ARC Review: The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie

The Bone Thief
Author: Vanessa Lillie
Series: Syd Walker (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (October 28, 2025)

Description: 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.

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.

My Thoughts: Archaeologist Syd Walker finds herself involved with an elite historical society when a young Native girl goes missing and soon after the newly excavated bones of another young Native woman and her baby is discovered on the grounds of the Founders Society. Overnight, those bones disappear leaving Syd to find both the living girl and the bones. 

Syd has inherited the job of her newly retired boss with the society. She finds herself dealing with members who want to turn the area into an historical theme park centering around their very extensive dig and featuring artifacts that her former boss has found over many years. 

Syd, being Cherokee, is appalled at the notion that bones of Natives and other artifacts will be on display, but she takes her cues from the Native trickster Coyote to pretend to go along with those plans while trying to find the missing girl and the missing bones.

The book, set in 2008, shows the conflict between the traditional White society and the Natives who are trying to reclaim their birthright and land. 

I enjoyed this story which also includes characters from Syd's previous adventures who are trying to get over the events of that book. Syd is also married to Mal who is soon to have their baby which makes things even more complicated for her. 

I liked the way history was woven into the story.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.