The Bone Hunters

'One to savour and re-read again and again' LIZ HYDER

THE MONSTER THEY SEEK MAY NOT BE THE ONE THEY FIND

'The Bone Hunters has cemented Joanne Burn's place as one of my favourite writers' SONIA VELTON

'I've never met a character in literature quite like Ada' ANNIE GARTHWAITE

1824, and Lyme Regis is as tumultuous as the sea that surrounds it. When twenty-four-year-old Ada Winters - poor, peculiar and brilliant - uncovers a set of unusual fossils on the cliffs, she believes she has found the answer to her scientific frustrations and her family's financial struggles.

Meanwhile, Doctor Edwin Moyle has come to Dorset in search of the discovery that will place him amongst the greatest geologists of the age. What he finds instead is a strange young woman who seems to hold the key to everything he seeks.

But what is the creature that Ada and Edwin seek to unearth? And will it be their means to greatness, or destruction?

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'A haunting and vivid pageturner' CAROLINE LEA

'Joanne Burn, I salute you, for this is something truly special' Reader Review (5 stars)

'Extraordinary. I fell in love with Ada from the very first page' ELIZABETH LEE

'Outstandingly well written' Reader Review (5 stars)

'A gripping page turner with a gloriously staunch heroine at its heart' DAILY MAIL

'Definitely the best book I've read this year' Reader Review (5 stars)

An engrossing tale of a woman striving for the recognition she deserves in the face of male indifference and betrayal SUNDAY TIMES 'Best historical fiction of February 2024'
In Ada, Joanne Burn has given us a singular and astonishing heroine: a woman of strength, intelligence, resilience and resource; a woman who sees the restrictions the world would impose upon her and has the moral courage to step beyond them. Every young woman of ambition - any young woman who feels her ambition impeded either by her gender or class - should read her. I've never met a character in literature quite like Ada - or one I admired more. And it goes without saying that Joanne's writing, her use of language and skilful world-building, go from strength to glorious strength. -- ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of CECILY
I devoured this in a couple of days. So beautifully and brilliantly written. Every word dripped with atmosphere, I absolutely loved it. -- CAROLE MATTHEWS

The Bone Hunters is a beautiful and extraordinary book, bringing to life a time and place in breathtaking detail and lyrical prose. At its heart it is the story of a young woman learning to discover and embrace who she is, and find her place in an unwelcoming world. I fell in love with Ada from the first page.

-- ELIZABETH LEE, author or CUNNING WOMEN
The Bone Hunters by Joanne Burn is that rare combination, a beautifully written book that is also a gripping page-turner. I was drawn in by the intelligence and passion of the main character, Ada Winters, and read with a growing sense of dread of the dangers, both societal and environmental, that she faces. I adored this novel. Highly recommended. -- LAURA SHEPPERSON, author of THE HEROINES
A wonderfully lyrical story of intrigue that spirals into obsession. Based loosely on the Victorian fossil hunter Mary Anning, the story is delicate and beautiful. I loved it. -- POLLY CROSBY, author of THE UNRAVELLING
A beautifully-written tale of obsession, friendship, betrayal, retribution, and love -- ROZ WATKINS author of THE DEVIL'S DICE
Joanne Burn is fast becoming my go-to historical fiction writer. The writing is both beautiful and brutal, the pace an incredibly tense, deftly-handled unearthing of something monstrous. A tale of hardships and social misfits and finding liberty in a world designed to deny it. -- EMMA CARROLL, author of ESCAPE TO THE RIVER SEA
The Bone Hunters has cemented Joanne Burn's place as one of my favourite writers. Ada had the same magical combination of vulnerability and grit as the 'Marsh Girl' in Where the Crawdads Sing. This is a gripping and beautifully written tale of a woman fighting for her worth to be recognised. Like the fossils she loves, Ada will leave a lasting impression -- SONIA VELTON, author of BLACKBERRY AND WILD ROSE
Once again, Joanne Burn's flight of imagination takes a real historical context as its starting point, rooting the story and characters in an authentic period setting, vividly realised. Her original, readable prose keeps us in the moment-to-moment lives of her characters, rooting for Ada every step of the way. Enjoyable and satisfying. -- SARAH BURTON author of The Strange Adventures of H and co-author, with Jem Foster, of Eliza Mace
The Bone Hunters is a rich and compelling novel that simultaneously illuminates one fascinating element of history, while fully immersing you in early 19th century life more broadly. Ada Winters is everything I like in a protagonist - eccentric, driven, brave and engaging - and the plot takes you in unexpected and continually rewarding directions -- KATIE LUMSDEN, author of THE SECRETS OF HARTWOOD HALL
A perfect historical novel. The Bonehunters is a novel of resistance, of non-conformity; a celebration of passion and curiosity and a glorious tribute to all those truthseekers locked out of the hallowed halls of learning for being the wrong sex or class. I absolutely adored it. -- NIKKI MARMERY, author of LILITH
Exceptional. A must-read. Exquisitely written, this immersive and fascinating tale will draw you in and leave you reeling. Absolutely outstanding. One of those rare books that you're desperate to charge through to find out what might happen but that you also want to take your time with, savouring every twist and turn and every beautiful paragraph. One to savour and re-read again and again. If this doesn't win all the prizes, I will eat both my hat and yours. -- LIZ HYDER, author of THE GIFTS
A gloriously fiery heroine & a propulsive plot make this poetic novel a haunting and vivid page-turner -- CAROLINE LEA author of THE GLASS WOMAN
I LOVED this book. I loved Ada and her independent spirit, the wild landscapes, the poetry of the language, the sweeping atmosphere, the determination and kindness of the characters. -- REBECCA F. JOHN author of The Haunting of Henry Twist
A brilliantly atmospheric and captivating read, steeped in all the drama and discovery of a fascinating period in the history of science. I loved everything about Ada, her hunger and her struggle for recognition - a struggle that is all-too-relevant, even now -- C. E McGILL, author of OUR HIDEOUS PROGENY
The perfect tribute to real-life fossil hunter Mary Anning WOMAN & HOME
A gorgeously written, expertly plotted tale, The Bone Hunters draws heavily on the life of Mary Anning to create a rich, rewarding exploration of moral regression in the name of scientific advancement Buzz Magazine
This remarkable story is written with such an open lyrical simplicity your mind cannot help but be immersed in a vivid image-stream, akin to watching an epic work by an Oscar-winning cinematographer. In particular the shorelines, seascapes and weather are excellently described, bringing these, and Ada's bond with them, to glorious life. This is a grand tale of fortitude and determination, superstition, mystery and wonder. Completely enthralling Historical Novel Society
[A] gripping page-turner - a powerful story of scientific adventure and self-discovery, with a gloriously staunch heroine at its core. -- EITHNE FARRY, DAILY MAIL

Joanne Burn was born in Northampton in 1973, and now lives in the Peak District where she works as a writing coach. She is the author of two previous novels, Petals and Stones and The Hemlock Cure.

She can found on Instagram at @joanne.burn and at

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