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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outshines any early Scarpetta books, April 21, 2006
Patricia Cornwell made us aware of The Body Farm, and this book is dedicated to her. But Dr. Bill Blass, the person who created the real Body Farm in Tennessee, has written a wonderful book about the real deal. His hero, Dr. Bill Brockton, who I think is loosely based on Bass, is a brilliant forensic anthropologist professor who also teaches at University of Tennessee. A mummified body is found in a cave that begins the body of the book's plot, and it is a great ride. Brockton's friend Art helps him in the field work and his character is also sound and is a friend who you would like to watch your back on top of being a brilliant professional. We also meet several back woods characters that figure in and are also great.
This book sets itself up for sequels, and I cannot wait for the next - a digruntled ex-medical examiner is trying to get even after Brockton finds he botched an autopsy and there is unfinished business between them.
Fans of the Scarpetta books will not be upset at the descriptions of various states of body decomposition, autopsies, and other situations. Maybe someone who has not become familiar might. BUT this is a book to read and I almost finished it in 1 reading, so that tells you something. Excellent characters, sound plot, intruiging scenes put you in the book. Really wonderful.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
FEUDIN', FIGHTIN', AND FORENSIC DETAIL, January 27, 2006
Actually, the name of the site at the University of Tennessee is the Anthropology Research Facility, but it's known to the world as "Body Farm," a nickname chosen by a Tennessee FBI agent and made famous by Patricia Cornwell's popular crime novel. The facility, a three acre site devoted to postmortem-decay research, was founded some 25 years ago by Dr. Bill Bass, renowned for his expertise in forensic anthropology. Now, in addition to his studies and the assistance he gives to law enforcement officials, Dr. Bass has teamed with journalist/filmmaker Jon Jefferson to pen a novel so loaded with forensic detail that some may decide to sleep with the lights on.
This writing team wastes no time in snagging readers with a prologue detailing protagonist Bill Brockton's probing of a corpse with a hunting knife. After locating a space just behind the heart's lower chambers, "...I set the tip of the hunting knife there-it snagged in the soft flesh-then leaned in and began to push. It took more force than I'd expected......As my victim jerked and skidded from the force, a rib broke with the sound of a green tree branch splintering."
Definitely not a story for the squeamish or weak of heart. The graphic prologue is fair warning of descriptions to come as Brockton is called upon by Cooke County's sheriff Tom Kitchings to accompany him to a remote cave hidden in the Appalachian Mountains. This is a trip fraught with peril for Brockton as he suffers from vertigo and motion sickness. Nonetheless, his malaise is forgotten when he enters the cave and finds a mummified body on a rock ledge.
Of course, there are many questions: is it a male or female? How long has the body been there and how did he/she die? Those familiar with forensic science will find much in Brockton's descriptions of adipocere (grave wax) which, evidently, leaves a corpse resembling a wax museum figure. The body is returned to the Body Farm, and the research begins. It's a challenge that both intrigues and baffles Brockton as even with his wide experience he has never seen anything like this before.
Both affable and curious Brockton enjoys a challenge, but his investigation into this person's death is not all welcome among the residents of Appalachia, plus a jealous medical examiner throws roadblocks at every turn. In addition, Sheriff Kitchings, the all-powerful, chooses not to cooperate. Eventually, we learn of a long ago but not forgotten feud among the mountain people, but what really sets the narrative apart is copious forensic detail. Fans of this genre of crime fiction won't want to miss a word; others may shiver and shudder a bit.
- Gail Cooke
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A well-plotted and enjoyable mystery perfect for fans of forensic crime drama, February 16, 2006
Did you read and love DEATH'S ACRE, the nonfiction account of the forensic anthropology research center known as the Body Farm? Are you a diehard "CSI" fan? If you can't get enough forensic crime drama but want the realism of nonfiction, then I have the book for you.
Dr. Bill Bass, the brains behind the real life Body Farm and a celebrity in the world of forensic anthropology, has teamed up again with his DEATH'S ACRE writing partner, Jon Jefferson. As Jefferson Bass they have written CARVED IN BONE, the first in what may be a series featuring Dr. Bill Brockton (a very, very thinly veiled Bill Bass).
In CARVED IN BONE we follow Dr. Brockton from his basement offices under the stadium at the University of Tennessee out into the wild Tennessee hills as he works with law enforcement, and even those on the other side of the law, to solve a case involving a mummy found in a cave.
The remains of a pregnant female were left in a cave many years ago and naturally mummified. Recently discovered, the mummy is brought to Dr. Brockton and he and his team begin trying to identify the body. It soon becomes clear that the death of this young woman and the discovery of her body (not to mention the evidence of her pregnancy) will be traumatic for the small Cooke County community where she had lived. Once she is identified, her former boyfriend, as well as the relatives who had taken her in over thirty years ago, all become involved in the case. The case is complicated by the interest of both local and federal officials and by dark family secrets, but with the help of colleagues and students Dr. Brockton acts as the voice of the young woman murdered decades ago and hopes to bring her killer to justice.
The forensic details are the heart of this novel. The science is fascinating and written in a way easy for readers to understand, even for those not familiar with things like adipocere, zygomatic arches and gracile skulls. The chapters are short and the action moves quickly. The "Jefferson Bass" writing team has even thrown in some sexual tension to spice up the clinical (for lack of a better term) aspects of the story. The good guys and bad guys are pretty obvious, and the outcome and resolution of the plot is not quite unpredictable, but for a first foray into fiction Jefferson Bass gets a lot right.
If you have read DEATH'S ACRE lately, much of CARVED IN BONE will be very familiar. The voice of Bill Bass, the research he does, the atmosphere he works in, and even many of his explanations and jokes are the same --- only here they belong to Dr. Brockton. So much will seem like a re-read, but the actual case and the drama itself is fresh.
This is a well-plotted mystery with plenty of highbrow gore. It is an enjoyable, not to mention educational, read. The forensic accuracy and attention to detail are much appreciated, and Dr. Bill Brockton is a likable character. Although the pace is not always consistent and the tale is a bit repetitious in parts, CARVED IN BONE remains high on my recommendation list.
--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
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