Brick Dust and Bones - (Marius Grey) by M R Fournet

About the Book

A twelve-year-old cemetery boy and monster hunter-along with his flesh-eating mermaid friend-has to race against the clock to save the ghost of his dead mother in Brick Dust and Bones, M.R. Fourney's magical middle grade debut.

Book Synopsis

A Florida Sunshine Award Nominee!

Get ready for Halloween with BRICK DUST AND BONES, a hair-raising middle grade novel about a twelve-year-old monster hunter and his flesh-eating mermaid best friend who must race against the clock to bring his mother back to life.

Nothing's more dangerous than a monster hunter with a mission.

Marius Grey hunts Monsters. He's not supposed to. He's only twelve and his job as a Cemetery Boy is to look after the ghosts in his family's graveyard. He should be tending these ghosts and-of course-going to school to learn how to live between worlds without getting into trouble.

But, Marius has an expensive goal. He wants to bring his mother back from the dead, and that takes a LOT of mystic coins, which means a LOT of Monster Hunting, and his mother's window to return is closing.

If he wants her back, Marius is going to have to go after bigger and meaner monsters, decide if a certain flesh-eating mermaid is a friend or foe, and avoid meddling Demons and teachers along the way. Can Marius navigate New Orleans's gritty monster bounty-hunting market, or will he have to say goodbye to his mother forever?

Review Quotes

Brick Dust and Bones:

A Florida Sunshine Award Nominee!

"The book offers nods to the rich history of storytelling devoted to ancestors, cemeteries, and the veil between the ordinary and the magical, and it provides readers with a determined protagonist, unlikely allies, and a satisfying conclusion that promises a sequel . . . bone-chilling and full of heart." --Kirkus

"Fournet deftly balances Marius and his demonic foes' gruesome and exhilarating battles with meditative ruminations on grief, loss, and moving on." --Publishers Weekly

"Fournet has a knack for creating a spooky atmosphere that maximizes tension, and fans of Gaiman's The Graveyard Book who want some New Orleans flair might find something to like in Marius' double-shifts from hell." --BCCB

Darkness and Demon Song:

"The variety of monsters in the story results in high-stakes action sequences. Throughout, the Deep South setting is as vivid and authentic as the interpersonal relationships, and many of the decisions characters make have to do with the bonds of trust (or lack thereof) among them....A delightful deep dive into a swampy world of hunters and prey. " --Kirkus

About the Author

M.R. Fournet's ties to New Orleans are part of her own origin story. As as kid, she would go fishing in South Louisiana and eat crawfish with her family in Houma. She has always been fascinated by the myths and legends of New Orleans. When not writing, she is a professional artist, belly dancer, and autism mom. She now lives in Texas with her husband, son, and ungrateful cat. She is the author of Brick Dust and Bones and Darkness and Demon Song.