Bone Rattle

Bone Rattle by Marc Cameron is shocking, suspenseful, action-packed and distressing at times. It’s a crime thriller that also has aspects of an action-adventure thriller and is the third book in the Arliss Cutter series. This author and series are new-to-me, but the novel worked well as a stand-alone.

Normally Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutler and the rest of his Alaska Fugitive Task Force are tracking dangerous fugitives. However, he and Deputy Lola Teariki are pulled to protect jurors in a high-profile trial. When a murder occurs, Cutler knows there is more to the story than a drug trial. But what is really happening behind the scenes and who will survive?

During the course of the novel readers get to see different sides of Arliss. He has flaws and virtues just like everyone else. I got a good sense of how he treats his co-workers as well as his sister-in-law and her children. He is very protective of his team and underdogs, and he doesn’t tolerate bullies, no matter who they are. This can lead to some interesting interactions, to say the least. In this novel, we get to see character development with some of the secondary characters including Lola.

This book is set largely in and around Juneau, Alaska, with some scenes in the Anchorage area. The author does a great job of making the reader feel transported to mud season in Alaska. I felt as though I was living the events alongside the characters.

There are several sub-plots in the novel and not all of them are fully resolved, but the main story line and some of the others are fully resolved. Hopefully, the next book in the series will pick up these threads and bring them to closure. There are a few twists to the story, but some of the actions and deductions are over-the-top. However, it was so full of action and excitement that it kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. I was kept fully invested in the assignment becoming a success. But is that what happens? My one quibble is that there is some disjointedness that affected flow due to the number of sub-plots. Themes include fugitive tracking, drugs, corruption, jurisdiction games, murder, and much more.

Bone Rattle is suspenseful, riveting, fast-paced, and entertaining. If you enjoy action thrillers that have both strong male and female characters, then this may be the series for you. I look forward to reading more of this series. I can’t wait to find out what is next, as well as go back and read the first two books in this series.

Kensington Books and Marc Cameron provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for April 27, 2021.