The Christmas Bones

Jake & Dean Investigations #1

by Richard Amos

Balancing family life with being a kick-ass investigator is hard, especially when the holidays roll up.

Jake Winter and Dean Tseng are solving cases as PIAs (Paranormal Investigation Agents) in Amsterdam, as well as being fathers to their four-year-old daughter. With the festive season in full swing, everything should be calming down to make way for relaxing times with good food and presents delivered by Sinterklaas.
Right?

Since when was life ever that simple?

When a human body is discovered with every one of its bones missing, and creepy anti-supernatural protesters start lurking in the shadows with a sinister agenda, Jake and Dean are about to experience the nasty side of Christmas.

An Urban Fantasy filled with magic, mystery and mayhem

(The Christmas Bones is a sequel novel to the Coldharbour Chronicles series, set four years after the events of the final book. There are references to the previous series, but this story can be enjoyed without having prior knowledge of those books. It features an established MM relationship, and plenty of Urban Fantasy action.)

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, M M Romance, Magic, LGBT

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2019

About the author

Richard Amos is an author from England who is constantly lost in the worlds he writes about, and the ones in the queue yet to be written. He also has more books in his house than anything else, and is never without a book (and chocolate) in his hands when he's not writing. He’s a proud nerd who loves to dance. Hard.

Richard writes M/M Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance, all with tons of kick-ass action, adventure, twisty plots, and yummy times.

🔗 https://linktr.ee/richardamosauthor

Reviews

[M'rella · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 92%, tho I was pretty much done with it at around 30%. Tried finishing for a challenge.

1.5 stars

Reasons:
- Very poorly edited, from grammar to pages filled with basically nothing.
- What’s with switching between two languages?
- Nowhere does it mention that this series is a spin-off.
- One child too many in the book.
- Endless pointless dialogs. So, again, editing.
- Dean? Paranormal investigations? All I could think of while reading the book was “Supernatural”, and a fanfic gone sideways.
- Some really weird homophobic characters. Like really, not supernaturally, weird.
- Or maybe because, again, there was no mention of this series being a spin-off and the author couldn’t have possibly be bothered with a couple of pages for a recap.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having never read any of the series, I didn't really hesitate to jump into this little spin off. Mostly because it was for a specific challenge but it was going to be nice to jump into a new author. In The Christmas Bones, you will meet Jake and Dean.

Both were pretty interesting main characters and the world was too. Yet, I never found myself completely invested into anything. Probably because I didn't read the previous series and that's on me. I think if I dive into the originals this one might make a bit more sense to me. Or maybe I'll find characters that I really like and can be invested in.

As for everything else? Well it was a fun and quick book to read. I just think I need to read the Coldharbour Chronicles before diving into the sequel. Maybe then everything will make sense and I can just simply sit back and enjoy everything happening.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Coldharbour Chronicles, and I was glad when the author brought the main characters back for this new series. Jake and Dean are a cute couple, and I love that they now have their daughter from the previous series. No, you don’t need to have read the other series to enjoy this one, BTW. This was a good book with an intriguing mystery (oh, my, the reason for the title is so…interesting! LOL!), but I have to admit that I would have thought Jake would be a little more even-tempered; I wanted to yell at him sometimes. I liked the new additional characters, and I’m hoping to learn more about them. Anyway, I’m looking forward to more in this series. Recommend!

[Danielle Gypsy Soul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. I didn't realize this was a spinoff series and wish I had read that series first. I liked this but there were times when I felt like I missed something or felt just a little bit lost. I liked both the MC's and the world was interesting although again it took me a bit to figure things out and I wish that I had just a bit more world building. The monster was pretty awesome and although I'm not in a big hurry to read the next book I could definitely continue this series.

[Vfields Don't touch my happy! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I didn’t see this one coming. I will admit I didn’t know anything about The Christmas Bones and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought Richard Amos did a great job of world building, fast and it was interesting it features a couple in an established relationship. You don’t see that every day.
The child was not annoying. I immediately felt as though I have a good grasp on the world they lived in and I was beginning to to understand the hierarchy of the beings in this world. The mystery was interesting enough, silly but oddly captivating.
Honestly, I just kind of wanted to keep reading the whole series to see where this whole thing was going. Was this the most original thing I’ve read in this genre? No. Despite that, I really enjoyed it.
Ding, ding, dong.

[KitKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT.

I remember when the idea of Jake and Dean coming back was just a poll put up by the author on his Facebook page :D A resounding yes from the fans and now we have Jake and Dean story with each having their own POVs. Don't you just love it when an author responds positively to fans asking for their fave characters back 😂 I mean, I still can't believe Jake is back! AND DEAN!

Okay, so on to what I love about the book: I love the kick-ass, fast-paced action, the banter between the MCs, the quirky new characters and the adorable interaction between Jake and Dean as Dads with their four-year-old daughter. I also like that the two POVs have distinct voices and I can clearly set them apart in my mind.

I wish the book was a bit longer though, and take more time in world-building, a lot has changed since Coldharbour and maybe I just need to read the other series set in the same universe as this book but I can't help to be a bit overwhelmed by these new enemies, the pods and the Conclave, and also by the new post-apocalyptic world they now live in.

I am so ready to read the next installment. I do hope the author won't hesitate to drag the couple through the mud like in the previous series, it was a painful journey but it was so worth it in the end and I hope to see the same in this series.

All in all, Richard Amos writes brilliant epic fantasy world with gripping plots and captivating characters and I cannot wait to read more of them <3

[PaperMoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having gone 'off' the Coldharbour books awhile back, I thought I'd give Jake and Dean a retry with the author's (holiday-themed) first of a new series - located in Amsterdam (of all places!). I had to wrap my head around a couple of pertinent plot points (e.g. pods) but once past that - my interest picked up with the bizarre/mysterious killings situated in a decently fleshed out urban fantasy world whereby modern society had become irrevocably altered once Coldharbour became 'reintegrated' into the world's collective consciousness/awareness. One further significant difference from the earlier series is that both MCs now have a greater impetus to keep alert and safe despite their hazardous profession - the joint responsibility of nurturing/caring for a young life (Lou).

Mr Amos mostly succeeds in balancing the flash-bang action sequences with the M-M romance/sex but there was the odd occasion when I felt the internal 'dirty think/talk' jarred with the gravity of a life-threatening situation. The Dutch place/street names plus quite a few Dutch conversational phrases wasn't too distracting either. So overall, a decent start to this series - 3.5 stars.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize that this was a spin off of another series so I fell a little bit lost. I will have to go back and read the Coldharbour Chronicles so I can see these two meeting and getting together. Jake and Dean are a cute couple and I really enjoyed them. Their daughter is so cute and very advanced for a 4 year old. I love the alternating point of views so we can get into each of their minds and know what they are thinking and why they are doing what they are doing. The investigation to the killings was very good. Also we have an issue with a group called the Conclave who basically want to destroy anything that they don’t feel that is holy and clean. They are a disgusting group of individuals. The things called “pods” scare the crap out of me because you don’t know where they could pop up or what they can do to you if you get too close. I can’t wait for more in this series.

ARC provided by LesCourt Services in exchange for an honest review.

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Bones by Richard Amos is my first book by this author, and it won’t be the last.
Jack and Dean live in Amsterdam with their daughter Louise. They are PIA, Paranormal Investigation Agents, after the truth about the paranormal world had been revealed to the humans.
Jack and Dean are on a case of a missing person when things start to get personal and their life are in danger…again.
I loved this book; I loved the universe. Jack and Dean are awesome, hilarious and crazy in love with each other. It was my first time with them, and I really loved how the author wrote them. They were complementary but different. I had a wonderful time with them.
The plot and the story were interesting, even if at first, I struggled to fully understand the universe, I caught up with it and I was captivated into the story until the end.
I loved the writing too. It was very dynamic, we jump from action to family time to sexy time to action, I adored it. It was fast and funny (pun intend)
After some research, I realized that this book is a sequel to the Coldharbour Chronicles series and guess what, I already buy them.
I will definitely read the next book in this series; I had a super good time with them.

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Christmas Bones is the first book in the Jake & Dean Investigations series by Richard Amos. It is a spin off of a previous series and honestly should be read after the Caldharbour Chronicles to get the full impact of this amazing universe created by the Author... but if you havent read it, this book still can stand on it's own without feeling lost.

I am excited that we get to see Jake Winter and Dean Tseng again... years have past and they are even more amazing now in their established family/relationship. They are fantastic characters and their story is entertaining - drama, action, suspense, magic, fantasy, danger, humor and romance. This book had me glued to the pages and I am excited to see what comes next.

I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.

[Naurarwen]

Richard Amos is a new author to me, but after a recommendation from another author, I decided to give it a go. It is a MM urban fantasy and a sequel to the Coldharbour Chronicles series set four years after the events of the final book but can be read without having previously read the other series. Though I admit I did have the odd occasion where I felt a little lost, so I may go back and read the Coldharbour Chronicles at some point.

Overall, I really enjoyed the fact the story was written from both POVs as it gave you a chance to see the thoughts and feelings of each character and both were written so you could distinguish between the two without even having to look which character it was at the beginning of the chapter. There were lots of different aspects of the story making it enjoyable throughout, whether it was dealing with Sonny the Snake, the Conclave and even the pods.

[Andrea Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake and Dean from the Coldharbour series have started a paranormal detective agency of sorts and are now living in Holland. his series is set several years after the Coldharbour series finises and is a really enjoyable read. Full of fun, mystery, suspence and a little heat. Its lovely seeing Jake and Dean in a family enviroment with their daughter and this book is so different to the previous series.
I love the new characters and this book can easily be read with out having read Coldharbour books so buckle up and settle in ready for the wild fun filled ride that is everything Jake and Dean.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Great start to the second series involving Jake and Dean. Not as good as Coldharbour but well worth the read. Jake's character has grown up some and he's less whiny. Love the established relationship. Good plot.

[MandyViolete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed! I love the dynamic of the characters! Very well written

[isthisakink · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5. And you can already guess the reason. So much inconsistency that I considered tossing my ereader outside at one point, the covers continue to haunt me, and it was a mess of editing whiffs and proofreading misses. I wanted to bang my head into something hard to reset it, but I signed up for this. Why? I actually have a better reason than, “brain said must finish”. It’s because I gotta know how the fuck the first series and this trilogy lead into where the characters are in the one I started with because I didn’t know it had any ties to previous ones. I won’t sit here and lie, this gave me the tingles of the question: AI??! I hate that feeling, that suspicion, and I’m not in any way saying it actually is, but there were those moments when it was like, that’s an odd error to make if you’re an author who understands basic language arts in any capacity, that gave me the pause and the twinge. The case was hella interesting, and I continue to enjoy the story, but there are some insanely large issues that seem to be completely skipped over and left to rot the enjoyment. I might not leave reviews or ratings for the next two because it will be more of the same exact gripes, and I’m not trying to hurt anyone or fuck anything up. That’s not my intention unless shit is actively harmful. There’s no need to be disparaging for no reason if I already know what I’m getting myself into.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Coldharbour saga I thought, what mischief can Jake and Dean get into? Coldharbour spoilers The bad guys were smited, the portal closed, and my boys are living a HEA in Amsterdam with their baby girl. Well, trust Richard Amos to bang out a new adventure in a world where magic has now been exposed to the general population, and the scenery has become more post apocalyptic than anything with "pods" showing up at weird intervals, mutating people, and causing chaos. Add in a the Conclave, a religious right wing group that not only hates gays but magic users and other supes, and you have the perfect world for the boys to continue their adventuring as paranormal investigators. I miss the extended cast of the other Guardians, Greg and Naomi, but at the same time look forward to a whole new cast of allies/associates/ and villains. The mystery is solid, and while the book felt short, the set up for further adventures was on point. Recommended if you loved the first series. Haven't read it yet? Go do that now, it's amazing!

[Mstay · Rating 3 out of 5]

so so

This was middle of the road for me. It was like all the elements were present, but something about the execution and details didn’t work for me. Some of my issues may be that I just don’t like the pod world. Another little pet peeve was the switching of language and then just speaking in English but saying you responded in Dutch. It threw me off as I had been trying to get used to the switches throughout the story then it seemed like the effort to translate the words just went out the window. I may have responded better to this if the mystery had been all without the Uber bad guy coming into play as well. It just seemed like there were so many elements of this story but nothing was strong enough to make me really want to visit the world often.

[James Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bones

I have read books by this author before and I enjoyed them. This one did not disappoint me at all. In fact, I feel as if I should more books written by Richard Amos. I will give this one a 4/5. Jake and Dean are paranormal investigation agents. They are partners in business and in life. A human body is discovered but all of the bones are missing. As if that is not enough, an anti paranormal faction has started making its presence known. Jake and Dean will have find the killer before they are killed and make sure their daughter has an awesome Christmas season.

[Julie Bedwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new to me author, and I haven't read the previous series that introduced Jake & Dean. I'm adding the Coldharbour series to my TBR list so I can get the whole Jake & Dean story, but this book can definitely be enjoyed without reading the other series first. I liked the author's spin on a world with human and supernatural beings. I loved Jake & Dean. They are so sweet to each other! I look forward to reading more of their story in future books.

[Ankita Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake and Dean are back!

Coldharbour Chronicles was an amazing series, and I'm so happy to join Jake and Dean in another adventure. The side characters in this book looked promising and the adventure was as gruesomely awesome as always. Loved the proposal.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just took a turn for the weird. In the four years that have past from the earlier series lots have changed. I still am enjoying these books.

[Janeylou · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh - tropes, stereotypes, and lazy plotting. The previous books were fun if dumb, this is just bad.

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read the Coldharbour Chronicles but although there were references to that with left me wanting to read that series, I still followed this story no problem, and it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of The Christmas Bones. Although I do want more in this series now too, and loved the set up for the next book.

The story drops the reader straight into the action, and I liked how the backstory was explained without it feeling like an info dump.

I fell for the characters very quickly. Their relationship feels very real, as does the life they’ve made with their daughter, Louise. Some of the scenes with them and Louise are very cute, while others are very much the realism of parenting while having to sometimes put the job first, especially when lives are at stake. Jake is wonderfully snarky, and I thought Dean complemented him well, although he has his own inner demons to fight. I loved their banter. I liked that they are both flawed, and not heroes in a conventional way, yet someone I’d definitely want on my side during an investigation or a fight. I liked that they’re still working through the consequences of their pasts.

I liked the supporting cast too, and am looking forwarding to learning more about them in future books. The Conclave are a real piece of work and sadly their attitudes and beliefs remind me of some of the not so good things about our own world.

I loved that this story is set in Amsterdam, and the flavour of culture and snippets of language. It gave the storyline a different flavour from what I usually read, despite it being our world, yet not, and also a very strong sense of place. The world building is fabulous, and I liked the idea of the pods and the havoc they’re wrecking not only on people, but their surroundings as well. I loved the supernatural elements in the story, the different types of beings and magic, and how some technology still works in this world, yet not others. The pods are a very cool idea, as is that Gaelic is the original language of the fae. I also liked that humans and supernaturals are a mix of good and bad.

I thought the story was very clever, and I didn’t guess the real reason for ‘the Christmas bones’. As a side note, I always appreciate stories where the characters have to do research, and I liked the set up with the research tools available in this world.

I’d recommend this story to readers who enjoy urban fantasy with fabulous world building, flawed heroes, and a storyline that keeps you guessing.

[Dixiecowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing story-line, lots of action, terrific characters all together capture your attention and heart.  Jack and Dean are back and so is their banter, connection and the need to solve the case.  Their work as Paranormal Investigators is interesting and draws me right in. I am really impressed with the world-building, it is awesome! 

Jack and Dean have amazing chemistry and i like that they are an established couple without a bunch of angst.  I really liked the setting being in Amsterdam and getting to see their life with their daughter Louise gave a touch of realness to our story.  

This is book one of the Jake & Dean Investigations and i am so looking forward to book two that comes out in March.  This series is a off shoot of the Coldharbour Chronicles, however i do think you can read it without being lost.  I do think that you will want to go back and read Coldharbour Chronicles just because the writing and story-telling is so good.  

I was gifted this book from the LesCourt Author Services and i freely give my honest opinion and review.  

[Momsterof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable in depth world

I enjoyed this book- it has a lot of action and the characters have great chemistry. The author does a good job on the creativity side building the world and all of its nuances and surprises. It was refreshing to read about an established couple. Though I will say- if your into angst-y romance, this one is probably not for you. I admit that, while the world building was creative, I found myself wishing that the author had been a more varied in word choice. I got hung up on a lot of repetitive exclamations and repetitive descriptions which made it harder for me to get through and really immerse myself in the world. I also found that some of the supporting descriptions of landscaping and characters leaned more on the basic side. I would go 3.5 of 5 stars in this one. Overall this is a cute read that definitely hits at a fun read that doesn’t have a lot of romantic turmoil.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG more Jake and Dean. I'm so happy ☺☺

It's been 4 years since the events of Coldharbour and magic is now part of the world in a big way. Like all massive changes, there are those who hate magic while there are those who embrace it.

Jake and Dean live with their daughter in Amsterdam where they are paranormal investigators. Sort of a cross between cops and creature wranglers with mad PI skills. They're also as much in love as ever before and Jake is still a trouble magnet. The crazy just seems to find him. Even at Christmas.

This time someone... some thing is sucking all the bones out of people andnjust leaving their flesh behind. Oh and an anti magic religious group has targeted Jake as the bringer of magical doom on the world.

All Jake wants to do is bake cookies, spend time with his daughter and maybe propose to his boyfriend. Is that to much to ask? Apparently so.

[Kitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was the complete package for me with romance, love, steamy times, humor, snark, action, adventure, mystery, and mayhem. There is a lot of paranormal action, magic, and a variety of races including humans, fae, vampires, and other supernaturals. It's a little gruesome in an icky sort of way, more humor than horror. I was a little lost to start because I have not read the Cold Harbour series, and I felt I was lacking some background. However, the story was entertaining with nonstop action. Be aware that this is part of an ongoing series, so it ends with some questions unanswered. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I also loved the little cameo reference to Dylan Rivers of Amos' other series. Play it loud or don't bother. LOL

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Sarita Chapdelaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great start to a new series and I am so happy that Jake and Dean's story continues on after Coldharbour ended. The Christmas Bones has an intriguing and quirky storyline with interesting twists and good world building. Jake and Dean are just as intense and in love as they were in the previous series and they are raising their daughter in this uncertain world that is full of danger and odd objects that can affect anyone nearby. There is a lot of action, great secondary characters, fun Christmas traditions and a sweet girl who wishes her daddies could spend more time with her in this exciting and fast paced story. I like the ending and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did I NOT know that this was a continuation of The Coldharbour Chronicles... which I own but didn't realize was the origin of this series... grrr

That having been said, I found this story very interesting and yes, all through the story I felt like there were moments that I should have known what had happened before or should have known who one of the other characters were... hence, I should have checked on a series related to this one before I started this book... grrr

Looking forward to going back and reading The Coldharbour Chronicles before I move on to The Charms of Death!!!