Boneseeker (The Boneseeker Chronicles, #2)

by Brynn Chapman

[Kim Deister]

Boneseeker was far different than I had anticipated.  I have never been big into Sherlock Holmes, but I love mysteries and this seemed like something new and different, something outside of my usual reads.

The story centers around Arabella Holmes and Henry Watson, the children of the famed Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.  Dr. Watson is a big part of this story, while Sherlock himself stays in the background.  I actually enjoyed that the big man played a lesser role in the story and put the other characters in the forefront because it is, after all, their story.

Arabella is a social rebel.  She doesn't play the coquettish games that other society ladies play.  She has no idea of her own beauty and is much more focused on her mind and her science.  In many ways she reminded me of the character Temprence Brennan in the Bones TV series, based on Kathy Reich's novels.  Her social skills lacked, but her mind was sharp.  She was my favorite part of the story, not because of her social awkwardness, but because she is a woman after my own heart, not afraid to buck the system and be different, be her own person.  Henry is much more of the societal norm in his personality, but different in that not only does he accept Arabella for who she is, he embraces it.

The Nephilim are a big part of this story, a theme that I am finding in more and more books.  However, their role in this was so very different from other books and I loved that.  There was a lot of varying mythology surrounding them, different theories that became integral to the story.  I love that those varying theories made the reader question their own thoughts.

My son is a forensic anthropologist and that was a big part of the reason that I wanted to read this.  I loved that take in a mystery as it is not a very common theme.  It was done very well and was fascinating!  The other thing that made me want to read this was the tease that some of it would take place in upstate NY.  I am from northern/upstate NY and I have to say, the area of NY referenced was not really upstate NY!

Things to love...

   --Arabella.  I love that she was a focused woman who was not afraid to be different.
   --Henry.  His total acceptance of a different kind of woman in a time when that was frowned upon was lovely.
   --The unexpected touching moments between Arabella and Henry, Arabella and Dr. Watson, even Sherlock Holmes.

My Recommendation:  This was very different than what I usually read.  I am not huge into historicals, particularly this time period.  But I truly grew to enjoy this book!  Fantastic romance, great drama, fabulous mystery, and some truly interesting twists and turns!