Ever since they were children, Gillian Hearth has been her sister Frankie’s guardian, her sounding board, and her best friend. Together, the Hearth sisters quietly bury their secrets and form a formidable team during any crisis. Purchasing the old Blymhill house with the hopes of turning it into an artists’ retreat, the sisters are finally living their dream. But when Frankie’s stable ground is … is rattled by a vengeful ex-boyfriend, an unstable friend from the past shows up unannounced with delusions of intimacy, and a cold case cop starts sniffing around their door, the sisters are forced to wonder how far they will go to keep their secrets safe.
Gillian discovers that, this time, her fight is about to land her in the crosshairs of a dangerous predator who will use any means necessary to remove her from the equation. With everything she holds dear under threat, Gillian battles to keep her head above water and her skeletons in the closet.
“Closet Full of Bones is a winning psychological thriller by a terrific writer. Readers will be up all night with this brilliantly plotted, heart-pounding, dark thriller. Gripping from the start, ‘Closet Full of Bones’ provides a breathless, suspenseful thrill-ride with a solid, engrossing plot and complex, layered characters.
Brisk pacing, intriguing dark secrets, mysteries, a menacing stalker, and looming danger make for an exciting page-turner.” – Michael Thompson, editorial reviews, NY Literary Magazine
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This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and would not let me go.
I like the character development.
Just when I thought I had everything and everyone figured out—I found out that I was wrong.
There is a few twists that I did not see coming and if I had paid attention better I would have caught it.
This is a good, solid read. The author knows how to write well and it shows. Very few typos and not a cliff hanger. The reason I didn’t give it a 5 star is because I wanted more. I wanted more information about Frankie and why she was so flighty. I liked how the author showed us, rather than told us, but I felt like there was a back story I was missing. More history given of the old woman whose house they purchased… I wanted more info on the “missing” fiance. I wanted more information on the ex/father of the two kids. And the story just ended quite quickly. As I hit the 80% mark in my kindle, I kept thinking “is this going to be a cliffhanger?” But the author pulls it all together in a believable plot twist I didn’t see coming. So while I gave it 4 stars, it’s only because I enjoyed the story so much, I wanted more depth. The author is good enough, that I would have happily read a book twice as long to fulfill my curiosity. Plus, I enjoyed that the storyline was a unique one. I would definitely read more from this author!
It took awhile for the building up but when all of the foundation was laid then this was a very good read and had a surprising ending
A great book full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing and using your powers of detection until the very last page. Very satisfying and entertaining!
These gritty characters are so true in their delusions, I recognize them. The plot threads were so skillfully intertwined, it was possible to suspect, but not figure the plot out entirely until the end. I found the wisdom of the cold case detective real and believable amidst the insanity. A touch of tragedy at the end made it a bit haunting after I closed the book. I liked the listing at the end of all the characters and how their lives proceeded as if it were a true story. Excellent writing.
I’ll read ANYTHING written by AJ
Surprise ending. Good
kept me reading until I finished
this is another story that caught me off guard….easy read…..surprise ending….characters developed well
The book held my interest. Was an easy read
Engaging, easy to read.
A.J. Aalto, author of the popular Marnie Baranuik paranormal fantasy series, offers her readers A Closet Full of Bones, her first psychological thriller. I knew upon reading the first sentence—“She had the dump site picked out before she’d made up her mind to kill him.”—that I was in for an entertaining ride. I wasn’t disappointed. What an impressive debut.
This is an intricately woven tale with a cast of very interesting and well-developed characters. At the center of it is two sisters who have a lot of secrets between the two of them. As the narrative progresses, the reader is given more and more insight into their lives and their complicated relationship. The author layers this story incredibly well, and with every new detail she provides, with each new character she introduces, the plot thickens. I thought I had it figured out a few different times, but that’s just what A.J. Aalto wanted me to think. She still got me in the end.
No spoilers from this reader. This is one you’ll need to read on your own. I guarantee that it’s well worth it.
I loved this book. The writing was great. And the tale intriguing. It will be hard to do a review without giving away any spoilers though…
Two sisters one a bit flighty, Franky, and the other level headed, Gillian, endeavor to open a bed and breakfast that will cater to artists. They manage to land a huge old Victorian for the retreat and it looks as though all will go as planned. Until an ex of Franky’s starts to stir up trouble. Harassing phone calls and texts, threats, and some disgusting ‘gifts’ put the sisters on edge. Still they persevere. But as the story deepens we learn there are some serious skeletons in the sister’s closet and they must do everything they can to keep them hidden. More threats from within and without drive them both to the edge.
Along the way there are plenty of twists and turns and things you didn’t see coming. Definitely a page turner and a great read.
My only problem now is that it looks like the author’s other books are horror and I don’t read horror. I hope she decides to write another book like Closet Full of Bones (huh, just got the title – too funny) soon.
I stayed up beyond my normal bedtime just to find out who did it. It started as a drama and ended as a comedy.
It took a while to get into the story, but once I began to care about the main character, it started to get very interesting and unpredictable. The last half of the book was a real page turner with a very surprising ending!
The beginning of this book sets you on edge for the journey that is to come. “Did she really just say what I think she said,” I thought to myself. I had to re-read the first chapter a couple of times to fully grasp what the author was saying.
This is the story of 2 sisters. One weak, unmotivated, reckless and completely reliant on her older sister to bail her out. The other sister is strong, driven and selfless, and she buries her own pain to take care of her younger sister. There is a crime that haunts the sisters, and it continues to play havoc in their lives.
This book wasn’t award-winning fiction, but it did keep my attention. The ending was a twisted, tangled mess that I would love to rewrite for the author, but alas, I don’t have time for that. I’ve got too many other books to read this year.
My biggest complaint about this book is that there were too many characters shuffling in and out of the sisters’ lives. Too many villains wishing them ill and plotting to ruin them, and too many wanna-be heroes trying to rescue them from any peril or save them from themselves. It’s not real life. Most people that come into our lives don’t fall into either category. Not everyone in our lives picks a side. They aren’t all either for us or against us. The fact is that most people don’t care one way or the other. They stay on the periphery, uninvolved in our lives. These types of everyday characters were absent here, and it struck me as odd.
DNF no rating
The story follows two sisters, Gillian and Frankie, and the people around them. Frankie is dealing with a bad break-up. The man, Travis, is stalking Frankie, sending her text messages every two seconds, and making Frankie really stressed out.
Frankie hires a private investigator (instead of going to the police) to look up on Travis Freeman. To describe Travis I would say he reminds of that one redneck that has a lifted truck (the kind that signals a pencil dick/small dick), skinny from smoking/ chewing way to much or just because the dude for some reason can’t gain a pound, and he has to make everyone know that he’s Mr. Billy Badass. That is how I would describe Travis.
Frankie is quite the idiot. She is described as being so soft that when some one stubs their toe, she cries with them. No seriously that is what the books said.
“If someone stubbed their toe, Frankie’s eyes would well up before their would.”
Not the kind of heroine you want to read about. At least I don’t want to read about.
There were decisions both Frankie and Gillian made that I thought were bad. Like hiring a private investigator instead of going to the police. Not blocking Travis’s number. Gillian tends to make big decisions for Frankie. Frankie is more likely soft because of this. She didn’t think of dumping Travis till Gillian put it in her head to get out of the toxic relationship. I don’t know about you but that shows how stupid Frankie is to me.
The are people out there that five star rated, four star rated. Some people said the beginning was a hook then it gets unrealistic in the end. I think it’s unrealistic to the point I’m reading. The chapter before I stopped reading was Frankie stressing about Travis. Then the next chapter she’s fine and flirting with another guy on the phone. It didn’t seem believable to me when a girl is coming out of that toxic of a relationship, stressing because the guy won’t leave her alone, then she does a 180 and be flirting with another guy. But what do I know.
No too interesting but I finished because I wanted to know the ending.
It was hard to keep the characters straight.
hard to get into