ARC Reviews: The Bones of the Story, Dead Mountain, and With a Kiss We Die

 I received ARCs of these books from the publishers in exchange for honest reviews. This did not affect my opinions of the books or my reviews themselves. 

The Bones of the Story by Carol Goodman 

A select group of alumni are dying on a snowbound campus, in the manner of scary stories they once wrote as part of an exclusive writing class. Could this have a connection to a past tragedy?

I really enjoyed this book. I love love love the premise, and Goodman delivers on it. I did find myself more interested in the Now sections than the Then sections, but I think that’s because there was so much suspense in the Now. I definitely recommend this book. 

Dead Mountain by Preston & Child

(Thanks to Novel Suspects for the ARC!)

I was immediately drawn to this book because of the similarities between the plot and the true story of Dylatov Pass (one of the authors even wrote an excellent article about the subject for the New Yorker). In the book, nine hikers were so terrified by something they saw that they slashed their way out of their tent into below freezing temperatures, and died in mysterious ways. Three bodies were never found. The mystery was never solved.

Enter FBI Agent Corrie Swanson and archaeologist Nora Kelly. Two of the three missing bodies have been found, and they are on the case. 

I really enjoyed this book, especially as someone fascinated by the Dylatov Pass Incident. I loved seeing a fictionalized take on it, and the authors’ solution. The book had a lot of suspense and surprises, and I would recommend this read. 

With a Kiss We Die by L.R. Dorn

A young couple are suspected of murdering the man’s parents. They decide to have an investigative journalist podcaster embed with them while they wait to see if they are going to be arrested, believing this will give them the chance to tell their side of the story. 

The entire book is told in podcast form, which works so well on the page (I bet this also makes an incredible audiobook). There is so much suspense, and such amazing twists and turns. I love the way Dorn plays with the concept of a narrator and how each narrator chooses to tell their story. I would absolutely recommend this book, and can’t wait to see what Dorn does next.