White Bones

By Graham Masterton

An ancient Irish mystery, and a ritualistic modern-day killer: Ireland's first female detective Katie Maguire must find the connection. The first in a mystery series from a master of horror.One wet November morning, a field on Meagher's Farm gives up the dismembered bones of 11 women. In this part of Ireland, unmarked graves are common, but these bones date to 1915, long before the Troubles. What's more, these bones bear the marks of a meticulous executioner. These women were almost certainly skinned alive. Detective Katie Maguire, of the Cork Garda, is used to dead bodies. But this is wholesale butchery. Her team think these long-dead women are a waste of police time. Katie is determined to give them justice. And then a young American tourist goes missing, and her bones, carefully stripped of flesh, are discovered on the same farm. With the crimes of the past echoing in the present, Katie must solve a decades-old ritualistic murder before this terrifying killer strikes again. Previously published under the title A Terrible Beauty.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
• Release date: Mar 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781781852170

Graham Masterton

Graham Masterton (born 1946, Edinburgh) is a British horror author. Originally editor of Mayfair and the British edition of Penthouse, Graham Masterton's first novel The Manitou was published in 1976 and adapted for the film in 1978. Further works garnered critical acclaim, including a Special Edgar award by the Mystery Writers of America for Charnel House and a Silver Medal by the West Coast Review of Books for Mirror. He is also the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger for his novel Family Portrait, an imaginative reworking of the Oscar Wilde novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Masterton's novels often contain visceral sex and horror. In addition to his novels, Masterton has written a number of sex instruction books, including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed and Wild Sex for New Lovers. Visit www.grahammasterton.co.uk

Reviews for White Bones

[romonko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you like Irish folklore and stories of irish ancient magic, and if you don't mind some scenes of graphic ritual torture, maiming and death, and if a few scenes of sudden violence peppered about doesn't bother you, all set to an unstoppable pace, then you will love this book. I surprisingly truly enjoyed it. It's visceral and shocking, but there are scenes of human warmth and comfort as well. The only reason that I don't give it 5 stars is because Katie Maguire just doesn't ring true at times. Her unexplained forbearance for her wayward and cheating husband didn't make sense to me. To all intents and purposes though, Detective Superintendent Katie Maguire is a strong, fearless woman, and she is the first female DS Gardai in Irelend's hisotry in County Cork. She has a lot to prove and she has to be twice as tough as the men. She pretty much handles everything that is thrown at her which includes a mass of 80-year-old human bones found under an old shed, a girl from the present day, found dismembered and laid out on a wet Irish field, to an attempt on Katie's own life as well as that of her husband, who is paying the price for trying to swindle some very dangerous local gang members. This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller, and with the mix of the occult and Irish magic throughout, it is one that will get me back to read more.

[nwdavies-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are few things I enjoy more than reading Graham Masterton on top form, and this crime/horror/thriller novel is right up there with his best. Looking forward to more in the series.

[pet12-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

White Bones introduces Detective Katie Maguire. When the bones of 11 women are found on an isolated farm in County Cork in Ireland, Katie is initially told to drop the case as the deaths date back to 1915. But then a young American tourist goes missing and her body turns up on the same farm. I've been hesitant for a while now to start this series because of the mixed reviews and mentions of 'supernatural', but it turned out to be a really solid Irish crime procedural and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot centers around old Irish folklore/myths rather than the paranormal elements I was expecting and that added a really interesting aspect to the story. Mr. Masterton has previously written horror novels and while this certainly shines through, I didn't find any of the details overly gory, but I think more sensitive readers may. The author also provides plenty of background on the main character of Katie Maguire. By the end of the book, you really feel you have a good picture of her as a person. She has to work hard as a female in a very conservative, male dominated environment and her personal life is under scrutiny which isn't helping her marriage. The audiobook narration was done really well, and I appreciate that the narrator must have had a very difficult time switching from characters with Irish dialect to American accents. I loved the Irish lilt, the American accent felt a bit off (sorry). If you enjoy rather sinister thrillers in an Irish setting and would like to explore some Irish history and Celtic mythology, I would definitely recommend White Bones.

[balthazar0lawson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting crime novel set in Cork, Ireland, with Detective Superintendent Katie Maguire in the role of the protagonist. She doesn't have an easy time of things with one crisis after another and all the time having to solve a crime that is somehow connected to another crime that occurred over 80 years before.Well worth the read.

[edwardsgt · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I gave up when the violence became too explicit for comfort.

[mazda502001 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First in the Katie Maguire series, this is another good novel from this author who I consider to be one of the most original and scary storytellers there is. This author is well known for writing horror but has now turned his hand partly to crime, although this book does have its supernatural moments. It can be gory so if this upsets you then better not read it, although you’ll be missing out on a very good read and series.

[pammykn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

AUTHOR: Masterton, GrahamTITLE: White BonesDATE READ: 01/15/16RATING: 4.5/B+GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS Crime Fiction / 2013 / Head of Zeus / 384 pgs SERIES/STAND-ALONE: #1 DS Katie MaguireCHARACTERS AUTHOR: Detective Katie Maguire TIME/PLACE: Present / Cork, IrelandFIRST LINES John had never seen so many hooded crows circling around the farm as he did that wet November morning.COMMENTS: Don't think I've ever read Masterton and knew him as a horror writer. This book is crime fiction but the crimes are definitely horrific and described in gruesome details. Katie Maguire is the 1st woman to hold the DS position in Cork and is a very driven to perform. When bones are found on the property of a local farm … it is determined that these bones belonged to 11 women that went missing in the timer period of 1911-1915. Odd enough to find this many bones and odder still to find lace dollies w/ hooks hinged on many of the bones. It is determined that these victims were sacrificed as offerings to the goddess Mor-Rioghain. When new bones are found in the same area… Katie is not only working on a cold case but a current one. This one had me riveted and turning pages and will definitely be reading on in the series.