Sara Johnson’s New Zealand Book, The Hungry Bones

Barbara Peters welcomed a Poisoned Pen Press author back to the bookstore. Peters was Johnson’s original editor. The Hungry Bones is Johnson’s fifth book in the series set in New Zealand. You can order signed copies through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3LYRRZY.

Here’s the description of The Hungry Bones.

“Unexpected plot twists will keep readers turning pages until they reach the exciting ending.” — Booklist

Alexa Glock is at a crossroads, personally and professionally.

Now that DI Bruce Horne, who said he loved her, won’t deny he cheated on his ex-wife, how can Alexa trust he won’t cheat on her? She and her abandonment issues need some space, so she throws her hat in the ring for a position far from New Zealand: Abertay University in Scotland. Her professional crush, Dr. Ben Odden, is interested in her expertise in teeth. If he makes an offer, will Alexa bite?

Meanwhile, a human skeleton has been exhumed in a quaint former gold rush town in New Zealand. A benefactor believes that the bones are that of a Chinese gold miner, and she wants to repatriate the “hungry ghost” of her ancestor to China. Alexa is called in to examine the teeth and the secrets they contain. She didn’t expect to discover a hole in the skull. When another skeleton is unearthed nearby and also shows evidence of a violent death, Alexa heads to the police station to open a cold case. Then, the town’s beloved school principal goes missing. Alexa is quickly recruited to assist with the search, and as she digs into both cases, the secrets she uncovers make her dangerously unpopular with those who want to keep the past buried—and perhaps Alexa along with it.


Sara E. Johnson lives in Durham, North Carolina. She worked as a middle school reading specialist and local newspaper contributor before her husband lured her to New Zealand for a year. Her first novel, Molten Mud Murder, is the result, followed by The Bones Remember and The Bone Track.


Enjoy the conversation with Sara Johnson.