Island of Bones is the third novel in a series set in the 1780s. Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther are called to the Lake District to investigate a dead body found in the tomb of the Earl of Greta. The Earl’s tomb resided on the Island of Bones, which was previously owned by Crowther’s family. His own family has a violent and murky past and Gabriel, formerly the Baron of Keswick, renounced his title after his brother was hung for the murder of their father in 1751. Crowther has not returned home since giving up his title and it is a difficult and painful journey for him to return to his family home. Ghosts of his past seem to be present everywhere in Keswick and he will need to overcome his emotions in order to solve the mystery of the dead body. As the body count climbs higher, Westerman and Crowther seem to be fighting against the odds to resolve an ancient crime.
This book was a delight to read. Despite my misgivings about it being the third in a series which I hadn’t read, the novel flowed easily and previous events were referred in a way that the reader felt they hadn’t missed out on anything. The events were cleverly described so that new readers would be able to go back and read the previous books without too much of the story being given away, and at the same time, readers who had read the previous books weren’t too bored with the recap.
The two main characters Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther are written really well. I liked Harriet and she came across as a very warm and friendly character. She was feisty enough to be a suitable heroine, without stepping out of the times she lived in too much. She was a believable woman of society in 1783. Crowther is just as well described, and comes across as a recluse and a hermit who is more interested in the dead rather than the living.
I felt the historical side of the story fitted in excellently. The author has clearly gone to a great deal of research and the descriptions feel authentic, without it reading like a history lesson. I felt the author had opened a window into the past and I was able to experience it at close hand. The setting of the Lake District was interesting as this is an area I know well but it was a very different place in the 1780s and it was fascinating to see how different the area was then. Whilst capturing the mood of the times and the history, the sheer beauty of Keswick and Derwent Water manages to shine through at all times.
The story itself is full of twists and turns. There are several characters all interlinked and some relationships take a while to be revealed. I felt some of those relationships were easy to see, for example I felt it was quite obvious who Miss Hurt’s husband was, but this didn’t detract from the story. One of the final reveals was so unexpected I did find myself open mouthed at one point.
Overall this was an excellent book, beautifully fitting in my love of crime, regency novels and the Lake District! I will definitely be seeking out the first two books in the series and just as eagerly expecting future instalments.
