The Bone Thief Review

Author: Vanessa Lillie

Series: Syd Walker #2

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: Oct. 28, 2025

Many thanks to Berkley for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review first publisher in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town—a place with dark ties to an elite historical society—archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate...from bestselling author Vanessa Lillie.

Review:

The Bone Thief by Author Vanessa Lillie is the follow up novel to Blood Sisters in which readers were introduced to Syd Walker, a Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. While this series is fictional, many of the events explored within both books are deeply rooted in American History and remain real-life issues for Indigenous people living on reservations today. Lillie does an admirable job of seamlessly incorporating history with fiction to deliver a thought provoking, heartbreaking mystery that's impossible to put down.

 BIA Agent Syd Walker has returned to the Narragansett Reservation in Rhode Island when she learns skeletal remains that may be those of a 300-year-old Indian sachem have been discovered on contested land now in the hands of the Founders' Society, an elite group of privileged people claiming to trace their heritage back to the first colonists. Syd assists in the archeological recovery; however, is forced to secure and leave the remains in the grave overnight. When she returns in the morning with tribal members, the grave is empty. At the same time, Syd learns a Native woman she knows is missing, and authorities are dismissing her as a runaway. Syd suspects otherwise and quietly begins her own investigation. When she uncovers a long history of missing girls and artifacts with possible ties to powerful, privileged families within the Founder's Society, she realizes exposing them and the dark secrets they've kept buried is the only way to unveil the truth even though doing so puts her on a killer's radar. Syd's vow to reap justice for the missing women never wavers even at the cost of her own safety.

 Syd Walker is a determined, tenacious protagonist whose own native heritage makes her the perfect advocate for the rights of the Narragansett tribe; however, she finds herself torn between returning artifacts and skeletal remains to their rightful people and the opportunity to educate all people on Native history by displaying them in museums. The author's impressive three-dimensional characterizations are realistic, evoking empathy from readers. A tension ladened, multi-layered plot line and taut writing drive a fast pace throughout this engaging story with vivid descriptive passages drawing readers into the heart of the conflict. As I was reading, an overbearing sense of dread, of impending doom, left chill bumps on my arms.

 Author Vanessa Lillie draws on her own heritage, life experiences and professionally researched American History to deliver a powerful, captivating story in The Bone Thief. The high rate of poverty, addiction, and economic struggles are well documented as are the suspicious disappearances of Indigenous women and the appalling theft of Native artifacts and skeletal remains. Lillie’s mission to draw attention to the legacy of violence and corruption that continues to surround Native Americans today is remarkable and noteworthy. 

 The Bone Thief is a riveting, thought-provoking, must-read mystery, a perfect blend of truth and fiction that resonated with this reader for days after reading the last action-packed page. The author’s portrayal of American history and the way it binds people to a place over time is amazing. Highly recommended to fans of well-written mysteries that spotlight the injustices perpetrated against Native Americans throughout history as well as history buffs.

Synopsis:

In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. Not only have bones gone missing, but a Native teen girl has disappeared near the camp, and law enforcement dismisses her family's fears.

As Syd investigates both crimes, she's drawn into a world of privileged campers and their wealthy parents—most of them members of the Founders Society, an exclusive club whose members trace their lineage to the first colonists and claim ancestral rights to the land, despite fierce objections from the local tribal community. And it's not the first time something—or someone—has gone missing from the camp.

The deeper Syd digs, the more she realizes these aren't isolated incidents. A pattern of disappearances stretches back generations, all leading to the Founders Society's doorstep. But exposing the truth means confronting not just the town's most powerful families, but also a legacy of violence that refuses to stay buried.

From the national bestselling author of Blood Sisters (a Washington Post Best Mystery of the Year and Target Book Club pick) comes a new Syd Walker novel that proves the sins of the past are destined to repeat until the truth is finally unearthed.