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A Thomas Austin Crime Thriller #1
The Bones at Point No Point
6 hrs. 28 min.
How do you catch a killer who's already behind bars?
Thomas Austin was once a prominent NYPD detective, known for locking up a psychopathic serial killer dubbed "The Holiday Baby Butcher." Now retired in a small beach town in the Pacific Northwest, Austin runs a little café, trying to overcome the loss of his wife, a DA who was gunned down only one year ago.
But when a mysterious bag of bones appears on a nearby beach, Austin is dragged back into a world he thought he'd left behind. The Holiday Baby Butcher is behind bars, so it has to be a copycat.
But with each new clue, the killer seems closer and closer to the real thing. And when Austin finally learns the truth, it's a twist so shocking it shakes him to his core.
How do you catch a killer who's already behind bars?
Thomas Austin was once a prominent NYPD detective, known for locking up a psychopathic serial killer dubbed "The Holiday Baby Butcher." Now retired in a small beach town in the Pacific Northwest, Austin runs a little café, trying to overcome the loss of his wife, a DA who was gunned down only one year ago.
But when a mysterious bag of bones appears on a nearby beach, Austin is dragged back into a world he thought he'd left behind. The Holiday Baby Butcher is behind bars, so it has to be a copycat.
But with each new clue, the killer seems closer and closer to the real thing. And when Austin finally learns the truth, it's a twist so shocking it shakes him to his core.
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 27, 2022
9169 people are currently reading
8133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 760 reviews
May 1, 2023
Not terrible, but not especially good, either.
Too many characters with too little conflict, too much dialogue with too little to say, too little plot with too much to do, and a twist that neither earned its place in the story nor carried enough emotional impact to grab the reader.
Missable.
Too many characters with too little conflict, too much dialogue with too little to say, too little plot with too much to do, and a twist that neither earned its place in the story nor carried enough emotional impact to grab the reader.
Missable.
March 13, 2024
Thrill of a ride
Serial killer, a retired detective and small police department chase a baby killer in a small town. This is a whirlwind ride at the end.
Well written with a good plot.
Serial killer, a retired detective and small police department chase a baby killer in a small town. This is a whirlwind ride at the end.
Well written with a good plot.
July 27, 2023
Characters were fabulous, I loved this group of detectives who tried to solve the case before it was too late. It's rare to find a book in this genre with this likable characters. I loved some fun moments when they joked together and I loved how tight this group was, they had each others' backs!
This was really intriguing read and had fantastic pacing. And the last pages were thrilling too!
I was 100 % entertained and really loved reading this.
This was really intriguing read and had fantastic pacing. And the last pages were thrilling too!
I was 100 % entertained and really loved reading this.
January 23, 2023
This book was about Thomas Austin or just Austin,who is a former NYPD detective who moves to Hanesville, Washington flipping burgers and selling bait. No longer on the job he's enjoying his downtime with just his dog and his restaurant business when he gets a call from a local sheriff asking about one of his old cases from NY, the baby butcher. After a baby is kidnapped near Hanesville and has similarities to the baby butcher who's in prison, the local sheriff asks for Austin's assistance. With reluctance, Austin joins the local sheriff and his team to find this missing baby before it's too late.
Review: From what I understand, D.D. Black is a independent author. I have not heard of or read anything from D.D so color me surprised when I say, this was good. It's fucked up but it was good. It was very suspensful and a huge mystery. I loved being sucked in and hanging on every word. The only character we got to know was Austin. A good cop. A great detective with excellent talent of solving crimes. The other characters were more or less side lines but we got to a little and so with the whole team, the book was an adventure. What was a fun turn of events too was you have a reporter in the mix that adds a flair. So you have a room full of cops and a reporter. It was interesting. The crime was fucked up but the investigation was thorough without being too thorough. I kinda felt like I was in the room with the team trying to find this sick pyscho. The twist it had was super shocking. I had my own doubts. Lol. But then was relieved when things worked out.
Conclusion: the book was good. It was fucked up but it was good. It was definitely a mystery suspense and a shocking twist. I'd be stupid to rate this lower than a 5. I found no errors. No misspellings, nothing repetitive, the characters were on point. Everything made sense. I found no issues. I liked it..I will probably read the whole series.
Review: From what I understand, D.D. Black is a independent author. I have not heard of or read anything from D.D so color me surprised when I say, this was good. It's fucked up but it was good. It was very suspensful and a huge mystery. I loved being sucked in and hanging on every word. The only character we got to know was Austin. A good cop. A great detective with excellent talent of solving crimes. The other characters were more or less side lines but we got to a little and so with the whole team, the book was an adventure. What was a fun turn of events too was you have a reporter in the mix that adds a flair. So you have a room full of cops and a reporter. It was interesting. The crime was fucked up but the investigation was thorough without being too thorough. I kinda felt like I was in the room with the team trying to find this sick pyscho. The twist it had was super shocking. I had my own doubts. Lol. But then was relieved when things worked out.
Conclusion: the book was good. It was fucked up but it was good. It was definitely a mystery suspense and a shocking twist. I'd be stupid to rate this lower than a 5. I found no errors. No misspellings, nothing repetitive, the characters were on point. Everything made sense. I found no issues. I liked it..I will probably read the whole series.
August 9, 2023
we get it. you feel old.
June 5, 2023
Excellent Start to new series.
My first time reading DD Black. This is his debut book. I'll be continuing to read the rest of the series. Well written police procedural/ crime thriller with a lot of promise. Very good narration via audible that did the writing justice.
My first time reading DD Black. This is his debut book. I'll be continuing to read the rest of the series. Well written police procedural/ crime thriller with a lot of promise. Very good narration via audible that did the writing justice.
October 21, 2022
THE BONES AT POINT NO POINT knows its audience, and knows that they want familiar thriller tropes — serial killers, ticking clocks, red herrings and heroic cops with complicated backstories. Everything its readers read here, they’re likely to have read somewhere else. But for those readers, they familiarity is a feature and not a bug.
Author D.D. Black delivers on their expectations and then some, with a dollop of darkly delicious setting — the hamlet of Hansville and the windswept geographic feature known as Point No Point on north-central Puget Sound, close to Seattle as the crow flies but a world away in culture. This is where Thomas Austin, early retiree from the NYPD after the murder of his wife, has washed up as owner of the town’s grocery store/restaurant/bait shop. Where he’s reluctantly pulled back into police work after a new series of baby kidnappings and killings in the area raised echoed of his most famous case — and fears that the killer he caught and helped convict might have the victim of a horrible injustice.
The truth, revealed deftly in layers, turns out to be more gruesomely twisted than even a New York cop can conceive.
THE BONES AT POINT NO POINT is not only a thrilling tale of twist-driven suspense on its own, but sets the hook for future series entries through a number of intriguingly complicated characters who will almost surely get their own star turns in subsequent volumes.
Author D.D. Black delivers on their expectations and then some, with a dollop of darkly delicious setting — the hamlet of Hansville and the windswept geographic feature known as Point No Point on north-central Puget Sound, close to Seattle as the crow flies but a world away in culture. This is where Thomas Austin, early retiree from the NYPD after the murder of his wife, has washed up as owner of the town’s grocery store/restaurant/bait shop. Where he’s reluctantly pulled back into police work after a new series of baby kidnappings and killings in the area raised echoed of his most famous case — and fears that the killer he caught and helped convict might have the victim of a horrible injustice.
The truth, revealed deftly in layers, turns out to be more gruesomely twisted than even a New York cop can conceive.
THE BONES AT POINT NO POINT is not only a thrilling tale of twist-driven suspense on its own, but sets the hook for future series entries through a number of intriguingly complicated characters who will almost surely get their own star turns in subsequent volumes.
May 8, 2024
Promises to be a great series!! RTC :)
April 17, 2024
Subject matter,was hard
This is about a serial killer. A baby serial killer and its gruesome and horrifying. You only see the aftermath but the details are in there. Hard to read about but the book itself was very good. I don't look for grammar or misspelled words or parsed sentences and my reviews always are just about how the story made me feel and this one did in abundance. All the feels from horror to sadness to grief to a little bit of joy. He gets pulled into the case in Washington state but he's an ex NYPD. He left the force when his wife was killed and runs a restaurant bait shop on a beach. and a dog named Run. Books with dogs are always winners with me for sure. There's another one named Itsy Bitsy too that is pretty cute too. The story itself is really good. I did figure it out early but it still held my interest to see how it played out. Austin is a great hero. I loved his determination to save that baby's life. The writing style caught me from the first page to the last and I can't wait to read more books about these characters. I am not going to breakdown the plot but this is definitely worth the time it takes to read it. Simply fascinating.
This is about a serial killer. A baby serial killer and its gruesome and horrifying. You only see the aftermath but the details are in there. Hard to read about but the book itself was very good. I don't look for grammar or misspelled words or parsed sentences and my reviews always are just about how the story made me feel and this one did in abundance. All the feels from horror to sadness to grief to a little bit of joy. He gets pulled into the case in Washington state but he's an ex NYPD. He left the force when his wife was killed and runs a restaurant bait shop on a beach. and a dog named Run. Books with dogs are always winners with me for sure. There's another one named Itsy Bitsy too that is pretty cute too. The story itself is really good. I did figure it out early but it still held my interest to see how it played out. Austin is a great hero. I loved his determination to save that baby's life. The writing style caught me from the first page to the last and I can't wait to read more books about these characters. I am not going to breakdown the plot but this is definitely worth the time it takes to read it. Simply fascinating.
June 9, 2023
I wonder if I would've enjoyed this book as much if I hadn't grown up in the area where it is situated, and known every location Black describes. But after some thought, I think I would've enjoyed it just as much. The plot is riveting. It's rare for me to find a book that will inspire me to fight past bedtime exhaustion and keep reading. This book, D.D. Black's first in his Thomas Austin series, was worth the next day's sleepiness.
In a nutshell, the plot centers on Thomas Austin (Austin), a former NY detective who has relocated to quiet Hansville, Washington, to run a cafe and bait shop with his adorable dog, Run. But a horrific discovery at Point No Point in Austin's new town brings him out of retirement as the county police ask for his help. It seems that someone is murdering babies in a fashion that exactly mimics a case that Austin had worked on, and solved, in New York. The case brings up Austin's worst fears of perhaps having put away the wrong person. The action never lets up, and the murderer is truly a monster.
D.D. Black creates characters that are refreshingly different from several detective series that I have sampled and rejected. For one thing, even though his protagonist is haunted by ghosts from his past, he's not a raging alcoholic. That was a nice change from that tired trope! Also, the county law enforcement that he works with to solve the case are likable professionals - also not alcoholics or misogynistic assholes. But for me, the setting was everything. I haven't lived in that area for 20 years, but reading Black's description was like taking a trip home to a place I can't wait to once again call home. I don't know if the other books in this series will measure up to this one, but I am eager to find out. It's cheaper than an airplane ticket!
In a nutshell, the plot centers on Thomas Austin (Austin), a former NY detective who has relocated to quiet Hansville, Washington, to run a cafe and bait shop with his adorable dog, Run. But a horrific discovery at Point No Point in Austin's new town brings him out of retirement as the county police ask for his help. It seems that someone is murdering babies in a fashion that exactly mimics a case that Austin had worked on, and solved, in New York. The case brings up Austin's worst fears of perhaps having put away the wrong person. The action never lets up, and the murderer is truly a monster.
D.D. Black creates characters that are refreshingly different from several detective series that I have sampled and rejected. For one thing, even though his protagonist is haunted by ghosts from his past, he's not a raging alcoholic. That was a nice change from that tired trope! Also, the county law enforcement that he works with to solve the case are likable professionals - also not alcoholics or misogynistic assholes. But for me, the setting was everything. I haven't lived in that area for 20 years, but reading Black's description was like taking a trip home to a place I can't wait to once again call home. I don't know if the other books in this series will measure up to this one, but I am eager to find out. It's cheaper than an airplane ticket!
September 1, 2023
I WAS WAY AHEAD OF AUSTIN ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON (had me talking out loud) OMG! HE SHOULD HAVE CHECKED HIS BARKING DOG. I DON'T THINK THE POLICE OR AUSTIN BEHAVED RIGHT. THEY MADE SOME VERY DUMB MISTAKES WHICH CAUSED INJURIES AND COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. SMH! RECKLESS DISCRIBES HIM PERFECTLY. ;D
June 26, 2024
A book that does exactly what you want it to. A 260 page psychological, procedural thriller. I’ll read more in the series whenever I need a break from intense, long books. Good characters. Intriguing story with satisfying twists.
April 29, 2024
great narrator.
armature writing horrible story execution. Waste of money.
armature writing horrible story execution. Waste of money.
January 28, 2025
Enjoyable enough first book in the Thomas Austin crime thriller series, Austin, 43 years of age and a 20 year veteran NYPD detective, has retired to the North West of the country after losing his wife in a shooting. Most known for catching the serial killer The Holiday Baby Butcher, he now runs a cafe in a small town and wants the quiet life well away from the big city.
When a bag of bones is discovered on a nearby beach, the similarities to The Holiday Baby Butcher are startling. The local police, well aware of who Austin is, persuades him reluctantly to act as a consultant on the case. The killer is still behind bars so do they have a copycat on their hands?
As I say I enjoyed this one overall with some reservations. At a little over 250 pages it flies along and Austin and his fellow law enforcement officers are interesting characters. The premise is pretty good and the killer sounds scary as hell in the beginning.
I did feel though that the killer was like an afterthought to the writer, there as the villain with little time spent with them or even fleshing out their character. I thought the book would have been better for it had we had more of the killer.
Also a real bugbear and annoyance through the book was, Austin seemingly is not very good with technology social media etc. not because he’s a technophobe. No no, it’s because of his age. He doesn’t know what Snapchat or instagram are. He’s 43! Like I’m 58 and use social media a lot, am aware and engage with technology etc and it’s not like I’m an outlier. It just felt like a huge clumsy gaff from the author and really took away from the believability of the story.
Those issues aside it was a solid first book in a series and had me engaged enough to want to read more books in the series.
When a bag of bones is discovered on a nearby beach, the similarities to The Holiday Baby Butcher are startling. The local police, well aware of who Austin is, persuades him reluctantly to act as a consultant on the case. The killer is still behind bars so do they have a copycat on their hands?
As I say I enjoyed this one overall with some reservations. At a little over 250 pages it flies along and Austin and his fellow law enforcement officers are interesting characters. The premise is pretty good and the killer sounds scary as hell in the beginning.
I did feel though that the killer was like an afterthought to the writer, there as the villain with little time spent with them or even fleshing out their character. I thought the book would have been better for it had we had more of the killer.
Also a real bugbear and annoyance through the book was, Austin seemingly is not very good with technology social media etc. not because he’s a technophobe. No no, it’s because of his age. He doesn’t know what Snapchat or instagram are. He’s 43! Like I’m 58 and use social media a lot, am aware and engage with technology etc and it’s not like I’m an outlier. It just felt like a huge clumsy gaff from the author and really took away from the believability of the story.
Those issues aside it was a solid first book in a series and had me engaged enough to want to read more books in the series.
August 31, 2022
An exciting new suspense filled ride!!!
WOW!!! keeps ya guessing that's for sure 😉. I absolutely LOVED this start to the new series. I fell in love with these wonderful characters, and am looking forward to what mysteries may be in the future. Get ready for well crafted characters, a fascinating story with layers, action, suspense, brilliant character banter, and an exciting journey overall! I could not put this down once I started reading!!! If you enjoy a good mystery or suspense read then treat yourself... you won't regret it ❤.
WOW!!! keeps ya guessing that's for sure 😉. I absolutely LOVED this start to the new series. I fell in love with these wonderful characters, and am looking forward to what mysteries may be in the future. Get ready for well crafted characters, a fascinating story with layers, action, suspense, brilliant character banter, and an exciting journey overall! I could not put this down once I started reading!!! If you enjoy a good mystery or suspense read then treat yourself... you won't regret it ❤.
July 4, 2024
4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cut and dry thriller. Well done
I breezed through this book. It’s a no frills solid thriller that has a nice pace throughout, chilling plot, great characters, and perfect setting. Solid all around. Ending was great too. A good one.
I breezed through this book. It’s a no frills solid thriller that has a nice pace throughout, chilling plot, great characters, and perfect setting. Solid all around. Ending was great too. A good one.
May 26, 2024
Read this book for book club, and though I probably wouldn’t have chosen it myself, I couldn’t put down this book! It’s been a very long time since I’ve started and finished a book in one day, it definitely kept me on my toes. Knocked a star only cause the imagery of the crimes isn’t what I needed (expecting mama of first baby) but the thrill, suspense and shock made the whole read pretty interesting.
November 4, 2023
Opening with a slow beach-scene setting, the story quickly slams into tension gear as it shifts into “a leisurely stroll down nightmare lane.”
Thomas Austin, with barely a toe into mid-life, left a wrenching loss and a 20-year career in New York City. He came to the other coast, to live in a small town on a peninsula in touching distance of Seattle but finds himself back in the nightmare lane that turns out to have a long reach.
Black keeps the tension high ’til the end. I liked listening to the characters talk—lifelike and immersive! And often scared.
It’s a chilling story. With deep and ugly roots, this page-turner tells a desperate tale that few of us know about.
Austin’s lexical-gustatory synesthesia was a new discovery for me and added a piquant touch to the events as they came onstage.
I thank the publisher for an ARC, no strings attached, and am giving my personal, honest review as I plan to re-read this book.
Thomas Austin, with barely a toe into mid-life, left a wrenching loss and a 20-year career in New York City. He came to the other coast, to live in a small town on a peninsula in touching distance of Seattle but finds himself back in the nightmare lane that turns out to have a long reach.
Black keeps the tension high ’til the end. I liked listening to the characters talk—lifelike and immersive! And often scared.
It’s a chilling story. With deep and ugly roots, this page-turner tells a desperate tale that few of us know about.
Austin’s lexical-gustatory synesthesia was a new discovery for me and added a piquant touch to the events as they came onstage.
I thank the publisher for an ARC, no strings attached, and am giving my personal, honest review as I plan to re-read this book.
January 27, 2024
I surprised myself by enjoying this book more than I expected! While I initially picked it up because it's from a local author (and no doubt recognizing most places the author mentioned did add to my experience), "The Bones at Point No Point" definitely could hold its weight among more well-known thrillers.
There's a dark and gruesome edge to this mystery that some readers may shy away from — a serial killer who targets newborn infants is on the loose — but I found the characters instantly likable, the plot engaging, and the pacing quick. One thing that was distracting for me was a repeated focus on the main character Austin's tech un-savviness —being as deeply clueless as he is about even just the name of social media platforms and other tech details just didn't feel like it fit a man in his 40s nor added to his character development. I hope that's not hammered on as heavily in future books of the series, but I'm happy to pick up another one to find out.
There's a dark and gruesome edge to this mystery that some readers may shy away from — a serial killer who targets newborn infants is on the loose — but I found the characters instantly likable, the plot engaging, and the pacing quick. One thing that was distracting for me was a repeated focus on the main character Austin's tech un-savviness —being as deeply clueless as he is about even just the name of social media platforms and other tech details just didn't feel like it fit a man in his 40s nor added to his character development. I hope that's not hammered on as heavily in future books of the series, but I'm happy to pick up another one to find out.
August 29, 2022
Loved this book! This one snagged me right away - I especially like that it was set in the area where I live. And the characters - oh boy! Loved them all. Looking forward to the next installment :)
October 10, 2023
Average, poor characterisation. Considering the hype and blurb, very disappointing. Will not read any more.
March 28, 2024
mKeeps you turning pages
It was a great storyline that keeps you turning the pages. The characters are great and grow on you, would and will read for more. Got a great detective with a fractured past, a journalist that is just as strong and smart can’t forget the others!
It was a great storyline that keeps you turning the pages. The characters are great and grow on you, would and will read for more. Got a great detective with a fractured past, a journalist that is just as strong and smart can’t forget the others!
August 27, 2024
I have been looking for a new series to be hooked on. I think I have found one. A great book that made me want to read more and more. Having a daughter living in Seattle, I knew some of the locations which added to the flavor. Can't wait to start the next one. Highly recommend!
November 22, 2024
Excellent read! Will definitely continue with the series!
November 18, 2024
Slow start, but the ending picked up and was exciting. I’d consider reading the second book
November 20, 2024
3.5 Stars. Interested in the series. A bit graphic for me. But all around good mystery.
August 15, 2023
This mystery was a recent gift from my friend in Seattle. She spends a lot of time riding the Bremerton ferry to visit relatives in Silverdale, which is mentioned in the book. Good mystery, mostly good cast of characters, enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the next in the Thomas Austin series, which features the Pike Place Market--our favorite place since we were students at the University of Washington. A previous poster mentioned liking the kidding around going on between the law enforcement characters, and that was the one thing that annoyed me. I am not a fan of relentless bantering. Sometimes people just talk to each other.
August 29, 2023
Engaging
I live in the town the story took place on so I could relate. Very enjoyable. Looking forward to the next book.
I live in the town the story took place on so I could relate. Very enjoyable. Looking forward to the next book.
March 7, 2024
5 Stars
A very great book finished in 2 days! Characters played their role very good. Loved the book.
Would read more of his books
A very great book finished in 2 days! Characters played their role very good. Loved the book.
Would read more of his books
July 18, 2025
Fun summer crime, blood and nasty folks read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 760 reviews