The Bone Queen

A mother searches for her missing daughter on a remote island in this uneven thriller from Shindler (The Cold Case). Jenna Tipton, a single mother, freelance journalist, and recovering alcoholic, arrives on Athelsea Island looking for her daughter, Chloe, who recently disappeared from their London home. Though their relationship was rocky, Jenna has no idea why Chloe ran away, and her only clue to the teen’s whereabouts is a printout of ferry timetables she left behind. Jenna’s search takes an ominous turn when, shortly after she arrives on Athelsea, a fishing boat dredges up the bones of a local man who went missing 22 years earlier. Some residents believe the victim was “marked” by the Bone Queen, a local folk figure said to collect the bones of children in order to punish their sinful parents. Soon, Jenna becomes convinced that Chloe had somehow come to believe she was marked by the Bone Queen and traveled to Athelsea in hopes of changing her fate. As Jenna’s desperation increases, a series of violent attacks occur across Athelsea, raising the stakes. Though the mystery of Chloe’s whereabouts keeps the narrative taut, a too-tidy climax sends it out with a whimper. This disappoints. (Feb.)