Written in Bone

From Amazon:

“I took the skull from its evidence bag and gently set it on the stainless steel table. ‘Tell me who you are. . . .’ ” With this silent plea, forensic expert Dr. David Hunter ignites a harrowing murder investigation on a windswept Scottish island, and a tale of menace, sexuality, and revenge unravels—along with the chilling message that a killer has…

Dr. David Hunter should be in London with the woman he loves and a past he can’t quite shake off. Instead, as a favor to a beleaguered cop, Hunter travels to a remote island in the Outer Hebrides to inspect a baffling set of remains. A forensic anthropologist, he has seen bodies destroyed by all forms of violence, but even he is surprised at what he finds: human show more remains burned beyond recognition—all within the confines of an otherwise undamaged, unoccupied cottage. Local police want to rule the death accidental. But Hunter’s examination of the victim’s charred skull tells him that this woman, no doubt a stranger to the close-knit island of Runa, was murdered by someone nearby. Within days, two more people are dead by fire. Hunter’s job is to coax the dead into telling their stories—but now that he’s beginning to hear them, he is staggered by the truth. Working with only the barest of clues, he peels back the layers of mysteries past and present, exposing the tangle of secrets at the heart of this strange community—from the deceptions of a wealthy couple to the bitterness of an ex-cop and the secrets of a lonely single mother—as a tale of rage and perversion comes full circle…then explodes in a series of violent acts and shocking twists.

My Thoughts:

For me, the strongest aspects of the book are its beautifully depicted setting and vivid characters. Beckett captures the wild ferocity of the storm that buffets this remote and lonely place; the towering waves and gale force winds crash against the shore, threatening to capsize the boats moored in the harbor. Against this forbidding backdrop, Simon Beckett tells a Gothic tale of jealousy, rage, and perverted sexuality. For the most part, Written in Bone is one of the most engrossing and suspenseful novels that I have ever read. The forensic details may be too grisly for some people but they are compelling, with Beckett being willing to kill off likable characters, which many authors avoid at all costs. The ending was a cliff hanger that will ensure that readers will soon have book 3 in their hands. show less

Forensic anthropologist Dr. David Hunter should be at home with the woman he loves. Instead, as a favor to an overworked police officer, he is heading to the remote Hebridean island of Runa. Hunter has witnessed death in many forms, but even he is shocked by what he finds: a body almost totally incinerated except for the feet and a single hand, untouched by fire. The local police are quick to call it an accidental death, but Hunter's instincts say otherwise. Convinced that there's a killer on the island, he soon realizes that Runa is far from the peaceful community it seems.

When David finds himself cut off from the outside world, he's forced for the first time to truly rely on his survival instincts. From getting lost on the windswept show more plains just below the chilly peak of Bodach Runa to almost burning to death in the town's local medical center, the author does a fantastic job of bringing David Hunter to life, connecting his calm professionalism and analytical theories.

This was a great mystery and second in the series following The Chemistry of Death. I am never able to quickly guess the murderer or motive in this series because the clues are so artfully placed. I'm definitely planning to read the entire series. show less

Excellent mystery. David Hunter, the forensic anthropologist, is an odd bloke. Constantly worrying about all manner of things, most of them not under his control. His relationship with his girlfriend Julie seems to be his biggest concern yet, between and on the lines, you find him questioning if he really has a relationship with her. If you don't feel like chucking him in the head and can ignore his constant ineffective pondering you will really enjoy the twists and turns this murder presents!

I loved this book! I flew through it in just a few days, which is unusual for me right now since I'm so short on time. But I reached for it every time I had a spare moment, which says a lot.

I read the first book in the series eight years ago, and while I'm hazy on the plot details, I remember liking it quite a bit. I think this one's even better, though. The characters are well developed and believable, the dialogue spot on, and the plot perfectly paced. I enjoyed the element of forced confinement (even though it felt a touch contrived at times, it served the story beautifully).

I really enjoy forensic police procedurals and mysteries like CSI, Bones, etc. so this was right up my alley. What I really appreciated is that Beckett throws in show more just enough forensic information to make the details interesting but not bore the reader in the process.

I kept turning pages and guessing right up until the very end. The revelations in the final few chapters just kept on coming, and I was on the edge of my seat to see how the story would conclude. I'm very excited to continue with this series, and read other books by Simon Beckett. show less

Forensic anthropologist Dr. David Hunter should be at home with the woman he loves. Instead, as a favor to an overworked police officer, he is heading to the remote Hebridean island of Runa. Hunter has witnessed death in many forms, but even he is shocked by what he finds: a body almost totally incinerated except for the feet and a single hand, untouched by fire. The local police are quick to call it an accidental death, but Hunter's instincts say otherwise. Convinced that there's a killer on the island, he soon realizes that Runa is far from the peaceful community it seems.

When David finds himself cut off from the outside world, he's forced for the first time to truly rely on his survival instincts. From getting lost on the windswept show more plains just below the chilly peak of Bodach Runa to almost burning to death in the town's local medical center, the author does a fantastic job of bringing David Hunter to life, connecting his calm professionalism and analytically theories.

This was a great mystery and second in the series following The Chemistry of Death. I am never able to quickly guess the murderer or motive in this series because the clues are so artfully placed. I'm definitely planning to read the entire series. show less

An average crime novel with a twist or two that earns it an extra star, although I almost took it away again for the predictable epilogue, [a:Simon Beckett|26024|Simon Beckett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1356716400p2/26024.jpg] has a lovely little novel on his hands. His cast of characters is quite believable for a small, remote town for the most part, from the retired [American equivalent of a] detective, to the eccentric yet benevolent rich couple, from the single, hard working mom everyone adores, to the town drunk. Everyone you'd expect is accounted for. You trust who you'd normally want to trust; you're suspicious of who would normally seem suspicious (I'm looking at you pervy teacher/nurse guy), and your ambivalent to show more those who don't have a major role in the plot, but you'd probably have wavering opinions of anyway.

Admittedly, some parts are predictable, like whenever a character realizes something important about the murders, allude to it, but haven't outright told anyone their hunch yet, they end up dead. It's, unfortunately, become the standard for crime novels now, so there's no use marking it as a spoiler. You start off with one murder, and you end up with more. It's basic crime mystery novel 101. Oh, and the main character, in this case anthropologist turned family doctor (GP) turned professor/anthropologist again after a major personal tragedy, has his life threatened on more than one occasion.

My not-so-inner nerd was quite pleased with some of the scientific elements Beckett brought into his novel though, even if there wasn't a lot of detail on them. Namely the wick effect of how a body burns with a low heat fire, and what happens to any body as it burns and curls on itself. It's something little that, although many authors include the description, it's very rarely explained without going into unnecessary detail. Beckett found a nice balance.

One final element I'll point out is the overused plot device of nature setting the mood. It's a high school English teacher's wet dream, especially when it's so obvious that even the kid who sleeps though class can notice it. The storm gets more intense, something intense is going to happen in the investigation. The storm lightens perceptibly, this section is going to be light on pertinence to the investigation, and heavy on building suspicion or changing the dynamic of character relationships.

Overall, I've probably rated it a little higher than I normally would, but my last few books have been so disappointing that I've probably lowered my expectations a little. Still a solid 3 1/2 stars though, jaded recent book history aside, and I'd say it's far more deserving of getting the half star boost than the half star demerit. With the speed at which the pages fly by, definitely worth the read if you need something quick. show less

Forensic heaven...with a scenic setting.: "Given the right temperature, everything burns. Wood. Clothing. People.
At 250º Celsius, flesh will ignite. Skin blackens and splits. The subcutaneous fat starts to liquefy, like grease in a hot pan. Fuelled by it, the body starts to burn. Arms and legs catch first, acting as kindling to the greater mass of the torso. Tendons and muscle fibres contract, causing the burning limbs to move in an obscene parody of life. Last to go are the organs. Cocooned in moistness, they often remain even after the rest of the soft tissue has been consumed.
But bone is, quite literally, a different matter."


Beckett certainly knows how to draw the reader in from the first page.
He never reduces himself to show more writing gore, instead he fascinates us with fact.

I enjoyed the story, the characters and the setting. Beckett's descriptions of the remote island and the weather conditions conjur up a wonderfully realistic image and an ideal setting for a thriller.

Throw in some red herrings and a couple of twists and he's cracked it again. Not only that but we get an excellent cliff hanger too!!

Recommended!! show less