The Bone Queen

 

What if a ghost story wasn’t just a story and your child believed it was coming for her?

In Will Shindler’s horror debut The Bone Queen, Jenna is a disgraced journalist and recovering alcoholic, already stretched thin by divorce and regret. When her daughter Chloe disappears, everything else falls away. Vulnerable and unraveling, Chloe has become convinced she’s been marked for death by the legendary Bone Queen. Chasing a cure, she flees to a remote island to meet a mysterious online figure. Jenna follows and finds more than a frightened teen. A string of unsettling deaths and an old legend begin to feel disturbingly real.

While the supernatural elements deliver the chills, this is ultimately a story about a fractured mother-daughter bond and how trauma can make us vulnerable to dark forces—both human and otherwise.

Tasmin Kennard’s  narration is emotionally sharp and terrifying. It captures grief, fear, and mounting urgency. 

This is a strong slow-burn blend of thriller and horror that never lets you fully relax.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the early listen. Out Feb. 3. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Do you prefer horror rooted in folklore and legend, or stories where the real fear comes from people?

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About the Author

Will Shindler has spent most of his career working as a broadcast journalist for the BBC. He also spent nearly a decade working on a number of British television dramas, working for both the BBC Drama Series Department, and Talkback Thames Television as a writer and script editor. He has been writing novels since 2020, including the five-book critically acclaimed DI Alex Finn series: The Burning Men, The Killing Choice, The Hunting Ground, The Blood Line and The Cold Case. The Bone Queen is his first novel for Minotaur Books in the US. He currently combines reading news bulletins for BBC Radio London with his novel writing and has previously worked as a presenter for ITV West, a reporter for BBC Radio Five Live, and as one of the stadium presenters at the 2012 London Olympics. He lives in London.