I enjoyed reading Ellery A. Kane's latest police procedural / psychological mystery-thriller. Her Perfect Bones is a well-plotted mystery, featuring a cast of complex characters, and with a strong sense of setting. Having travelled in northern coastal California several years ago, I found that the book brought a sense of nostalgia for the stunning setting of dramatic coast bordered by mysterious redwood forests.
Will Decker is a detective based in Fog Harbor (a fictional location somewhere in the vicinity of the real Crescent City), California. Off-duty, he's alerted by a frantic neighbour, who's made the blood-curdling discovery of a young woman's body, hidden in a sand-filled barrel in his cabin's basement.
The investigation by Decker and his colleague Detective Jimmy Benson, firstly to identify the woman in the barrel, then to solve the mystery of her death, leads the detectives to a San Francisco parolee, an elderly former porn-film producer who once owned the cabin and a lonely woman who lives in the backwoods.
Meanwhile, Dr. Olivia Rockwell, chief psychologist at the nearby Crescent Bay State Prison, is dealing with confronting personal issues, in addition to the demands of her professional role. Her father, imprisoned for the murder of a prostitute - which he has always denied - is up for parole. Her efforts to prove his innocence take her also to San Francisco, and the underworld of criminal gangs operating in the city's social housing areas.
Decker and Rockwell each harbour romantic feelings for the other, which they're reluctant to reveal. which gives rise to a sweet (if rather far-fetched) sub-plot, as they circle one another while balancing their professional relationship and several high-octane situations with suspects.
I felt there was a well-executed escalation of tension over the course of the book, as the various threads of the investigation come together to reveal a ruthless killer.
Her Perfect Bones was a satisfying, undemanding read with some excellent insight into the complexities of working in the criminal justice system. Author Ellery A. Kane has clearly drawn on her personal experience from her "day job" as a forensic psychologist, injecting a healthy dose of verisimilitude, without overburdening the narrative with technical detail.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy police/psychology crossover mysteries and evocative settings.
My thanks to the author, Ellery A. Kane, publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for the oppportunity to read and review this title.