Boneman's Daughters

by Ted Dekker

Book Overview

A Texas serial killer called Bone Man is on the loose, choosing young girls as his prey. A high-level military intelligence officer is captured in Fallujah, and his Iraqi captor is threatening the life of his wife and daughter at home. And he appears to have a link with Bone Man.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599951959
• ISBN13: 9781599951959
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Center Street
• Length: 401 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Christian Fiction Label Put Me Off This Author For A Long Time

I think calling fiction Christian needs some further study. I was raised a Catholic and went to Catholic schools so I would assume I am aware of Christian beliefs. I also studied philosophy in college so I have a good basis for understanding belief orientations. A few years ago I read a book that had that Christian fiction label. It was written by Dee Henderson. It was set in the FBI and terrorist plotting world. In between fights with the bad guys and often killing them, the main characters (FBI agents) would sit down and pull out the bible and begin to talk about how this whole experience stacked up against Jesus. I did not finish the book. This heavy handedness pulled me out of the tale. I wanted to read Dekker much earlier but I kept seeing this same label on his work, "Christian author, Christian fiction," and I thought he was going to do something equally heavy handed. Finally, I gave in and decided to give my second Christian fiction book a try (but with much misgiving). I am happy to report that I personally find Dekker to be more of a philosophical writer who ponders, and has his characters ponder, the afterlife and good and evil vis a vis the world as we know it, while a rollicking good story is going on. All the above said, if you like intricate mystery-thriller books involving serial killers, it is hard to find them better than this. Dekker does an extraordinary job. This is a serial killer book about fathers and daughters and the killing of children. You don't fully understand this until the end but that is the underpinning of his idea. He turns it on its head in several ways but I don't want to give away any more than that. An Army Intelligence officer, back home in Austin, is pulled into these murders while trying to reestablish his relationship with his daughter. He neglected her emotionally while away at war year after year after year. Dekker hits us with many ethical and moral questions in his books that other authors in this serial killer genre do not. I find this adds to the book and I do not find those questions uniquely "Christian." I pondered these very same questions in my college philosophy class and these questions are pondered by many religions, not just one. It might be best to call these philosophical thrillers, which I think is a lot closer to the mark, than Christian fiction. Yes, Dekker believes in God and an afterlife, obviously, and that does come through in his books but he doesn't use his belief to recruit. Rather he makes it believably part and parcel of an excellent storytelling ability. I have read three of Dekker's books now and I like them all.

Dekker Delivers Bone Breaking Thrills!

When I looked at this particular title, I was both excited and worried at the same time. The title (like all Ted Dekker titles) looked like another amazing story had emerged from Dekker's brain. Yet I took a moment to remember certain times where he produced a brilliant title, and the story was just so-so. Yet only pages into this work and my fears were released. And they were released by the Ted Dekker who used to blow me away, time and time again! And when Ted Dekker strikes again, man does he hit hard! You will enter the world of Ryan Evans, a man who never cared too much about his wife or daughter, yet put his life into his work. And while you experience Ryan's life, you will see the life of BoneMan. You will see the result of what BoneMan can accomplish through the life of young girls. And in the end, you will see just how far one man will go for his daughter. You will most certainly see a few bones broken in the process! And when the heat get turned up, a message is sent. You really don't want to piss off Ryan Evans! BoneMan or not. You don't mess with the family of Ryan, especially his daughter. Dekker puts this together in brilliant fashion. And when you thought the story was going THIS way, it goes THAT way! In this particular, you really pull for the main man, while you highly despise the antagonist. You want the bad guy dead to the point of doing the job yourself! But that's how good Dekker can get when he puts his mind to it. If anybody out there is waiting for Dekker to get the swing back in his step, look no further. He kicked some tail with this one, even if it required picking a few bones...or breaking them, that is!!

Absolutely intense read

Boneman's Daughters could possibly be Dekkers best book up to this point. It grabs you right from the beginning and never slows down. What begins with an attack on a US military vehicle leads to a thrilling race for the perfect daughter. Dekkers style is intense and throughout the book he manages to bring you from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs; the gruesome violence exhibited in this book creates the perfect setting for just that. Reading this book will leave you shocked, excited, curious and stunned all at once. Boneman's Daughters does NOT disappoint.

Dekker Just Keeps Getting Better

Ryan Evans has served his country well as an intelligence officer for the navy. On the other hand his role as a husband and a father has been lacking at best. When a mission goes wrong near Fallujah, Ryan comes face to face with a horrific reality causing him to reflect on his own personal failures. After a narrow escape Ryan vows to return home a better man for his wife and his daughter, Bethany. Meanwhile in Austin, TX, new evidence has come to light regarding the capture of the serial killer known as Boneman. Two years ago Boneman went on a rampage capturing young girls and then torturing them by breaking all of their bones without breaking their skin. Boneman was finally captured, but the new evidence suggests they have the wrong man. Their suspicions are confirmed when the real Boneman captures Bethany Evans soon after her father returns from Iraq. Ryan will now stop at nothing to save his daughter from this monster. Unfortunately for Ryan, the FBI is convinced that he is Boneman. Ted Dekker has sold more than three million copies of his titles and Boneman's Daughters shows us why. With an astonishing twenty-three novels in nine years, Dekker has done what many authors fail to do after time: he only continues to get better. This latest installment easily showcases the best writing of his short, yet illustrious career. This well crafted plot is packed with tension and suspense. Dekker gives just the right amount of information to keep us hooked, but never enough to spoil the ride or reveal the final destination. Each of the main characters are wondrously brought to life, and the twisted glimpses into Boneman's world are terrifying and disturbing. Dekker has crafted his share of memorable villains, but Boneman may be his darkest creation yet. While I was effortlessly drawn in by the mystery and relentless pacing of this story, my favorite aspect was the personal struggle of Ryan Evans. This is a brilliant, yet flawed character that has completely made a mess of his life. Ryan's resolve to make things right is the driving force that fuels this story along. In the end we are left with perfect closure and a fitting message of redemption that resonates loud and clear. Boneman's Daughters is Ted Dekker's first book not published by Thomas Nelson. While that relationship continues, it's great to see a publisher like Center Street/Hachette making an effort to get this story out to the masses. I hope this move will introduce Dekker and his writing to a whole new host of fans who have truly been missing out on some of the best storytelling around.

BoneMan's Daughters like The Husband

With an opening scene reminding me of the one in Iron Man, BoneMan's Daughters takes you for a trip that won't free you until you read the final sentence. Ryan Evans is a military intelligence officer stationed in Iraq. After being kidnapped, tortured and escaping, Evans returns home seeking to redeem himself to his estranged wife and daughter. But he isn't welcomed warmly. There's a serial killer, called BoneMan, on the loose and he's looking for the perfect daughter. If she doesn't measure up, he breaks her bones without breaking her skin. And his latest victim is Bethany, Evans' daughter. Evans, seeking family redemption, launches his own rescue operation to win his daughter's life and love. But the FBI has evidence linking Ryan Evans as the BoneMan. Meet Ryan Evans: a father who will do anything to save his daughter...or is he? Ted Dekker's latest adventure reminded me of Dean Koontz's The Husband. In both stories, you have a man going to great lengths to rescue a female family member. However, in BoneMan's Daughters the rescuer may just be the killer. As is the case with all Dekker novels, this book will keep you turning the pages well into late-night hours as you try to solve the case by turning with each new twist. BoneMan's Daughters will keep you thinking and asking questions well after you've finished the book. With twenty-three novels under his name, Ted Dekker is the master of storytellers.