul and their inability, or unwillingness to talk to each other. One of them would demand the truth from the other, but refused to give the whole truth himself. This happened over and over again. They constantly lie, and lie by omission, to each other.
    However, I liked how their arguments were portrayed. They deliberately hurt each other, saying the one thing they know will hit the spot. This is something we all do but it's rarely depicted this well in books.

    I still liked Paul in this book, in fact I think I liked him more than I did in the first book, Maloney's Law. He's just as complex and mysterious but we see a softer, gentler side to him here, however I missed being party to his methodical approach to life. I really liked Craig, he's cute and awkward and sweet and humerus.

    It's dark and gritty, sad and disturbing but very, very well written.
    The ending was slightly disappointing. I would have preferred a solid resolution rather than a promise of things to come.
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