Saturday 7 November 2020

Book Review: The Silence of Bones by June Hur (YA Historical Mystery)

Title: The Silence of Bones
Author: June Hur
Publisher: Feiwel Friends
Publication Date: 2020
Pages:
336
Format:
eBook - EPUB
Genre: YA Historical Mystery
Source: Borrowed from the Library

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly. 

 

Since I am into all things Korean at present, I was keen to read The Silence of Bones. Overall, it was an enjoyable and entertaining story, and the setting and cultural aspects came across well. I did feel the tale stagnated slightly around the halfway mark, and I started to skim faster through the pages, but it picked up again in time for the conclusion. Seol was a well-drawn character, and I especially enjoyed her interactions with Inspector Han. The mystery elements were also well plotted, with some nice twists and turns along the way. For me, this is a 3.5 star-read. Worth checking out if you are looking for YA mysteries, historical mysteries and/or Korea-based tales.

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