The second review of the day couldn’t be any further from the romantic, Summer at Ice Cream Café by Jo Thomas if it tried. Instead of a romance that warms the heart, The Bone House is a creepy thriller that promised to chills it and make you leave the light on.
This is the third book in the Slayton series by Caroline Mitchell and after reading the previous ones, Willow and Amber couldn’t wait to read it when it arrived at the Emporium, courtesy of Compulsive Readers so they could give their honest opinion.
Scroll down to see if it scared them as they expected.
Book Review: The Bone House by Caroline Mitchell

Title: The Bone House
Author: Caroline Mitchell
Publisher: Embla
Genre: Thriller with paranormal edge
Release date: 25th April 2023
Blurb
When hundreds of birds fall from the sky into Slayton’s lake in a terrifying freak event, the waters are dredged – revealing a dark, long-held secret.
An old pram is pulled from the depths, with the bones of a baby still strapped inside.
It’s the moment that new mother, Cora, has been dreading since she moved to Slayton – because someone knows, and is going to make her pay.
With the help of forensic anthropologist Sophia Hudson, and the extraordinary young Elliott Carter, Detective Sarah Noble gets to the bottom of a cold case that refuses to stay in the past. Will she survive the secrets of the bone house?
Don’t miss this gripping new thriller from bestselling author Caroline Mitchell, that will have your heart pounding as you say ‘just one more page!’. Perfect for fans of Cara Hunter, Alex North and Stephen King.
Thoughts from the Emporium
Slayton is a village with sinister undercurrents making it a place neither witches would want to live but are addicted to reading about at a safe distance. The strong sense of place and grounded dark atmosphere always provides the foundation for the multiple layers of fear added when the police investigation begins and secrets are uncovered. The previous novel The Night Whispers gave both witches nightmares and with some cinematic scenes this was just as creepy; Caroline Mitchell excels at giving the reader just enough information for their own imaginations to kick in and create their own fear. It was impossible to put down at night. One more chapter just wasn’t enough because they needed to know the conclusion before they could think about sleep.
The Bone House could easily be read as a standalone but it did revisit characters from the previous novels, namely Sarah, Elsie, Maggie, and young Elliot who has been mastering his own unique skills. Unlike some series not knowing their full backstory to this point doesn’t hold back any of the enjoyment.
Discovering a baby’s body was always going to be unnerving but with a terrifying poem muttered throughout and snippets from the events in the bone room, it was a tense read. Bookshop owner Cora invoked sympathy but it was difficult to know who to trust when facts were revealed in this unexpected twisty case.
The Bone House is a strong example of Caroline Mitchell’s talent for blending unnerving paranormal elements with a twisty crime thriller. Gripping and chilling with characters you begin to care for this is a series those at the Emporium highly recommend and is a hit on the Enchanted Emporium bookshelf. Caroline Mitchell has become one of those authors that as soon as a new release is announced, it is eagerly anticipated and added to the TBR list.
Author Biography
New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post and International #1 Bestselling Author. Shortlisted by the International Thriller Awards for best ebook 2017, the Killer Nashville Best Police Procedural 2018 and the Audie awards 2022. Over 1.5 million books sold.
Caroline originates from Ireland and now lives in a village outside the city of Lincoln. A former police detective, she has worked in CID and specialised in roles dealing with vulnerable victims, high-risk victims of domestic abuse, and serious sexual offences. She now writes full time.
Caroline writes psychological and crime thrillers. Her stand alone thriller Silent Victim reached No.1 in the Amazon charts in the UK, USA and Australia and was the winner of the Reader’s Favourite Awards in the psychological thriller category. It has been described as ‘brilliantly gripping and deliciously creepy’.
The first in her Amy Winter series, Truth And Lies, has been optioned for TV.
