Lies in Bone

"The fantastic, fallible characters leap to life in these dialogue-filled pages and draw readers into an immersive world involving mysteries of missing children, mental illness and unsolved murders. A gripping tale of outcasts that keeps you guessing and, more importantly, caring how it will unspool. Mystic River meets Stranger Things in this engrossing debut novel." —Lane DeGregory, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, The Girl in the Window

 

"A moody, hard-edged coming-of-age story that keeps the horrors coming until the very end."—Kirkus Reviews

 

"...Fierce teen protagonist, Frances "Frank" Coolidge... impolite, foul-mouthed, self-mutilating and rebellious, and she's loving, loyal and has backbone to spare; a female Steve McQueen, a young Sarah Conner; totally icon-worthy. A heart-stopping work of suspense fiction... a tour de force of friendship, love and redemption. Organically woven and expertly balanced, Lies in Bone lightens the load of its heavy subject matter with quirky northern town humor. Gritty, campy and dark wit and, especially, a keen grasp of family dysfunction and its many varieties, all add to Lies in Bone's hypnotically page-turning appeal..." —Julie Garisto, 83 Degrees Media

 

"Symons's language crackles and sparks..."—Diane Chiddister, author of One More Day

 

"This extraordinary story...refused to leave my thoughts for even a moment until I reached its explosive conclusion. Lies in Bone is dark, tough and visceral, and it's rich with twists, turns and breathless suspense—the very definition of a page-tuner." —Bill DeYoung, St. Pete Catalyst

 

"Finally, a heroine of substance growing into her own magnificence, bearing witness to the unspeakable with bravery outpacing her years. A tale told with unapologetic realism and voice crafted with skill and humanity." —Lori D. Shannon, author of Superwoman Died Tonight

 

"Dickensian in the best sense of the word, Lies in Bone is a novel that grabs the reader and does not let go." —Paul Wilborn, author of Cigar City

 

"Gripping and dark, Lies in Bone so precisely captures the angst of long hidden secrets and dysfunction—the slow, corrosive descents and the hard-won triumphs. To me, the most disturbing thrillers are the ones that are all too plausible—almost familiar. Consider me disturbed." —Cindy Stovall, Beauty & the 'Burg Podcast

 

"Symons displays her adept playwrighting skills with earthy dialogue that flows effortlessly...I'm reminded of the way Joan Didion writes about similar themes...in The Year of Magical Thinking, but in this one, we have an intriguing mystery thriller on our hands...This small-town mystery with family ties is an engaging and at-times humorous literary thriller." —Frank Pizzori, Independent Book Review

 

"Lies in Bones is a spellbinder...The book just refuses to be put down.." —Readers' Favorite 5-Star Review