Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Restless Bones by Gillian French Series: Shaw Connelly Mysteries #2
Published by Minotaur Books on June 16, 2026
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 290
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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When a missing woman’s body is discovered in a submerged car one year after her disappearance, Shaw Connolly is called to process the scene. She finds a single print belonging to a long-dead female ex-con; could it be the key to identifying the murderer? As usual, Shaw won't stop looking until she’s dredged up more than a few hidden crimes.
All the while, Shaw’s past won’t let her go. Just as the Connolly family begins to find some peace after the arrest of Shaw’s sister’s killer, Anders Jansen, Shaw receives a request from her state police contact. Anders, in prison awaiting trial, has claimed responsibility for the murders of two other young women whose cases have grown cold over the past decade. But he refuses to help the police unless Shaw agrees to act as a special consultant in the search.
Despite her misgivings—Anders’s love of malicious mind games is as toxic as ever—Shaw could never prolong another family’s suffering. Her agreement to assist jeopardizes not only the fragile healing of her own family’s wounds, but the rebuilding of her marriage and her relationship with her youngest son, who’s colliding with some hard truths of how cruel people can be. It seems, for Shaw, closure is a long way off . . . but danger may be closer than she thinks.
I wanted to read Restless Bones so I picked up the previous book and reviewed it last week. The main character and point of view is Shaw Connelly. She is a fingerprint and evidence technician for the police in a relatively small town. She has two boys, married her high school sweetheart after getting pregnant. The previous book focused on her continuing search for her sister Thea and what happened to her. Thea’s killer came after her and is now in jail.
Of course, the killer isn’t willing to give up seeing her so tries to rope her in with saying he will lead police to his burial sites but only if Shaw goes along. I could see this as a setup to get loose and go after Shaw. She doesn’t tell her family because it would just stress them as much as herself.
Shaw and her husband have been separated and after finding Thea’s killer were starting to reconcile. But she is just going along with it, it’s familiar and comfortable. But she still likes another detective, and doesn’t seem too focused on the relationship which made me uncomfortable. It’s realistic though, not everything is simple.
The story is a real working class family with everyday problems. I find myself wishing she would get her act together but then nobody is together all the time and we all have problems. So while some things were messy they were also more realistic.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 26-COYER
This does sound authentic. Great review, Anne💜
It’s so ordinary human with stupid choices but also good ideas and caring for others.
Sometimes realistic is okay in books, but generally, I don’t love having “messy” in my escapism.
yes I can see that.
The way you describe her situation is how I felt about another mystery series I tried a year ago. I understood that the personal stuff was realistic, but I got distracted by it. I guess I like it unrealistic for that. LOL
I’ll have to think about it. But that’s probably true for me even though I think I prefer realistic, I maybe just don’t want over the top unrealistic.
I get the whole wanting her to get her act together. Somtimes I want to scream at characters
yeah but if everybody was perfect I guess there wouldn’t be a story
Not everything is simple or clean.
That is certainly true here.