ARC Review: Restless Bones by Gillian French

Restless Bones
Author: Gillian French
Series: A Shaw Connolly Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (June 16, 2026)

Description: Fingerprint analyst Shaw Connolly grapples with both a new case and the lingering presence of her sister's killer in Gillian French's second compelling Maine thriller.

When a missing woman’s body is discovered in a submerged car one year after her disappearance, Shaw Connolly is called to process the scene. She finds a single print belonging to a long-dead female ex-con; could it be the key to identifying the murderer? As usual, Shaw won't stop looking until she’s dredged up more than a few hidden crimes.

All the while, Shaw’s past won’t let her go. Just as the Connolly family begins to find some peace after the arrest of Shaw’s sister’s killer, Anders Jansen, Shaw receives a request from her state police contact. Anders, in prison awaiting trial, has claimed responsibility for the murders of two other young women whose cases have grown cold over the past decade. But he refuses to help the police unless Shaw agrees to act as a special consultant in the search.

Despite her misgivings―Anders’s love of malicious mind games is as toxic as ever―Shaw could never prolong another family’s suffering. Her agreement to assist jeopardizes not only the fragile healing of her own family’s wounds, but the rebuilding of her marriage and her relationship with her youngest son, who’s colliding with some hard truths of how cruel people can be. It seems, for Shaw, closure is a long way off . . . but danger may be closer than she thinks.

My Thoughts: The second Shaw Connelly mystery begins with her being called in to fingerprint a car that had been submerged. Along with the body of a long-missing woman, Shaw finds fingerprints for a woman who supposedly died before the car went into the water. 

Since Shaw has finally solved the mystery of her long-missing sister and is now dealing with the grief that goes with finally knowing the truth, she is the best one to help the new victim's parents deal with their loss. 

Shaw is also called in when the body of an elderly woman is discovered at her isolated home. She has been wrapped in her bed coverlet and left out in the yard. The first thing Shaw notices is that a spare room was apparently used and then thoroughly cleaned before the crime scene was discovered. She does find some partial prints, but most belong to that victim. Other prints seem to have been deliberately distorted in an attempt to foil identification. 

While she is busy with her day-to-day jobs, she is also dealing with an eleven-year-old son who is being bullied at school. Also, she is uncertain about her relationship with her husband who moved out because he could no longer take her obsession with finding her missing sister.

Shaw would like to be left in peace to deal with her grief, but the man who killed her sister and is sitting in prison wants to tell her about other women he's killed. Shaw hates the idea of spending any time with him, but she also can't stand the idea of not listening if it could help families know what happened to their missing. 

Shaw is a complex character. She's smart-mouthed and has a quick temper. She's dealing with grief as she best knows how and she's dealing with her relationships within her family also as she best knows how. 

I enjoyed getting to know Shaw. She was an intriguing person. I also liked the Maine setting.

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