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by Jefferson Bass 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. |
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The Devil's Bones