What I'm Reading

A tightly-paced, gripping thriller about the continuing assault on indigenous bodies

The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie

We are still here.

A thrilling and chilling story that is as entertaining as it is enlightening.

The second in the Syd Walker series, The Bone Thief begins with a voice message to the wrong person and the discovery of human remains. Syd finds herself in the middle of an unauthorized archaeological dig on what was once the site of the Great Swamp Massacre in Rhode Island (1675) in the middle of a private camp run by The Founders Society, a group who traces their ancestors back to the first colonists in the area. Syd’s job as an archaeologist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and her Cherokee heritage necessarily leaves her straddling two worlds as she attempts to work with The Founders Society and the Narragansett tribe, even as she investigates the present-day disappearance of a Narragansett woman from the camp.

Lillie deftly weaves the painful history of the Narragansett people, who still live in the area today, despite attempts to erase their presence, both physically, historically and legally, with a tight, fast-paced plot. Her history lessons never feel like learning, and yet you will likely learn a great deal more about the history of New England than what is typically taught, all while flipping pages frantically until the shocking end.

(Look at that gorgeous cover!)

Thank you to Vanessa Lillie and her Travelling ARC Program for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.

Out October 28, 2025, The Bone Thief is available for pre-order now.