Cover the Bones

Detective Mark Turpin #5

by Rachel Amphlett

When archaeologists discover a skeleton in secluded woodland, the body is first thought to be related to an ancient Saxon settlement.

Then the torn and rotten remains of another woman’s bones are uncovered, her injuries bearing the markings of abuse and a violent death.

Detective Mark Turpin is tasked with finding their killer, except the forensic evidence is perplexing and the victims’ bodies are proving impossible to identify.

When a third victim is discovered only metres from the first, Mark and his team realise they’re running out of time to find out whoever is responsible.

Are the brutal murders the only evidence in a case gone cold, or does a serial killer lurk in the shadows, stalking their next victim?

Cover the Bones is the fifth book in the Detective Mark Turpin series from USA Today bestselling author Rachel Amphlett.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2023

About the author

Before turning to writing, USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio, and worked in publishing as an editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction with over 30 crime novels and short stories featuring spies, detectives, vigilantes, and assassins.

A keen traveller and accidental private investigator, Rachel has both Australian and British citizenship.

You can find out more about Rachel and her books at www.rachelamphlett.com.



Praise for Rachel Amphlett

“Fast paced with vivid characterisation and clever twists, [None the Wiser] is another winner” Adrian McKinty

“[None the Wiser] is a terrific start to a new series” Jo Spain, With Our Blessing and The Confession

“Quirky, creepy and twisted tales” James Oswald, Sunday Times bestselling author

“Thrilling start to a new series. Scared to Death is a stylish, smart and gripping crime thriller” Robert Bryndza

"Scared to Death… moves along at breakneck speed with twists and turns" Angela Marsons

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fifth book in this excellent series and it is great to get back together with DS Mark Turpin and his team.

The story begins with the discovery of skeletal remains during an archeological dig which prove to be fresher than originally thought. What seemed at first to be a cold case turns into a murder investigation.

As usual I can count on this author to give me an excellent police procedural in exactly the way I like it done. The detectives make a great team, the story is gripping, the police work is thorough and realistic and it is very hard to guess the outcome. An excellent read, highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When an archaeologist uncovered the bones of a skeleton in a field he was surveying, the police, led by Detective Mark Turpin and his partner were soon on the scene. Surmising the bones had been there for at least a couple of decades, Mark and Jan were soon digging deeply. A second body was found, not far from the first, and then a third - and when the autopsy confirmed that each of the bodies had been buried within the past three years, their investigation changed direction. Searching the database for missing persons - a huge job - Mark wondered if they'd ever get close to a solution; if a breakthrough was imminent...

Cover the Bones is the 5th in the Detective Mark Turpin series by Aussie author Rachel Amphlett and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This was a twisty one, with the team despairing they'd find answers. I really like this author's work, and am looking forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I opted to listen to an audio version of the book for my tour spot. It was a nice easy listen, coming in at just under seven hours. The narrations were clear and easy to understand, there was also a noticeable change in character voices too and they weren't just flat, monotone voices.

Cover the Bones is the fifth installment in the Detective Mark Turpin series of which I have read several, just not in any semblance of order. It does easily work as a standalone, so don't be detracted from not having followed the series.

Turpin has been tasked with investigating a local archaeological site where skeletal remains have been discovered - that aren't part of the dig!

It's a moderately paced, enjoyable listen, which I did have to speed up a little. Brilliant ending with several shockers popping up throughout.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cover the Bones is book five in Rachel Amphlett's Detective Mark Turpin series. When archaeologists were surveying the southeast of Didcot, they found a body. Initially, they believed the body was from an ancient Saxon settlement. However, after the second body, Detective Mark Tupin and his team realised they had a cold case on their hands. Will this case be the one case that will defeat Detective Mark Tupin? The readers of Cover the Bones will continue to follow Detective Mark Tupin and his team's investigation to discover what happened.

I love Rachel Amphlett's stories. I have read all of her series and engaged with each one. Cover the Bones is fantastic attention to this excellent series and continues my love affair with Rachel Amphlett's books. Cover the Bones also started me thinking about the dangers of senior abuse for everyone involved. I engaged with Cover the Bones from the first page to the end. I love Rachel Amphlett's portrayal of the characters in Cover the Bones and their interactions with each other throughout the book. Cover the Bones is well-written and researched by Rachel Amphlett. I like Rachel Amphlett's description of Cover the Bones' settings, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.

I recommend this book.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author and the first in this series - however, this is actually book 5 of the Detective Mark Turpin series.
I'm sure that there will have been lots going on in the personal lives of Mark and the gang, but this really didn't feel like I'd missed anything too drastic.
The sections about his character were weaved nicely within the storyline to add some depth, but didn't make this a clunky read.
Definitely worked fine as a standalone read - but I really do want to go back and discover the background of the characters and read the rest of this series.

When archeologists discover the remains of a skeleton on a dig site, they assume it's part of their findings in the Saxon settlement.
However, when a second body turns up, this one showing significant marks of abuse and proving that these are not of an age of historical findings, Mark heads the investigation, attempting to date and identify the bodies.

This had such an intriguing storyline as the bodies were old enough to cause some issues with identification.
The more the story develops, it's clear to see that they may have more of a problem as another body is found and they start to see some links between the deaths.

This had a fairly slow, or leisurely pace to it. Not so much fast-paced action as the deaths show abuse and the victims are on the older side. But the story unfolds perfectly, giving us clues as to the murderer, but never telling us too much.

I loved that I had no suspects even up to the last quarter of the book! This definitely kept me guessing. But when we got there, it was a truly shocking outcome!

I really enjoyed how Mark and the team worked together and got on, it made a nice change from some of my recent reads where there's often in-house bickering and problems.
I can imagine this working well as a TV series and everyone coming to really love Mark and the team.

A really enjoyable read that has pushed me to add the rest of the series to my wishlist for future catching up!

[Nimalee Ravi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 5 in the Detective Mark Turpin series but definitely can be read as a stand alone. I loved this gripping storyline and solid characters. I enjoyed the slow pace of the story which allowed me to get to know the personal side of the characters, which made it so relatable.

I really enjoyed this well researched and written police procedural story. I thought I was able to guess the suspect but I was wrong. Very cleverly written. I will definitely be reading more of this series. Cover The Bones is without a doubt a must read.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome back Mark Turpin. Nice to see you again. There is something very comforting about greeting an old (fictional) friend, and picking up a book by Rachel Amphlett allows me to do just that. She has a knack of creating characters who really come to life and whose fates and fortunes I become entirely invested in. DS Mark Turpin is no different, and over the course of the past four books, I have really grown to love hims as a character, as well as DC Jan West and the wider team that support them. It's fair to say that Turpin has been through the ringer in the past and I am always apprehensive opening up a book, wondering just what fresh hell the author has served up this time.

And a kind of hell it is, too, although somewhat different to past, adrenalin fuelled cases. This time around Turpin and West are tasked with investigating what is first believed to be a very cold case. Skeletal remains discovered during an archaeological dig that it turns out are too new to be of historic significance, but too old to be easily identifiable. When a second body is discovered close by the team begin to fear the worst, and few surprise revelations about the remains lead them towards a very disturbing and emotionally draining case.

I really like what Rachel Amphlett has done with this investigation. It doesn't follow the path we first expect, and each new revelation adds to the overall mystery and complexity of the case. It doesn't take too long to uncover the potential links between victims but this in itself adds an emotional context to the discovery. Leading readers through the very sad truth about missing persons and the sheer volume of potential victims that the team have to work through, really does hit home how wide ranging this issue is. The author manages to convey this message and the sad truth about the UK's missing persons issue, educating whilst still entertaining. As we are introduced to the missing persons families, the emotional toll can be readily felt, increasing the desire of the team, and me as a reader to discover the truth.

The reveal when it comes is shocking, but maybe not so surprising, reflective of far too many cases that have made the headlines over the years. Perhaps the most shocking truth of all if how the killer manages to avoid detection for so long, but again, this has a real ring of truth about it and, when considering the identity of the victims it is all the more sad to contemplate.

What I do love about this series, and most of the books that Rachel Amphlett produces, is that she takes us beyond just the day to day investigation, giving us insight into the characters personal lives. It is this aspect that helps to make them so compelling, makes me want to go on the journey with them. I really like Mark Turpin as a character, appreciate his determination and humanity, and the way in which he becomes completely invested in his cases. Alongside West, whose mothering instincts extend beyond just her two sons to keeping Turpin fed and in check, they make a brilliant duo who are always fun to spend time with. I need to feel invested in the lead characters, not just the story and I always get this with a Rachel Amphlett story.

With perfect pacing and tension, and good use of misdirection and misinformation I was drawn in from the very beginning, finishing the book in no time at all. the author delivers several plausible suspects over the course of the investigation and, whilst my suspicion always fell in one specific direction, watching as the whys and wherefores were finally revealed gave me a certain amount of smug satisfaction as the killer was finally brought to justice.

If you love the series, you are going to love this book too. If you've not read any of the Mark Turpin series yet, go and check out None The Wiser, the first in the series. You won't regret it.

[Peter Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our story starts with an archaeologist carrying out a survey using ground penetrating radar. This is crime fiction, so immediately the reader is thinking body number one coming up (quite literally) shortly. Indeed, we are not to be disappointed, and the author has made an excellent job here capturing the sights and sounds of the summers evening, the archaeologists working and the shock at what they discover. It quickly transpires that this is a deposition site when body number two is found, much to the annoyance of the cable laying contractors who cannot progress and complain of over running costs. No shocks for the reader but nice and tightly written start to the story.

This is very much a procedural written not to give the reader any clues at the start, there is no prologue to whet the appetite, we know only what Turpin and the team does, so nothing is given away. The obvious place to start is the missing persons database, then we get an idea of the huge volume of possibilities, not to mention those who for some reason have not been reported. Even with computers we can appreciate the mammoth task entailed and share their sheer frustration. The real-life statistics for missing persons is staggering. Whilst some do return, many do not and it’s easy to see without good initial leads to follow the police have almost an impossible job. Turpin and the team need to narrow down the search, to be able to focus on a specific group, they need expertise.

There are no shortage of experts, archaeologists, anthropologists and forensic pathologists all willing to voice an opinion. The bodies are little more than bones, so what clues can a detailed examination give? This is complicated by the deposition site; the soil is acidic which over time will demineralise the bones. There are high expectations from these specialists, but just like anyone else these educated people can be intransigent, arrogant and act stupidly. There may be no direct lives at stake, but precious police man-hours are. It takes a third body for ideas to finally coalesce, then we can see how the case is going to take shape.

The search for the killer examines several themes, all impacting on life in modern Britain. There is the worrying lack of social care, an issue that is difficult and expensive to solve and so keeps getting kicked into the political ‘long grass’. With an aging population it is becoming critical and with a lack of support family members are putting their own health at risk trying to preserve the quality of life of loved ones. The author here writes with compassion rather than a preachy tone, but the message is quite clear.

Then there is the destruction of trust in society by the actions of relatively few. If you trust politicians, you are a fool and the actions of some have brought mistrust upon pillars of the establishment like the church and police, but the actions of Jimmy Savile and Dr Harold Shipman have had a profound impact on society. Now people who dedicate their lives to charity or doctors who go above and beyond for their patients are viewed through a lens of mistrust looking for ulterior motives.

The writing style is bright and breezy, the subject matter could have produced a much darker novel but not here, and most readers will zip through it quickly. There’s light-hearted moments and a bit of the usual cop banter to prevent it getting too dark, but the author is not afraid of posing serious, thought-provoking questions. Overall, it remains a procedural based investigation with little real danger or jeopardy, which is probably more realistic than some of the more action-based thrillers.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the South East of Didcot, electricity pylons are due to be replaced by underground cables and a group of archaeologists are making a last chance sweep of the area before it is dug up. What they don’t expect to find is the shallow grave of a woman. The police at Abingdon in Oxfordshire, led by DS Mark Turpin together with DC January West, DC Alex McClellan and DC Caroline Roberts, certainly aren’t expecting to unearth another one close by. Identification of the two bodies requires both a pathologist and a forensic anthropologist, and first impressions prove very misleading. Progress on the case is slow. Then a heavy storm floods the land, producing a third set of bones, and finally Turpin gets that all important breakthrough. Could this mean they have further victims from a murderer already in prison or do they have an unknown and very active serial killer at large? And where on earth do they even start looking for a suspect in this very strange case?
This is an excellent solid police procedural in a series which features some very likeable main characters, grounded detectives with happy home lives who can just focus on their work, and they form a great team, doggedly working through a mountain of evidence and a host of witnesses and potential suspects to finally solve the crime. Even their boss, DI Kennedy, is nice and fair! The many hours of hard work that go into a successful CID investigation are well demonstrated after the shocking initial discoveries that they make, and this book made a very enjoyable read with realistic characters which kept my attention from the first page right till the end. Highly recommended.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 5 in the Detective Mark Turpin Series set in Didcot, Oxfordshire. This time Turpin and his partner DC Jan West are called out when a badly decomposed skeleton is found buried in a field. Shortly afterwards similar remains are found nearby. This is so well written and raises the problem of missing people in the UK, a terrible issue with so many people missing and the trauma it can cause their families is heartbreaking.

Briefly, the bodies are initially thought to be females of about 30 years of age but are subsequently found to be in their 70’s. Both appear to have been struck violently on the head. Unable to identify either, the team start to look into cases of missing persons but not long after another body is found, this time an elderly male. Happily two of the victims are identified but the two detectives just cannot find any connection between the victims and there are no obvious suspects. Is there a serial killer at large and are there even more bodies to be found?

The two detectives work well together and despite the grim nature of the story there is some good humour to break up the darkness. I love that the police team and their families all seem normal and happy! If you want a great fairly cozy police procedural thriller this book is definitely for you. A well paced book with a great plot, good twists and turns and a surprising shocking ending. 4.5⭐️

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a great psychological thriller. This book stole me attention, the moment I read the blurb. The way the scene was described, it just called out to me that I had to try to find out the reason behind the bodies being found there and who might have done it, whatever they did.
You are brought in to the scene from the perspective and mind of someone who deals with all things old and forgotten, giving you an interesting take on the findings. Then they find the next body and you just know some sinister is happening, and you try to guess what is behind the situation, but you won’t. This book doesn’t ruin it for you. You are definitely keep guessing right from start to finish, wondering what clues match up where.
I loved the pace and detail of the book. They made it such and exciting read and really kept me invested in the book. I liked how we got to know the characters and the fine tooth details to really keep us a part of the happenings. Overall, an excellent read!

[Amelia Murray · Rating 1 out of 5]

They're all old people who died and the caregiver was the killer. Sooooooo disappointed by this one. It was so obvious from the start that it would be Sonia (the caregiver) no twist at all. Just straightforward and I was waiting for more to happen but they just kept finding bodies and it wasn't really exciting or as creative as the first 3 in this series

[Lopsided · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uses F word and other profanity. 1.86 audio

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Anne Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one didn’t get me as engrossed as the others in the series. Decent, gentle story. Not enough momentum for me!

[luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

the author has really unique twists and the characters are wonderful with minimal interpersonal angst.

[Jill Shortt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fast moving story in this series

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book 👍

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bones are found during an archaeology dig. DS Mark Trupin and DC Jan West are called in to investigate what turns out to be a cold case, but exactly how cold is where things get interesting.