On Spine of Death (By the Book Mysteries #2), by Tamara Berry

 Publication Nov. 29, 2022

Whoa! Wait! What? Why...

"On Spine of Death" doesn't fool around. From the opening scene, where we find Tess Berry tied up in a basement and, as being tied up isn't enough, frantically trying desperately to escape, to the very end, this book packs quite a punch. This was my intro to the series but I'll definitely be back.

To add punch to the opening scene, the ceiling falls in on her. Not just the ceiling but old skeletal bones. Bones from two bodies. From that point on, after, phew, we learn that Tess is simply trying to prove a point for one of her best selling mystery/thriller novels, it's pretty much non-stop action. Heck, there are even comic scenes, although I'm sure Tess didn't find basically falling down a mountain in the mud funny. Why was she on a mountain? She was, oh, no. Wait. Not telling aside from saying it has to do with reappearing bones, lost sisters, and interactions with everything from her forensic-mad daughter to a hacker with the ability to turn computers off/on at police headquarters and a specialist in hatchet-axed bones. Is there such a thing? I have no clue but, yeah, probably.

So, I guess the first question is whose bones are they? How did they get in Tess' grandfather's shop? Dang, could her late grandfather have hacked the victims to death? Scary thought, one she rejects but can't erase from her thoughts. What does a book with a mysterious author that even the best-of-the-best hackers hasn't been able to uncover have to do with everything? Does Sheriff Victor Boyd have anything to do with the strange discoveries? What happened to his long missing and presumed dead sister anyway? Could he be involved? Clues point that way. What will Gertrude have to do to be allowed to continue shadowing the town coroner? Surely there aren't a ton of high school students vying for that spot. Who....oh, never mind. No more teasers. As I said earlier, you'll just have to read the book. If you like interesting characters in an interesting small town, all served up with non-stop action and even humor, you'll thoroughly enjoy "On Spine of Death". I did.

Thanks #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for inviting me to meet Tess and Gertrude, not to mention a host of other intriguing characters. I'm already looking forward to Tess' next adventure and her sometimes wacky tactics of researching her best selling plots.