The Bones of It

'Chilling, compulsive and beautifully written.' Brian McGilloway

Thrown out of university, green-tea-drinking, meditation-loving Scott McAuley has no place to go but home: County Down, Northern Ireland. The only problem is, his father is there now too. Duke wasn't around when Scott was growing up. He was in prison for stabbing two Catholic kids in an alley. But thanks to the Good Friday Agreement, big Duke is out now, reformed, a counsellor. Squeezed together into a small house, with too little work and too much time to think about what happened to Scott's dead mother, the tension grows between these two men, who seem to have so little in common. Penning diary entries from prison, Scott recalls what happened that year. He writes about Jasmine, his girlfriend at university. He writes about Klaudia, back home in County Down, who he and Duke both admired. He weaves a tale of lies, of paranoia, of rage.

REVIEWS
'Blackly comic in tone, The Bones of It is a Bildungsroman that evolves into a slow-burning psychological exploration of the mind... an engrossing tale of the consequences of living a life steeped in a culture of violence.' The Irish Times

'...true discovered masterpiece of fiction. If she keeps this up, Kelly Creighton can be that Next Great Writer. The Bones of It is not just a novel to read, it is a novel to experience.' San Diego Book Review

'Compelling, compulsive, compassionate.' Books Ireland

'Scott's is an authentic voice, and Creighton a writer to reckon with.' The Irish Examiner

'Incredibly well written.' Sinead Crowley

'A future classic Troubles novel.' Sharon Owens

'a poignant insight into the lasting effects of the Troubles, The Bones of It is a page-turner from start to finish.' Claire Savage

'Beautifully penned and piercingly insightful. As a debut novel, it is extremely accomplished.' Jan Carson

'This finely written thriller keeps the reader gripped and intrigued...a meaty, fascinating work of fiction.' CultureHUB Magazine

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Creighton is a creative writing teacher and the author of the Belfast based DI Harriet Sloane series, as well as the psychological thriller 'The Bones of It'. She also writes short stories, having edited short story journal The Incubator for years. Creighton published her first short story collection 'Bank Holiday Hurricane' to critical acclaim. Her second story collection 'Everybody's Happy' launches in May 2021. She lives in Co Down, Northern Ireland, and has a YouTube channel where weekly Creighton interviews other writers, gives readings and creative writing tutorials.