#Book Review #The Lost Bones (Widow Island 8) by Kendra Elliot @Montlake

When former FBI agent Cate Wilde moves back to Widow’s Island, she envisions a simpler life than the one she had in law enforcement. But Cate’s past has a habit of catching up with her. When she receives a mysterious package containing a child’s mandible, she finds herself thrust back into action.

The mandible leads Cate to an unsolved case she worked seven years ago—the kidnapping of a three-year-old girl. At the time, Cate suspected the girl was kidnapped by her overprotective father. But after they both vanished, the case went cold.

At the urging of the girl’s mother, Cate dives back into the case and learns her prime suspect may still be a threat. Armed with new clues and a fresh perspective, Cate must confront the possibility that the kidnapper is poised to strike again. But can she save his new child from the same fate before it’s too late?

Widow Island Series:

1 Close to the Bone
​2 A Bone to Pick
3 Whisper of Bones
​4 Bred in the Bone
5 Below the Bones
​6 A Broken Bone
​7 Buried Bones
​8 The Lost Bones

My thoughts:

The eighth novella in Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh’s Widow Island series is told from the point of view of Cate Wilde, a former FBI agent who left her dangerous and highly stressful, albeit intellectually stimulating, job to become a baker/bookstore owner. Cate is also Tessa Black’s (the protagonist of the previous novella) best friend and Logan’s (Tessa’s fiance) sister. 

If you are a newcomer to the series, you will appreciate the way the author provides re-cap details making sure you are introduced to the recurring characters and the developments in their lives. We find out why Cate decided to leave her FBI job and how happy she is with her fiance Dr Henry Powers, the only doctor (and coroner) on the island.  Then a mysterious package is delivered to Cate’s bakery and Cate can’t help but get involved in an old child kidnapping case. This time there is very little doubt that the girl didn’t survive and somebody, perhaps another woman in a similar situation to little Jade’s mother, is asking for help. Jade’s father Rich has never been found, but he always prefered to live off the grid. Can Cate bring the closure to Jade’s grieving mother and find the fugitive before he can destroy more lives?

This short novella was absolutely action-packed. The pace was excellent- with slower moments that show the important relationships in Cate’s life- fiance, girlfriends, grandmother, neighbours and super fast, nail-biting race to catch the kidnapper and save lives in the end.

I really enjoyed getting to know more about the island and how it got its name.
It was also great to see how the stories from the two authors (Melinda Leigh wrote books 2,3, 6, and 7, Kendra Elliot -1,4,5, and 8) seem to merge seemlessly.

Can’t wait to read the continuation of Tessa and Cate’s stories in future books.

 Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.