Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of In the Bones in exchange for my honest opinion.
Publisher: Severn House
Published: November 4, 2025
Summary:
The arrival of a celebrity athlete on a remote peninsula in New York’s Thousand Islands unearths dark and deadly buried secrets in this heart-pounding blend of suspense and mystery, the first in the new North Country series—Agatha Christie meets Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley
It’s almost summer in Cape Vincent, and as the heat rises, ex-professional ice hockey superstar Mikko Helle arrives, ready to move into his extravagantly renovated waterfront home. Mikko is 30, handsome, and wealthy. He’s a stranger in town. There’s no reason to suspect Mikko is anything other than he seems.
Local married mother-of-two Nicole Durham works her connections hard to get hired as his cleaner. She needs this job—and not just because of the money. Nicole is desperate to expose a secret, and she’s running out of time.
But when Nicole disturbs an intruder while cleaning, New York State Police Investigator Tim Wellington discovers that the luxury mansion is hiding its own unthinkable truth. Deep in the basement lie the bones of a young woman, identity unknown.
The celebrity athlete. The local. The thief. Everyone is hiding something—but someone in the North Country’s a ruthless killer, and one of the three knows exactly who it is.
My thoughts:
It’s no secret that I’m actually a huge fan of Tessa Wegert’s books…I loved her Shana Merchant series and was excited when I heard she was writing a new series! And the best part is that there is crossover with some of our beloved characters…though no worries if you haven’t read any of those books.
This book oozes atmosphere and tension and the very best part is that I learned something new! Have you ever heard of phrogging? I hadn’t and I hope to never hear about it again! It gives me the creeps — oh you’ll have to read the book to find out what it is!!
I loved the multiple POVs as well as the division between locals versus tourists visiting this area. One thing I love about Tessa’s writing is that she always blends compelling drama with rich storytelling.
While this book is a mystery, there is also a focus on family drama and I love the way that ran parallel to the crime being investigated. We see how the choices we make not only affect ourselves but those close to us.
I’m excited to see how this series develops from here. Will it continue to focus on the same family or will we become closely acquainted with a new one with each new book?
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