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Circle of Bones
(The Shipwreck Adventures #1)
by
Based on one of the strangest true mysteries of World War II, Christine Kling's new adventure thriller CIRCLE OF BONES begins aboard the ill-fated French submarine Surcouf as she departs Bermuda in 1942 on her final voyage into the Caribbean.
Fast forward to 2008 when former U.S. Marine Maggie Riley is sailing alone aboard her forty-foot sailboat. She rescues a crazy conspi ...more
Fast forward to 2008 when former U.S. Marine Maggie Riley is sailing alone aboard her forty-foot sailboat. She rescues a crazy conspi ...more
Paperback, 558 pages
Published
February 18th 2012
by Tell-Tale Press
(first published December 19th 2011)
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Showing 1-30
Start your review of Circle of Bones
Jun 08, 2018
Kylie D
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
seasonal-challenges,
action-adventure
A fun read that sees Riley rescue a naked man off the island of Guadaloupe. What follows is a rollicking tale to find a lost WW2 submarine. It has adventure, conspiracies and baddies. I'll have to read the next one now to find out what happens next...
...more
Circle of Bones is a tense thriller, set mostly in the Caribbean, and featuring Maggie Riley, a woman who is sailing alone, away from a troubled past that includes a treacherous lover, a father who’s gone tragically senile, and a brilliant brother who died way too young. It also involves the search for a French submarine, the Surcouf, that disappeared in the Caribbean during World War II, and an extensive conspiracy stretching from the war down to the present day, involving Yale’s infamous club,
...more
...another weird but interesting book.
Circle of Bones was well.. an interesting book. In it, you will meet Maggie. She's a former marine.. and I honestly have no idea what the hell her job was now.. After a tragic accident, she's decided to sail around the Carribean. Now, that sounds like heaven.. but I wouldn't do that on my own - mostly because I have no idea how to sail.
Well, along the way she runs into a naked man swimming. Again, heaven. Cole, the naked guy living life, is apparently a tre ...more
Circle of Bones was well.. an interesting book. In it, you will meet Maggie. She's a former marine.. and I honestly have no idea what the hell her job was now.. After a tragic accident, she's decided to sail around the Carribean. Now, that sounds like heaven.. but I wouldn't do that on my own - mostly because I have no idea how to sail.
Well, along the way she runs into a naked man swimming. Again, heaven. Cole, the naked guy living life, is apparently a tre ...more
Nov 03, 2018
Jennifer
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
challenge,
did-you-hear-that
Maggie is a former marine and working through some trauma - she was a survivor of a bombing. Now she sails around the Carribean, alone. I'm not really sure what her job is. As she is sailing between islands, she picks up a naked man swimming. He turns out to be Cole, a treasure hunter looking for a sunken French submarine from WWII. Cole comes across as a bit of a whack job - spouting off conspiracy theories about secret societies controlling the government, etc. Enter into the picture, Diggory.
...more
This was a really good freebie political/suspense thriller with treasure hunting, a secret political club with deep control over world affairs, and layers upon layers of intense plotting. There is no doubt the author has deep knowledge about all things nautical. She did a great job blending facts with fiction, including the historical search for an actual missing WW2 submarine lost over 60-years ago.
If you are a romance fan like me, you should know that is does have a strong romance element but ...more
If you are a romance fan like me, you should know that is does have a strong romance element but ...more
I devoured
Circle of Bones
in one sitting. It is a very good maritime yarn, as good or better than Clive Cussler's on a couple of levels in plotting and writing. Like Cussler, Kling does a great job in weaving several narratives together.
Former U. S. Marines embassy security guard Maggie Riley sails to the Caribbean aboard a forty-foot sailboat to find solace as a solo sailor following a her recovery from a near-fatal embassy bombing and a lover's abandonment.
Near the islands of Dominica and ...more
Former U. S. Marines embassy security guard Maggie Riley sails to the Caribbean aboard a forty-foot sailboat to find solace as a solo sailor following a her recovery from a near-fatal embassy bombing and a lover's abandonment.
Near the islands of Dominica and ...more
I got this title when it was free for Kindle. It isn't typical of my reading choices but I thought I'd give it a go for something different. I'm glad that I did. I enjoyed the strong female presence of Maggie Riley. She's intelligent, strong, and sexy but not infallible. I enjoyed the male protagonists as well. Cole and Theo are a great compliment to Maggie's personality. The danger and conflicts throughout the book kept my attention to the end.
The main villain is satisfyingly diabolical and rem ...more
The main villain is satisfyingly diabolical and rem ...more
I'm a sucker for sea stories, and for thrillers of all kinds. I've read Kling's other books and enjoyed them immensely. The parallel plot development in this novel is very well designed. With one exception, the characters are intriguing, usually act appropriately and are worth following. The settings, the rhythms of the action,and in most cases the reactions of the characters work to maintain or raise the tension. But the novel is way too long. Again and again the tension builds to a climax only
...more
Circle of Bones is mainly set in the Caribbean and bounces between current day and 1942. is filled with non stop adventure with a conspiracy stretching World War 2 to the current day.
There are tons of characters that some reader like me find themselves re readers parts of the book to figure out who is who.
Romance, Adventure suspense and amazing end to the book will keep readers wanting more from this author.
ARC from Netgalley
There are tons of characters that some reader like me find themselves re readers parts of the book to figure out who is who.
Romance, Adventure suspense and amazing end to the book will keep readers wanting more from this author.
ARC from Netgalley
This was a nice change of pace from the UF & PNR which has made up the majority of my reading material over the past year.
Maggie Riley was a strong female protagonist with just enough issues and character flaws that she was realistically human and never became a Mary Sue.
I liked Cole and Theo and I thought that their personalities complimented each other's and Maggie's as well. The adventure was interesting and full of action.
What I could have done without was the whole secret society/cabal a ...more
Maggie Riley was a strong female protagonist with just enough issues and character flaws that she was realistically human and never became a Mary Sue.
I liked Cole and Theo and I thought that their personalities complimented each other's and Maggie's as well. The adventure was interesting and full of action.
What I could have done without was the whole secret society/cabal a ...more
Trigger warnings: war, death of a sibling (in the past), murder, slut shaming, racial slurs, ableist slurs, rape threats, (view spoiler)
The submarine plot and the code breaking stuff was compelling. The rest of this was kind of a shitshow. So here's the thing: the idea of this was pretty great. I was hoping for a Clive Cussler type deal with more romance. Uuuuuuuuuunfortunately, while I enjoyed the parts set in the ...more
The submarine plot and the code breaking stuff was compelling. The rest of this was kind of a shitshow. So here's the thing: the idea of this was pretty great. I was hoping for a Clive Cussler type deal with more romance. Uuuuuuuuuunfortunately, while I enjoyed the parts set in the ...more
this was a decent read, but a lil overlong and dragged in place for me, especially with the villain and his hammy and less than believable henchmen and overall plotline...
in fact, all the characters were kinda cliche and that is probably the major downside of this novel...the general premise is interesting reading, given it is based on real events and i mostly liked the suppositions proffered in explaining them...
if i could, i would have given it a 3 and a half star rating...decently written and ...more
in fact, all the characters were kinda cliche and that is probably the major downside of this novel...the general premise is interesting reading, given it is based on real events and i mostly liked the suppositions proffered in explaining them...
if i could, i would have given it a 3 and a half star rating...decently written and ...more
Maggie is sailing on her sail boat around the Caribbean after heartbreak and dealing with her father's dementia and the death of her brother. She's just looking for some peace. While anchored near an island, a naked man appears on her boat. He doesn't tell her that he's being chased by some bad guys, just gets her to give him refuge. After she gets him back to his boat, he tells her a story about buried treasure in a submarine that was sunk in 1942. She becomes engrossed in helping to find the s
...more
I liked all of Kling’s Seychelle Sullivan novels. I hoped this first entry in her ‘Shipwreck Adventure’ series would be as good.
And for the most part, she delivered. The general premise was a good one: A treasure hunter searching for a missing French WWII sub rumored to be carrying a fortune in gold and secret documents. Pirates tail him, hoping to steal any gold he salvages, and another man intends to make sure the secret documents never come to light. After rescuing the nude treasure hunter fr ...more
And for the most part, she delivered. The general premise was a good one: A treasure hunter searching for a missing French WWII sub rumored to be carrying a fortune in gold and secret documents. Pirates tail him, hoping to steal any gold he salvages, and another man intends to make sure the secret documents never come to light. After rescuing the nude treasure hunter fr ...more
This is a live Cussler book, in the style of that is. There hero is a sailor and a Marine -- there are no "ex" Marines, even though she is separated from the service. I did not finish it because it was stuck in the same place and did not move fast enough in the Clive crashing headlong way that is fun to read. There was too much background "feelings" and slow bits where she was talking to friends and remembering the past. Others may like it better for that, but for a swashbucking mystery it did n
...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
book synopsis
Former marine Maggie Riley has just set sail for the Caribbean, ready for a little R&R on her forty-foot boat before starting a work assignment in Dominica.
Then Cole Thatcher appears.
Sexy, naked—and possibly nuts—Cole turns out to be an archaeologist searching for the wreckage from a World War II submarine that may hold millions in gold coins and classified documents from a powerful inner circle of the secret society Skull and Bones. Maggie has enough skeletons to deal with, but whe ...more
Former marine Maggie Riley has just set sail for the Caribbean, ready for a little R&R on her forty-foot boat before starting a work assignment in Dominica.
Then Cole Thatcher appears.
Sexy, naked—and possibly nuts—Cole turns out to be an archaeologist searching for the wreckage from a World War II submarine that may hold millions in gold coins and classified documents from a powerful inner circle of the secret society Skull and Bones. Maggie has enough skeletons to deal with, but whe ...more
I really don't know how to review "Circle of Bones". There wasn't a thing about this book that I shouldn't be able to like - from the moment I read it was set in the Caribbean where a female sailor and an ex-marine helps a treasure hunter find a treasure I was completely love-struck. Everything was going great until I realized how much the plot dragged... Don't get me wrong, I appreciate good story build-up and characterization - of which there was plenty here - but I also want me some tension.
...more
This book had its moments.
At its best, it's a pretty good thriller with a strong sailing/boating element. The plotline that kicks off all the action is of course ludicrous, but that's normal in this genre. It's hard to send people careening around the planet in search of a better pie recipe, so we always end up with the Earthshattering MacGuffin.
My issue with this book is with the secondary characters. The main characters are basically fine. The secondary characters are poor. There's the Magic S ...more
At its best, it's a pretty good thriller with a strong sailing/boating element. The plotline that kicks off all the action is of course ludicrous, but that's normal in this genre. It's hard to send people careening around the planet in search of a better pie recipe, so we always end up with the Earthshattering MacGuffin.
My issue with this book is with the secondary characters. The main characters are basically fine. The secondary characters are poor. There's the Magic S ...more
Well, I only got one quarter of the way into the book, Chapter 23, and gave it up. No clue what everyone's after. Little or no idea of who these people are or what motivates them. I kept slogging along, hoping for something to snare my interest, but alas. I don't even know if I particularly like any of the characters. The flashbacks to a key historical event progress too slowly and don't really add much. Too much detail about the mechanics of sailing. Maybe someday I'll go back and try to fini
...more
This really could have been an incredible book. Instead it was pretty damn cheesy, predictable, and utterly disappointing with how the villain was handled in the end. Worst conclusion ever. If you're a sailor or enjoy boating, are a fan of archaeology but you're not a PhD, and you're looking for an easy read that finally gets interesting 70% of the way through, then this is your book. I've read worse, and it wasn't totally awful, but I don't recommend spending money on this book. For a Caribbean
...more
A decent book with enough action and suspense to keep me interested but the book as a whole fell short of what it could have been.
The characters never fully captured my heart. There were several areas that didn't hold my attention and I skimmed over it. I wanted to love the book but I instead I just enjoyed it.
I've noticed with this author that she is creative and does a decent job of weaving characters and plot but I always feel cheated for either lack of character development and rushed stor ...more
The characters never fully captured my heart. There were several areas that didn't hold my attention and I skimmed over it. I wanted to love the book but I instead I just enjoyed it.
I've noticed with this author that she is creative and does a decent job of weaving characters and plot but I always feel cheated for either lack of character development and rushed stor ...more
I LOVED this book. Great writing technique - a blend of education, humor, suspense, Cariabean travel history, search for missing "treasure" - all linked with likeable and believeable characters. The ending leads one to believe there could be a sequel. My only suggestion would be to put the Surcouf's history before the start of the story as it would have had more of an impact on me personally. Rated 1 to 5, with 5 the highest, I would give this a 4 & 7/8 taking off ONLY for the few grammatical is
...more
Intriguing read
Lots of plot twists and historical references that make this an intriguing read. Adding in the overall conspiracy, though, was a bit of a cliche. I liked the romance element, but the characters were too aloof and disengaged to be really in love. But still a good read that I would recommend.
Lots of plot twists and historical references that make this an intriguing read. Adding in the overall conspiracy, though, was a bit of a cliche. I liked the romance element, but the characters were too aloof and disengaged to be really in love. But still a good read that I would recommend.
This really kept my attention, I enjoyed the story very much. For someone who enjoys a good mystery thriller suspense novel this hits the mark. In fact I would like to read some more from this writer.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Plausible conspiracy theory combined with a strong heroine
I read these books out of order to my chagrin, and am reviewing them from that point of view.
The best part of this book is the effective development of a truly evil self-serving nemesis for Riley.
It does make me question the sanity of anyone willing to solo sailing the high seas.
The chapter by chapter context switching between the primary story and the underlying historical events of World War II can make things a bit challenging. You mus ...more
I read these books out of order to my chagrin, and am reviewing them from that point of view.
The best part of this book is the effective development of a truly evil self-serving nemesis for Riley.
It does make me question the sanity of anyone willing to solo sailing the high seas.
The chapter by chapter context switching between the primary story and the underlying historical events of World War II can make things a bit challenging. You mus ...more
I think I was ready for a change of pace. A friend recommended this to me so I moved it to the top of my pile. It took a little bit to understand the flow of the story but it was a good mystery. I liked the flashbacks to WWII. I enjoyed the Skull and Bones tie in. All in all a good story that stands on its own and yet sets the scene for the next book. Not really a cliff hanger just loose ends that you already knew would take a second book to tie up if you were interested. I'm looking forward to
...more
I dithered between giving this a 3 or a 4, and eventually decided to go with a 3. The plot itself is very well conceived and intriguing. However, parts of the book dragged for me and conversely the finish seemed a little rushed. Ultimately, I did enjoy reading it, and will very likely read the next book in the series at some point, but unlike other series I've read, this one didn't capture my attention to the point that I will immediately go on to the next book.
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Another Good. Read.
Another good read from a new author whom I have not read before.This was the type of book that I couldn't put down. I found myself reading way past my bedtime.
Lot and lots of action and adventure, with excellent
villains and just a little sex to spice up the story.
I will enjoy reading the next book by this author.
I would enjoy recommending this book to any body that enjoys a good action novel.
Don Lallier ...more
Another good read from a new author whom I have not read before.This was the type of book that I couldn't put down. I found myself reading way past my bedtime.
Lot and lots of action and adventure, with excellent
villains and just a little sex to spice up the story.
I will enjoy reading the next book by this author.
I would enjoy recommending this book to any body that enjoys a good action novel.
Don Lallier ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
YA Buddy Readers'...:
The Shipwreck Adventures series, starting with Circle of Bones, by Christine Kling - beginning November 2nd, 2018
|
6 | 12 | Nov 11, 2018 07:44AM | |
| Challenge Corner: The Shipwreck Adventures by Christine Kling - Starting November 2nd 2018 | 6 | 4 | Nov 11, 2018 07:41AM | |
| Armchair Sailors: Free ebook | 1 | 28 | Feb 14, 2012 12:46PM |
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I have spent more than forty years enjoying “simply messing about with boats”―as Rat said to Mole in The Wind in the Willows. I've been a boat wife, mother and captain of my own boat. I've had articles and stories published in many publications including Cruising World, Sailing!, and The Tiller and the Pen, Gulfstream Magazine and Miami Noir. My first four novels are in a series about Florida fema
...more
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