The Bones in the Attic (Hardcover)

by Robert Barnard (Author)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Scribner Book Company; 1 edition (April 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0684873796
ISBN-13: 978-0684873794
Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.5 x 2.5 cm
Shipping Weight: 386 g

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #1,445,899 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

In this superbly written suspense novel from British author Barnard (Unholy Dying, etc.), former soccer star Matt Harper, now a television and radio personality, is the new owner of Elderholm, one of a small street of sturdy old houses in Leeds. As he and his remodeling contractor take a look around the attic, they come upon the skeleton of a toddler-sized child. The deeper Matt and Det. Sgt. Charlie Peace probe, the more certain they become that the child met its tragic death in 1969, the same fateful summer Matt had spent in this very community. A public appeal for information nets Matt an anonymous letter, confirming his suspicion that, as a seven-year-old youngster, he had seen or heard more than he was consciously aware. As Matt tracks down and talks with his old playmates from that summer, he connects fragments from his own memories with the information all of these provide. The conclusion isn't pleasant: some way, somehow, the kids he'd played alongside were involved. Some or all of them knew the truth about what had happened to the baby in the attic. Who of them had actually done the deed? Was it Rory? Drinking seemed to be his only solace. And what of Caroline? She had long since lost connection with most of reality. One by one, Matt delves into the past and present lives of his former companions. And slowly the circle narrows. Barnard quickly pulls his readers into the plot and holds them there right through the final pages, leaving them, along with his hero, pondering further possibilities. Award as well as Anthony, Agatha and Macavity awards.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Master storyteller Barnard (The Corpse at the Haworth Tandoori) focuses on an old house in Leeds, where new owner Matt Harper, a TV personality, discovers the skeleton of a small child in the attic. Police say the skeleton has been there for 30 years which means that Matt was in the area at the time the child died. A skillful rendering.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars A bit of a muddled end..., Mar 3 2003

By	Laurie Fletcher "Laurie Fletcher" (Casper, Wyoming, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After a child's skeleton is found in the attic of Matt Harper, who has just bought into a neighborhood in Leeds, England after living there briefly as a boy, he shadows the investigation by a well-meaning detective sergeant who has a baby of his own, and delves back into his brief past in the neighborhood, which coincides with the approximate death of the infant in his attic. This means reconnecting with the neighborhood children, now adults, and forcing some organization on his hazy memories. He knows he feels unsettled and discomfited by that particular time, but can't quite grasp why.

I've never read Mr. Barnard before this book, but judging by the size of his name on the cover relative to the title, he must be terribly well known. This was an interesting book with a little bit of a muddled end, but it was well written otherwise and I plan to read him again. It would give away too much to say why I felt the end was muddled, but one key explanation didn't hold up for me. Nonetheless, it wasn't THE key explanation and so the story was hardly ruined. And maybe I'm just being picky. One thing I can say about Mr. Barnard's writing is that he does dialogue very, very well. I especially liked the way the children were written and the way he captured their banter.

A note of relief: there are many, many names and places to keep straight. In the hardcover, and hopefully the paperback as well, there is a map of the neighborhood. It really helps.

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4.0 out of 5 stars An Enjoyable Mystery, Oct 29 2002

By	Elizabeth Hendry (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Robert Barnard's Bones in the Attic is an enjoyable mystery, a quick read to sink into when you've got a few hours to kill. The story of a discovery of a child's bones in an attic and the unraveling of the mystery behind them that follows is certainly nothing unique here. While this probably won't be a book you rush out and tell everyone about, it certainly is a pleasant read.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Good solid mystery by a capable and experienced writer, Aug 31 2002

By	F. J. Harvey "Cricket ,country music and a go... (Birmingham England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Barnard,in my opinion ,is not a top echelon crime writer but he can be relied on for solid,well crafted mysteries and he shows a great deal of versatility as to setting and characters.
This takes place in contemporary Leeds ,in Yorkshire,and the protagonist is Matt Harper,former pro soccer player turned local radio pundit and front man on a local TV news show.He is about to move into a new house with his partner and her two children by a former marriage when he discovers the bones of a child in the attic.The child had been dead for some time and the local police are unable to allocate major resources to resolving the mystery.A symathetic black policeman,Charlie Peace(who has figured in other Barnard tales)feeds Harper information assuming correctly that he will be driven to devote time and energy to the case for personal reasons.This is because the case dates back to the late 60's when Harper was briefly resident in the area and has some vague recollections of knowing some of the people who may have been involved .
patiently he sets about tracing the children with whom he played back then and finds they have all to some extenyt been affected by memories of what transpired that summmer,The baby had died through the agency of one of these children and the malign influence of an "offstage" adult
The book is interesting rather than gripping and this sis the gap between an author who is purchased and one who is borrowed from the local library.
I will happlily give my time to Mr Barnard-for his neat plots ,effective characterisation and quiet compassionate social observation.I am reluctant to part with my sheckels for someone who does not-and he does not--move me at a level other than the cerebral.

Good fare if you like Britsh mysteries with a foot in the modern ,but not seamy,,world

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Workmanlike mystery with a familiar theme.
An old skeleton lies buried in the attic of a house, where it has been undisturbed for thirty years. Who is the victim? Read more

Published on April 28 2002 by E. Bukowsky

5.0 out of 5 stars intriguing investigative tale
Matt Harper is a minor celebrity in England because of his past professional soccer playing and his present day work as a media sports commentator. Read more

Published on Mar 30 2002 by Harriet Klausner