Cider - Shop now
$0.00 with 100 percent savings
Digital List Price: $2.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.

Audiobook Price: $17.46

Save: $9.97 (57%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

James Harper
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Bad To The Bones: An absolutely gripping crime thriller with a massive twist (Evan Buckley Thrillers Book 1) Kindle Edition

by James Harper (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 23,491 ratings
Some doors are nailed shut for a reason.
Evan Buckley’s wife Sarah went to work one day and didn’t come home. He’s never stopped looking for her. Haunted by his memories, driven by his relentless quest for the truth, he loses himself in other people's problems. Lucky for him his latest client, the reclusive Linda Clayton, has got more than enough to keep him busy.

Not so lucky for her. When her son Daniel disappeared ten years ago, she didn’t think her life could get any worse—until her husband ran away, that is. Makes you thankful you're not Linda Clayton.

After Evan’s last case ended in disaster, he’s at the end of his tether, his self-esteem at a dangerously low ebb—until fate throws him headlong into Linda Clayton's wretched world and a long-dead investigation that everybody wants to stay that way.

Except Evan never learned to do what everybody wants, and he vows to find answers for her that he can’t find for himself. As the suspense ratchets up, he’s caught in a desperate fight for his life with a stone-cold killer who will stop at nothing to protect his secrets ...

With action-packed twists and turns and a pace that doesn’t let up until the chilling conclusion, Bad to The Bones is a brilliant debut to a gripping new crime series from James Harper.
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 1 of 20
    Evan Buckley Thrillers
  2. Print length
    298 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    October 16, 2017
  5. File size
    1.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 20 books in this series.

Customers also bought or read

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  14. Fatal Choice
    Kindle Edition
    $6.99
  19. The Vault
    Kindle Edition
    $6.99
  28. Breathing for Both of Us
    Kindle Edition
    $4.49
Next page
Loading...
Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. Unfortunately, you don’t have much control over the things your subconscious decides to push to the forefront of your mind. You just have to deal with them once they’re there.
    Highlighted by 238 Kindle readers
  2. But he knew only too well you can’t hide from yourself. In the small hours of the morning all your doubts and fears come to haunt you, standing silently at the bottom of your bed, before the gray dawn light seeps through the gap in the curtains, bathing the room in a creeping pale radiance that sends them back into the dark recesses of your mind for another day.
    Highlighted by 188 Kindle readers
Next page

From the Publisher

private detective mysteries,private investigator,crime thriller series,private detective series
private detective mysteries,private investigator,crime thriller series,private detective series

What Critics Say About James Harper and The Evan Buckley Crime Thrillers

“I absolutely loved this one. I laughed, cried and held my breath on more than one occasion. Lost sleep as I couldn't put it down, and you left me wanting more.”

"I love the honest grittiness of this new character, his flaws, his heart and his determination."

"So good I bought another....and another...."

"Boy oh boy page turner all the way."

"Try and solve this mystery. No chance."

"Don't pick it up, if you don't have time to not put it down."

James Harper Evan Buckley in order
Bad To The Bones: Evan Buckley Thrillers #1
Kentucky Vice: Evan Buckley Thrillers #2
Sins Of The Father: Evan Buckley Thrillers #3
No Rest For The Wicked: Evan Buckley Thrillers #4
Resurrection Blues: Evan Buckley Thrillers #5
Hunting Dixie: Evan Buckley Thrillers #6
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars 23,491
4.2 out of 5 stars 2,880
4.4 out of 5 stars 2,053
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,013
4.4 out of 5 stars 922
4.5 out of 5 stars 791
Price $0.00 $2.99 $2.99 $2.99 $2.99 $2.99
The Road To Deliverance: Evan Buckley Thrillers #7
Sacrifice: Evan Buckley Thrillers #8
Rough Justice: Evan Buckley Thrillers #9
Touching Darkness: Evan Buckley Thrillers #10
A Long Time Coming: Evan Buckley Thrillers #11
Box Set: Evan Buckley Thrillers #1-4
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars 767
4.5 out of 5 stars 814
4.6 out of 5 stars 738
4.5 out of 5 stars 697
4.5 out of 5 stars 677
4.4 out of 5 stars 325
Price $2.99 $3.99 $3.99 $3.99 $3.99 $6.99

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B076H9C28F
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ James Harper Books (October 16, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 16, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.9 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 298 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 23,491 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
James Harper

James Harper

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

James Harper is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the wildly popular Evan Buckley crime thrillers. His novels weave tales full of mystery, non-stop action and edge-of-your-seat suspense with laugh-out-loud humor and a touch of romance, and feature maverick private-eye Evan Buckley and his sometimes partner in crime, Detective Kate Guillory.

For the past twenty-five years James has lived in a 400 year old cottage in the woods with his wife and their cats, Leonard and Lily. In his spare time James does what he’s told (if he knows what’s good for him) and likes touring Europe on his motorbike.

You can sign up for James' readers' group at http://jamesharperbooks.com/free-book/ and get TWO FREE Evan Buckley short stories - Fallen Angel and A Rock And A hard Place. Both of these books are exclusive to James' subscribers - you can't buy them here on Amazon or anywhere else.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
23,491 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book suspenseful with many twists and turns, describing it as an engrossing read with believable dialogue and well-developed characters. Moreover, the story moves quickly and customers consider it a page-turner. However, the humor receives mixed reactions, with some enjoying the author's witticism while others find it hilariously bad in places. Additionally, the violence level draws mixed reactions, with several customers noting excessive graphic content.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

571 customers mention "Suspenseful story"505 positive66 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful story with its surprising twists and turns, and one customer notes how the plot maintains its seriousness throughout.

"...As you can imagine, this makes for an engaging plot that I was unable to put down." Read more

"...Chapter one had me hooked. Quite a refreshingly new and original plot...." Read more

"...Believable characters, humor and suspense." Read more

"I enjoyed the story tremendously. I'll read his next book as soon as I can stop looking over my shoulder...." Read more

458 customers mention "Readability"458 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be an engrossing read that did not disappoint, with one customer noting it was good enough to make them want more.

"...To his credit, Harper does some nice things in this book, such as the line used when Buckley is drinking: “Then he ordered two more of the only..." Read more

"Never seen a main character get so beat up lol poor dude. Anyway good book, easy to follow characters are good. Great ending." Read more

"...yes there is some grammar problems but I tell you what it was such a good book and you’re gonna love the characters and you’re gonna laugh and you..." Read more

"This book did not disappoint. From the beginning to the end, on the edge of my seat. I hope Evan finds what he's looking for" Read more

238 customers mention "Writing quality"202 positive36 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it easy to read and very descriptive with believable dialogue.

"...Hard. He is a relatable, likable man. The kind who always listens to his gut and heart...." Read more

"...Bad to the Bones is a well-written who-done-its with a complex plot and personable characters...." Read more

"...He certainly gives them a richness of thought and charm. Deep emotional trauma dealt with in an understanding way, an empathatic way. So much humor!..." Read more

"...Well-written and exciting, the ending was satisfying and just. I highly recommend this book if you're a sucker for an excellent "who-dun-it"...." Read more

220 customers mention "Character development"193 positive27 negative

Customers love the characters in the book, finding them well thought out and easy to get inside.

"...Hard. He is a relatable, likable man. The kind who always listens to his gut and heart...." Read more

"...Believable characters, humor and suspense." Read more

"...Bones is a well-written who-done-its with a complex plot and personable characters...." Read more

"...Anyway good book, easy to follow characters are good. Great ending." Read more

130 customers mention "Pacing"105 positive25 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, noting that the story moves quickly, with one customer describing it as holding their interest while speeding like a freight train.

"My first James Harper book, thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a fast paced well written book. I would highly recommend it...." Read more

"I was happy to rapidly devour this book. A child and his father disappear. Lots of conflicting rumors. Ten years pass...." Read more

"...the Bones also is not a fast-paced crime thriller although the story moves briskly with new details of what happen building tension until the..." Read more

"...The story and the characters blend together and pick up momentum as the pages turn...." Read more

42 customers mention "Page turner"42 positive0 negative

Customers describe the book as a page turner, with one customer noting it maintains its engaging pace throughout.

"I enjoyed this book. It was a page turner!" Read more

"If you're looking for an edge of your seat, quick reading, page turner, this book is for you...." Read more

"...It keeps you intrigued, and you can't guess the outcome. A real page turner, I can't wait to read the next book in the series." Read more

"A nice thriller and page turner. It was nice reading the book and getting to know the characters well...." Read more

95 customers mention "Humor"55 positive40 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's humor, with some enjoying the witticism while others find it hilariously bad in places.

"...Believable characters, humor and suspense." Read more

"...It was sometimes heartfully painful. Human suffering, especially a young human's suffering, is always painful even if it is fiction...." Read more

"...This book was so funny at times and then so serious and it is absolutely a gripping crime thriller.. just keep reading it...." Read more

"...Along with the finding out the end for the victims was extremely sad. I would defiantly recommend this read." Read more

45 customers mention "Violence level"16 positive29 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the violence in the book, with some appreciating its descriptive nature while others find it too graphic.

"...noted that the frantic ending is a little graphic with depictions of injuries from violence and decayed bodies...." Read more

"...Neither sex nor violence was gratuitously portrayed, a difficult thing to do in a first book...." Read more

"...The last 3 chapters were a bit of a "wow". The final fight was pretty graphic and had me saying ouch a lot lol...." Read more

"...Be warned there are some places where the violence is pretty horrible and you may need to take a break as I did...." Read more

Plot
5 out of 5 stars
Plot
I really enjoyed this book .The plot was great
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Bugycleaner
    5.0 out of 5 stars JUST WOW!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I cannot begin to tell you what a fabulous story this is and what a good writer James Harper is. This book was so funny at times and then so serious and it is absolutely a gripping crime thriller.. just keep reading it. You will not believe what you’re going to find out. You will not regret buying this book.. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.. yes there is some grammar problems but I tell you what it was such a good book and you’re gonna love the characters and you’re gonna laugh and you’re gonna cry, but you’re gonna be happy you read it! And you’ll be happy you got to the ending!
    Helpful
     Report
  • Connie Marshall
    4.0 out of 5 stars It's was good
    Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Never seen a main character get so beat up lol poor dude. Anyway good book, easy to follow characters are good. Great ending.
    Helpful
     Report
  • K. Skoog
    5.0 out of 5 stars A REAL Private Investigator reminiscent of Lew Archer
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Bad to the Bones is a great crime thriller. I hate to say I’m the kind of girl who falls for sad, broken men whose lives are falling apart, but I fell for Evan Buckley. Hard. He is a relatable, likable man. The kind who always listens to his gut and heart. Evan gets into one unfortunate incident after another while helping his client. As you can imagine, this makes for an engaging plot that I was unable to put down.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Frank Watson - Writer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Book with Too Many Little Distractions
    Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    BAD TO THE BONES is the first in the Evan Buckler series by James Harper but the second I’ve read. When I reviewed KENTUCKY VICE, which is actually the second book in the series, I noted I wasn’t enamored with the book but liked it well enough to read another. If I had read BAD TO THE BONES first I might have had second thoughts continuing with the series.

    It’s not as if there are major problems. There are, however, numerous little things that distract the reader.

    In places, it seems as if the author is trying too hard to write in the style of Raymond Chandler but the “wise cracks” aren’t really funny. For example, the protagonist, Evan Buckley, refers to a cop as “Detective Donut” and bread rolls “that looked like they were made from whole vegetarians.”

    There are careless mistakes, such as the description where a note looks “as if it was one of the ones you see pinned up in public phone booths.” Only problem is the book is copyright 2017 and the story takes place in the present; I haven’t seen a phone booth in many years.

    Another example is one of continuity: Buckley is beaten up very badly by a person he recognizes immediately; yet a few pages later he is told, “What’s the point? There are no witnesses; you didn’t see his face…”

    The only sex scene seems to be gratuitous. There is no build-up and, besides, the main character just had serious damage when his assailant kicked his balls and yet here is performing like a sexual athlete.

    To his credit, Harper does some nice things in this book, such as the line used when Buckley is drinking: “Then he ordered two more of the only answer he could think of at the moment.” And this line that illuminates Buckley’s character: “You’re a man searching for your salvation.”

    Writing novels is a serious business. It is very difficult to do well. I can therefore accept one or a few mis-steps. When a story has too many distractions, however, one wonders if it is worth the time required to read it. Fortunately, experience and a good editor can help an author avoid such errors.
    80 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Bad to the Bones
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I started this book at sundown and finished it at one a.m. Loved that Evan is not a super hero who takes on three or four bad guys at once. Believable characters, humor and suspense.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Misty
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read if you like Iris Johansons Eve Duncan series you'll love this!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Honestly I began reading this book not expecting much. I've never read anything from the Author and just picked it to pass the time until a new book peaked my interest by one of the authors I'm familiar with. Chapter one had me hooked. Quite a refreshingly new and original plot. Will definitely read the other titles he's released and anticipating future books.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jessica
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bad to the Bones was bad to the very end!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    James Harper is an excellent author and his book Bad to the Bones was another great example of that. The storyline and character development kept you guessing to the end and the suspense kept me rivetted and made me wish I could sit and finish it in one sitting. Well-written and exciting, the ending was satisfying and just. I highly recommend this book if you're a sucker for an excellent "who-dun-it". You will not be disappointed!
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
    Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    My first James Harper book, thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a fast paced well written book. I would highly recommend it. I will be reading the next of the Evan Buckley series soon!
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Bec Tizzard QLD Australia
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, story captivating
    Reviewed in Australia on March 8, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed the characters and thr storyline, hoping there are more in this series. Very good read. Highly recommend.
    Report
  • satwant
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow. What an absolute awesome thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Thank you for this lovely free book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bad To Bones. It kept me guessing a lot what happened. But my goodness what an absolute fantastic thriller. Evan Buckley the underdog that won't give up until he finds all answers.. I feel so sorry for the chief of police. Kate Guillory she really comes through for Buckley. Once again thank you for this awesome thriller.
    Report
  • Loreal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read full of suspense
    Reviewed in Canada on March 26, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    "Bad to the Bone" by James Harper is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. With well-developed characters and a fast-paced plot, Harper delivers a captivating story filled with twists and turns that will leave readers guessing until the very end. Overall, a thrilling read that fans of the genre won't want to miss. A great read! I highly recommend if you like thrillers
    Report
  • Angj
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ok
    Reviewed in Italy on August 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Ok
    Report
  • Cliente Amazon james.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
    Reviewed in Spain on November 24, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Very good,looking for the next Evan Buckley book.kept you on pins right to the end.Bit of humour which I think it needed
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report