The Bone Jar (Detective Lew Kirby, #1)

by S W Kane

[kimbacaffeinate]

Detective Lew Kirby is called to the Blackwater Asylum when the guard discovers the body of an elderly woman in the Keats ward of the abandoned asylum. Situated on the banks of the Thames River the asylum has long been abandoned. It was rumored to have underground bunkers and secret rooms. In its heyday, unspeakable psychological experimentation took place. Some say a dark force haunts the ruins.

When another body turns up along the river Detective Kirby will need to decide if the bodies are connected and why they were murdered.

I loved the abandoned asylum and the sinister atmosphere. Kane paired the setting with an interesting cast of characters.

We have DI Lew Kirby and his partner Pete Anderson who are under pressure from a developer to wrap the case up. Then we have Connie Darke, an urban explorer whose sister died on the grounds of the asylum. Then there is Raymond, an ex-patient who lives in the old caretakers cottage. We get to know each and all were developed and intriguing.

Raymond and Connie are secondary characters who became vital to the case and whenever they appeared in a scene the tension increased. I do hope they are permanently woven into the series.

This was not an easy case but slowly DI Kirby and Anderson piece together the clues and made the necessary connections. Twists, unexpected ties and complications kept me listening. The atmospheric setting of the abandoned asylum added to the overall suspense as we uncovered leads and facts. With each discover the danger mounted.

The audio narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies, enhanced the tale with unique voices, tone and pacing. His voice run true for the voice of DI Kirby and his female voices rang true.

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer