Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh

February 22nd, 2021 Kimberly Review 19 Comments

22nd Feb
Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh
Quiet in Her Bones
by Nalini Singh
Narrator: Raj Varma
Length: 11 hours and 37 minutes
Genres: Thriller, Mystery
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.3x

In this gripping thriller set in New Zealand, New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes you into the twisted world of an exclusive cul-de-sac located on the edge of a sprawling forest.

My mother vanished ten years ago.
So did a quarter of a million dollars in cash.
Thief. Bitch. Criminal.
Now, she's back.
Her bones clothed in scarlet silk.

When socialite Nina Rai disappeared without a trace, everyone wrote it off as another trophy wife tired of her wealthy husband.

But now her bones have turned up in the shadowed green of the forest that surrounds her elite neighborhood, a haven of privilege and secrets that’s housed the same influential families for decades.

The rich live here, along with those whose job it is to make their lives easier. And somebody knows what happened to Nina one rainy night ten years ago.

Her son Aarav heard a chilling scream that night, and he’s determined to uncover the ugly truth that lives beneath the moneyed elegance…but no one is ready for the murderous secrets about to crawl out of the dark.

Even the dead aren’t allowed to break the rules in this cul-de-sac.

thriller MURDERMYSTERY Standalone well written

Last year best selling paranormal author Nalini Singh impressed me with her riveting mystery A Madness of Sunshine. But could she pull it off again? Indeed, she did with her newest thriller, Quiet in Her Bones, narrated by Raj Varma.

An unreliable narrator, a decade old mystery and a cul-de-sac full of suspects, held me captive. It takes a seasoned mystery writer to keep me guessing as to the murderer, and Singh did just that. I felt certain I had this solved, but Singh manged to surprise me.

Laced in the Hindu culture where reputation and appearance is everything we meet Aarav whose family lives in a privilege neighborhood. Their home is nestled in a quiet cul-de-sac that backs up to the woods. It’s a place where the neighbors exchange greetings and keep secrets.

One evening the police arrive and inform Aarav & his Dad that they have found his mother. She is still wearing the clothes she left in and didn’t make it any further than the forest surrounding their neighborhood.

Determined to discover what happened, Aarav interviews neighbors, begins digging into their financials and even questioning his father, but things are off with Aarav. He is taking his meds properly and is having migraines. He even loses time.

I love an unreliable narrator, and the author pulled me right in with Aarav. He is smart, angry and a bit cocky. He also feels at times he is losing control or coming unhinged. He also has memory issues which makes the listener question his thought process and perhaps even wonder if he knows more about what really happened.

Raj Varma narrates, and he brought this tale to life from his rich accent to the questioning, unsure tone he gave Aarav. He provided voices for secondary characters and enhanced the telling. I highly recommend listening as the story lends itself perfectly to this format.

Nalini Singh delivered an impressive, engaging and realistic murder-mystery with rich characters and culture. She pulled me in and kept me guessing. I cannot wait for her next mystery.

With its quaint setting & an unreliable narrator Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh kept me engaged as we tried to solve a decade old murder mystery. #audiobook #RajVarma #NewRelease Click To Tweet
Photo of kimbacaffeinate
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

19 Responses to “Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh”

  1. Carla

    This sounds like a good one, Kimberly. I will have to add it to my wishlist.

  2. Lorna

    Just skimmed because I knew I was going to listen already. I used your link and just bought it. Thanks!

  3. Katherine

    Singh has been on my TBR list for ages but her books always were a little bit too paranormal to convince me 100% but this one sounds right up my alley! Adding to my TBR!

  4. Kathryn Trask

    Hmm I listened to the selection of audio and was trying to figure if Raj Varma has an NZ accent or a gentle Melbourne Australian accent so I had to look him up! NZ living in the USA. I am on the fence about this one, its a maybe.

  5. ShootingStarsMag

    I’ve actually never read anything by this author but I have Quiet In Her Bones on my wish list. I’m glad to hear it was a really well done mystery.

    -Lauren

  6. Joyousreads

    I don’t mind unreliable narrators sometimes, provided they were written well. And I think Nalini Singh’s rep proceeds her, so no worries there. I also love the setting — I don’t think I’ve read any books that set in New Zealand.

    Lovely review, Kimberly!

  7. Nadene

    I still have not read any of her books as yet. It seems I am missing out. Will definitely add this to my wishlist. Great review, Kim.