The Bone Queen by Will Shindler is a horror-thriller that takes place on the island of Athelsea, off the coast of Cornwall. Jenna arrives with her sister in tow, to search for Jenna’s 16 year old daughter, Chloe.
The Bone Queen is told in third person from multiple points of view, and from multiple timelines. Mostly we seen Jenna’s point of view in the present as she looks for her missing daughter Chloe, and Chloe’s point of view in the days leading up to her disappearance.
From the time Jenna arrives in the village of Ravensgate on Athelsea, it feels like there is something off. Soon it becomes clear that the residents, at least some of them, are hiding something and the reader is left to wonder what it has to do with the current disappearance and the legend of the Bone Queen which pervades the area.
There was one surprising twist in the story that I wasn’t expecting, I won’t mention what it was, or at what point in the book it occurred, since I don’t want to spoil it, but it made me go back and review the parts of the book I had already read to see if there were clues I had missed.
I really enjoyed the book the only thing I didn’t really like was the climax on the island, it felt like it wrapped up a bit too quickly and easily. I did like the ambiguity of the final ending interesting and feel like it leaves the story open for a possible sequel at some point.
I would recommend this book to lovers of horror with supernatural elements, like Darcy Coates, and with some violence and gore, but not over the top, more along the lines of what you might read in a detective thriller. I would not hesitate to read another horror by this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Bone Queen will be available on February 3 2026.
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