Review | A Harvest of Bones by Yasmine Galenorn

A haunting mystery with a healthy dose of romance and a liberal dash of the supernatural, A Harvest of Bones will satisfy fans of almost any genre. Though it’s the fourth in Yasmine Galenorn’s Chintz ‘n’ China Mystery Series, familiarity with the previous novels isn’t necessary.

A Harvest of Bones
By Yasmine Galenorn
Mass Market Paperback – 277 page
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Published: 2005

I could try to summarize the premise of A Harvest of Bones in my own words, but the cover blurb probably does it better.

It’s harvest time in Chiqetaw, Washington; Emerald O’Brien’s favorite season. But this year, nature yields a most supernatural bounty. When Em and her sweetie, Joe, stumble over a bramble-covered foundation that has remained hidden for fifty years in the lot next door, strange events begin to occur. The cat vanishes. Will o’ the Wisps threaten to harm Emerald and her loved ones. And the ghost of a woman named Brigit and her beloved calico make themselves at home in the backyard. Now it’s up to Em and her friends to delve into the past, reveal the secrets of the dead and lay them to rest as they ring in the autumn with a harvest of bones.

Right from the outset, it’s obvious this isn’t your traditional mystery. Ghosts, vanishing cats, and strange glowing orbs lend an eerie tone to the pages of Bones. Emerald O’Brien, a practicing Witch, is more than up to these challenges. It’s refreshing to meet a main character who isn’t merely an occasional Pagan, more than willing to practice magical rites to banish the bad guys but subsequently reverting either to an amorphous agnosticism or even to a Monotheistic religion. Instead, Emerald’s magical background is for her a way of life. In this respect, it’s almost possible to regard A Harvest of Bones as a piece of religious fiction, though certainly not in any didactic or dogmatic sense of the word.

Although it’s not your traditional mystery, A Harvest of Bones features all the highlights of good mystery: a murder, a widening cast of characters and possible suspects, at least one red herring, and, most importantly, superb plotting. Structure is important in all modes of fiction, of course, but plotting seems especially important in mystery novels. From beginning to end, Bones is paced perfectly. No sooner than I’d feel the novel beginning to flag than some new twist or development would come hurtling out of left field to propel the story forward.

A Harvest of Bones also benefits from a whole lot of heart. Emerald O’Brien, her two children Miranda and Kip, her boyfriend Joe, and her circle of close friends form a tight-knit family, and it’s a pleasure to spend time with them even when they’re just sitting down for tea.

While A Harvest of Bones doesn’t present the all-out supernatural action of Galenorn’s Otherworld series, but the book is still marked by her unique flair for storytelling. Ultimately, it’s a book about love, honesty, forgiveness, and healing, and these emotional developments come to a satisfying resolution at the novel’s close. Who can say no to that?