Boneyard (A Kelly Jones Novel, 2)

After reading the Tunnels, I thought there was no way to top such a compelling debut, but Michelle has done it here. This is a fabulous, engrossing read. I usually take about a week or two to read a book. This one was read in 2 sittings. The story is fluid and the action and thrills are a lot of fun. Very excited for the next one.

Often, after I have read a really great book, I've wondered why I had never heard of it or seen it being paraded around before. And so is the case with Michelle Gagnon's Bone Yard. Splendidly written, absolutely captivating lead character and co-characters that demand as much attention as the lead. Why hasn't this book been shouted out from the rooftops? In Bone Yard we follow FBI special agent Kelly as she's just about to leave for vacation (hoping for relief from the guilt of losing her partner) when she is called into to assist in a new case in the Berkshires. Bodies soon begin piling up, as does the suspense, all leading up to the thrilling end. There's everything here that you would expect in a real-world case too, jurisdictional bull, jerks on the local police force and a mystery that has been "allowed" to go on for over ten years. I never read Michelle's first novel Tunnels, and while Bone Yard is perfectly fine as a stand alone read, I can only imagine it would have given more insight into Kelly and how she's arrived to this point in her life. A thankless job, a fear of commitment that possibly stems from the loss of her partner, and the beginning of questioning herself about what she does for a career. Writing 101 dictates that you have characters that the reader will care about, and will want to continue to read about. Michelle does this perfectly, and in my opinion she now officially ranks up there with the likes of Stuart Woods and Clive Cussler. Like them, Michelle paints a picture so vivid, with a plot that's never too slow or boring, that the only accurate description that I can come up with is: effortless read. - Dan.

Somewhere along the Appalachian Trail hikers discover human remains dug up by animals. This leads to a massive search for more bodies through several states. FBI Special Agent Kelly Jones, who was on her way on a much needed vacation, was asked to delay her plans and to coordinate a special task force consisting of law enforcement officers from Vermont and Massachusetts. During the investigation it becomes clear that there are two serial killers, one whose murderous skills are fine-tuned, while the other is an inexperienced copycat. All the victims are young men and drifters--people that would not be missed. As the investigation continues, Jones finds that these killings have been going on far longer than anyone ever expected. Jones is teamed with Massachusetts State Trooper Bill Doyle who has little admiration for her and even less regards to the necessity of the task force, making Jones' work that much more complicated. Jones has an ally in Vermont's homicide investigator Monica Lauer, though this too becomes problematic as Lauer's rapport with Doyle has the two constantly at each other's throats. Bone Yard was an excellent read--I had a hard time putting the book down. The action is high pace, the suspense gripping and there are plenty of twists-and-turns. Bone Yard is author Michelle Gagnon's second novel featuring Special Agent Kelly Jones, the first being The Tunnel. I guarantee that after you read Bone Yard you'll immediately go in search of Gagnon's previous novel. I highly recommend this book. Lost Hours The Friday House Xiii

I'm not usually a fan of serial killer thrillers. But Michelle Gagnon writes fluidly, has a winning hero, sets up a realistic scenario, and drives the suspense up to a level reached only by top thriller authors. We root for her hero, Kelly Jones of the FBI, as she relentlessly tracks the murderer even while beset by a crew of squabbling locals and by her own too human doubts. Gagnon does a fabulous (and fabulously creepy) job of getting us in the heads of two very sick psychos. Make sure you read this with the lights on. Bravo.

FBI agent Kelly Jones is looking forward to her first vacation in years. However the workaholic is asked by Special Agent in Charge Gerald McLarty to delay her leave when skeletal remains are found on the Appalachian Trail. She heads to the Berkshires where more corpses have surfaced. Because the bodies are spread around with many jurisdictions involved, a battling taskforce filled with plenty of local yokels, state, county and Feds is created. However as she ignores the locals, Kelly begins to piece together the common thread between the victims; all are young and gay. The other thing obvious is the serial killer has been murdering men for years and still is active. Private security chief Jake Riley arrives to help his beloved Kelly on the investigation, but she knows the hunk is the one distraction she needs to avoid as she TUNNELS through a nasty serial killer case in which the cops are roadblocks. The return of FBI Agent Kelly Jones (see THE TUNNELS) MAKES FOR AN EXHILARATING POLICE PROCEDURAL as she struggles with the petty jealousies of the task force members who all want glory and know who they work for; which is not her. The storyline is fast-paced and filled with plenty of non-stop action as Kelly and company work the case. The support cast, especially the prime task force members, seems genuine and Jake adds to the pressure on the heroine; while the killer is more shadowy, which embellishes the overall effect. Michelle Gagnon provides an entertaining serial killer thriller. Harriet Klausner