Medicine has no cure for evil… stressful clerkship at the hospital. But when people close to him succumb to a grisly illness and a dark priest pursues him, his skepticism waivers. Could a bone from an 18th century skeleton with a frightening history really cause modern-day disease?
With the help of Laurette, he scrambles to find a cure through Vodou before more of his loved ones die. But first, he must battle the mysterious priest who’s bent on vengeance and determined to have Ben’s blood as his own.
“A tense, perceptive tale of an investigation into a terrifying threat.”–Kirkus Reviews
“A teeth-grinding story of ancient curses and mystical remedies … The Bone Curse will keep even the most skeptical reader awake long past midnight.”—Andra Watkins, New York Times bestselling author of Not Without My Father and author of the Nowhere Series
“From the first page to the last, the tensions never let up … Bravo to Rubin for creating another fast-paced medical thriller that both keeps you turning pages and opens a window into a world most of us have never considered.”—Audrey Kalman, author of What Remains Unsaid and Dance of Souls
“A sizzling slice of Vodou served alongside methodical medical science. What’s not to love? Unique characters, a plot that galloped along, and some damn fine writing, too.”—G. M. Barlean, author of The Rosewood Series
“A cursed medical student… a vengeful Vodou priest… a vast subterranean Parisian catacomb with more secrets than the bones that rest there… what could go wrong? Take note medical thriller fans, the genre has a new contender, and her name is Carrie Rubin.”—Larry Brooks, USA Today bestselling author
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When The Bone Curse by Carrie Rubin appeared on my news feed earlier this year, I was excited to devour such a thriller. I purchased the novel and scheduled it for my May vacation while I was out of the country visiting various Italian cities, especially since one of the tours included the crypts and catacombs of Rome. What a perfect way to align my reading with my physical setting, right? Well, it gets even scarier… I’ve previously visited the Paris Catacombs where the story kicks off, and at some point during my current trip, I scratched my finger (I believe while trying to load luggage on a bus when it stopped to pick me up in Amalfi on the edge of a cliff) just like the main character in this book, and within two days I had a nasty bug and infection. For a moment, I thought the The Bone Curse might be coming to life and I was gonna call Ms. Rubin for some advice! Thankfully, I did not cause people around me to die, so all in all, I handled it with aplomb — just like this great new author I’ve found!
The novel is categorized as a medical thriller, but it goes beyond that initial genre with the introduction of educational backstory on Voodoo / Voudo practice (different types depending on the interpretation), a young doctor learning how to make a name for himself during his initial hospital training, some fantasy elements when ancient bones seemingly come back to life, and a bit of romance and family drama to round out the story’s depth. I am always excited when a book crosses genres and this one did not disappoint. Life’s sometimes ordinary, and if you can push the boundaries with a little bit of mystery and a strange curse, I’m all for it. Bring it on!
Rubin’s story is top notch. It combined all the elements of my favorite movies and stories covering ancient mummies with revenge on their mind, mass graves of people who were victimized and need to heal, a fine line between medicinal cures and that of the occult. The story drags you in from the beginning and throws out many well-calculated twists and turns. You’re never quite sure if the truth will add up in the end with a logical and natural explanation like some weird virus that caused it all, or if it’s an honest-to-god ancestral curse come back to life seeking vengeance. That’s what made it such a page-turner… you felt tossed back and forth and feverishly thrashed while reading and savoring each of the words to figure it out all.
It helps that the characters were distinct, admirable and endearing. But oh, the deaths… an author is brave when she goes after the ones likely to be a fan favorite. A few times, I wanted to punch the main character, Ben, for being such a dunce. Rubin offers more than enough detail and reasoning for why he might choose not to believe in such a curse, but when enough people are impacted around him, the dude needs to wake up! If I’d been his friend, I would have locked him up much sooner… but that’s what makes the story such an intrigue. Ben is human and torn from what his scientific experience tells him and how his interesting upbringing has shaped him. He’s a product of all the things that keep him wary and cautious of the truth, so he seeks to eliminate all the rational before allowing himself to accept the non-tangible. It was a well-crafted approach and makes readers attach strongly to the entire cast and plot.
I am fond of the author’s writing style and the world she’s built in Ben’s personal life. Though he may have a ‘solution’ with answers at the end of this book, his travels are far from over… this is the kick off of a new series, and there’s plenty more to explore coming out of what’s happened to him in this book. Between death, changes to his family situation, and the upcoming impacts of his life at the hospital, I’m excited to continue being part of this adventure. Rubin’s enamored a new fan and I might even need to take a peek at a few of her earlier unrelated books while I wait for book two in this series. Kudos!
Plot twists and suspense make for a great read !!
Breathless, non-stop action keeps you turning pages, wanting more and more! A fantastic, suspenseful read that is wholly enjoyable to the very end….
I reall enjoyed this book. I’ve never read a book quite like it. I like to change up my reads. This definitely filled the bill. I found it to be a strong 4.5 stars.
Very different. Well written.
A sizzling slice of Vodou served alongside methodical medical science. What’s not to love? Unique characters, a plot that galloped along, and some damn fine writing, too.
A teeth-grinding story of ancient curses and mystical remedies … The Bone Curse will keep even the most skeptical reader awake long past midnight.
From the first page to the last, the tensions never let up … Bravo to Rubin for creating another fast-paced medical thriller that both keeps you turning pages and opens a window into a world most of us have never considered.
A cursed medical student… a vengeful Vodou priest… a vast subterranean Parisian catacomb with more secrets than the bones that rest there… what could go wrong? Take note medical thriller fans, the genre has a new contender, and her name is Carrie Rubin.
This book is well written and follows a med student who gets a scratch on his hand in a Paris catacomb. The author researched voodoo practices and you will want to see was this med student had to do with that knowledge.
This book kept me interested. I enjoyed the twists in the story and characters in this book.
This book hooked me from page one!
A really original story line. I like that I was wrong when I assumed I knew if the main character’s best friend was actually his enemy or not. Towards the end I was sure I was right. I was wrong. The story was very well thought out and there was a pretty darn good switcheroo that I did not see coming. And you won’t either.
The book kept me intrigued and kept me reading. I though the author created good characters that were interesting and kept me reading. I will look for further books by this author
Once I started I could not put it down, the ending was a surprise!
This is not the type of book I usually read (with the “Voudou” connection, etc.) but it ended up being an interesting read. . .surprising on how it all unfolded!
Really enjoyed this one. Hard to put down. Great characters and lots of interesting elements.
An excellent story! What I enjoyed most about The Bone Curse is the attention given to sensory details, and how that drew me deeper into Ben’s plight. I felt every heartbeat, every flare of anxiety, every bead of sweat. I stayed up past my bedtime several nights because I wanted to keep reading. The author uses her background in medicine to inform the story, yet wasn’t so jargon-heavy that it detracted from the reading.
Not your usual medical thriller. This time the doctor needs a cure and medical science can’t help. The characters are far from standard. The story takes cues from many popular genres, but gives an original spin.
This book was pretty good. Interesting plot and characters. Kept my interest to the end.