What do you think?
Rate this book
Diane Fallon #1
One Grave Too Many
With spot-on details, a smart new voice, and ingenious plot twists, Beverly Connor has been compared to the hottest crime writers on the scene. Now, she ratchets up the suspense with a brand new series featuring one of today's most cunning and complex sleuths: forensic anthropologist Diane Fallon. Her new job as director of the RiverTrail Museum of Natural History in Georgia takes Diane out of the game-until a former love and a murdered family bring her back in.
383 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 7, 2004
About the author
Beverly Connor
24 books250 followersI'm Beverly Connor and I love archaeology. I worked in Georgia and South Carolina as an archaeologist doing both fieldwork and analyzing artifacts. I also love mysteries. I combined these two loves and now write mysteries in which I weave my professional experience as an archaeologist into stories of murder and intrigue in both my Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation series and Lindsay Chamberlain Archaeology Mystery Series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
August 31, 2016
I picked up One Grave Too Many after reading a recommendation by Ilona Andrews, knowing I would surely enjoy something she liked enough to recommend. She doesn’t do it often, but when she does, the books are always worth checking out. The Diane Fallon Forensic Investigations series has nine installments, published between 2004 and 2010. One Grave Too Many is the first one.
We meet Diane Fallon after a very traumatic period in her life. Past evens are revealed slowly, but we learn right away of her determination to quit forensic work and dedicate herself to being the director of a museum. Diane can’t handle any more mass graves and her new career is guaranteed to keep her away from dead people. Naturally, things don’t turn out the way she planned. Soon she is involved in an investigation that reminds her of her past traumas and opens wounds that could easily break her.
Diane fights battles on many fronts. Being new to leading a museum and a perfectionist to boot, she has plenty of problems to deal with daily. Connor offers great insight into the inner workings of a natural history museum and successfully inserts plenty of detail without suffocating the plot. Forensic details are also aplenty, giving the impression of a thoroughly researched book, which is always appreciated. With a whole family murdered in cold blood, the reader gets victims that are easy to care about and a reason to get invested into Diane’s investigation.
Diane’s character, however, is insufficiently developed. There are a few hints that could later lead to deeper characterization, but mostly we are given the picture of a solitary perfectionist with past traumas we can’t quite feel. Any description of her appearance is omitted – likely purposely – which makes it a lot harder to see her in our minds. Her relationships, such as they are, could also be described as underdeveloped, but with some hope for future installments.
Overall, this is a worthy read that follows the path of writers like Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, but doesn’t quite reach their heights. If you’re looking for a decent forensic mystery, this might just be it, as long as you don’t expect too much of its characters.
We meet Diane Fallon after a very traumatic period in her life. Past evens are revealed slowly, but we learn right away of her determination to quit forensic work and dedicate herself to being the director of a museum. Diane can’t handle any more mass graves and her new career is guaranteed to keep her away from dead people. Naturally, things don’t turn out the way she planned. Soon she is involved in an investigation that reminds her of her past traumas and opens wounds that could easily break her.
Diane fights battles on many fronts. Being new to leading a museum and a perfectionist to boot, she has plenty of problems to deal with daily. Connor offers great insight into the inner workings of a natural history museum and successfully inserts plenty of detail without suffocating the plot. Forensic details are also aplenty, giving the impression of a thoroughly researched book, which is always appreciated. With a whole family murdered in cold blood, the reader gets victims that are easy to care about and a reason to get invested into Diane’s investigation.
Diane’s character, however, is insufficiently developed. There are a few hints that could later lead to deeper characterization, but mostly we are given the picture of a solitary perfectionist with past traumas we can’t quite feel. Any description of her appearance is omitted – likely purposely – which makes it a lot harder to see her in our minds. Her relationships, such as they are, could also be described as underdeveloped, but with some hope for future installments.
Overall, this is a worthy read that follows the path of writers like Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, but doesn’t quite reach their heights. If you’re looking for a decent forensic mystery, this might just be it, as long as you don’t expect too much of its characters.
March 28, 2010
New author for me and I am glad to have discovered her.
The story follows Diane Fallon a forensic anthropologist who has returned stateside after having worked for ten years for a human rights organization. Her time with the organization had her identifying mass graves to use as evidence against a ruthless dictator. But it ended in tragedy with Diane vowing never to do that sort of work again.
So she is back home, having been given the directorship of a science museum. But she isn't there too long before an old friend & lover asks her to look at a bone to see if it could possibly belong to the missing daughter of a friend.
So Diane finds herself slowing drawn back into what is really her first love while also dealing with the surprisingly vicious world of museum and academic politics.
As I mentioned above, this is a new author for me. In most of the blurbs I read there were all these comparisons to Patricia Cornwell. Frankly I soured on Patricia Cornwell a long time ago so that made me a bit leery. But then I read a review on Amazon where the reviewer mentioned the multiple plotlines, all the different supporting characters and the various character types. It sounded like a busy, sprawling sort of mystery, peopled with an interesting assortment of characters -- just the kind of story I like sometimes. So I dug in.
And I am glad I did. As the reviewer on Amazon stated, there is a lot going on. But in a very good, never lets the story get stale, way. There are multiple plotlines -- there is a murder mystery that is the main A plot. There is also the mystery of the bones, who are they and are they related to the main murder mystery? And if so how? There is a politics mystery behind the museum. People on the board want Diane to sell but why? And is that related to the murder mystery? There is Diane's background and what happened before she came to take over the museum. And finally there are all the various personalities winding through the narrative and which of the plotlines they belong to -- the musicians who become interns, the grad students, the professors who are constantly bugging her for office space, the sullen second in command, the board members of the museum, the police etc. etc.
All in all I was kept highly entertained as I read the book and, wonderfully, did not guess the guilty party at all.
I really liked Diane as a protagonist. She reads as approachable, grounded and very human. And she also has a few moments where she is a total hardass. There are moments where we are given science-fact information but they aren't intrusive.
I am looking forward to reading more in the series.
The story follows Diane Fallon a forensic anthropologist who has returned stateside after having worked for ten years for a human rights organization. Her time with the organization had her identifying mass graves to use as evidence against a ruthless dictator. But it ended in tragedy with Diane vowing never to do that sort of work again.
So she is back home, having been given the directorship of a science museum. But she isn't there too long before an old friend & lover asks her to look at a bone to see if it could possibly belong to the missing daughter of a friend.
So Diane finds herself slowing drawn back into what is really her first love while also dealing with the surprisingly vicious world of museum and academic politics.
As I mentioned above, this is a new author for me. In most of the blurbs I read there were all these comparisons to Patricia Cornwell. Frankly I soured on Patricia Cornwell a long time ago so that made me a bit leery. But then I read a review on Amazon where the reviewer mentioned the multiple plotlines, all the different supporting characters and the various character types. It sounded like a busy, sprawling sort of mystery, peopled with an interesting assortment of characters -- just the kind of story I like sometimes. So I dug in.
And I am glad I did. As the reviewer on Amazon stated, there is a lot going on. But in a very good, never lets the story get stale, way. There are multiple plotlines -- there is a murder mystery that is the main A plot. There is also the mystery of the bones, who are they and are they related to the main murder mystery? And if so how? There is a politics mystery behind the museum. People on the board want Diane to sell but why? And is that related to the murder mystery? There is Diane's background and what happened before she came to take over the museum. And finally there are all the various personalities winding through the narrative and which of the plotlines they belong to -- the musicians who become interns, the grad students, the professors who are constantly bugging her for office space, the sullen second in command, the board members of the museum, the police etc. etc.
All in all I was kept highly entertained as I read the book and, wonderfully, did not guess the guilty party at all.
I really liked Diane as a protagonist. She reads as approachable, grounded and very human. And she also has a few moments where she is a total hardass. There are moments where we are given science-fact information but they aren't intrusive.
I am looking forward to reading more in the series.
June 7, 2013
3.5 stars
An interesting story that didn't feel too dated despite it's 2003 publication date. I liked Diane Fallon as a protagonist and most of the secondary characters. I especially enjoyed the use of forensic science in solving the murders, one several years old and other more recent ones. Then there are the smaller, more mundane mysteries facing Diane: a young female coed who may be the victim of abuse and the motivations of the Board of Directors to relocate the museum where Diane has recently begun to work. There was enough here to inspire me to read more of this series.
An interesting story that didn't feel too dated despite it's 2003 publication date. I liked Diane Fallon as a protagonist and most of the secondary characters. I especially enjoyed the use of forensic science in solving the murders, one several years old and other more recent ones. Then there are the smaller, more mundane mysteries facing Diane: a young female coed who may be the victim of abuse and the motivations of the Board of Directors to relocate the museum where Diane has recently begun to work. There was enough here to inspire me to read more of this series.
May 5, 2015
Ahhh, back to my familiar genre! This is a new to me author and I found her writing easy to adapt to. This first book in her Diane Fallon Forensic Series is a very good introduction to both the author and the series.
The main character is a forensic anthropologist that gave up the grave digging work to run a natural history museum, but is drawn back into "dirt" by an old flame. Lots of twists and turns, a little romance, and great research done to write this book. Highly recommend this book (and the series).
4.5 stars and 2 thumbs up!
The main character is a forensic anthropologist that gave up the grave digging work to run a natural history museum, but is drawn back into "dirt" by an old flame. Lots of twists and turns, a little romance, and great research done to write this book. Highly recommend this book (and the series).
4.5 stars and 2 thumbs up!
October 26, 2023
The story lacked good character development. Even the romance was lukewarm at best. With so many people and numerous sub-plots, I wandered until the end.
November 17, 2021
In the past, I have love Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reich's books. The aspect of forensic anything - anthropology, science, psychology, etc., fascinates and I truly enjoy the science and research that these authors put into their books. However, I grew bored and annoyed with the characters in both series and have been looking for something. Of course I adore Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway but I need more than one series. Luckily, I stumbled up Beverly Conner. Her character, Diane Fallon, is strong, hard, hardened, has an amazing past work history and is diverse enough that it will take me a long time to grow bored with her. It is also refreshing that her entire life does not revolve around her ego or her sex life. How refreshing.
The book started off a bit slow because there was a lot of history to get through as we were introduced to Diane and a new set of characters but halfway through the pace really picked up and by the end it was clear that this series would be terrific. This is not a new series by any means, just new to me. I do highly recommend it if you are not already a fan.
The book started off a bit slow because there was a lot of history to get through as we were introduced to Diane and a new set of characters but halfway through the pace really picked up and by the end it was clear that this series would be terrific. This is not a new series by any means, just new to me. I do highly recommend it if you are not already a fan.
October 12, 2019
This book is what I want the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs to be. I am a huge fan of Bones, the tv show, and have read the first Reichs book a couple times and have a hard time liking it a lot. It just doesn't match with the tv characters and the tone of the books doesn't sit right with me.
I have had this book by Connor on my list for several years. I finally started it a couple weeks ago and was not impressed with the first chapter. The writing didn't grab me and it seemed pretty boring. But I am so glad I kept going! After a few chapters the plot picked up and I enjoyed the whole book very much!
There was tons of science and fact and the protagonist is a forensic anthropologist, just like Temperance Brennan. She had a very different personality but a similiar logical mind and focused work ethic. She has background/experience in criminal forensics but is trying to put that behind her and is now the head of a revamped museum of natural history. I liked all the details about the staffing and exhibit planning, etc.
I thought that the plot was great - a couple different angles that leave you guessing at the real antagonists and the reasons that things happen. I look forward to seeing how this series develops, both professionally and personally for Fallon. While I don't think the writing is top notch, it wasn't objectionable and it may improve.
I have had this book by Connor on my list for several years. I finally started it a couple weeks ago and was not impressed with the first chapter. The writing didn't grab me and it seemed pretty boring. But I am so glad I kept going! After a few chapters the plot picked up and I enjoyed the whole book very much!
There was tons of science and fact and the protagonist is a forensic anthropologist, just like Temperance Brennan. She had a very different personality but a similiar logical mind and focused work ethic. She has background/experience in criminal forensics but is trying to put that behind her and is now the head of a revamped museum of natural history. I liked all the details about the staffing and exhibit planning, etc.
I thought that the plot was great - a couple different angles that leave you guessing at the real antagonists and the reasons that things happen. I look forward to seeing how this series develops, both professionally and personally for Fallon. While I don't think the writing is top notch, it wasn't objectionable and it may improve.
August 31, 2016
I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the bits of science/forensics interwoven in the story with the mystery. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in this series.
July 5, 2020
New series for me, and I enjoyed this entry. "Before I took the directorship of the museum here, I was an internationally known forensic anthropologist..." Diane returns to Georgia after being enlisted to help uncover mass graves in international conflicts. Thrown into close proximity with a former love interest, she jumps into a mystery here.
A bone discovered locally is presented to Diane to see if it's human or animal. Thus begins the snowball that leads to murders.
A bone discovered locally is presented to Diane to see if it's human or animal. Thus begins the snowball that leads to murders.
March 13, 2014
Probably a 3.5, but slightly ludicrous at times, however, will definitely give the next one a try...
June 20, 2015
An Excellent read! What a learning exercise on the workings of a Forensic Anthropologist. This is very interesting!!!! Loved it!!
June 18, 2018
These comments apply to the entire series.
What I loved about this series:
*There is always a real mystery. I seldom figured much out early. Specific plot elements made me prefer one book or another, or did not appeal to me as much in one book or another, but I don’t think there are any real low points. All the books range from good to excellent.
*Cool forensics, plus cool crime lab stuff. Really enjoyed all these elements.
*Lots of action. In every book, you can expect the protagonist and perhaps others to be involved in one exciting situation after another. Diane is not generally careless, but, damn. If it were me, I would load up with two guns, two flashlights, and two Dobermans. One of anything probably wouldn’t be enough.
*I liked the protagonist a lot, and what I like best of all is that when Diane fights off an attacker or gets away from a kidnapper or whatever, this is not because she is so very special. It’s because she fights really hard and keeps fighting till she gets away. If her attacker shouts, “I just want to talk!” or “I’m not going to hurt you!” she keep fighting. I appreciate this very much. I have no patience whatsoever for a protagonist, especially a female protagonist, who, when attacked, dithers and wrings her hands and practically has the word “victim” painted on her back.
*Basically competent and well-developed secondary characters. I don’t much care for the sort of mystery where the forensic anthropologist (or whoever) solves the mystery because the police are too stupid to solve anything. The protagonist shouldn’t shine only because most of the secondary characters are ridiculously incompetent. That doesn’t happen here.
I will add that one exception to the generally high level of competence is the tendency of most characters to say, “Of course, this could just be a coincidence.” Uh huh. Sure. A coincidence.
Where I had quibbles:
*I would often have liked a bit more of an epilogue and a bit more continuity. For example, at the end of one book a secondary character was kidnapped and really scared, though not hurt. There is no emotional fallout whatsoever from this situation in the next book; in fact the incident is never mentioned again and might as well never have happened. I was disappointed by this.
*Stylistically, Beverly Conner and I obviously have a philosophical disagreement about the use of the past perfect. I think it should be used where appropriate. Conner thinks it should be used only when absolutely necessary and sometimes not then. That final clause is the problem: because of what appears to be a reflexive avoidance of the past perfect, sometimes her use of the simple past tense produces sentences that are awkward or even a little bit confusing.
Otherwise, I think Conner’s writing is solid and straightforward. Her dialogue is generally pretty good and sometimes very good – I’ve noticed before that good dialogue is important to carry me past writing quirks that would otherwise stop me from enjoying a book. Conner also writes good exposition, which for me also serves this purpose. Someone less interested in the science embedded in these books might not find that to be the case.
Overall
I loved this series and am pleased to find out from Conner's blog that she's continuing with it. I'll be happy to read the Diane Fallon series as long as she goes on writing it.
What I loved about this series:
*There is always a real mystery. I seldom figured much out early. Specific plot elements made me prefer one book or another, or did not appeal to me as much in one book or another, but I don’t think there are any real low points. All the books range from good to excellent.
*Cool forensics, plus cool crime lab stuff. Really enjoyed all these elements.
*Lots of action. In every book, you can expect the protagonist and perhaps others to be involved in one exciting situation after another. Diane is not generally careless, but, damn. If it were me, I would load up with two guns, two flashlights, and two Dobermans. One of anything probably wouldn’t be enough.
*I liked the protagonist a lot, and what I like best of all is that when Diane fights off an attacker or gets away from a kidnapper or whatever, this is not because she is so very special. It’s because she fights really hard and keeps fighting till she gets away. If her attacker shouts, “I just want to talk!” or “I’m not going to hurt you!” she keep fighting. I appreciate this very much. I have no patience whatsoever for a protagonist, especially a female protagonist, who, when attacked, dithers and wrings her hands and practically has the word “victim” painted on her back.
*Basically competent and well-developed secondary characters. I don’t much care for the sort of mystery where the forensic anthropologist (or whoever) solves the mystery because the police are too stupid to solve anything. The protagonist shouldn’t shine only because most of the secondary characters are ridiculously incompetent. That doesn’t happen here.
I will add that one exception to the generally high level of competence is the tendency of most characters to say, “Of course, this could just be a coincidence.” Uh huh. Sure. A coincidence.
Where I had quibbles:
*I would often have liked a bit more of an epilogue and a bit more continuity. For example, at the end of one book a secondary character was kidnapped and really scared, though not hurt. There is no emotional fallout whatsoever from this situation in the next book; in fact the incident is never mentioned again and might as well never have happened. I was disappointed by this.
*Stylistically, Beverly Conner and I obviously have a philosophical disagreement about the use of the past perfect. I think it should be used where appropriate. Conner thinks it should be used only when absolutely necessary and sometimes not then. That final clause is the problem: because of what appears to be a reflexive avoidance of the past perfect, sometimes her use of the simple past tense produces sentences that are awkward or even a little bit confusing.
Otherwise, I think Conner’s writing is solid and straightforward. Her dialogue is generally pretty good and sometimes very good – I’ve noticed before that good dialogue is important to carry me past writing quirks that would otherwise stop me from enjoying a book. Conner also writes good exposition, which for me also serves this purpose. Someone less interested in the science embedded in these books might not find that to be the case.
Overall
I loved this series and am pleased to find out from Conner's blog that she's continuing with it. I'll be happy to read the Diane Fallon series as long as she goes on writing it.
January 9, 2021
I have been kvetching a bit about reading too many books with too little plot, so I decided to have a plot sundae with all the toppings. I have a soft spot for police procedurals with female forensic detectives at the helm, and I found this old series -- that is new to me! This one is longer than most (around 400 pages), and there are crime scenes and evil goons galore! 4 stars for distracting me heartily from Covid and political upheaval and associated despair (though, if you insist on total realism in your details or get peeved when you encounter an event that would be unlikely to happen in real life, don't bother with this one).
The main character, Diane, is a forensic anthropologist who specializes in mass graves. Following a tragedy, she gets a calm administrative position leading a natural history museum near Atlanta. But strange things start to happen at the museum. There are also some human bones found nearby. Who's the dead person? Why is the museum a site of conflict? Then a connected family gets murdered, and Diane finds herself pulled back into her old way of life (identifying bones and measuring blood splatter!).
The main character, Diane, is a forensic anthropologist who specializes in mass graves. Following a tragedy, she gets a calm administrative position leading a natural history museum near Atlanta. But strange things start to happen at the museum. There are also some human bones found nearby. Who's the dead person? Why is the museum a site of conflict? Then a connected family gets murdered, and Diane finds herself pulled back into her old way of life (identifying bones and measuring blood splatter!).
December 11, 2018
This is the first novel that I have read by Beverly Connor and I loved it. The storyline kept me interested to the end. The novel ran tow mysteries at once keeping you guessing all the way if they were separate or interrelated. I will be reading more of this series.
March 11, 2024
Solides Buch. Spannende Wendungen und viele Handlungsstränge, die am Ende zusammenlaufen.
May 23, 2023
Good plot and I really liked the characters. Reading this was sort of like watching Bones except the characters aren’t as unique. The conversations were a bit odd at times. The author needs to keep the characters from speaking so formally and use more contractions! I look forward to the next book.
January 14, 2011
One Grave Too Many by Beverly Connor
Book #1 in the Diane Fallon series
4 Stars
Synopsis:
After returning home following a stint documenting crimes against humanity for a human rights organization, forensic anthropologist, Diane Fallon, disavows this type of work and becomes a museum curator. A detective friend asks her to examine a bone and determine whether it belongs to a missing girl. Diane soon finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation that may threaten her life while at the same time coping with the vicious world of academic politics.
Review:
This is a fast paced and absorbing read with some interesting forensics tidbits.
The lead character is strong and intelligent, and the supporting characters are well-developed; they do not merely blend into the background. There are several carefully interwoven plot lines but the story is never convoluted or confusing. There are plenty clues to the identity of the killer but they are not too obvious, and I did not manage to figure it out before it was revealed in the book, which is unusual for me.
Recommendation: This book is well worth the read.
Book #1 in the Diane Fallon series
4 Stars
Synopsis:
After returning home following a stint documenting crimes against humanity for a human rights organization, forensic anthropologist, Diane Fallon, disavows this type of work and becomes a museum curator. A detective friend asks her to examine a bone and determine whether it belongs to a missing girl. Diane soon finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation that may threaten her life while at the same time coping with the vicious world of academic politics.
Review:
This is a fast paced and absorbing read with some interesting forensics tidbits.
The lead character is strong and intelligent, and the supporting characters are well-developed; they do not merely blend into the background. There are several carefully interwoven plot lines but the story is never convoluted or confusing. There are plenty clues to the identity of the killer but they are not too obvious, and I did not manage to figure it out before it was revealed in the book, which is unusual for me.
Recommendation: This book is well worth the read.
March 21, 2009
Diane Fallon comes to Georgia to head up a museum. She had been hired as Assistant Director, but her friend and boss had died of a heart attack some weeks before she arrived. She is a forensic anthropologist whose previous job had been excavating mass graves for an international justice enforcement group.
The museum is opening its new facility under her direction and she is in the middle of a board of directors power struggle when her former lover brings her a bone to identify. While she was examining the bone, the family of his friends were murdered and the runaway daughter arrested. While Diane and Frank are convinced the bone is related to these crimes, law enforcement is not. The action moves forward and the intetwining events unfold in exciting [and believable:] ways.
Very good book with great characters and lots of interesting information on forensic archaeology, museum direction and other science stuff.
The museum is opening its new facility under her direction and she is in the middle of a board of directors power struggle when her former lover brings her a bone to identify. While she was examining the bone, the family of his friends were murdered and the runaway daughter arrested. While Diane and Frank are convinced the bone is related to these crimes, law enforcement is not. The action moves forward and the intetwining events unfold in exciting [and believable:] ways.
Very good book with great characters and lots of interesting information on forensic archaeology, museum direction and other science stuff.
Read
August 8, 2011It took me a long time to get into this book because I didn't feel that the central character was very engaging at the outset. I felt the plot took a long while to get going despite the authors attempt to create the tension. However, the final quarter of the book really pulled it all together and I actually really liked it. I liked the mulitiple plots and the way that in the space of just a few chapters, it all came together and actually made the whole book very good as everything created before hand fell into place. Its a shame it took me that long to get into it as I nearly stopped reading it part way through as I was slightly disappointed. I think I would consider reading the other books in the series although I won't go out of my way to find them.
Overall though this was a good read although slightly slow to start. If you come across it, give it a go!
Overall though this was a good read although slightly slow to start. If you come across it, give it a go!
March 25, 2018
This is trying to be the “I’m not a cheesy mystery novel, I use science!” novel, but amount of hospital trips and side quests on who bruised a girl—“Woman’s” arm... you’re still a pleasant weekend mystery novel!
I enjoyed the strong, female protagonist, even though invincible, putting down men (and the women that support them) both intellectually, and in crossing muddy creeks.
Lot of characters to keep track of. The book starts out with a party for all the contributors. It felt like when you’re at a gathering, meeting so many people just nodding along knowing you’ve already forgotten their name. Then they pop up again 200 pages later. I think the author would see a piece of the plot she want a new character to fill, so she’d write then into the party at the beginning quick, then carry on with her plot twist.
I enjoyed the strong, female protagonist, even though invincible, putting down men (and the women that support them) both intellectually, and in crossing muddy creeks.
Lot of characters to keep track of. The book starts out with a party for all the contributors. It felt like when you’re at a gathering, meeting so many people just nodding along knowing you’ve already forgotten their name. Then they pop up again 200 pages later. I think the author would see a piece of the plot she want a new character to fill, so she’d write then into the party at the beginning quick, then carry on with her plot twist.
April 1, 2016
One Grave Too Many
"One Grave Too Many" is the first book in a very interesting series by Beverly Connor. The book follows Diane Fallon as she navigates through a new career and works on an old one. I love "One Grave Too Many" because the author knows how to make a story entertaining, and she also knows how to make several seemingly unrelated plots tie together. This mystery novel will definitely entertain readers who are enthusiastic about anthropology, murder, or really any type of science or natural history-related topic. The Diane Fallon series only gets better after its excellent start. I highly recommend this story!!
"One Grave Too Many" is the first book in a very interesting series by Beverly Connor. The book follows Diane Fallon as she navigates through a new career and works on an old one. I love "One Grave Too Many" because the author knows how to make a story entertaining, and she also knows how to make several seemingly unrelated plots tie together. This mystery novel will definitely entertain readers who are enthusiastic about anthropology, murder, or really any type of science or natural history-related topic. The Diane Fallon series only gets better after its excellent start. I highly recommend this story!!
April 17, 2009
Written in a very easy to read style. I liked the characters of Diane and Frank straightaway. I very much enjoyed the book although I felt at some points it was a little repetitive and overly melodramatic at the end. But not only did I like the central characters but many of the peripheral characters as well whom I sure will turn up again in future books. Well definitely read more in this series. Will be passing this onto my Mum as I think she will enjoy this as well.
April 4, 2011
This looks like a solid start to a mystery series about a forensic anthropologist. I really liked the background story to this and I liked the characters. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of this series. I did want to know more about Ariel, and I kept wishing for some revelation that she had survived after all, but I think that was just me wanting something to happen to remedy the heartbreaking loss of her.
June 10, 2010
3.5 new series, Diane Fallon, forensic anthropologist
River Trail Museum of Natural History
Set in Georgia
River Trail Museum of Natural History
Set in Georgia
March 16, 2025
In this Diane Fallon escapade, she was superwoman and a loose cannon at the same time. In the beginning of her new job as Director of the RiverTrail Museum of Natural History, Diane made some remarkably ridiculous decisions. It took nearly half the book before she stopped bouncing between taking irresponsible actions and establishing a quite large, well-funded institution for the story to become intriguing. There was someone on the museum board who pointedly wanted the museum sold and moved to a less appropriate venue, and she had no idea what kind of a deal he had going behind the scenes that made him hatefully insistent. It appeared that some of the new staff professionals weren't taking seriously her directions for authenticity in the displays they were creating for the museum's opening gala. And in the middle of the gala, her old friend Frank Duncan appeared for the first time in three years, asking for a favor that would take Diane back into the dark place that caused her to give up her forensic work and make the move to museum director. The best thing about the story is the tons of informative scientific information.
May 6, 2019
If you are a fan of the television show "Bones" you will like this story. The television series has woman who is good with bones and works at the Jeffersonian team up with an FBI agent. The two of them along with the "squints" at the Jeffersonian solver murders that fall under the FBI jurisdiction.
The book follows Dr. Diane Fallon. She is a renowned anthropologist and she was just made the director of a museum. She used to work doing excavations on mass graves overseas until a tragedy brings her back to the states.
Frank is a detective who asks Diane's help in solving a mystery. The only clue is a bone. Frank thinks the bone has more significance than his friend lets on. Especially when shortly after the bone is revealed, almost the entire family is wiped out.
When written. Kept me interested the entire time. I like the similarity to the TV show that I really liked. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
The book follows Dr. Diane Fallon. She is a renowned anthropologist and she was just made the director of a museum. She used to work doing excavations on mass graves overseas until a tragedy brings her back to the states.
Frank is a detective who asks Diane's help in solving a mystery. The only clue is a bone. Frank thinks the bone has more significance than his friend lets on. Especially when shortly after the bone is revealed, almost the entire family is wiped out.
When written. Kept me interested the entire time. I like the similarity to the TV show that I really liked. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
August 19, 2019
3.75-4 stars. Decent start to a series. Diane Fallon is a retired forensic anthropologist and, after traveling the world looking at mass graves and torture chambers to stack up evidence against war time criminals, decides to accept the position of director of a natural history museum in a suburb of Atlanta, Rosewood, so she can lead a stable peaceful life.
What I liked about this series: Oh, the science was delicious! Loved it, loved it. Was fun reading it all. It kept me guessing as to whether the events were all interconnected or not. Love when a mystery keeps me guessing like that.
What I didn’t like: There were some subplots that should have been chucked (the abused girl-I still don’t know who was doing it). The overabundance of characters (the whole quartet could have been cut). I didn’t care for the subplot of the detective assigned to the case, either.
Overall a pretty okay read. Will def try next book in the series.
What I liked about this series: Oh, the science was delicious! Loved it, loved it. Was fun reading it all. It kept me guessing as to whether the events were all interconnected or not. Love when a mystery keeps me guessing like that.
What I didn’t like: There were some subplots that should have been chucked (the abused girl-I still don’t know who was doing it). The overabundance of characters (the whole quartet could have been cut). I didn’t care for the subplot of the detective assigned to the case, either.
Overall a pretty okay read. Will def try next book in the series.
May 1, 2026
Ugh. I liked the characters and would love to continue this series but it was all just too stupid. The actions of the characters were just made no sense. Here is a small list. Every page had me rolling my eyes
1. A triple murder site was cleared in a day
2. Somehow a forensic archaeologist was somehow a blood splatter expert
3. A body was found and not reported to the local police but instead an archaeological dig was done with staff from a university.
4. A museum had a board of directors that had no control over
5. Diane kept hiring a bunch of people with no HR support. No budget considerations, no background checks and I could go on
6. A man gets shot 3 times not only survived but gets out of bed and helps make an arrest in a couple of days
This list just goes on and on. I just can't do anymore of the series. Hope it's gets better but I'm not wasting my time. There are better books out there to read.
1. A triple murder site was cleared in a day
2. Somehow a forensic archaeologist was somehow a blood splatter expert
3. A body was found and not reported to the local police but instead an archaeological dig was done with staff from a university.
4. A museum had a board of directors that had no control over
5. Diane kept hiring a bunch of people with no HR support. No budget considerations, no background checks and I could go on
6. A man gets shot 3 times not only survived but gets out of bed and helps make an arrest in a couple of days
This list just goes on and on. I just can't do anymore of the series. Hope it's gets better but I'm not wasting my time. There are better books out there to read.
December 25, 2018
A new series and a new author for me. One Grave Too Many is the first book in the Diane Fallon series by Beverly Connor. In the tradition of Kay Scarpetta and Tempe Brennan, Diane Fallon is a Forensic Anthropologist who becomes involved in solving a murder.
Diane has just returned to the US after overseeing the excavation of mass graves in South America. She's seen too much death and dealt with too much political intrigue as a result and now wants to settle in to a nice, calm position as Director of the RiverTrail Museum of Natural History. Unfortunately, what she wants and what she gets are too different things.
Before the museum is even open to the public, the board of directors is pressuring Diane to sell the property and move the museum to another location. In addition, strange things seem to be happening at the museum and they all have her name attached.
If that wasn't enough to keep her busy, her former lover, Frank shows up with a bone and asks her to confirm whether it's human or animal and potentially where it may have come from. The investigation into the bone, leads to multiple murders, break-ins and abductions.
The writing was good and the storyline was interesting. Unfortunately, many of the characters were not very likable - especially Diane. A few exceptions were Andi, Diane's assistant, and Linc, one of Frank's brothers. The story was a bit convoluted with all the shenanigans at the museum and the murder mystery but it was a good read and worth checking out.
Rating: 3 stars
Diane has just returned to the US after overseeing the excavation of mass graves in South America. She's seen too much death and dealt with too much political intrigue as a result and now wants to settle in to a nice, calm position as Director of the RiverTrail Museum of Natural History. Unfortunately, what she wants and what she gets are too different things.
Before the museum is even open to the public, the board of directors is pressuring Diane to sell the property and move the museum to another location. In addition, strange things seem to be happening at the museum and they all have her name attached.
If that wasn't enough to keep her busy, her former lover, Frank shows up with a bone and asks her to confirm whether it's human or animal and potentially where it may have come from. The investigation into the bone, leads to multiple murders, break-ins and abductions.
The writing was good and the storyline was interesting. Unfortunately, many of the characters were not very likable - especially Diane. A few exceptions were Andi, Diane's assistant, and Linc, one of Frank's brothers. The story was a bit convoluted with all the shenanigans at the museum and the murder mystery but it was a good read and worth checking out.
Rating: 3 stars
May 5, 2017
Diane Fallon as a forensic anthropologist had worked for humanitarian aid organization exhuming mass graves of those who were killed by criminal elements in third world countries.
A personal trauma caused her to resign and take up the position of Director of River Trails Natural History Museum.
I enjoyed the suspense, the intrigue and the characters. I couldn’t set it down, I read it late into the night to finish.
This is the first book in the Diane Fallon series, I had read books 2-6 before I was able to get this one from my local library. Therefore, this series can be read-out-of-order but each does build upon the last so if you need a cohesive timeline read-in-order.
A personal trauma caused her to resign and take up the position of Director of River Trails Natural History Museum.
I enjoyed the suspense, the intrigue and the characters. I couldn’t set it down, I read it late into the night to finish.
This is the first book in the Diane Fallon series, I had read books 2-6 before I was able to get this one from my local library. Therefore, this series can be read-out-of-order but each does build upon the last so if you need a cohesive timeline read-in-order.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews