Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Carved in Bone
SERIES: The Henry Rios Mysteries #2
AUTHOR: Michael Nava
NARRATOR: Thom Rivera
PUBLISHER: Audible Studios
LENGTH: 9 hours, 10 minutes
RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2020
BLURB:
Was Bill Ryan’s death an accident? Henry Rios has his doubts.
The first new Henry Rios novel in 20 years from six-time Lambda Literary award winner Michael Nava is a brilliantly plotted mystery that weaves together the gripping story of two gay men against the backdrop of 1980s San Francisco as the tsunami of AIDS bears down upon the city.
REVIEW:
Carved in Bone was told from two timelines, the now following Henry Rios in his present in the 80’s. It’s set a while after the first book, I’m not too sure about the timeline, but I think it’s been a few years since the events in Lay Your Sleeping Head. He’s now trying to start over and get his life back on track. He’s sober and has a sponsor, next up is a job. And a step in that direction is to get back to practice law again, which is why a friend offers him a trial position investigating insurance claims to make sure they aren’t fraudulent. His first case is investigating Bill Ryan’s life.
Bill Ryan’s story is the second timeline we are following. It starts out in the early 70’s when Bill was a teenager just realizing he was gay and being thrown out and ostracised for being gay. We follow him to San Francisco and how he creates a new life for himself there, with new friends and new loves. Then we reach the 80 where his life changes drastically and ultimately culminates in the reason why Henry is tasked to investigate his life, trying to get a feel for him and the people surrounding him.
I love the quiet pacing of this series so far. It’s almost soothing in a way. Well, if you ignore the tragic and horrible events taking place, because they will play with your emotions like nothing else. Not in a manipulating way or for the sake of it, just because there are so much to be felt and that life isn’t always fair or easy – especially during this time. The way of life back then felt slower, there was time to just stop and take a breath and just be for a moment. I’m not trying to say it was better, but it was different. Michael Nava has a very captivating way of writing. He paints pictures so clearly and makes you feel deeply.
Thom Rivera was a wonderful addition to this book. His performance made Henry, Bill, Nick, Adam and the rest of them come alive. He fit the story, the characters and the timeline. He took you back to the 80’s just as surely Nava did with his words. He made you feel everything the characters did, the good and the bad. It was wonderful to listen to his voice for the past hours, and I’m looking forward to listen to the rest of the series.
Both the book and the series are highly recommended to anyone looking for a well-written gay mystery.
RATING: 
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