Friday, June 27, 2014

REVIEW: The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty







Most of what I read is 'light' cozy mysteries.  But June seems to have been the month of the 'heavy read', including "The Bone Church" by Victoria Dougherty.  However, in this case, heavy is good...very good.  I mean, Prague during WWII, when it was controlled by Nazi Germany, and then afterwards, when it was controlled for years by the Soviets.  It doesn't exactly conjure up pictures of 1960's flower children dancing in the park, now does it?

"The Bone Church" helps us appreciate what people in Eastern Europe went through during WWII and since then, when intrigue, spies, and never knowing when something you do or something you are may get you on somebody's death list are a way of life, and not something you watched in the movies or read in a book.  Dougherty gave the characters life and expressed their stories beautifully with rich language worthy of a medieval tapestry.

(It reminded me of a story my mother's cousin in Switzerland told me about an evening's events during the war.  What today would be seen as teenage hi-jinks or petty vandalism would have had much more serious consequences then.  I heard that story first 30 years ago and it still gives me the shivers.)

If you are looking for a provocative book, one that will both entertain you and make you think, you need look no farther than "The Bone Church".





(Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of "The Bone Collector" from the author via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  No other compensation was offered, requested or received.)


  1. Thank you so much for having me on! I'm delighted that you enjoyed The Bone Church!

  2. This one sounds interesting and exciting! Hope I am able to read it too :)