The Bone Lady: Life as a Forensic Anthropologist

by Mary H. Manhein

When a skeleton is all that's left to tell the story of a crime, Mary H. Manhein, otherwise known as "the bone lady," is called in. For almost two decades, Manhein has used her expertise in forensic pathology to help law enforcement agents--locally, nationally, and internationally--solve their most perplexing mysteries. She shares the extraordinary details of the often high-profile cases on which she works, and the science underlying her analyses.

Here are Civil War skeletons, cases of alleged voodoo and witchcraft, crimes of political intrigue, and the before-and-after of facial reconstruction. Written with the compassion and humor of a born storyteller, The Bone Lady is an unforgettable glimpse into the lab where one scientist works to reveal the human stories behind the remains.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, True Crime, Anthropology, Memoir, Death, Crime

137 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Mary H. Manhein is a forensic anthropologist. She is the retired creator and director of Louisiana State University’s Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory, and former deputy coroner of East Baton Rouge Parish. Manhein has used her expertise to help law enforcement agents - locally, nationally, and internationally - solve their most perplexing mysteries.

Managing Member of Os Liber Press LLC Publishing Company, Manhein is the author of three non-fiction books on forensic anthropology: The Bone Lady, Trail of Bones, Bone Remains; author of the novel Floating Souls, The Canal Murders; co-author of award winning non-fiction account Fragile Grounds, Louisiana’s Endangered Cemeteries; and author of Claire Carter, Bone Detective: The Mystery of the Bones in the Drainpipe, the first book in a new series for young readers at the 10-14 reading level.

“Through the series, young readers will be introduced to the skeleton and all the many things we can learn from both human and animal bones, such as: the impact of disease and trauma; determination of age, sex and ancestry; and differentiation of species. Readers will also learn about the diverse people of Louisiana, as well as the abundant and unique flora and fauna of our state. It has been a dream of mine for a long time to start a children’s book series based on my experiences over the last 30 years in the field of forensic science, and I am thrilled to embark with eager young readers on the adventures of Claire Carter, Bone Detective.” - Mary H. Manhein

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

And I thought you couldn't go wrong with case study books about forensic anthropology... Half of the case studies in the book end with something to the effect of, "and we never did find out what happened." Not many of the cases were terribly interesting to begin with, not much detail is given (the average case study seems to be only 5 or 6 pages long), not a lot of forensic information is given. It's almost if this were an annotated synopsis of some cases she had to help jog her memory after she retired. I gave it two stars instead of one because of the basic subject matter. I just can't figure out why you'd write a bunch of unanswered case histories. The closing chapter is a series of facial reconstructions of Jane and John Doe's, with a short paragraph about their race and location-- a sort of "have you seen me?". Maybe next time instead of going to the library, I'll go to the grocery store and read the back of the milk cartons.

If you're interested in the subject matter, I would skip over this book and read Bill Bass's books, "Death's Acre" or "Beyond the Body Farm".

[Susan Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been trying to decide why there are negative reviews for this book. It was exactly what I expected it to be, and I found it a quick and interesting read. The only thing I can come up with for the negativity is this: the cases discussed in are not flashy, or gory, or even particularly strange. They are cases of everyday people. The Bone Lady is trying to piece together the story of the unidentified people for whose cases she is responsible. She comes by her nickname honestly. Her area of expertise is bones and artifacts. She is a forensic anthropologist. She is not Abby from NCIS.

The purpose of this book,The Bone Lady, I believe is to educate the reader. The cases are provided for interest and entertainment. The book is very educational, and I think that is what I enjoyed the most. I had no idea that a person could study Anthropology and turn it into a career working with anything but archaeological and anthropological excavations.

The woman, The Bone Lady is a pioneer in the field of forensic anthropology. l found this memoir to be realistic. While some readers seem to criticize that she was not able to solve every mystery she is presented; it is precisely the honesty about the cases she is unable to solve which drew me in as a reader and made me respect this woman. The writing is fluid and it seems great pain has been taken to tone down the more technical aspects of what is being described into layman’s terms. While The Bone Lady is not going to win any prizes for beautiful prose or literary merit, it is a worthwhile read if you are interested in this kind of thing.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know people are going to hate me for this, but this was THE WORST FORENSINCS BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!!. Obviously, in my opinion, this lady is NOT a writer and she should stick to the science part of her career. This book had sooo much potential, I can see that, but her boring and unappealing writing made this book unbearable to read, at least in my case. Sorry for those who liked this book, but I just can't share your opinion :/

[LG · Rating 1 out of 5]

Manhein reports on some of her cases as a forensic anthropologist.

I was disappointed with the book. Very little detail. But more importantly - the 'so what' of each chapter was very light. Her tone is friendly. And I'm sure she makes an interesting dinner table companion. But the stories were just not strong enough.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

frustrating lack of details. By necessity sometimes of course -- she mostly reports what the evidence tells her, and so sometimes she does not have much evidence. But even when she does, I felt like she was holding back some details either to protect the surviving family or to protect the reader from something disturbing. That's a fine line -- sometimes I am disturbed when all the facts of the case are laid out with gory intricacy, but generally I think more is better than less for me.

Side note: 2 degrees of separation, as a friend of mine took classes with her at LSU.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book describes some of the "interesting" cases that Forensic Anthropologist Mary Manhein has helped solve. This "Bone Lady" also tells her readers why she chose this profession as well as describes the processes of determining information about the skeletons she finds. However, her writing style made this book not very interesting. Watch Bones on Fox instead. That's way more interesting.

[Alicia Wozniak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book inspired me to go back to school for my Ph.D. in Forensic Anthropology. I already have a BA in Communications from OSU. I did go back and took a freshmen level Anthropology class. I cheated my way through that class and decided Dr. Wozniak sounded awesome, but wouldn't be a reality. However, this book is a good read about the author's life as a Forensic Anthropologist.

[Weezie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never knew a forensic anthropology book could actually be... boring.

[Shannon Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5ish- not boring but also not interesting. kind of an interesting look into late 20th century forensic anthropology but definitely could have done more than its series of few page long vingnettes

[Lay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small little book that I flew through! I'd say the quote on the back describing this book as "the riveting tale of a true-life crime-fighting scientific sleuth" is definitely an overstatement, it's far less adventurous and thrilling, so don't be fooled by that. It's more interesting than exciting, that is if you're into stories about bones and what we can learn from them. It felt a bit disjointed, more an anthology than one continuous narrative, but if you're looking for something you can jump in and out of, this might be for you. Every chapter deals with a different case Mary H. Manhein has worked on and woven throughout are some insights into the methods used by forensic anthropologists. There are pictures and illustrations which turned it into an enriched reading experience for me and I'll be holding onto my copy of the book more for its qualities as an object than for the contents. I fear I have reached the point in my acquired knowledge of forensic anthropology where these types of memoirs rarely teach me anything new, but if you have any interest in the field, the methods and the stories, I'd say this is a book you can check out. Towards the end, I got a bit bored which was mostly because my geographical (and historical) knowledge of the US is limited and thus I didn't have any personal connection to the stories of political figures and their deaths.

[Gillian Brownlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally got around to finishing this book! Hooray! I started reading it when I took Ms. Manhein's introductory forensic anthropology class. I actually got to hear her talk about many of these cases in person, which was fascinating.

The Bone Lady is very short and very general, and I think that's why people take issue with it. She doesn't go into gruesome details, or share in depth processes. She simply tells the stories of the deceased that she had helped to identify. And that's why she does what she does: to share the stories of these people who can't do it themselves.

[Matea Pozdnikoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read - cool to see how many of the forensic anthropology practices are still used and work effectively today. However, the date when the book was written definitely shows some archaic beliefs and techniques. I had hoped for more discussions about being a forensic anthropologist rather than a summary of cases. I had also hoped for more cases where the author had been wrong about something within a case or learned something in the field.

[B-zee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penulis adalah ahli antropologi forensik, yang berperan dalam mengidentifikasi mayat dalam kasus forensik, terutama yang sudah lama, saat forensik medis tidak bisa berperan banyak. Profesi ini terutama berperan dalam mengidentifikasi tulang, sehingga dia dijuluki The Bone Lady.

Buku ini memuat beberapa kasus, baik yang 'berhasil' maupun tidak, tantangan-tantangannya, dan sedikit banyak memperkenalkan pembaca tentang bagaimana metode kerjanya. Setiap kasus yang ditampilkannya cukup singkat, sehingga tidak membosankan.

Forensik bukan hanya tentang mereka yang mati, tapi utamanya tentang mereka yang ditinggalkan. Penulis menyajikan bagaimana banyak kasus yang ditanganinya membuat para ibu, orang tua, dan kerabat mendapatkan kedamaian hati. Karena mereka tak lagi menunggu sesuatu yang tidak pasti.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Manhein's memoir of her life as a "bone lady" is short and poignant and the product of a storyteller steeped in Southern ways & means. Enjoyable and creepy, but also sad and fascinating, as one would expect. Written in 1999 about a career from the 80s and 90s, so the science has moved on a bit, but the stories provide an excellent personal snapshot of her life & work.

[Grant Wiley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting introduction to forensic anthropology, but writing and storytelling is greatly lacking. It really is laughable at times. The chapters follow different cases, but don’t flow together whatsoever. Promises fascinating stories about an interesting career, but embarrassingly fails to deliver.

[The Lady Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

very brief snapshots of very fascinating cases. would love to read more!

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is, unfortunately, the worst forensic anthropology book I've ever read. She tells the story of a "full" forensic investigation in a page or two, "I was called to the scene of a body find. The mandible was missing from the skull, but it made me think back to my own childhood and I shed a tear. The killer was ultimately found and convicted."

It has some useful pictures for anyone interested in human osteology, which saved it from earning one star.

[Josée Leon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Raimey Gallant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how the stories incorporated and explained the terminology involved in her field. A great read for fiction writers who want an intro to forensic anthropology without having to "dig" into a textbook.

[Dayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is a forensic anthropologist? "We are physical anthropologists who are trained in the human skeleton, and we use that training in a medico-legal context to assist law enforcement."

The real live "Bone Lady," Mary Manhein, answers this and another questions with smooth narrative and a Southerner's story-telling charm.
A Louisiana State University graduate who didn't begin undergraduate studies until her early thirties, Manheim weaves her own autobiography into the short book's twenty-seven chapters. After completing the bachelor's degree in English, she earned a master's degree in anthropology from LSU. She grew up loving literature, she says. And her early years were anchored in rural home places, "the hills of southwest Arkansas and northwest Louisiana, where my life revolved around stories."

Today, she is director of the Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) at LSU.

The Bone Lady tells dozens of work-related stories in and around her FACES Lab. Many detailed photographs and illustrations accompany the puzzle-like scenarios that the author finds herself trying to solve when either attempting to determine the identity of human remains, or the cause of death.

Filled with bits of trivia, the story takes readers into mysterious and sad cases of the "lost" people that Manhein has tried to identify, from drown victims to a suicide stowed away under a family porch. Even the controversial case of Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long's assassination receives a chapter-length treatment, at least Dr. Carl Austin Weiss's alleged participation in the shooting on September 8, 1935.

Readers of true crime, memoir, and Louisiana history will find this slim volume interesting, strong, and crisp. These are the hard-won stories that have made the author; all of it is rooted in the red clay and swamps of Louisiana.


-Dayne Sherman, author of Welcome to the Fallen Paradise: A Novel and Zion: A Novel (coming soon)

[MKF · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of bad reviews that almost turned me away from reading this book. I decided oh well and stayed up all night reading it.
This book could have been great but was a bit dry. Some of the stories were interesting but there was just no depth or emotion. I think a part of it may be is that though written in 1999 it feels a bit outdated. Living in a world of crime shows and popular true crime books this book falls flat.
I think it would make an interesting read for young adults interested in forensic anthropology and the beginning of modern forensic. Mary Manhein drops many names of other scientist who helped in establishing many of todays techniques in helping solve crimes.Some have books out and they are worth reading.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read. Each chapter is only a few pages long at most and doesn't disappoint in the cultural-sociological aspect, but was quite dumbed down in regards to the actual physical forensics, which was disappointing to me. I was really hoping for something a bit more technical. Instead it was kind of like reading obituaries with all the interesting stuff added in. ::Well how did Mr. Doe actually die? Oh, with a candlestick in the library to the back of the head?:: Not as glamorous (or unrealistic) as say a CSI episode but along the same vein and interesting nonetheless if not slightly macabre.

[Sharon Dodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I gave it only 3 stars, I greatly enjoyed this book. In short, it is comprised of simple true short stories (with names changed, of course), told in a thoroughly southern style. This is as much its strength as its weakness; while you're lefting wishing for more details, the simple factuality of it all makes any single story far more fascinating than a bloated TV episode. It's so much better written, in fact, than the novels by a certain better-known forensic anthropologist, that I'm a little depressed Ms. Manhein didn't pursue a fictional book herself. But ultimately, it's only a glimpse into this world, one which left me wishing for more.

[Manda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some readers didn't like this book because of its length and lack of forensic depth into cases. I however did like this book. I think what most people are forgetting is that although anthropologists are scientific based they are also story tellers. I think what Mary set out to do was to tell a good story, I don't believe her focus was to write a science based book. So factoring that into my review I very much enjoyed it and look forward to reading Mary's other titles.
A nice little read in between larger titles.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lady that wrote this book taught my Intro to Physical Anthropology course in college. She is one of my most memorable professors. When we studied primates, she came to class one day dressed in a gorilla costume and acted out gorilla behavior for us. I loved going to her class and I almost became a forensic anthropologist in part because of her. Her book is a very interesting read.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and poorly written. Has very little about forensic anthropology, is mostly a few, brief vignettes from her life. Very little research or background on the cases given.
If you want to know more about Mary Manheim, you might be interested. If you want to know more about forensic anthropology, skip it. 3/26/2011

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a GREAT book! It was not long enough for me. I read a book a long time ago in another life about Forensic Anthropology and thought if only I had time and brains...
This woman has so many interesting (but sad) stories. I have not checked to see if she has written anything else but if not, she should!
I read this book in less than a day.

[Susan Louque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally loved this. Got to meet Mary Manhein and she signed my book. My favorite story in the book was about the coffin found with what the homeowner thought was a small child's bones. Mary Manhein said that is was small dog who had arthritis. She was proven correct a week later by a previous homeowner who said if they would dig 3 feet over the other dog's coffin would be found.

[Annette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Could have been a lot more in-depth and interesting. Spare and informative rather than overwrought and overwritten, which is appreciated from a writer who is not a writer by profession, but... Meh.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

It amazes me that each time I read a book about Forensic Anthropology, I learn more and more about the human body. This was a very quick read, but I am glad that I had read several other books on the subject prior to this book.