William M. Bass

Jefferson Bass is the nom de plume for two writers: Jon Jefferson, a journalist, writer and documentary film maker and Dr Bill Bass, the founder of the Body Farm. Bass’ expert knowledge of his subject shines through in every page. Have you ever wondered how bones are de-fleshed* for examination? Bass will tell you in detail. You will either find it macabre, grisly and deeply unsettling or macabre, grisly and totally fascinating. I happily admit to falling into the latter category.

Forensic show more based crime fiction has become very popular in recent years. CARVED IN BONE is a worthy entrant in this sub-genre. Not only is it chock full of scientific details of forensic anthropology in easily understandable terms, it is also one terrific yarn. The characters have depth and the setting is so well described it is easy to visualise.

I loved the book and found myself reading aloud passages that describe some of the forensic procedures, much to the chagrin of some of my family.

If you’ve read similar books in the past and have found them wanting in some areas, give CARVED IN BONE a try. With the immensely likeable but flawed Dr Bill Brockton and his associates, CARVED IN BONE puts authors like Cornwell and Reichs in the shade. I enjoyed the book so much I have taken steps to get hold of their second Brockton novel, FLESH AND BONE. show less

This was a book that kept me up past my bedtime. A very dead man is found tied to a tree dressed in women's undergarments and Dr Jessamine Carter, ME, asks Dr Bill Brockton to replicate the scene at his Body Farm to help determine time of death. Murder and mayhem ensue.

This is the second effort by the writing team Jefferson Bass - John Jefferson is a reporter and Bill Bass is the forensic anthropologist who created the real-life Body Farm on the U Tennessee campus. I read their first book, show more Carved in Bone just prior to this, and it was good but not great - this book was great.

I imagine it is difficult to put fictional characters into your own very real world. It's clear that Dr Brockton and Dr Bass have a a lot in common - I'm sure the descriptions of his work physical surroundings are dead-on (excuse the pun). What happens to Dr Brockton though has certainly never happened to Dr Bass - it's this close tie to reality that made it all the more exciting. I feel like an "insider" when it comes to crime investigation and procedure now.

I want to mention Art Buchanon. He's a real cop - a fingerprint expert and child-safety advocate that has been inserted without pseudonym into this (and the prior) story. His agenda in allowing this is straightforward - to raise awareness of the problems that confront him in real life: internet predators, the need for children's fingerprints, etc. There is an educational component surrounding these issues - during this novel his "character" was working undercover in online chat rooms, hoping to find and arrest another creep. He speaks freely of the need for laws and tighter parental controls in these issues. I think it's a great use of a book that promises to be well-read.

This was more than a great mystery with a lot of forensic science built in. There were some memorable characters (just wait till you meet Miss Georgia), some memorable crimes, and even a memorable trial. I cared what happened to the characters and couldn't wait to see what happened next, which is my mark of a great book. show less

While I appreciate that this book is based partially on true life (namely Dr. Bass' career), I find the book bloated with characters, plots, and tangents. I would guess the problems with this book mostly stem from being a first book with poor editing.

DNF at 25% (which seems to be a tap out point for a number of people) when the protagonist starts making out with his student. I was already a bit icked out by him and how he sexualized every single woman he came across but that was just too much (and too unbelievable. Middle aged men need to stop watching so much professor/student porn - they think it’s an accurate reflection of college life.)

The science and forensic bits were interesting but after looking through reviews, I didn’t see show more anything that would reward me for continuing to deal with the sleazy professor and his erections so I’m putting this down. I might try their non-fiction book though. show less