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BoneMan's Daughters

by Ted Dekker (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 5,586 ratings · 685 reviews

They call him BoneMan, a serial killer who's abducted six young women. He's the perfect father looking for the perfect daughter, and when his victims fail to meet his lofty expectations, he kills them by breaking their bones and leaving them to die.

Intelligence officer Ryan Evans, on the other hand, has lost all hope of ever being the perfect father. His daughter and wife...more

Paperback, 410 pages

Published March 3rd 2010 by Center Street (first published April 1st 2009)

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Apr 25, 2011 Tina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, christian, for-giveaway, suspense

Original post at One More Page

He is called BoneMan and he is a father in search for a perfect daughter. He takes innocent teen girls and tries to make them love him and when they fail to be the daughter he wants, he breaks their bones without breaking their skin. On the other side of the world, Ryan Evans thinks of himself as a failure of a father -- after an especially harrowing abduction in the Middle East, Ryan comes home only to find that his wife and daughter had written him out of their li...more Original post at One More Page

He is called BoneMan and he is a father in search for a perfect daughter. He takes innocent teen girls and tries to make them love him and when they fail to be the daughter he wants, he breaks their bones without breaking their skin. On the other side of the world, Ryan Evans thinks of himself as a failure of a father -- after an especially harrowing abduction in the Middle East, Ryan comes home only to find that his wife and daughter had written him out of their lives. Then the BoneMan abducts his daughter, Bethany, and Ryan goes after him. Instead of helping him, though, the FBI finds evidence that points to Ryan as the BoneMan, and he becomes a hunted man. Desperate, Ryan Evans set out to go through hell just to save his daughter.

I've been a fan of Ted Dekker since I read Thr3e , which I think is also one of the first books I reviewed on my old blog. I liked the fact that he wrote Christian suspense and back then, I was having a hard time looking for books with the same themes. I meant to read more of his books but he writes and comes out with new books faster than I can get my hands on them and read them. I've had BoneMan's Daughters for a while now but I never got around to reading it. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because I was concentrating more on YA and chick lit instead of suspense. I did kind of look forward to reading this, thinking that it would be nice to go back to Dekker's world.

True to form, BoneMan's Daughters has everything that Dekker offers in his other books. Not that it's repetitive, but it's exactly what you'd expect in a Dekker book. There's the psycho serial killer whose point of view we get a glimpse of every now and then, the father who would do everything to save his daughter, and the police who are willing to help but don't really know what to do. In a way, it's almost like reading a CSI episode -- I can easily imagine Mac Taylor/Gary Sinise as Ryan Evans. Dekker is also still very descriptive, but not too much that it gets gross -- just a tad disturbing, enough to make you look over your shoulder or wonder at the things that bump at night, or develop an aversion to Noxzema, in the case of BoneMan's Daughters . It's still very well-written and you know in the end that the good guys will still prevail.

That being said, however, I felt that this wasn't really at par with the other Dekker novels I've read. I thought some parts were a bit repetitive and I wanted to skim some parts that felt a little unimportant to me. The ending wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be, either -- and I felt that there wasn't much change in the characters as there should be. The Christian concept wasn't fully explored, too, IMHO, and you'd need to read the author's afterword to know why he wrote the novel (that story, I loved). As good as the details were done in the emotional and brutal scenes, the overall story kind of lacked. In the end, I was just happy I finished reading it, not because it was such a good story.

I'm kind of sad that this latest Dekker read is kind of disappointing compared to his other books that I really liked. I will still read his other books, of course, and I'm hoping one of them will be as good (or even better) as Thr3e or the Circle series.
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Apr 13, 2013 Janie Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-challenge, ted-dekker

All I can say is WOW! I knew when I decided to read this book, that I would be hooked, that the story would be intense and unforgettable. And reading it proved those theories to be correct.

I did not want the book to end, but at the same time I wanted justice to be served. I felt as though I could not turn the pages fast enough. A psychological thriller that definitely keeps the heart pumping with some pretty vivid scenes not to be easily forgotten.

Even though I am a Mom and not a Dad, I could f...more

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Mar 06, 2010 Kathrynn rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Intense Thrillers

Shelves: fiction-thriller, own, 2010, reviewed, theme-hero_hard_to_like, theme-serial_killer, theme-uniform, theme-fbi

Picked this up on a whim because I was in the mood for an intense thriller. I got that in spades in "BoneMan's Daughters." There is quite a bit of backstory building, but all of it became important, like piecing a puzzle together. Most of the story is set in and around Austin, Texas (2009/10); although, the beginning is in Iraq. How what happened in Iraq fell into place with what happened in the Austin, Texas area was great story weaving, imo.

The main character is Captain Ryan Evans, a Naval In...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Tammy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aborted, thriller, psycho-killers, e-reader

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 30 minutes after putting this book down, half-way through, I'm still annoyed. Badly written books don't bother me as much as well-written books that have preposterous plots, sloppy characters, and predictable or illogical plot devices. IMO, this book suffered from all of these flaws.

I enjoyed the chapters that took place in Iraq. The quality of the writing was readily evident and I felt the horror of the situation. I'll admit the end game of the torture seemed illogical to me, but what do I know...more 30 minutes after putting this book down, half-way through, I'm still annoyed. Badly written books don't bother me as much as well-written books that have preposterous plots, sloppy characters, and predictable or illogical plot devices. IMO, this book suffered from all of these flaws.

I enjoyed the chapters that took place in Iraq. The quality of the writing was readily evident and I felt the horror of the situation. I'll admit the end game of the torture seemed illogical to me, but what do I know about interrogations, intelligence, or torture?

However, the book took a nose-dive when the action returned to Texas. The serial killer is a caricature (who actually "puts the lotion on the skin"), the arrogant DA struts like a peacock, the bitchy mom is too whorish and self-centered, the daughter too "angsty," the Intelligence agent is shockingly stupid at times (no Jason Bourne that one). The most subtly drawn character was left behind in Iraq.

The other problem is the entire legal framework for the Boneman case. Convicted murderers are not exonerated because a judge on appeal had second thoughts about a single piece of evidence. Hell, even an inmate in Texas whose DNA doesn't match a rape kit, i.e. was conclusively excluded as a suspect through DNA testing, can struggle for years to be released from prison. And don't even get me started on the silliness surrounding an ex parte restraining order signed by a DA, who is personally involved, that somehow legally bars a man from having any contact with his teenage daughter, for months apparently. Being an attorney in Texas, this I know. Was Mr. Dekker under a deadline, was his editor locked up somewhere in the mountains Misery style, or did he simply not give a squat? Who knows? Maybe the guy in Iraq?

After the "frame-up" that anyone can see coming from a mile away (and the busted voice recorder, convenient trip to San Antonio that deprives the main character of any alibi, blah, blah, blah), I called "uncle" and hit delete on my e-reader.

I gave the book 2 stars rather than 1 star because maybe the ending redeemed the sorry excuse for a plot. I couldn't stick it out. It was like someone was breaking my bones with a sledge-hammer.(less)

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Apr 14, 2009 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Intelligence officer Ryan Evans has never been much of a husband to Celine or a father to his daughter, Bethany. In fact to avoid having to deal with Celine, Ryan volunteers for dangerous missions in far away counties. His latest mission has him gathering data in the Middle East. Ryan had called it a day and was travelling back to camp when the Humvee that he was riding in was attacked. Ryan gets knocked out. When Ryan awakes, he is in a room with a man by the name of Kahlid, who interrogates hi...more

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Mar 30, 2009 Smoore rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have long been a Dekker devotee. Ever since I got the Circle Trilogy for Christmas back in '04, I have had a lasting obsession with the works of this man. I have read all but a few of his books—many more than once—and have seen his writing mature from Blessed Child back in 2000 through the massive Books of History Chronicles until now. BoneMan's Daughters is by far the most developed, intricate, gripping story I have ever read.

A good book is one that when you set it down, you cannot tell if yo...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Terri Powers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The BoneMan’s Daughters, by Ted Dekker, is everything you look for in a Dekker novel; complex characters, life journeys in juxtaposition to one another, methods of torture so horrific that you wonder how the author sleeps at night. This story was no different.

It starts out with Ryan Evans, a navy commander temporarily on loan to an army joint-operational counterintelligence unit. Ryan is an analyst who uses advanced game theory, tactics, information on terrain, and percentages to view the world....more

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Jan 31, 2013 Stevedutch rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is far removed from being even average 'serial killer' fayre and it is a mystery as to what the author's motives were in writing it - over and above, of course, making a few bob. It begins interestingly enough with a naval intelligence officer on a routine mission in, supposedly, Iraq, being kidnapped by terrorists. He then has to watch innocent children having every bone in their bodies broken in revenge for the deaths of the innocent Iraqi children caught up in the conflict. It's all...more This book is far removed from being even average 'serial killer' fayre and it is a mystery as to what the author's motives were in writing it - over and above, of course, making a few bob. It begins interestingly enough with a naval intelligence officer on a routine mission in, supposedly, Iraq, being kidnapped by terrorists. He then has to watch innocent children having every bone in their bodies broken in revenge for the deaths of the innocent Iraqi children caught up in the conflict. It's all downhill from that point on.

Much is made of the cool calculating, highly trained Commander Evan's experience and skills and we are given a brief biography in which we learn that his service to his country has left him distanced from a wife and daughter making lives from themslves back home: lives that include, in the mother's case, sleeping with the local DA and, in the daughter's, beginning a modelling career. His traumatic experience causes him to reassess his life and Evans returns home with the intention of being reunited with his family and making up for all of the lost time. However, both his wife and daughter have other ideas and the gradual realization that he may have lost them, together with his recent experience in the Iraqi desert cause Evans to suffer an emotional breakdown.

Coincidentally, a serial killer christened the 'Boneman' by the press, who has been released due to a technicality concerning evidence presented at his trial, resumes his killing spree in Austin, Texas, home of Ryan's estranged family! I won't spell it out but you can probably guess what happens next! Okay, realistically, Evan's breakdown is understandable and we can accept that. What is not acceptable - it is fiction and supposed to be entertainment after all - is that this supposed cool, highly trained and skilled military man turns out to be a complete bumbling incompetent in the face of real and present danger.

Ultimately, the interweaving of the lives of each of the characters is carried out so mechanically and the characters drawn with such a lack of skill that the reader is without anyone with whom to empathize and this reader, at least, was hoping for the killer to succeed in polishing them all off in order to put them and me out of our misery!

When, mercifully, I came to the end I could barely restrain the urge to physically destroy the book but reasoned that, at least, the local charity shop might benefit from this utter garbage. (less)

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Jan 15, 2013 April Buff rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I use to be a huge fan of Ted Dekker and collected many of his books, but this author started to get increasingly worse in his writings. I was buying his books as soon as they came out, and likewise I got my hands on this one once it came out. This book was the final straw for me, and after reading this book, I no longer read from Dekker and got rid of all his books I had collected.

This book in particular I remember giving me nightmares, and I trembled in fear after reading about the antagonist...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: culture-united-states, fiction-mysteries, theme-christian

Ted Dekker has a way of writing that makes on forget that they are reading a christian book because of the story and puts a dash of religion in it. They bring in a priest to help out to get his idea on this case and really this is the most you read about it in this book.

This book started out giving me the feeling that it was an Anti-military and at points made me want to throw the book cause of it. I could not stand the way people treated the main guy who comes back after the war and just wanted...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Yosemite Aguilera rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For my October book, I read the book Bonemans Daughter. This book was about a family that was not close at all because the father of the family was a navel commander; one of the highest rank in the army. This meant that he was out of the country for most of the time. His wife was a busy woman who encouraged her daughter to model fot magazines. Their daughters name is Bethany Evans. She was a beautiful, attractive teenage who hated her father for never being there and leaving her for the army. Sh...more For my October book, I read the book Bonemans Daughter. This book was about a family that was not close at all because the father of the family was a navel commander; one of the highest rank in the army. This meant that he was out of the country for most of the time. His wife was a busy woman who encouraged her daughter to model fot magazines. Their daughters name is Bethany Evans. She was a beautiful, attractive teenage who hated her father for never being there and leaving her for the army. She was the head captain of her private school. One day after two years had passed that Ryan left to Pakistan something happened to him that turned his point of view of his real values and views of war. He was taken by a some terrorist when his unit was being attacked. He was soon locked in what looked like a basement. A man who claimed tobe called Khalid tortured him by breaking the bones of innocent children so that Ryan could see what his unit is doing to the families in Pakistan. This made Ryan think about his life in the United States. He soon escaped and was shipped back to Texas so he could recover from what had happened when he was captured. But it too late. His wife Celine wanted a divorce for she found a man who was with her while he was in the army. His name was Mr. Welsh. An attorney with great influence in Austin. Soon Ryan was then desperate to win back Bethany and to be giving a chance to be her father. Two weeks after Celine told Bethany that she was adopted when they both got into a fight. That night they never knew what would come next. In the state of Texas people, mostly girls were terrified by a murder known as BoneMan. He was known to capture young girls and when found all there bones were broken. A detective named Ricki Valentine has been trying to track him down for years. That night BoneMan broke into there house and took Bethany whohe thought would be his daughter. BoneMans real name was Alvin Flinch. His described with perfect skin but scary eyes. He likes to think about himself as Satan. He hates fathers and mothers because of his childhood. When he takes Bethany, Ryan soon tries to find his daughter but its difficult because the police believe that he is Boneman.

I recommend this book to young teens who love mystery books. In this book it makes you not only see one point of view but of the four main characters: Bethany,Ryan Evans, Alvin Flinch(BoneMan), and detective Ricki Valentine. It shows how much not being there for your daughter really does impact on their point of views and how they say they don't need a father but deep inside they do. All these main characters have conflict with themselves. In the book it also opens your eyes to see what fathers are capable of doing for their daughters and to reconquer their children. To let the children and teens see how a father doesn't give up. Ricki Valentine has her own conflicts; she has been working on BoneMans case for five years and when Ryan disappears she doesn't know who to believe: Ryan, the man who see saw crying wanting his daughters love or the people at her work who all the evidents seem to point at Ryan. The books setting make the scenes more descriptive since the author, Ted Dekker is from Austin, Texas. Throughout the book, BoneMan and Ryan are trying to win Bethany's heart; both Ryan and BoneMans have two things in common. They both will do anything to win a daughters heart and will do anything to stop someone else trying to gain Bethany's love and acceptance.
In this book, it makes you realize that we should treat and respect your father. We all have our different thoughts and opinions but deep inside they really do care for us. Ryan thought it was a good thing for him too still be in the military for the safety of his child. Yet, Bethany thought he didn't care for her or her mother, that the army was more important. Alvin Flinch makes you be grateful for having your father because in this story Alvin is short tempered and wants everything his way. He is also a very jealous man who will stop at nothing to think that he is the only person perfect. He wants adaughter so bad that he will kill but first break every bone of his victims. He wants to be seen as a role model; to be seen perfect yet scary to where everyone will respect him. After killing four girls because they were not "perfect" enough to be his daughter. Until now he found Bethany Evans, the daughter he always wanted. (less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Scott Rhee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ted Dekker has apparently made a name for himself in the suspense thriller genre, but "BoneMan's Daughters" is the first one I have ever read. Dekker started his writing career by writing Christian horror fiction (an honest-to-goodness genre, I swear) and, while his more recent novels as exemplified by this one have toned down somewhat on the proselytizing, there are still very strong Christian and faith-based themes running throughout. "BoneMan's Daughters" is about a man named Ryan Evans, a Ma...more

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Jun 04, 2012 John rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Far-fetched and creepy, the suspense thriller "BoneMan's Daughters" is set in Iraq during the recent war and in various Texas locales. It's well-presented in this audio CD version by actor Robert Petkoff.
There is depth to this novel beyond the typical thriller. The author clearly wants to provoke thought, and he does. There are strong spiritual overtones. Characters wonder about God, and how He allows certain situations to happen.
Ted Dekker's novel is gruesome in places -- too gruesome for my b...more

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May 31, 2012 Carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

I had downloaded the audio version of "Boneman's Daughters" from my library long ago, and relegated it to the category of "to be read (someday)." I was scrolling through my iPod looking for a quick and exciting read, so I settled on this book.

The first chapter threw me off a bit. It had been a long time since I read the description of the book, and all I remembered was that it was about a serial killer. I had completely forgotten that Ryan (the main character) was in the Navy, so it took me a li...more I had downloaded the audio version of "Boneman's Daughters" from my library long ago, and relegated it to the category of "to be read (someday)." I was scrolling through my iPod looking for a quick and exciting read, so I settled on this book.

The first chapter threw me off a bit. It had been a long time since I read the description of the book, and all I remembered was that it was about a serial killer. I had completely forgotten that Ryan (the main character) was in the Navy, so it took me a little while to settle into the military setting. There were a few minutes of listening where I thought I had somehow gotten the wrong audiobook.

Once I acclimated to what was going on, however, the story really picked up and quickly became quite interesting. Naval intelligence offcier barely escapes with his life and sanity intact after being abducted by an Iraqi insurgent with a particularly cruel kind of revenge on his mind. Ryan basically makes it home just in time to find his worst fears being realized--his daughter has been taken captive by a brutal serial killer, and the clock is ticking. But, after being out of her life for so long, will Ryan be able to make any difference? The plot is tense and Dekker is constantly raising the stakes for the main characters. He changes viewpoints, only to switch again just when the reader is begging for more information. His style definitely keeps you reading.

On a side note, I didn't find out until after the fact that this book is shelved by many as a work of "Christian fiction." Which is probably a good thing, because I doubt I would have read it if that was how I came upon it. I wouldn't consider the book to be overwrought with religious themes. The Biblical references are there, but I suppose it's how you look at it--I was reading this book as a suspense novel and simply took the allusions as literary references rather than as the author driving home a moral message. If you wanted to read it for a religious interpretation, you could certainly do that, but there are also much less violent and creepy books that you could get that from!

If your idea of a good summer read is a fast-paced suspense novel that will give you the willies at times, take this one to the beach with you. It will not disappoint.(less)

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Sep 14, 2011 Wendall Paul Sexton rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There is just something about a Ted Dekker book. Whether it’s the intense psychological challenges with which the man writes, or the thrill ride of suspense one can expect, or the spiritual context suffused through the plots for greater substance to the overall theme, there is just something about a Ted Dekker book that elicits a response in a reader of the book’s worth - simply from his name alone.

Here, Dekker offers a father who fights to rescue his daughter from a serial killer as the main p...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Stephanie Cowart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my 2nd Ted Dekker book and I didn't like it nearly as much as I liked The Bride Collector.
I felt like the story really dragged toward the middle and I also felt like it was a little too predictable. And then when what I predicted happened, it wasn't even really believable to me.

Ryan Evans is a Naval Intelligence officer who has chosen duty over his family. He's been away from them for two years and his wife has basically moved on and his daughter Bethany, 16, doesn't even view him as a...more

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May 17, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I didn't enjoy this book. I continued reading it because I am one of those stubborn types who feel compelled to finish what I start. I don't think Dekker did a very good job with character development. The plot was interesting enough, but I just didn't connnect with any of the characters enough to really care about them.

I read somewhere this book can be viewed as a religious allegory. If Dekker intended it as such, the allegory didn't come through very clearly or very convincingly. I'm assuming...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Hannah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, thrillers, mysteries

Ted Dekker is purported to write gripping stories that keep you up until three o'clock in the morning.

I must have missed the "gripping" element somewhere.

While the storyline had great potential, Dekker wrote with less zeal than I expected and hardly showed his Christian colors. BoneMan's Daughters is the story of your average Joe searching for his kidnapped daughter: he does whatever it takes.

And, surprisingly, gets away with it.

*spoiler alert!*

He kidnaps the District Attorney and physically...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are some of Ted Dekker's books that I don't care for... And then others that I find very captivating! "BoneMan's Daughters" is definitely the latter.

His theological and "good vs. evil" implications provide an interesting read. The topics of love and sacrifice are evident. I think that those who really dislike the book must not be able to connect these themes with their Biblical implications (i.e. the father as the "savior" and loving Father/God, and BoneMan as Satan).

I thought the second h...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Matimate rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, detective

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was pain to read. I was waiting for something to happen but the plot line was set from the beginning the serial killer who was as psycho as the main hero and his family and people around. There were lot of emotions, which were pushed beyond bearable horizont of hysterical emotions.
Lets get to the business. There was a little nutty serial killer who has father and daughter issue and nasty hobby to pick teenage girls in order to make perfect daughters from them, which they failed and hi...more

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Aug 13, 2010 Cori rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really? This was written by the same guy who wrote the amazing Circle Trilogy? Sadly, I was disappointed with this one. It’s not often that a book gets such a low rating from me, but there was something about this one that really irked me. The plot was mildly Silence-of-the-Lambs-ish, but I didn’t find the serial killer to be nearly as terrifying as Hannibal Lecter. It wasn’t really suspenseful. I guess the whole thing felt cliched. There were some writing conventions that Dekker used that made...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Linda I rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ted-dekker, thriller

3.5 stars. Another, uh, interesting story by Ted Dekker. And while this is a classic Dekker novel, he leaves out the elements of demonic possession and sticks to good ol' fashion psychosis. Ryan Evans, a Naval Intelligence Officer, is captured in Iraq and subjected to torture that could be classified as worse than physical beating; having to watch terrorists break the bones of their own Iraqi children in order to force Captain Evans into psychological breakdown and offer up his own daughter and...more

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May 31, 2010 Jcwarre rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There were two things that frustrated me about this book- nay three things which tortured me through all 400 pages. The first was a weak story line, which, although at first was intriguing with the Navy Intel officer protagonist, fell short with cliche attempts at suspense and suffocated the reader with soap-operatic drama of disfunctional family dynamics. The second was a constant sense of wanting more... more suspense, more mystery, and of course more thrills from an antagonist who Dekker neve...more

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Apr 16, 2010 Brett Starr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BoneMan, Satan & the Father of Lies.....

My 1st Ted Dekker experience!

This book caught my eye right away when I saw it for the first time and the blurbs from Nelson DeMille & Brad Meltzer on the back are what sold me on it! DeMille says it the best book yet by Dekker and Brad Meltzer (author of Book of Lies) says it gets under your skin! I know previously Dekker has written mostly for a Christian audience and this book is his first shot at mainstream.

"BoneMan's Daughters" is a good thri...more

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Apr 13, 2010 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ted Dekker- BoneMan’s Daughters (Hachette 2010) 4 Stars

A killer is on the loose and they call him BoneMan. He has captured and killed six girls, and now he has taken another victim after years of silence. He thinks of himself as a father to the girls he kidnaps, and when they do not behave the way that he thinks that they should he kills them by breaking their bones, never damaging the skin. Ryan Evans has just come back from Iraq and his dangerous capture there has changed him, now he wants bac...more Ted Dekker- BoneMan’s Daughters (Hachette 2010) 4 Stars

A killer is on the loose and they call him BoneMan. He has captured and killed six girls, and now he has taken another victim after years of silence. He thinks of himself as a father to the girls he kidnaps, and when they do not behave the way that he thinks that they should he kills them by breaking their bones, never damaging the skin. Ryan Evans has just come back from Iraq and his dangerous capture there has changed him, now he wants back into his wife and daughter’s lives, but they want nothing to do with him. When his daughter is taken by BoneMan, he becomes the only suspect in the case. Now the FBI is hunting him while he is hunting BoneMan. Which father will survive?

The introduction for this book was alright, not thrilling, but enough to keep me reading until it picked up, which did not take long. I was beginning to wonder exactly what the beginning had to do with the story, but again it did not take long to start connecting the dots in my head to figure out just how they would be connected. The family situation was a little frustrating, but I could see where each of them were coming from as there would have been a lot of tension and bitterness from the way that they left off last time that they saw Ryan Evans. Their reactions toward him seemed realistic and I like it when books seem realistic. I loved how this novel kept me on the edge of my seat never knowing just what was coming up next. You just knew that the book shad to end the way that it did, but Dekker still managed to throw in some very good twists to surprise the reader. Thankfully this was not only the case with the ending; it was also the case throughout the whole book. Dekker has another great thriller under his belt.

I recommend BoneMan’s Daughters to thriller lovers.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

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Mar 27, 2010 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

Ryan is a military intelligence officer and serving in the middle east. He has been separated from his wife and daughter for the better part of his marriage and daughter's life. Needless to say, both his marriage and his relationship with his daughter is strained to the breaking point. And he doesn't really care. Due to Ryan's line of work, he has developed a certain coldness and detachment about him. He doesn't seem to care about too much beyond his duty.

This all changes when Ryan's daughter is...more

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Dec 19, 2009 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own

Reason for Reading: The publisher's description of this serial killer thriller was right up my alley.

Summary: The BoneMan kidnapped and brutally murdered six girl's by breaking every single bone in their body. He was arrested and sent to prison but there was always a feeling by some that the wrong man had been convicted. Two years later on a technicality the prisoner is released and at the same time Ryan Evans, Intelligence Officer, returns home from a gruelling POW capture in the desert. The mu...more Reason for Reading: The publisher's description of this serial killer thriller was right up my alley.

Summary: The BoneMan kidnapped and brutally murdered six girl's by breaking every single bone in their body. He was arrested and sent to prison but there was always a feeling by some that the wrong man had been convicted. Two years later on a technicality the prisoner is released and at the same time Ryan Evans, Intelligence Officer, returns home from a gruelling POW capture in the desert. The murder's start again and when Ryan's own estranged daughter is kidnapped the FBI start seeing all evidence pointing towards Ryan himself but Ryan has received a message from the real BoneMan and Ryan must do what he says to save his daughter's life.

Comments: All I can say is wow, wow, WOW! An amazing serial killer thriller. I loved it! A page-turner with gruesome details that never quite goes over into goriness used by some other authors. The back of the book tells me this is Ted Dekker's 23rd book and I ask myself "Why am I only reading him now?" In fact, I'd never heard of him before this book came out. I feel like I've just discovered a treasure chest, if Dekker's other work is anywhere near as engrossing as this one is I've got a lot of reading ahead of me!

The story is fast-paced and never lets up, some of the scenes are a little beyond believability but I chalked it up to an Intelligence Officer being overly intelligent and perhaps overly lucky. There's no sense picking apart a thriller like this when you are on a wild ride of tension. Ryan's character is fully fleshed out and we come to understand and feel for him. The secondary characters are less realized though they do not play emotionally integral parts to the plot. The bad guy is bad, pure evil, and this is one thing I particularly like in thrillers. There are no grey areas as to who is evil. The fight of good vs evil is very clear, as in a Dean Koontz novel.

And mentioning Dean Koontz, I'd like to comment on the Christian Fiction aspect of this novel. Never having read anything else by Dekker I can't comment on him yet, as an author, but on this book alone, if that tag bothers you, don't let it. Likening this book to Christian Fiction would be the same as likening Dean Koontz to Catholic Fiction. (Koontz is Catholic and his books contain many Catholic themes, if you know to look for them) There is a Biblical theme behind the killer's motive (very common in thrillers) and the main character believes in God, thus there are some Christian elements/quotes in the story. Of course, I am a Christian and none of this stood out to me but I had no idea I was reading Christian Fiction until I looked up the amazon link and saw all the CF tags and checked out his other books and found that he was a popular CF author!

A fabulous book, thriller readers should not miss out on this one, and you can be sure you will be seeing more Ted Dekker reviews from me in the future.(less)

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Dec 07, 2009 Alisha B rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is possible that I am disappointed in it because of the genre confusion. It is, as it turns out, more of a crime/detective novel… something like Coben, but not nearly as good. There is nothing like wetting your whistle for a tall glass of icy sweet tea, only to guzzle down lukewarm pickle juice instead. So the fact I was geared up for some Clive and got Coben-knock-off didn’t help. But… that wasn’t all.

As I read along, there were ways that Dekker wrote than just annoyed me. Choices in words a...more

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Sep 10, 2009 Katrina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about the classic battle between good and evil. The father vs. the father of lies. The Boneman is a character no one wants to relate to. His evil is bone deep and twisted, but we can all relate in some way to wanting to be accepted, loved and cared about. Ryan Evans on the other hand is also a two sided character. He has not always been the perfect father and when he returns from the Middle East he realizes the depth of his failures but he has changed and needs a chance to show his...more

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Jun 19, 2009 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Leave it to Ted Dekker to come up with a novel way to totally creep us out. In Boneman’s Daughter, Dekker gives us the story of a sicko (of course) serial killer who is searching for the “perfect daughter”. (Because after all, even serial killers deserve adoring devotion and unswerving loyalty… Ick) The Bone Man kidnaps girls and when they just can’t live up to his expectations, (thinking their kidnapper is the best thing ever and being so happy to live with him) he smashes their bones until the...more Leave it to Ted Dekker to come up with a novel way to totally creep us out. In Boneman’s Daughter, Dekker gives us the story of a sicko (of course) serial killer who is searching for the “perfect daughter”. (Because after all, even serial killers deserve adoring devotion and unswerving loyalty… Ick) The Bone Man kidnaps girls and when they just can’t live up to his expectations, (thinking their kidnapper is the best thing ever and being so happy to live with him) he smashes their bones until they die. (Over-react much?)

Ryan Evans is a military intelligence (I know—that’s considered an oxymoron by some) officer, recently returned from the Middle East. He was captured there, and oddly enough, forced to watch the deaths of innocents by the same methods the Boneman uses. Weird coincidence, huh. Get past it..it sets up the whole story! He is filled with regrets, his family is gone because of the dedication he had to his work and the job he gave his life to has pretty much messed him up. He’s got an angry ex, a kid named Bethany that won’t speak to him, and major mental issues from his captivity.

Until the Boneman take his daughter. (Note to bad guys..don’t piss off military types…) Now the FBI is on Ryan’s tail, because his past makes him the perfect patsy for the Boneman’s crimes, Ryan is on the Boneman’s tail, and Boneman is trying to make sure Bethany is the perfect daughter. And we know what happens if she isn’t.

I love Ted Dekker. Not only can he write terrific, freaky-deaky Christian Sci-Fi, (and really…who the heck else can even think of the genre) he also writes great mysteries. I’ll grant you, the premise here was a bit contrived. I mean, what are the odds that a Middle Eastern wack-job has the same penchant for breaking bones as an All American Serial Killer. (Dekker does explain where both of the characters predilections come from, but I still thought it was a stretch.) I will say I appreciated the ending, I expected the whole “justice will prevail, law and order…blah blah blah bit. I forgot this is Ted Dekker and he’s not one for conventional, easy endings. But I did just re-read the last page, and I’m sort of wondering if….hmm….can Boneman return??? I think that might, (mind you, I said, MIGHT) just be possible!(less)

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About Ted Dekker

Ted Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters, and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Ted lives in Austin with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.

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Books by Ted Dekker

White: The Great Pursuit (The Circle, #3)

Black: The Birth of Evil (The Circle, #1)

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“Evil was predictable, always painfully expected.” — 33 people liked it

“no one wanted to look at the common evils of society. Very few were willing to put aside their own pursuit of happiness long enough to consider the effects of greed and jealousy around them. From what she'd seen, humans were essentially troubled. For every one behind bars, another ten deserved to be behind bars, but that would put one in ten Americans behind bars.” — 22 people liked it

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