Customer Reviews

Dead Guilty (Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation, No. 2)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Diane Fallon is a Museum Director and has a crime lab attached to the museum. She is also a forensic anthropologist.

Her crime lab team is called to investigate three bodies found hanging in the woods. Two land surveryors found them. Not only does Diane's team examine the bodies and clothing, Diane is a knot expert and finds out some interesting information from the various knots.

Then one of the surveyors is found murdered. Are these cases related? There are too many coincidences for everyone to think they aren't related. But they have a tough time finding any evidence to link them.

Diane begins getting calls and e-mails that she believes are from the killer. She finds herself in danger more than once.

There are two more murders. She is concerned about everyone involved with this case. Are they being picked off one by one? Why? What is the connection?

Diane is also an expert caver. She and some co-workers are planning to go caving.

Diane spends some time with Frank and his daughter. She is concerned whether she is putting them in danger.

Can she connect all the dots in time?

This is a terrific book. I found it difficult to put down. Move over Patricia Cornwell. This is a fabulous forensic investigation series. I can't wait for the next book!

Ms. Connor presents her intricate knowledge of forensics in a way that is understandable by lay people. It makes it much more enjoyable to understand how and why they can figure out the crime.

The characters in this series work well together. She has come up with a way to intertwine the museum and crime lab. This is a winning series.

I highly recommend this book! If you missed the first one, One Grave Too Many, I recommend you read it as well.

This book opens with a delightful non-sequiter of a line, alerting the return reader that our friendly snake from ONE GRAVE TOO MANY is still at large but the tone soon turns serious as Dr. Fallon helps oversee the removal of three hanging victims in Cobber's Wood. This book introduces some new characters, including the assistant director of the museum and Diane's crime lab team. As the murders keep piling up we learn more about each of these characters and see the return of favorites from the previous book. Like ONE GRAVE TOO MANY Connor keeps the suspense up from beginning to end. I'm delighted by the fact that both books have thrown me curve balls when it comes to the identity of the murderers.

Diane Fallon is a woman after my own heart. She has experienced heartbreaking tragedy and brought herself back from the edge of the abyss of depression. In this, the second book in the series, she's juggling two full time jobs (three if you consider she is not only the director of the museum but curator of one of its exhibts as well) and doing it with aplomb. On top of her rather full professional life she's edging back into a personal life as well. Brava Diane!

The writing of Beverly Connor is reminicent of the very best of Patricia Cornwell. After reading about this relatively recent addition to the mystery and thriller genre I decided to search out some of her work. I can not recall being as glad to find an author in recent memory. Connor's characters are believeable and enjoyable; they are human with quirks and biases like so many we know. She uses the latest techniques to solve the crime, from the search engine Google to new DNA tests still being studied. And even when writing about murder and violence, Connor shows the humor of life, with quick witted one-liners and eccentric characters that make us smile.

I have already got my eye on the third book in this series. August 2005, hurry up! I can't wait to see where Beverly Connor, Dr. Fallon and her friends are headed next.

Diane Fallon can change hats so fast it would make your head spin. She conducts a careful balancing act between serving as director of a small local museum in Rosewood, Georgia and forensic anthropologist in charge of that region's crime lab.

The story begins with three hanged bodies found in the GA forest. There's enough action in the story to leave your head spinning.

Connor's characters are well-realized, likeable, and her plot keeps you reading through a series of twists that would do her knots proud. This is the first of Connor's work I've read, but I guarantee it will not be my last!

This lady can write! And she knows her forensics, too. In a time when we are bombarded by CSI-unlimited resources-dozens of technicians-solve the murder in 46 minutes plus commercials-type entertainment, it's great to see a writer who can keep us enthralled, solve the mystery, and still teach us a thing or two about modern forensics, people and life...not to mention writing...all at the same time.

Someone should buy the rights to this book and plan to turn it into a movie. Diane Fallon, forensic anthropologist, gets out of her car at a crime scene and presents her credentials to a patrolman, who says (nodding toward the two men who reported the crime) "They say it's not normal." Diane muses "Not normal. The kind of death they called her out for usually wasn't." If you like CSI, complete with the forensic analysis, study of bugs, and yes, evidence in the form of knots, you'll be fascinated. There's even a subplot with a mummy. If you're looking for a nice, cozy, "everyone-snowed-in-at-the-manor-house" story, this is probably not for you. I've become a big fan of this series and will eagerly look forward to more works from this writer.

Following the discovery of the first three bodies in this case, the deaths come thick and fast. It's not as tight as the first mystery in this series and the author does a real no-no in the introduction of one of her villaims but it is fair to say that she definitely gave hints that there was another one skulking around.

The introduction of Diane Fallon as also a knot expert allowed some different forensic techniques to be discussed, add to that the mummy inherited by the museum and the contents of the Victorian pickle jar that came with it, and there's lots here to keep the biggest forensic mystery junkie interested.

While you don't have to have read the first book in the series I would definitely suggest it. Connor has a habit of continuing small threads from book to book. Besides the first book is also a good read.

DEAD GUILTY is the second in the series, with Diane Fallon opening a new forensic lab in conjunction with her museum. With one case of three mysterious hangings in the woods, and another of her cases involving excavation in rural Georgia, Diane ends up digging up more than she bargains.

I (finally) finished this book. I struggled through to the end, each page an investment of time I didn't want to go totally to waste.

I'm disappointed. Plain and simple, it could have been better.

So what did I like and what did I not like? Let's start with the positive:

First, the murders which kick off the story are interesting, and the investigation that follows was well-described.

Second, like Dick Francis, Connor includes lots of information about subjects not directly related to the crimes being committed.

Sadly, that second item leads into the list of things I did not like:

Where Francis wove other subjects into his mysteries, Connor grafts her digressions onto the story in a ham-handed fashion. In addition, she goes on at great length, almost like a textbook, as if she wants to impress the reader with her research. Not very artful.

Second, the writing is clumsy and needs editing. Chapters end in the middle of conversations; people do NOT talk the way she writes dialog; and she repeats conversations between the main character and others at the expense of pages of worthless rambling.

Third, the murders start to pile up beyond all reason. Just not realistic, sorry.

Fourth, there is a holdover subplot from the first novel in the series, about why-people-hate-Diane, which just gets stale. Enough!

Finally, the villain is introduced right at the end, out of the blue. Not fair! Nuff said.

I gave it three stars because it kept me wanting to know what happened, but this writer needs an editor who can chop a 380+ page book into the 220 pages it deserved.

Her name is Diane Fallon and she is wanted not by the law but to work for the law. She finds herself ahead of the River Trial museum along with a added forensic lab. You say, how do these two fit together, its either both or none at all and she does like running the museum. She is also a specialess in forensic science and likes that type work also. One night the sheriff comes calling on her for her help after he finds some bodies hanging in trees. The bodies are mummified and fingers cut off to conceal who they are. Things begin to happen around Dianas home like e-mails and break in's along with her car being hammered on with her sitting inside of it. Does this have something to do with the bodies found hanging in the trees? Is the killer also after Diana? If you like a good read that will keep you on the edge of your chair this book is for you. Larry Hobson-Author-The Day Of The Rose

great mystery... love dianne fallon. great,strong lady characture. interesting back story. be sure to read her ist novel..too many graves.