Dash Fuller is the guy that Hollywood elites call when they need something covered up and secrets kept. Or at least he used to be. These days he’s giving stand-up comedy a try. When an old colleague asks for help in finding a couple young celebrities, Dash reluctantly takes the job, desperate for the cash payout. While he only planned for a brief stunt, a young woman, Madeline Ironwood, approaches him with a seemingly impossible task. Her father, Ken Ironwood, went missing about 20 years ago. Then his body turned up in a barrel at the bottom of a lake. And Madeline wants Dash’s help in finding out who killed him. Washed up in his own self-loathing from a life of hiding humanity’s worst secrets, he thinks this might be a chance to do some good. But there’s a handful of people who want the truth to remain hidden. And they will go to great lengths to ensure that. Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski is a contemporary crime fiction novel where Dash and Madeline work against Hollywood elite and thugs alike to uncover the truth, only to learn that the crimes reach much further than they had ever expected.
Book
Ken Ironwood was a notorious smuggler and murderer, well-known for his business and connections. Madeline never knew him, and didn’t even know he was dead until the authorities contacted her. Needless to say, the list of people who would want him dead is likely extensive. So Dash and Madeline work through the only sources they have – some items found with the body, the local sheriff, and an up-and-coming documentary about Ken. When they receive threats warning them to stay away, they know that they’re getting closer to the truth. Not to mention that Dash’s overwhelming guilt is messing with his sense of reality – and he can’t tell if he has a stalker or if it’s a figment of his imagination.
Review
Kolakowski delivers a well-paced, suspenseful read with Where the Bones Lie. While short, the story is all substance and isn’t cluttered with distractions or irrelevant dialogue that often appears in crime fiction. While the who and why of the investigation is easy to predict, the twists will take readers by surprise. Dash’s struggle with PTSD from his job and Madeline’s humor offer great characters along the way. I definitely recommend this one for the crime fiction reading list.
