Finnegan MacGillivray, red-haired, freckle-faced social pariah, finds solace in his mother’s garden while she entertains “dates” in his home. When an accident takes the life of a friend, Finnegan buries the evidence amid the purple dead nettle and bougainvillea, and unearths a treasure trove of human remains. Did his house rest atop an ancient burial ground? Or was there a killer tucking him into … into bed at night?
His fascination with bones grows as fast as his obsession with his mother. She rejects his advances, and he escapes to the other side of the country. Years later, he returns to his childhood home, to the secrets and the guilt and the bones — and to fulfill his destiny.
more
I always look forward to a new Julie Frayn novel, and I think this story is my favorite so far. This novel about a mother and son and the secrets they keep is dark, enthralling, and so well written that it kept me up way past my bedtime for several nights. Very highly recommended. Dark and addictive!
Very interesting. Read on one sitting. Unusual.
If you’re looking for a satisfying read that both perplexes and horrifies in a Canadian sort of way, I suggest you read this book. And remember: anyone is capable of murder; some see it as just another tool in the toolbox.
This was a great, weird interesting book. I have not read one like it before. I read a lot and if a book is different than anything else I have ever read it will be a favorite. I could not stop reading and several nights was up till 3AM reading. I recommend it to anyone who likes their reading a little off beat!
The book started off interesting but stayed so much in the past story that I almost forgot that the book started with a current crime.
An eerily different kind of read…
Tough to keep my interest. Kind of hum drum. It needed a little less description. The plot needed a few more twists and turns and definitely needed a better ending.
The fun came to a grinding halt about 3/4 of the way through but of course I had to finish because from the start through most of the book it was absolutely AMAZING. So much suspense and fantastic writing. The laughs were based on dark humor and there’s no better kind. The relationships were fascinating and like a train wreck you know you should look away but you absolutely can’t.
Finnegan MacGillivray does not live the life of a normal kid. He lives with his single mom whose occupation is quite out of the norm. He spends many nights by himself in his mothers garden while she entertains her “dates”. His only friend, Birdie, is an outcast as well and they spend most of their time together, even though her father does not approve of Finn’s mom. An unfortunate accident ends the life of Birdie and Finnegan buries her in the garden only to find human bones. A lot of human bones.
Finnegan and his mother are interesting characters. Finn’s morbid interest with human bones goes way pass just an interest. It becomes an obsession. For someone who doesn’t know the human skeletal system, parts of the book may be hard to follow, although the author does do a fairly decent job explaining where some of the bones are located. Finn’s guilt over Birdie’s death follows him throughout his life and you can’t help but feel sorry for him. The death of Finn’s mom brings his obsession to a peak and the ending is not a surprise. The reader can see it coming.
This was a new author for me and I look forward to reading some of her other works.
OK read kept my interest but not a memorable piece of literature.
A little on the creepy side, but not at all scary.
A can’t-put-down read!
Strange and really not worth reading
it was okay until the end. I didn’t think it either resolved or left a “good” cliffhanger.
Gotta read this one to the end! It’s the most perfect ending!!
Yes, i checked i would recommend this book but with reservation. It is not for the faint of heart but was gripping enough to keep me reading.
Freakish, yet addictive!
Loved the suspense,, tension and surprise ending.
I recommend. Good read
JUST EXCELLENT, HAPPY TO HAVE READ THIS, HIGHLY RECOMMEND