Bone Maker: Will Finch Mystery Thriller Series, Book 1
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Bone Maker: Will Finch Mystery Thriller Series, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

D. F. Bailey (Author, Publisher), Conner Goff (Narrator)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,853 ratings
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A death in the wilderness. A woman mourns alone. A reporter works a single lead.

Following a family tragedy that has broken his spirit, crime reporter Will Finch returns to his news desk in San Francisco eager to reboot his career and renew his lease on life.

When he's assigned to cover the grisly death of a witness to a multi-million dollar bitcoin fraud, Finch discovers some troubling complications: A Mercedes-Benz abandoned in the wilderness. A wounded bear. A cop who rules a remote town with an iron fist. And the witness's fiancée - a US senator's daughter - knows there's something mysterious about her lover's death. But what?

If you have an appetite for organized crime series, you'll love this new crime trilogy. Add a slice of noir novels, the juice of steamy PI mysteries, the zest of a financial thriller series. Soon you'll be stewing in this new technothriller trilogy - and begging for more.

Inspired by true events, Bone Maker is the first thriller in this series of noir crime novels - a crime trilogy that races from coastal Oregon to San Francisco, Moscow, Honolulu and Washington DC. It intersects the worlds of international finance, cryptocurrency software algorithms, and corruption that reaches from the US Senate to Turk Street in the Tenderloin District.

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  1. Listening Length
    5 hours and 35 minutes
  2. Author
    D. F. Bailey
  3. Narrator
    Conner Goff
  4. Audible release date
    March 2, 2018
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    D. F. Bailey
  7. ASIN
    B07B4LVHJ9
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 5 hours and 35 minutes
Author D. F. Bailey
Narrator Conner Goff
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date March 02, 2018
Publisher D. F. Bailey
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07B4LVHJ9
Best Sellers Rank #238,613 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#424 in Noir Fiction
#14,782 in Suspense (Audible Books & Originals)
#53,376 in Suspense Thrillers

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
2,853 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Tony Parsons
5.0 out of 5 stars A very awesome book cover
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2016
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Astoria, Oregon. Ethan Argyle (husband/father, Astoria HS teacher) & Ben Argyle (17, son, Astoria HS student) were out hunting in the wilderness & low/behold there was a big Black Bear looking at them.
The 2 took were by an abandoned Mercedes Benz GLK.
BANG!
Will Finch (SF eXpress, crime reporter, Berkley, journalism, retired US Army, public affairs) arrived in Astoria & was staying at the Prest Motel.
Sheriff Mark Gruman (retired military, aka Bone Maker) & Will met at the Three Cups Coffee House.

Raymond “Ray” Toeplitz (PhD, mathematics, W, W & J; CFO) were the remains that were found in the Mercedes.
Will’s next contact was Bob Wriggly (60+, towing co./storage) & Dr. Jennie Lee (30, Clatsop County ME, MD, forensic pathologist).
Last stop Ethan Argyle.
Cannon Beach. Will went to visit with Jennifer Whitelaw (widowed wife/mother).
What bizarre news did Manfred Dilkes (autopsy tech intern, OSU) & Jennie have to tell Will? D The Osprey’s Nest crew brought in a body of a young boy (17).

It was Donnel Smeardon (18, Astoria HS student, drug dealer) he had drowned.
What did Sheriff Gruman want to talk with Ethan & Millie Argyle (wife/mother, nee Pitt OSU), about?

Will the murder mysteries be solved & someone brought to justice?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who-dun-it murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great mystery movie, or mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Catchword Publishing; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Book.
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
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Aaron C. Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars A great crime novella with the set up of a novel and the resolution of a short story
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2016
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I have not read the  second  and  third  books in this "crime trilogy," I am reviewing this as a stand alone work. It is beautifully written, with compelling major and minor characters who develop in satisfying ways. It has a great set-up with intriguing original ideas and wonderful local color. But it rates only four stars because it is unbalanced. It has the foundation, backstory and plot set-up of a novel, but only resolves a short story worth of those elements. It has the length of a novella, but it is not a self-contained episode of a larger story. On the other hand, it's too self-contained to be Act I of a three act drama.

I'm not criticizing the book for having an unusual format, I'm saying that it is somewhat unsatisfying to read. The author is a real novelist, and he creates some compelling threads. The protagonist has an intense personal history embedded in profound changes in both the business and meaning of journalism. This is not the throwaway, "they killed my wife so I'm out for revenge," or "corporate greedheads are destroying my profession but I'll prove them wrong," of lesser thrillers; it's thoughtful, deep and sincere; it makes you think and care. But this book only describes a step or two of the protagonist's development. There are other strong threads as well: financial technology, entrenched corruption masquerading as sunny virtue, secret war horrors, nature with both a beautiful and a corrupting face. A lot of pages and reader involvement are demanded to introduce these ideas, but they are left dangling.

One of the major plot threads is resolved in this book, but too abruptly for a satisfying mystery novella. The story builds smoothly for most of the book, but then a rapid cascade of events ties up one major subplot completely. The book does not end there, however, there are a few more chapters to set up some of the future action of subsequent books.

The reader is left with the annoying feeling of having invested too much time, curiosity and empathy for a partial resolution. But it also doesn't feel like having read one third of a long novel, because the parts that were resolved were resolved too completely. A novel would not spend the first third of its pages resolving only one plot thread while setting up all the others, there would be more balance with some threads only alluded to, some partially developed and some mostly resolved.

The closest comparison I can make is a television series in which each episode has three plot lines, one resolved in the episode, one set up in one episode and resolved in the next, and one that is maintained for the entire season. A more complementary analogy is some of  Charles Dickens'  early serial novels. The format makes economic sense because each portion can be read on its own, but each one sets up an incentive to purchase the next one, and after that the reader may be hooked for the entire bundle. Unfortunately it rarely makes for great literature, even Dickens struggled with its limitations.

My guess is the author is experimenting. He seems to have written the equivalent of about two novels, but split them into three parts. The first is given away free, the next two sold for $2.99 each. That allows readers to try it out with no monetary risk. I can see the appeal of this for a great writer who is not a commercial powerhouse. A lot of readers might try the free book, and they will generally be impressed with the characters, plot and writing; moreover they will be motivated to get the next two books. Perhaps this is the future of novels in the electronic age, the replacement for traditional publishing and reviews as gatekeepers. On that basis, I applaud the attempt, and will be interested to see how it works out. But it does come at some cost to the literary quality.

Overall, I recommend you try this book as the author is a great talent, and the story and characters are compelling.
6 people found this helpful
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Christmas Angel
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Intense
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024
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A blockbuster book, a heart-wrenching story, a must read novel. Highly Recommended.
3 people found this helpful
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Humpy the Dumpy
4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to put down
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2023
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This book just kept getting better the further I got into it. The main character put the mystery puzzle together piece by piece until everything was uncovered. But there was still more exciting stuff, and a cliff hanger ended the book, making me want to read the next one. Very good read
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blueyed_cntry_girl
5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2023
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If you want to start at the very beginning you should read The Bank Investigator, Finch Confidential and then Five Knives. This was the first book I read but I went back to read the others. You can get all three free by signing up for his newsletter.

This was a very realistic storyline and characters. Very believable characters to include the 17 year old son. It’s one of those books that you just can’t put down. You start it and you’re on the edge of your seat at times wondering what’s next. Oh OH NO ! I believe the writing style making you FEEL like you’re in the story is why you’re like that. You want to be deputized and do your own investigation. I will keep reading on…LOVE IT !
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Top reviews from other countries

Marc Pearson
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book read in two days
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 4, 2024
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Great book, gripped and beautifully written
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Jacqueline Sidwell
5.0 out of 5 stars Great series. This is book 1, but there is one before it, Five Knives. Also a great read
Reviewed in France on February 2, 2022
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I realised at the start that this is a series. If the reader wishes to get properly involved, on DF Bailey's website there is a PDF of Finch Confidential, showing the state of Will Finch before he returned to his job as a reporter for the newspaper he worked for before his tour of Iraq. The first book, Five Knives is not book 1, so I think it's a kind of preparation for the series. I loved this book, with it's very real and believable characters and circumstances, cunning plot turns and, what seems like an end, in fact turns into a continuation that leads neatly into the next book, Stone Eater. I can't wait to continue reading Will Finch's exploits!
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Corrupt cops run the Show
Reviewed in Germany on February 18, 2020
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Really liked the start with thd bear attack, took the story in a good direction from the start. Great interaction with the main protaganists.
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Walter Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly satisfying read
Reviewed in Canada on August 2, 2017
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First-rate storytelling. This is the first of four Will Finch novels. I plan on purchasing all of them.
Investigative journalists, a small town, some very interesting forensic science, (including a necropsy on a large bear), a whistle-blower, and a wealthy family with a lot to lose – Just stir the ingredients, add a little heat, and serve.
All of the characters are interesting and diverse. Perhaps, to me, that is the most important element in a good story. And at the end, there is a thirst for more, which, perhaps, is the second of the most important elements.
Usually, at this stage of a review, there is the “Writes like…” addition to whet the appetite of readers who have a good idea of what they like, and want more. One of these days, solid and reliable writers will be classified as “Writes like D. F. Bailey”.
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Moses
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't poke the bear!
Reviewed in Australia on April 1, 2024
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Commencing with a hungry bear, a father and son out hunting in the wild country of Oregon, are confronted by a macabre situation when they come across an abandoned motor vehicle and a black bear eating the body of a human, apparently from the vehicle. So, the story takes off when Will Finch, an investigative reporter in the digital media is tasked to follow up the story of a key prosecution witness eaten by a bear, and he finds a plethora of situations as the many twists and turns in this story unfold. The local Sherriff thinks this a case of misadventure, but the local medical examiner is not so sure and piece by piece, Finch is able to piece together a possible scenario, leading to him confronting the possible villain behind the whole situation.
The story is fast and furious with plenty of action and this makes for a gripping read from start to finish..
Moses
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