THE BONES OF AMORET
by
by
ARTHUR HERBERT
Genre: Mystery /Suspense
Publisher: Stitched Smile Publications
Date of Publication: April 1, 2022
Number of Pages: 323 pages
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In this enigmatic follow up to his critically acclaimed debut novel The Cuts that Cure, Arthur Herbert returns to the Texas-Mexico border with this saga of a small town’s bloody loss of innocence.
Amoret, Texas, 1982. Life along the border is harsh, but in a world where cultures work together to carve a living from the desert landscape, Blaine Beckett lives a life of isolation. A transplanted Boston intellectual, for twenty years locals have viewed him as a snob, a misanthrope, an outsider. He seems content to stand apart until one night when he vanishes into thin air amid signs of foul play.
Noah Grady, the town doctor, is a charming and popular good ol’ boy. He’s also a keeper of secrets, both the town’s and his own. He watches from afar as the mystery of Blaine’s disappearance unravels and rumors fly. Were the incipient cartels responsible? Was it a local with a grudge? Or did Blaine himself orchestrate his own disappearance? Then the unthinkable happens, and Noah begins to realize he’s considered a suspect.
Paced like a lit fuse and full of dizzying plot twists, The Bones of Amoret is a riveting whodunit that will keep you guessing all the way to its shocking conclusion.
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Set in 1982, THE BONES OF AMORET is a suspenseful story of the small town of Amoret, TX, and the characters that inhabit that town. Doc Grady, the main character of the novel, is the town’s doctor. He serves the people of this border town in more ways than one.
Right from the beginning of reading THE BONES OF AMORET, I was struck by the first-person narrative. The novel is told in conversation between Doc Grady and an unidentified reporter or author forty years after the events in question took place. This was a great choice in writing style by Mr. Herbert. I imagined ol’ Doc Grady sitting on his porch, rocking away, sipping whiskey, gazing into the past, and telling his story. This style also allowed for some hindsight from the narrator showing how medicine and the town of Amoret has progressed since 1982. I did read the e-book, but also suspect the conversational tone of the novel would make a great audio book.
While most of the novel is serious, I welcomed the brief respites of occasional levity. From Lola by the Kinks on the jukebox (for Lola the bartender) to Doc Grady’s dad jokes, I found myself chuckling on more than one occasion while reading.
Mr. Herbert’s writing is visually descriptive. I felt immersed in the town of Amoret and Doc Grady’s story. Aspects which stood out include the barren details of the desert landscape, the conditions of the patients at the clinic or hospital, and the brutality of the different crime scenes. Sentences like this really pulled me into the story:
“Events were picking up momentum, like a crested roller coaster feeling the first pull of gravity.”
I can feel my heartrate speeding up just thinking about the momentum!
The characters in THE BONES OF AMORET are three-dimensional and realistic. From main to secondary characters. each has a distinct personality and motivation. Doc Grady makes decisions which might be of questionable legality; but he believes those decisions are not of questionable morality. I appreciated how the sheriff and his team, while working in a small town, aren’t treated by the other characters in town (or by the author!) as small-town bumpkins. They are capable and good men.
The mystery of Blaine Beckett’s disappearance drives the plot of the novel. There are various suspects, investigations, and theories. From the description of the novel, I was expecting more involvement from Doc Grady in solving the crime. But in reality, the sheriff and his team have the investigation well in hand. And Grady has a lot of other plates to keep spinning, including his medical practice and homelife.
While the whole story reads at a good pace, the ending seemed rushed and not necessarily implausible, but somewhat difficult to believe. I don’t know that I would change the ending per se, but I was left wanting more. Maybe I missed some of the big clues that would have made the ending more satisfactory. Or maybe I am missing ol’ Doc Grady’s storytelling. I certainly could have sat with him longer.
Overall, it’s Mr. Herbert’s writing that kept me interested in this story. I recommend THE BONES OF AMORET to readers interested in great writing, well-developed characters, and multiple mysteries.
Thanks to author Arthur Herbert and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing this opportunity to review THE BONES OF AMORET. I received the novel free in exchange for my honest review.
Arthur Herbert was born and raised in small town Texas. He worked on offshore oil rigs, as a bartender, a landscaper at a trailer park, and as a social worker before going to medical school. For the last eighteen years, he’s worked as a trauma and burn surgeon, operating on all ages of injured patients. He continues to run a thriving practice.
He’s won multiple awards for his scientific writing, and his first novel, The Cuts that Cure, spent ten days as an Amazon #1 Best Seller. His second novel, The Bones of Amoret, will be released on April 1, 2022 through Stitched Smile Publishers. Arthur currently lives in New Orleans, with his wife Amy and their dogs.
Arthur loves hearing from readers, so don’t hesitate to email him at arthur@arthurherbertwriter.com.
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What a wonderful review, Lynn. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this fabulous book!
Thanks, Jan!
It’s a great author that can sprinkle in the right amount of levity, at just the right times, to make a book click for readers and not feel overly heavy. Thanks for the review!
I agree, Kristine! Levity often makes a book for me. Thanks!