I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski Published by Datura on March 11 2025
Genres: Adult, Crime, Mystery
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Source: Author
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The nitty-gritty: The detective story meets the gritty streets of Los Angeles in this thrilling, fast-paced and laugh-out-loud story.
I had a lot of fun with the last Nick Kolakowski book I read (Absolute Unit), so I wasn’t surprised that Where the Bones Lie was a blast to read as well. PI/crime/detective novels aren’t my usual go-to, so it was nice to venture into a different genre for a change. Nick’s writing is top-notch, and I flew through this book in only a couple of days. If you enjoy twisty, action-packed stories with great characters and lots of humor, then grab this book right away!
Dash Fuller used to work in the entertainment industry—but it’s not what you think. He was a “fixer” for famous actors and other Hollywood glitterati, taking care of messy problems that needed discretion. It was a lucrative—if sometimes dangerous—career, that is until things went terribly sideways on one job and Dash decided to get out of the business.
But one day he’s contacted by his old boss Manny, who needs his help. A famous actor has gone missing, and Manny wants Dash to find him. Dash succeeds, but in the process of investigating, he winds up at Huell House, the scene of his last, terrible job. Later, he gets a text from a woman who needs his help. Madeline Ironwood’s father disappeared years ago, and now his remains have turned up in a barrel in a dry lakebed. Madeline wants Dash to help her uncover his murderer so she can get closure—and maybe even payback.
Dash agrees to help, and he and Madeline set off on a high octane road trip in Madeline’s vintage Mustang, following clues that lead them from the seedy streets of Los Angeles to a swanky winery north of the city. As the two get closer to the truth, weird connections between Dash’s past career and what happened to Ken Ironwood start to emerge. Soon Dash and Madeline are not only looking for answers, they’re trying to stay alive.
Readers who love action-heavy crime stories will enjoy this a lot—think guns, murder, blowing stuff up and drugs—but that’s not all Kolakowski is good at. The characters are well drawn and nuanced, and the dialog is hysterical and skews heavily on the side of black humor. Dash is tormented by what happened on his last job for Manny and takes Madeline’s job as a way to make amends. Madeline seems like the opposite of Dash. She’s impulsive, drives too fast and jumps into trouble without looking first. And yet these two were great together. Luckily there’s no romance between Dash and Madeline. Instead they have that “buddy movie” friendship that I find much more interesting.
As a native Southern Californian, I’m always interested to see how authors portray the city, and I think Kolakowski did a very good job. He did make up some names, which I don’t think was necessary (Dash and Madeline head north to the city of “San Douglas” where Ken’s remains were found, for example). But I did like the grittiness of the tale, as it revolves around some very unsavory and shady goings on. There’s a crime noir feel, and Dash has the demeanor of a grizzled PI who needs a stiff drink to make it through the day. And I have to mention that brush fires play a part in the story, and they do add a lot of tension, although maybe too much tension if you live in California right now, due to the recent fires the state suffered.
The story is full of interesting twists, especially near the end. There’s quite a lot going on in Where the Bones Lie, but Kowlakowski manages to wrangle all his characters and story threads into a highly entertaining story. Some of the action near the end was a bit over-the-top for my taste, but action junkies won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended!
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
Venturing into a different genre can be great fun
I found this recently when I read A Novel Love Story, so far away from my usual choice and now I want more.
This one sounds really interesting. My ventures into crime have mostly been of the cosy variety so I think this would be a change for me too. Glad it worked so well for you.
This wasn’t cozy at all, but it was funny:-)
It’s always fun to see readers who are from around the same area and see if authors portray it well. Obviously, living in Belgium and Antwerp in particular, I never really read a book like that set where I live. But I’m glad it seems like this author did a good job at it, even if some names were made up. I don’t read a lot of PI/crime/detective novels myself but two of my favorite books are in the crime genre so I wouldn’t say no to this one!
Los Angeles is a popular setting, and it’s hard not to judge how authors interpret it!
I am glad you enjoyed this one so much! And obviously now I have to add this on my TBR because you’re just that bad!!
Ha ha sorry not sorry:-)
I hadn’t heard of this one but it’s a genre I read quite a lot. Great review!
Anne – Books of My Heart
You would probably enjoy it!
This sounds like a lot of fun!
It was, I need more books like this:-)
I do love a book that makes you laugh out loud!
It was very funny, and his writing is really good:-)
Awesome to see you switch between genres every so often. It can be refreshing, right?
I’m always glad when I switch genres, it’s almost like a reset:-)
Glad you liked this one too!
It was fun, and it came at the time I needed some fun.
Sound like a fun read. I am weary with books that have multiple twist since the last one I read was the author thinking he was so cleaver.
This had just the right amount of twists:-)
I expected horror based on the cover but I got a crime with laugh out loud moments! I might be tempted Tammy!
It was really good, and so well written:-)