The Talking Bone - by Rene Denfeld (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"Rene Denfeld reminds us that storytelling remains one of the most powerful means we have of confronting our darkest human impulses and sometimes overcoming them."--Washington Post

From the revered bestselling author, a compulsive, page-turning thriller inspired by her real life work exonerating innocents, a novel that asks how far we'll go in our pursuit of the truth--an emotionally rich, luminously written book about evil and people trying to do good in the world.

Ruby Spencer is known as "the exonerator." Her job as an investigator is to free innocent men from death row, and she's good at what she does. What many people don't know is that she spends her time finding missing women, too. The orphaned daughter of an orphaned mother, Ruby feels a natural affinity for those who have been mistreated by the world at large.

Her newest case takes her to Georgia, and involves a man set to be executed in two weeks. What begins as a routine exoneration unexpectedly sends Ruby down a winding path. Pursuing the truth, she begins to uncover crimes that lead to startling revelations about her own life.

With time running out, will Ruby's search for answers ultimately lead her to danger?

Review Quotes

"Every harrowing scene quakes with pain and outrage over injustice and the tragic consequences of perpetual 'hatred and contempt for women.' Denfeld is a righteous and resounding storyteller." -- Booklist (starred review)

"It is always something of a fine line to review a mystery novel without giving away any of the secret, so I will diverge from that path and simply say that the ending is not only unexpected, but truly shocking." -- BookPage (starred review)

"Denfeld's potent prose balances lyricism with narrative momentum, and she ushers the proceedings to a stunning conclusion. Fans of Attica Locke and Laura Lippman will find a lot to like." -- Publisher's Weekly

"Powerful and haunting." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Drawing on her experience as a licensed death-row investigator, Denfeld (Sleeping Giants) crafts a taut, emotional thriller. Readers of her earlier novels will appreciate this intricately layered tale of suspense." -- Library Journal

"A gut-punch of a novel with as much beauty as it has pain, The Talking Bone showcases an author at the top of her game." -- CrimeReads

"A chilling, lyrical thriller written with Denfeld's signature grace and grit. The Talking Bone is crime fiction at its most powerful." -- Noelle W. Ihli, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of Ask for Andrea

"Enthralling. . . . a heartfelt mystery that will keep readers turning pages late into the night." - Publishers Weekly on Sleeping Giants

"Rene Denfeld is a remarkable novelist. In cool, bewitching prose Sleeping Giants explores how we hurt one another, how we try to heal and asks what families are made of. The tenacity of the beautifully drawn characters and the glimpses of hope in the darkness make it impossible to look away from this heartrending and enthralling story." - Gilly Macmillan on Sleeping Giants

"A heartbreaking, finger-gnawing, and yet ultimately hopeful novel by the amazing Rene Denfeld." - Margaret Atwood, on The Butterfly Girl