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Kerry Buchanan
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SMALL BONES an utterly addictive crime thriller full of twists (Detectives Harvey & Birch Murder Mystery Book 2) Kindle Edition

by KERRY BUCHANAN (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 2,654 ratings
AN ABSOLUTELY JAW-DROPPING CRIME THRILLER FEATURING DETECTIVES ASHA HARVEY & AARON BIRCH.

If you can’t trust your father and you can’t trust the police, who can you trust?

Sue Hearn is planting a herb garden on the site of her grandfather’s old greenhouse. She’s spent the morning digging up all sorts of odds and ends already. But she doesn’t expect this grisly find.

A skull.

Could it be the remains of her mother, Monica, who went missing thirty years ago?

Sue’s father, in hospital with dementia, insinuates that a police officer was involved in her mother’s disappearance. But can he be trusted?

So now Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch might be looking for a bent copper.

As they dig deeper into the past, Sue and Asha find secrets so dangerous it will put all their lives in danger.

Fans of BBC’s Line of Duty, Lynda La Plante, Tana French, Patricia Gibney, Brian McGilloway and Helen H. Durrant will devour this electrifying crime thriller by one of Northern Ireland’s newest talents.

MEET THE DETECTIVES
DETECTIVE ASHA HARVEY
Asha Harvey has always had a powerful sense of right and wrong. She has wanted to be a detective since she was a child, and while she can be a little too trusting, her open manner makes people want to confide in her. She is especially driven to succeed as a woman of colour in a largely white, male police force in Northern Ireland. Her family support her and are ridiculously proud of her, which adds to her internal pressure to succeed.

DETECTIVE AARON BIRCH
Boyish and gangly, Aaron Birch entered the police force as a detective through a graduate recruitment scheme. This makes him the butt of snide remarks by fellow officers, so he always feels he has something to prove. He also has a tendency to stretch the rules to suit himself, which can lead to him getting into trouble.

THE SETTING
A city of contrasts, Belfast is filled with beautiful old relics dating back to a golden age of shipbuilding and wealth, as well as the scars of more recent wounds. The city has an exciting sense of newness and potential, but it can’t quite shed those who lurk in the darker shadows born of its turbulent past.

WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT SMALL BONES:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This is the second outing for Detectives Harvey and Birch and is even better than the first one . . . This book had me gripped from the beginning and I am already hoping there is another book to come in the series.” Barbara

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wow after enjoying book one I was eager to get into this book and the author never let me down. Love these characters and I hope we get many more in the series to come. This book is full of twists and turns all the way.” Booklover Bev

⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This book was a very fast-paced and easy to read, I read it in one sitting . . . The narrative was good, the characters were well-written and likeable . . . I found it hard to put this down and even read whilst I was eating. It had a suspenseful and mysterious build up that kept me on my toes.” Kirsty

“The plot keeps you on your toes and there is never a dull moment throughout the book . . . The cliffhanger left me wanting more.” Meg

DETECTIVES HARVEY & BIRCH MYSTERIES
Book 1: KNIFE EDGE
Book 2: SMALL BONES
Book 3: DEADLY SHORES
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  1. Book 2 of 4
    Detectives Harvey & Birch Murder Mystery
  2. Print length
    278 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    June 3, 2021
  6. File size
    4.2 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

KNIFE EDGE
SMALL BONES
DEADLY SHORES
THE DARKENING HILLS
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Customer Reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars 3,797
4.4 out of 5 stars 2,654
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,239
4.4 out of 5 stars 566
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Esther Wane is a British actor and voice-over artist. After a career in finance, she fulfilled a childhood dream of going to drama school in London, and her life as an actor began at age forty. She has a lifelong passion for literature and can often be found browsing bookshops during any spare moments. Wane enjoys taking her listeners on a journeys in time and space and bringing the characters on the page to life in their imagination. She lives with her family and collection of books in Hertfordshire, just outside London.



Kerry Buchanan is a vet who retired when her disability left her unable to carry out the duties required. Since then she's designed leukemia patient databases, researched high pressure food processing, taught ICT to people who were convinced computers would explode in their face if they hit the wrong key, and run her own livery business. These days, she's a full-time carer for her father, who suffers from dementia, but still makes time to write prolifically. She was been lucky enough to win an ACNI SIAP award in 2019 and then a second ACNI award in the summer of 2020. Her short stories are widely published, including The Armada Tree, which won Kraxon Magazine's Story of the Year Award (2019), but she is only now beginning to submit some of her novels.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095KTWGNN
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Joffe Books crime thriller and mystery
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 3, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 278 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1789318425
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 2 of 4 ‏ : ‎ Detectives Harvey & Birch Murder Mystery
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 2,654 ratings

About the author

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Kerry Buchanan

Kerry Buchanan

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Kerry Buchanan is a retired vet who lives in a small harbour village in County Down with her husband (when they’re not off sailing in the Med).

Kerry’s crime series is published by Joffe Books, with four novels released so far. She’s happily working away on Book 5 at the moment.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
2,656 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's suspenseful storyline with plenty of twists and turns. They appreciate the well-developed characters and find the writing quality excellent.

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17 customers mention "Twists and turns"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's suspenseful storyline with plenty of twists and turns, with one customer noting how the plot masterfully moves back and forth.

"...Buchanan masterfully moves the story back and forward from 1992 when the crimes detailed in the book happened, and the present day as the detectives..." Read more

"...It is very well written and has more than one surprise...." Read more

"...really enjoyed this read as a well written procedural that kept interest right to the end. Of course one mystery was unsolved...." Read more

"...Great police work plot with great main characters. Fast paced storyline as well as plenty of action and shifts in case to hold your attention all..." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...who turns out the chief villain in the book, is also a magnificently villainous character who we quickly develop an intense dislike for, yet..." Read more

"...Makes you want to read more which I like as the characters are well chosen and I will definitely read next in series just to see the whole mystery..." Read more

"...Highly recommend this series! Great police work plot with great main characters...." Read more

"A tense and suspenseful storyline that is very well written. Well developed characters on both sides of the line...." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one customer noting how it is carefully crafted to gradually bring readers in.

"...It is very well written and has more than one surprise...." Read more

"What a great book. I really enjoyed this read as a well written procedural that kept interest right to the end. Of course one mystery was unsolved...." Read more

"...like stories with too many characters but this was carefully written to gradually bring them in. I wish I had read first in series first...." Read more

"A tense and suspenseful storyline that is very well written. Well developed characters on both sides of the line...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • CrimeFictionCritic
    5.0 out of 5 stars For die-hard fans of nail-biting crime thrillers, Kerry Buchanan is the real deal.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Crime thriller by one of Northern Ireland’s newest talents.

    I apologize in advance for the superlatives but it seems the only way to convey adequately how much I enjoyed this book. I requested it as soon as I learned the digital advance review copy was available on NetGalley. This second book in the Detectives Harvey & Birch series sounded appealing, and I was already aware of the brilliance of Kerry Buchanan’s writing having previously read Knife Edge, the first novel in the series. I devoured this one the moment I downloaded it.

    After the set up prologue, the book begins from the point of view Sue Hearn, a woman in her forties who has given up working to become the full-time caregiver for her father, a dementia sufferer. While tilling up the back garden Hearn uncovers skeletal remains which brings in the central characters Acting Detective Inspector Asha Harvey and DC Aaron Birch. They take up the investigation once they exhumed the full remains of a child from Hearn’s backyard and the evidence points to homicide.

    Buchanan masterfully moves the story back and forward from 1992 when the crimes detailed in the book happened, and the present day as the detectives sift the evidence and clues hoping to identify the child victim and the killer. The novel continues to unfold from a few other points of view, notably that of Alistair King, a retired former high-ranking corrupt police office, and dips into the past – via memories, interviews, and testimonies at the time.

    I really loved the growth of the Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch characters since the first novel in the series, Knife Edge, in which they were introduced. Here we get to know them even better. Alistair King, who turns out the chief villain in the book, is also a magnificently villainous character who we quickly develop an intense dislike for, yet respect as a worthy adversary for Harvey and Birch.

    There are some truly mind-bending twists and turns that make Buchanan’s latest offering a deliciously nail-biting read. She also does a fabulous job in keeping us guessing throughout. Without apology, I proclaim Kerry Buchanan my favorite contemporary crime thriller novelist and can’t wait for the next book. I highly recommend Small Bones by Kerry Buchanan for die-hard fans of nail-biting crime thrillers. Kerry Buchanan is the real deal.

    I received an advance review copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley used for this review but purchased a copy for my personal library.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Sequel
    Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Kerry Buchanan Is an author to watch. Small Bones is the sequel to Knife Edge, and in this one we get to know the police officers, Harvey and Birch. And if you were like me you will quickly count them as your friends, and as people who are dedicated and very good at their job, while possibly being better people. Although this is a more common sort of police procedural novel than Knife Edge, I enjoyed it a lot. It is very well written and has more than one surprise. In fact, Kerry has done it again, at the end of the book she has left me surprised at the ending. I'm looking forward to book #3, and I expect you will too.
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  • Lulubak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    What a great book. I really enjoyed this read as a well written procedural that kept interest right to the end. Of course one mystery was unsolved. Makes you want to read more which I like as the characters are well chosen and I will definitely read next in series just to see the whole mystery unravel.
    Helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    My second book by this author. Highly recommend this series! Great police work plot with great main characters. Fast paced storyline as well as plenty of action and shifts in case to hold your attention all the way through.
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  • Boomer
    3.0 out of 5 stars How about wrapping up the loose ends?
    Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed Knife Edge, the debut novel for this author and first in this series, even though it had an annoying cliffhanger ending so I thought I'd try this second book and see how things went. It's a light crime thriller much like it's predecessor and only took me a few hours to get through. I liked the story of a 30 year old murder and disappearance being tied into current day events involving police corruption. The Irish setting makes things feel casual - the police seem just as likely to sit down for coffee with a witness rather then actually interviewing them. It took some getting used to, but It's a nice change of pace from the gritty, tense procedurals I usually go for.

    Now the bad news, and I'm surprised no other reviewers have mentioned this. I picked this up expecting that it would wrap up the cliffhanger from Knife Edge - no major spoilers here, but if you've read that you no doubt have questions about the surprising ending with the killer getting the tables turned on him. What happened to him? What happened to Nic, Meera and Inspector Ram? Sorry to break it to you but we'll apparently never know since the author just ignores all that completely apart from throwing a couple of lines in about a previous difficult case. Why? I hate cliffhangers in general, but if you're going to give me one, I expect the payoff to be in the next book and here - nothing. Very disappointing.

    Just to rub salt into that open wound, the author of course decides to end this book in a cliffhanger too. Grrrrrr! I'm hesitant about continuing this series now, since who knows if the author will continue this storyline, or just scrub everything away and start clean with the Harvey and Birch characters again as she did here. There's a good story here, but zero satisfaction at the end.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • TV
    4.0 out of 5 stars Where to go after finding the bones!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This book was good, but I didn't mind putting it down. The story line ran smoothly and there was plenty of action. The book had plenty of twists to keep you wondering what happens next. The action never stopped until the end of the book. Really enjoyable.
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  • C W
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Now this is a can'tputitdown story!!!!! Little slow start but then takes off. Well thought out and organized. I usually don't like stories with too many characters but this was carefully written to gradually bring them in. I wish I had read first in series first. I will go back and find it.
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  • MJ26
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pulls you in from beginning to end.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    A tense and suspenseful storyline that is very well written. Well developed characters on both sides of the line. Realistic and sometimes humorous dialogue add to the overall story.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • treesilhouette
    5.0 out of 5 stars Polished writing, atmospheric setting, tense mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is the second book in the series and picks up with the two detectives a few months after the end of the previous book. Small Bones initially swaps between the viewpoints of the detectives, and a middle aged lady looking after her elderly, senile father, and flashbacks to events many years previously. Other viewpoints do work in later. It doesn't give as much of the killer's point of view as the first book. The action kicks off with the middle aged lady discovering a skeleton under the base of a derelict greenhouse that her grandfather built.
    This is tense and intense - and puts all the characters through the wringer. Did the lady's grandfather kill the little boy? What happened to her missing mother? And there is trouble for the detectives too. The first book was good, this is better. Kerry Buchanan has really hit her stride and built on the experience of writing the first book.
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  • Chris A.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book
    Reviewed in Canada on July 21, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this book due to its readability. It was well written, closed well and had likable characters. I am suspicious of the police chief however - yup there's something about her that puts me in edge. Looking forward to reading more of these books.
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  • Amazon Customer
    1.0 out of 5 stars Boring
    Reviewed in India on March 23, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The writer fails to maintain a suspense and intrigue for the readers. I was forced to skip a lot to find some interesting part but in vain...
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  • Rob P
    5.0 out of 5 stars Kerry Buchanan
    Reviewed in Australia on July 12, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    First read of this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to more. Good storyline, plenty of a good mix of everything to keep you interested.
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  • Noela
    4.0 out of 5 stars The ending was rushed.
    Reviewed in Australia on July 10, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Great story, written well but the ending felt rushed compared to the rest of the novel. It was a little disappointing.
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