Tall Bones Anna Bailey Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for this review copy. This is my unbiased review of the author's work and style. I suspect that one of the problems of modern life, for some readers is its pace. Their lives can be fraught and demanding and they have grown used to sitting in a chair watching an adaption on the one-eyed monster. So, when a slow-paced psychological thriller appears in book form, they expect it to reflect their hectic existence and they wait for the bodies to pile up, the protagonists to fall in and out of temper or love and the ever-present persons of authority to push the players even harder. Therefore, unless the action is set back before the millennium, I don’t expect to see an adaptation of this intense, gripping book any time soon. It is a pity. Anna Bailey has captured the oppressive and stultifying atmosphere of a small-town America where the older population clings to the traditions and values of yesteryear covering up their innate sense of failure. Their progeny, like all young people try to break free before the inevitable work, marriage, children, church, and their contemporaries, suck them down to become, in their turn, copies of their parents. I suggest if the slowness of the writing worries you think back to Harper Lee’s pace in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and remember to joy that bought. Not in the plot, or the characters views but in the feel of the novel. For me Anna Bailey’s debut novel deserves five stars.

An interesting book to read. Dark, menacing and foreboding at times and deeply disturbing. Other times, haunting and intriguing, not a light fluffy read but a very powerful storyline. Highly recommended.

It all starts the night Abi goes missing. Or does it? Really is starts a long time before that, hidden in the multitude secrets kept by the residents of Whistling Ridge. This is a beautifully written, interestingly structured debut from Anna Bailey. The book is atmospheric and the plot unravels, using a time shift structure that keeps you guessing. I thought the characterisation was particularly strong, aided by the shift in perspective flowing from one character to the next throughout. Difficult to say why without giving spoilers, but I also loved the ending; bitter sweet, beautiful and maybe even hopeful. I look forward to reading more of Anna Bailey's work.

Wow... this left me speechless and I can still visualise the town, the characters and just the feel of the place. All of the characters are complex, you cannot separate your hatred into any one person, you empathise and hurt and feel alongside them apart from Sam and the pastor..... it’s also about being able to make a stand even if you think it’s too late to do that and that sometimes all it takes is one word or even one action to fight back. It’s also about how secrets can devastate a small town and that sometimes freedoms come in many forms. I love the falsity and hypocrisy that’s filters towards the outsider and how people have a lot to hide. Brilliant.

Whistling Ridge is like any small insular town in America but when Abigail Blake goes missing after a party in the woods all the towns secrets slowly come to light. Anna bailey's debut is both haunting and captivating; the claustrophobic atmosphere of the town and the cast of characters were brilliantly brought to life. 5 Stars and I will certainly be reading anything else that Anna Bailey writes