Flesh and Bone: A Body Farm Novel
by Jefferson Bass
Published by William Morrow
Click on book
cover to order
at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Rachael Dimond
(Also available in CD)
Dr. Bill Brockton is the founder of The Body Farm, a place where he studies human remains as they decompose. He is a forensic anthropologist who works closely along side the police and local medical examiner, Dr. Jess Carter, to help solve murders or suspicious deaths. When Dr. Jess Carter comes to him with a murder to investigate, Dr. Brockton agrees to help her solve the case. He had lost his wife and is still coping with this loss. Jess is just what he needs to help him feel happy and loved again. Slowly, they start to develop a relationship while working together on the case.
A man dressed in drag has been killed in a horrific manner and Bill needs to figure out when the man was murdered. He reenacts the murder with a cadaver from his Body Farm to study it and figure out a time of death. While investigating the murder of the man dressed in drag, Bill starts to learn a lot more about this strange man then he ever wanted to know.
What happened the night he was murdered? Was it a hate crime or did someone dress him up in drag to throw the police off his trail?
Another murder is committed and the body is left at The Body Farm for Bill to find. He becomes the main suspect in the murder. How are these two murders connected? Is there more then one murderer in town, and why would they want to kill these people in such a horrific manner?
Flesh and Bone was a fascinating novel that mixed forensic science, mystery, and romance into one book. Warning, some of the forensic details might be a little too graphic for some readers. I could have done without some of the gritty details about death and decomposition. I did enjoy the mystery aspect of the book. It was exciting and very unpredictable. The characters are endearing and the reader will feel compassion for Dr. Brockton and this horrible predicament he's ended up in.
Armchair Interviews says: This was a very suspenseful mystery that Tess Gerritsen fans are sure to love.
Author's Web site: http://www.jeffersonbass.com