The Bones of You

By: Debbie Howells

Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson, Jenny Funnell

A Richard and Judy Book Club bestseller, Debbie Howells' The Bones of You is a gripping psychological thriller about the dark side of suburban England.

I have a gardener's inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft-petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer.

Children who don't die before their parents.

A community in shock

When eighteen-year-old Rosie Anderson disappears, the idyllic village where she lived will never be the same again. Local gardener Kate is struck with guilt. She'd come to know Rosie well, and thought she understood her - perhaps better even than Rosie's own mother.

A family torn apart

Rosie was beautiful, kind and gentle. She came from a loving family and she had her whole life ahead of her. Who could possibly want to harm her? And why?

A keeper of secrets

Kate is convinced the police are missing something. She's certain that someone in the village knows more than they're letting on. As the investigation deepens, so does Kate's obsession with solving the mystery of what happened to Rosie.

Critic reviews

The Bones of You is a brilliantly twisty read that delves deep into the dark heart of the seemingly perfect family. Recommended.

I couldn't stop reading this from the moment I picked it up. An intelligent thriller which looks behind the perfect facade of village life to reveal the dark secrets within. Written with heart and real depth, and with some real hand-over-mouth moments - I was gasping in surprise in a cafe! This is going to be a huge hit, and deservedly so.

Utterly compelling and addictive. A memorable debut

The Bones of You is one of those books that captivates you from the first page, holds tight and never lets go. I savoured every word, character and psychological twist. Truly brilliant!

Suspenseful and poignant

A dazzling debut from a writer who looks to me to have an exceptional future. Howells's novel has a rare freshness and depth that set her apart

This is a book about secrets and deception, the story told from alternating points of view and time frames, with Rosie's voice coming through in her own dedicated chapters. A debut psychological thriller that's intricately plotted, from a writer with a promising future

This is not a fast-paced, edge-of-the-seat crime story but a psychological thriller about the dark side of suburban England where finely pruned rose bushes hide what lies beneath

Twists, turns and a shock ending - it's the most exciting whodunit we've read in years

An exceptional debut that announces a potential star of the future from a young florist in Sussex whose love for the natural world inhabits every paragraph of a story that focuses on the disappearance of a popular local 18-year-old, whom everyone in the idyllic rural community seemed to adore