HomeCrime FictionShatter the bones

Cover of Shatter the bones

Crime Fiction · 2011 · R

Shatter the bones

by Stuart MacBride

Contestants go missing from a TV talent show. The ransom demands begin.

For17+GenreCrime FictionLength392 pagesRead time~10 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

A lot

Kidnapping and violence; some deaths and physical danger throughout

Language

A lot

Strong language; MacBride's signature dark register

Sexual Content

Barely any

No explicit content

Substance Use

Barely any

Moderate drinking in a police environment

Emotional Intensity

A lot

Celebrity culture as a machine that consumes ordinary people, the media pressure on police investigations, a detective managing the gap between performance and reality

What this book is about

The seventh Logan McRae novel. Aberdeen's biggest chance at national celebrity is destroyed when two contestants on a popular singing competition are kidnapped, and the kidnappers make demands. Logan is pulled between the publicity circus of the show and the grinding investigation of where the victims actually are. MacBride uses the talent show backdrop to skewer celebrity culture while delivering his characteristic Aberdeen darkness.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

kidnapping and violence

strong language throughout

dark crime fiction

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