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Body Farm #7.5
Jordan's Stormy Banks
In the summer of 1990, Dr. Bill Brockton—a bright, ambitious young forensic scientist—is hired by the University of Tennessee to head, and to raise the profile of, the school's small Anthropology Department. Six months later, the ink on his contract barely dry, Brockton is called to a gruesome crime scene in a rural area to identify a corpse and determine how the woman died. But the case—one of Brockton's first murder investigations in Tennessee—could also prove to be his last when he runs afoul of both the county sheriff and an angry mob intent on administering their own swift, rough brand of "justice." With his back to the wall, Brockton is forced to think fast, talk faster, and hope for a miracle.
88 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2013
92 people are currently reading
1632 people want to read
About the author
Jefferson Bass
21 books1,168 followersJefferson Bass on FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/JeffersonBass...
Jon Jefferson
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Bill Bass
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Jefferson Bass is the pen name of Jon Jefferson, writer, and Dr. Bill Bass, renowned forensic anthropologist. Jefferson and Bass have collaborated on 2 nonfiction books and 6 crime novels; their 7th novel, The Inquisitor's Key, will be published in May 2012. Dr. Bass, founder of the University of Tennessee's "Body Farm," is an author on more than 200 scientific publications. Jefferson is a veteran journalist and documentary filmmaker; his two National Geographic documentaries on the Body Farm were seen around the world.
http://www.facebook.com/JeffersonBass...
Jon Jefferson
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Bill Bass
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Jefferson Bass is the pen name of Jon Jefferson, writer, and Dr. Bill Bass, renowned forensic anthropologist. Jefferson and Bass have collaborated on 2 nonfiction books and 6 crime novels; their 7th novel, The Inquisitor's Key, will be published in May 2012. Dr. Bass, founder of the University of Tennessee's "Body Farm," is an author on more than 200 scientific publications. Jefferson is a veteran journalist and documentary filmmaker; his two National Geographic documentaries on the Body Farm were seen around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 15, 2024
Jefferson Bass has done a formidable job with this forensic anthropology series, developing strong roots through seven well-developed novels. He uses this novella to take the reader back to the beginning of Dr. Bill Brockton’s time in Tennessee back in 1990. Readers familiar with the series will realise that he brought with him an already burgeoning passion for forensic anthropology and human anatomy. In this short tale, where Dr. Brockton forges new relationships at every turn, a body is discovered and foul play is expected. Brockton seeks to piece things together, not only to solve the case, but make a name for himself in his new home. A little digging and some analysis leads Brockton to solve the case, but the sheriff has a different idea. Brockton soon learns he’s not in Kansas anymore… A brilliant short piece that has series fans better understanding Jefferson Bass’ past and core of how this series came to life.
Dr. Bill Brockton is a highly ambitious forensic scientist who has been hired by the University of Tennessee in the summer of 1990 to breathe new life into their Anthropology Department. With ideas to help shape the program and tap
Into the forensic experiences he used while working in Kansas and South Dakota, Brockton is chosen by state officials to take on any case where the body’s presentation leaves any questions unanswered.
A mere six months into his time at UT, Brockton is called to a gruesome crime scene in a rural area to identify a corpse and determine how the woman died. This case, one of Brockton’s first in Tennessee, is not as easily solved as many would think. Looking at the bod hand presentation of the bones, there are questions that remain unanswered.
The local authorities are eager to wrap things up and quickly pin the rape and murder on a black convict who recently escaped a state prison. However, as Dr. Brockton takes a closer look, he sees anomalies that could turn the case on its head.. After speaking out against the sheriff and a handful of angry locals, Dr. Bill Brockton will likely see just how local justice is done, much to his chagrin. A great piece, short and to the point, that exemplifies Dr. Bill Brockton at his best. Jefferson Bass has started laying groundwork for the series with this prequel novella.
Bass entertains the reader with this short story that leads into the next full-length novel set in the early 90s. Bass lays out some of the groundwork for explaining how Dr. Bill Brockton got to where he is today and the struggles of his early time in Tennessee, as well as exemplifying some time with Kathleen, his wife who has yet to pass. The narrative has a great pace and interesting ‘first glimpses’ of a few series recurring characters. All of this helps strengthen the foundation of the series by offering a look back when things were still new and there was no Miranda to keep things edgy. Bass is to be commended on this short work.
The plot developments are quite clear cut in this short piece, leaving the reader dazzled and impressed with some of the early explorations into the Brockton life in Tennessee. A few twists appear to explore Brockton’s arrival and new views on crime fighting, through forensic anthropology. This is a great introduction to Dr. Bill Brockton and his pre-Body Farm days!
Kudos Mr. Bass, for being amazing. as you plant the roots for this stunning series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Dr. Bill Brockton is a highly ambitious forensic scientist who has been hired by the University of Tennessee in the summer of 1990 to breathe new life into their Anthropology Department. With ideas to help shape the program and tap
Into the forensic experiences he used while working in Kansas and South Dakota, Brockton is chosen by state officials to take on any case where the body’s presentation leaves any questions unanswered.
A mere six months into his time at UT, Brockton is called to a gruesome crime scene in a rural area to identify a corpse and determine how the woman died. This case, one of Brockton’s first in Tennessee, is not as easily solved as many would think. Looking at the bod hand presentation of the bones, there are questions that remain unanswered.
The local authorities are eager to wrap things up and quickly pin the rape and murder on a black convict who recently escaped a state prison. However, as Dr. Brockton takes a closer look, he sees anomalies that could turn the case on its head.. After speaking out against the sheriff and a handful of angry locals, Dr. Bill Brockton will likely see just how local justice is done, much to his chagrin. A great piece, short and to the point, that exemplifies Dr. Bill Brockton at his best. Jefferson Bass has started laying groundwork for the series with this prequel novella.
Bass entertains the reader with this short story that leads into the next full-length novel set in the early 90s. Bass lays out some of the groundwork for explaining how Dr. Bill Brockton got to where he is today and the struggles of his early time in Tennessee, as well as exemplifying some time with Kathleen, his wife who has yet to pass. The narrative has a great pace and interesting ‘first glimpses’ of a few series recurring characters. All of this helps strengthen the foundation of the series by offering a look back when things were still new and there was no Miranda to keep things edgy. Bass is to be commended on this short work.
The plot developments are quite clear cut in this short piece, leaving the reader dazzled and impressed with some of the early explorations into the Brockton life in Tennessee. A few twists appear to explore Brockton’s arrival and new views on crime fighting, through forensic anthropology. This is a great introduction to Dr. Bill Brockton and his pre-Body Farm days!
Kudos Mr. Bass, for being amazing. as you plant the roots for this stunning series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
April 28, 2014
Novella, fast read.
But what a read!
A real dangerous situation tops the investigation, with ... no, I will not spoil it, but just say, it rings of a truth we would like to stay buried.
Although the story takes place in the 1990, the beginning of the Body Farm, it could take place today, without missing a beat.
Highly recommended.
But I still think, it is to pricy ( Eur 2,01 that Us$ 1,45) for this fast a read, I think it should be 1 Eur or 1 Us$.
Disturbing trend, a lot of times I was able to find such a Novella for for such a price or even for free, but in the past months they just grew more expensive.
But what a read!
A real dangerous situation tops the investigation, with ... no, I will not spoil it, but just say, it rings of a truth we would like to stay buried.
Although the story takes place in the 1990, the beginning of the Body Farm, it could take place today, without missing a beat.
Highly recommended.
But I still think, it is to pricy ( Eur 2,01 that Us$ 1,45) for this fast a read, I think it should be 1 Eur or 1 Us$.
Disturbing trend, a lot of times I was able to find such a Novella for for such a price or even for free, but in the past months they just grew more expensive.
April 13, 2018
Short and sweet. It was a prequel to the Body Farm series and it was suppose to be a novella but it was more like a slightly long short story with a good portion of the Kindle version being an excerpt from book 8 in the series.
January 13, 2023
Short novella to lead in to the next book. The novella goes back to 1990 when Dr Brockton first started working at UT. He gets a call from a rural sheriff about a body on a mountain. There’s klan activity in this story but justice prevails.
August 26, 2016
I definitely love science that can prove a man or woman is guilty. Gangs, lynching, riots, mobs and those who destruct something based on a feeling, make me angry. I do agree we have a lot to fix in the court of law and we need heavier fines for different crimes. It needs to be addressed. I've been waiting for a long time for a politician to come to the rescue of the all the victims and families of victims by creating a new platform to clean up our country.
Racism is wrong and basing the fact there is a dead woman and an escape convict as a solid case without a jury of peers listening to the facts is absolutely a travesty. This racism, happened to be a black man and a white woman but all crimes against those who are different is racism period. Being different doesn't mean you commit more crimes than others. Choosing to commit a crime, is a crime and if caught, you get punished.
Entered the forensics to this case and everything changes in a quick minute. I was appalled at the Sheriff's casual dismissal of what really happened, because to him a black man was guilty, not a fine upstanding businessman in the community. He was going to arrest a scientist because he called a higher authority to report a crime. A hanging by a community, a crime that was not committed by the man in the jail cell, but by the husband of the wife. Who was the biggest instigator of committing a heinous crime of hanging? The husband..... Go figure, he who protests too loudly, is usually guilty of one thing or another. When a man hides behind his rage and protests someone has to die.... she did, you killed her,... dumb ass. I wanted to reach into my Kindle and strangle the sheriff and the husband.
The time, the era is current and the town in the south.... I don't understand the hatred we have against color, race, religion and sexual identities. Let's focus on getting the real criminals behind bars... the ones who cause such pain for hard working decent people in our country. Let's fix the justice system, re-evaluate who needs to stay in longer, who doesn't need cable t.v., weights or a law library to make ridiculous claims on their cases. Death equals life behind bars, if you wanted, on purpose to and tried to kill one or many. Yes, each case needs to be looked at for extenuating circumstances. Science evidence says you did the crime... you pay for it.
We are not safe in our own country... criminals are free to commit multiple crimes in prison and out of prison. Single rooms, everything they need right there... a bed, a chair, a shower, a toilet, a small table where a food tray is given to them... 3 times a day. It's enough, they get to live our relatives didn't.
Great short story... a powerful south background that still baffles me and causes me grief when a law officer chooses to ignore the right thing to do and or takes justice into his own hands because his town is backing him. Why he had to act upon the man before he knew facts... He didn't question him, he started beating him.
Why does color cause so much hatred? How do these people look up to God with such hatred in their hearts? My God, My Allah doesn't hate.... Why do the fanaticals of any group in our society or the world, get to push their agendas on the rest of the people?
Sorry, I feel the world is drowning in ugly and our current political oppositions are taking us down the giant drain with no chance of recouping. This title is well written, and caused deep emotions to surface. Science, facts, common sense were the roots of finding who killed the woman in the woods.
Racism is wrong and basing the fact there is a dead woman and an escape convict as a solid case without a jury of peers listening to the facts is absolutely a travesty. This racism, happened to be a black man and a white woman but all crimes against those who are different is racism period. Being different doesn't mean you commit more crimes than others. Choosing to commit a crime, is a crime and if caught, you get punished.
Entered the forensics to this case and everything changes in a quick minute. I was appalled at the Sheriff's casual dismissal of what really happened, because to him a black man was guilty, not a fine upstanding businessman in the community. He was going to arrest a scientist because he called a higher authority to report a crime. A hanging by a community, a crime that was not committed by the man in the jail cell, but by the husband of the wife. Who was the biggest instigator of committing a heinous crime of hanging? The husband..... Go figure, he who protests too loudly, is usually guilty of one thing or another. When a man hides behind his rage and protests someone has to die.... she did, you killed her,... dumb ass. I wanted to reach into my Kindle and strangle the sheriff and the husband.
The time, the era is current and the town in the south.... I don't understand the hatred we have against color, race, religion and sexual identities. Let's focus on getting the real criminals behind bars... the ones who cause such pain for hard working decent people in our country. Let's fix the justice system, re-evaluate who needs to stay in longer, who doesn't need cable t.v., weights or a law library to make ridiculous claims on their cases. Death equals life behind bars, if you wanted, on purpose to and tried to kill one or many. Yes, each case needs to be looked at for extenuating circumstances. Science evidence says you did the crime... you pay for it.
We are not safe in our own country... criminals are free to commit multiple crimes in prison and out of prison. Single rooms, everything they need right there... a bed, a chair, a shower, a toilet, a small table where a food tray is given to them... 3 times a day. It's enough, they get to live our relatives didn't.
Great short story... a powerful south background that still baffles me and causes me grief when a law officer chooses to ignore the right thing to do and or takes justice into his own hands because his town is backing him. Why he had to act upon the man before he knew facts... He didn't question him, he started beating him.
Why does color cause so much hatred? How do these people look up to God with such hatred in their hearts? My God, My Allah doesn't hate.... Why do the fanaticals of any group in our society or the world, get to push their agendas on the rest of the people?
Sorry, I feel the world is drowning in ugly and our current political oppositions are taking us down the giant drain with no chance of recouping. This title is well written, and caused deep emotions to surface. Science, facts, common sense were the roots of finding who killed the woman in the woods.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2014
This is another great read by the duo Jefferson Bass (yes it's two people). It gives background to another book that makes reference to the body in this book.
It's a novella so it's short and to the point. Not a lot of character development, but it's not suppose to, it does what it sets out to due - highlight a murder and how it's solved.
It's a novella so it's short and to the point. Not a lot of character development, but it's not suppose to, it does what it sets out to due - highlight a murder and how it's solved.
July 12, 2019
JORDAN'S STORMY BANKS is a short novella in The Body Farm series and it's a bit different, in the way it takes the reader back to 1990, to the early days of Dr. Bill Brockton at the University of Tennessee, heading the Anthropology Department, when the body farm didn't exist. He, Dr. Bill, didn't know it yet but he wouldn't only be excavating, cataloguing and working with ancient skeletons of Indians. Authorities would start requesting more and more his help to identify victims and causes of death.
Dr. Bill Brockton, since his young man days, has such a quirky humor that it makes me happy reading this series.
Now on to the next title in this surprising series: Cut to the Bone ;)
Dr. Bill Brockton, since his young man days, has such a quirky humor that it makes me happy reading this series.
Now on to the next title in this surprising series: Cut to the Bone ;)
July 16, 2021
Read this short novel quickly. Just got the rest of the series, after not reading them for several years. I've already read the first three books, but had to skim through them to remember them, as there will be references to them in future books, I'm sure.
I was really happy to see Bill Bass come out with these books, as Ann Cornwell certainly made a fortune sponging off his Body Farm work.
The racism explored in this book may was clearly spurred by the continued racism in the US.
I was really happy to see Bill Bass come out with these books, as Ann Cornwell certainly made a fortune sponging off his Body Farm work.
The racism explored in this book may was clearly spurred by the continued racism in the US.
October 31, 2025
A forensic scientist is called to investigate the death of a woman and finds that racism is alive and well. Having read many of the Kathy Reichs books, I found some of the aspects of the investigation to be lacking. It is set in the 1990s, which may explain some of those things.
September 11, 2017
Short but good.
December 29, 2017
Some of the characters seemed almost cartoonish. Such blatant rasism was hard to believe.
June 3, 2019
Didn’t know this was a novella when I picked it up but I really enjoyed it. Wish it were a little longer as the story was intriguing. Good quick read.
October 4, 2019
Very engaging story.
March 6, 2020
Pretty good short story from early on in Dr B's career.
Read
January 8, 2021I wish this short story was a full book. Worth the read!
June 10, 2021
That was fun that it went back in time. I like the short stories and I love how this shows his character for standing for the right no matter what.
March 19, 2022
This one is short and sweet but with an amazing story. I loved it.
August 5, 2022
Not for the faint of heart…but a short and fascinating read. This short book appears to make the way for a number of this author’s later works.
July 20, 2023
Good little story!
July 29, 2023
Rather read the novel
September 13, 2024
Another quick novella within the series
February 25, 2025
First case? Rural south, racism. Wrongfully accused. Novella, 50 some pages. Enjoyable.
October 29, 2021
Excellent story, timely premise.
November 10, 2013
Read my full review: http://bit.ly/1azcWhQ
My opinion: I am normally not a huge fan by these novellas written by "full length" novelists to prepare readers for their new releases. I normally give these bits no more than 3 stars and can count just as many that have received 2 stars or less. This is normally due to these full length novelists inabilities to write concisely as is demanded in novellas. In fact, I gave Jefferson Bass' last novella 3 stars just for this reason. Jon Jefferson must have sharpened his pencil because he NAILED IT!! in this release. It is fast paced and the characters are developed superbly with a nice introduction to the new novel without it beating the reader over the head.
My opinion: I am normally not a huge fan by these novellas written by "full length" novelists to prepare readers for their new releases. I normally give these bits no more than 3 stars and can count just as many that have received 2 stars or less. This is normally due to these full length novelists inabilities to write concisely as is demanded in novellas. In fact, I gave Jefferson Bass' last novella 3 stars just for this reason. Jon Jefferson must have sharpened his pencil because he NAILED IT!! in this release. It is fast paced and the characters are developed superbly with a nice introduction to the new novel without it beating the reader over the head.
September 10, 2013
Just a quick read - but a good, fast-paced story. This one, and the new full length novel, take place when Dr. Brockton first gets hired on at UT, so we're going back in time from the original Body Farm novels. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I'll read them, and reserve judgment until I'm finished.
September 11, 2013
Excellent novella about Dr. Bill Brockton's, the main character in the Body farm novels, first case as Tennessee's State Forensic Anthropologist. The depiction of an angry mob's actions becoming a runaway train wreck in an instance was frightening. Great read but over too quickly for me. I'm looking forward to Cut to the Bone, the next full Body farm novel coming out on September 24th!
April 2, 2014
I would call this a short story rather than a novella. This was entertaining and very much along the lines of the other Body Farm novels. It did seem that there was less of a mystery than in other works in the series. The plot stands by itself but I would not pick this up unless you've first read at least a couple of the previous books.
November 1, 2014
ONE of the most gripping stories from Jefferson Bass. I'm going
By far 1 of the most gripping body farm stories by Jefferson Bass. Had me from the first few sentences. Definitely going to purchase to Complete My Collection. . . ! ! ! ! ! $ amount matters little at this point in time. . . . . Now to get'r done!
By far 1 of the most gripping body farm stories by Jefferson Bass. Had me from the first few sentences. Definitely going to purchase to Complete My Collection. . . ! ! ! ! ! $ amount matters little at this point in time. . . . . Now to get'r done!
August 21, 2013
Good short story. Gave insight into the main character Dr. Brockton for those who haven't read any of the previous books in the series. Well written story about Southern prejudice and power in the hands of a wrong individual. Looking forward to reading others in the series now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews