The
Devil's Bones
A Body Farm Novel #3
by Jefferson Bass
Aka Dr. Bill Bass, of The Body Farm fame, and journalist Jon Jefferson
In The Devil's Bones by Jefferson
Bass, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton is called in to
examine the body of a woman found charred in a torched car. She
was a smoker, and the car was found in a tinder-dry, grassy field.
Accident, or murder? In an unrelated matter, defense attorney Burt
DeVriess asks Brockton to determine if the suspicious-looking material
in a box is truly the cremated remains of his Aunt Jeanne, which
leads to a disturbing discovery in Georgia. In the meantime, disgraced
medical examiner and accused murderer Garland Hamilton fakes convulsions
in order to get from the detention center to the hospital ER. Upon
arrival, Hamilton leaps off a hospital gurney and disappears before
the trial is held. He’s bent on revenge and Brockton is his target.
Why? Because Brockton’s testimony led to Hamilton’s arrest.
If you enjoyed the first two Jefferson Bass suspense mysteries as I did, you may be disappointed in The
Devil's Bones. Unlike Flesh and Bone, I found the plot thin, the pace slow, and much of the dialogue
inane.
In fact, there’s little mystery here. The subplots were not particularly suspenseful or imaginative. What
should have been the overarching suspense story - whether Hamilton would get to Brockton and kill him - was set on
the back burner for most of the book. Hamilton disappears in Chapter 7, and he doesn’t do a thing again until
Chapter 26. One good thing I noted, though. The protagonist, Dr. Bill Brockton, seems a little less narcissistic
than he appeared in Flesh and Bone. It’s a good start.
Carved in Bone set the bar high, and it’s unrealistic to expect
subsequent books to reach that height every time. So, I’m eagerly
anticipating the next Jefferson Bass.
Reviews of other titles in this series
Carved in Bone, 1
Flesh
and Bone, 2
The
Devil's Bones, 3
Bones
of Betrayal, 4
The Bone Thief, 5 [review
1] [review
2]
The Bone
Yard, 6 [review
1] [review 2]
|
The Book |
William
Morrow / Imprint of Harper Collins |
Feb
5, 2008 |
Hardcover |
0-06-075985-2
/ 978-0-06-075985-8 |
Suspense
/ Mystery |
More
at Amazon.com |
NOTE: Warning: Relates grisly forensic & cremation details. |
The
Reviewer |
Deb
Kincaid |
eviewed
2008 |
|