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Body Farm #5
The Bone Thief
Dr. Bill Brockton must stop a grisly black market dealing in body parts and cadavers in this white-knuckle adventure written by the man widely considered to be the world’s foremost expert in forensic anthropology.
356 pages, Hardcover
First published March 23, 2010
289 people are currently reading
3110 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 338 reviews
October 15, 2025
A disturbing tale of grave-robbing and black market traffic in body parts!
Author Jefferson Bass (well ... joint co-authors Bill Bass and John Jefferson, actually) have got a great thing going here! THE BONE THIEF is the sixth entry in the exciting and remarkably successful series depicting fictional forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton's adventures, research, investigations and checkered life as the director of the Body Farm. The Body Farm, as it is quaintly known, is a very real and very renowned research institution located on the campus of the University of Tennessee that investigates the mechanics and the subtleties of bodily decomposition after death under a bewildering array of variable conditions.
Like Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, Preston and Child's Aloysius Pendergast or Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme, Bill Brockton is a formidable sleuth but he's also a credible character who evolves with every passing story. As one would expect from a modern protagonist, like Bosch, Pendergast or Rhyme, Brockton is a little edgier, a little darker and a little more angsty than the literary heroes of yore. He's got communication problems with his adult son. His love life is definitely shattered in the sewer and the rats are gathering to feed on the remains. Although the story never comes out of the closet and spells it out, his feelings for his young assistant, Miranda Lovelady are honourable but clearly conflicted.
It ought to be sufficient to spark your interest if I disclose that THE BONE THIEF is a compelling and provocative story taken from today's headlines that digs into grave-robbing (get it? ... digs into grave-robbing) and peeks behind the dark curtains of the global black market in human organs and body parts used in transplantation as well as dubious research and surgical training methods.
One more highly recommended successful notch on your belt, fellows. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
Paul Weiss
Author Jefferson Bass (well ... joint co-authors Bill Bass and John Jefferson, actually) have got a great thing going here! THE BONE THIEF is the sixth entry in the exciting and remarkably successful series depicting fictional forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton's adventures, research, investigations and checkered life as the director of the Body Farm. The Body Farm, as it is quaintly known, is a very real and very renowned research institution located on the campus of the University of Tennessee that investigates the mechanics and the subtleties of bodily decomposition after death under a bewildering array of variable conditions.
Like Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, Preston and Child's Aloysius Pendergast or Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme, Bill Brockton is a formidable sleuth but he's also a credible character who evolves with every passing story. As one would expect from a modern protagonist, like Bosch, Pendergast or Rhyme, Brockton is a little edgier, a little darker and a little more angsty than the literary heroes of yore. He's got communication problems with his adult son. His love life is definitely shattered in the sewer and the rats are gathering to feed on the remains. Although the story never comes out of the closet and spells it out, his feelings for his young assistant, Miranda Lovelady are honourable but clearly conflicted.
It ought to be sufficient to spark your interest if I disclose that THE BONE THIEF is a compelling and provocative story taken from today's headlines that digs into grave-robbing (get it? ... digs into grave-robbing) and peeks behind the dark curtains of the global black market in human organs and body parts used in transplantation as well as dubious research and surgical training methods.
One more highly recommended successful notch on your belt, fellows. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
Paul Weiss
April 7, 2024
There is a patch of ground in Tennessee dedicated to the science of death, where human remains lie exposed to be studied for their secrets. The real-life scientist who founded the "Body Farm" has broken cold cases and revolutionized forensics . . . and now he spins an astonishing tale inspired by his own experiences.
Jefferson Bass is blessed with the ability to write novels that explores numerous areas within the medical field and keep things interesting enough to have readers understand the process. Those who enjoy forensics, especially the world of anthropology, are sure to enjoy the fifth book in the series. Bass is able to always keep the material fresh (pardon the pun) and new, while still stringing the story along and pulling on past cases and story arcs. After a recent case left a colleague in need of prosthetics, Dr. Brockton finds himself exploring the dark underbelly of the illegal sale of bodies to facilitate new medical breakthroughs. Bass does a formidable job at presenting and exploring the topics related to this and leaves the reader with a captivating reading experience.
Popular anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton has been surrounded by death for much of his academic life, especially after creating the Body Farm on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. One of his recent cases led a colleague to suffer horrible injuries after being exposed to significant amounts of radiation. The amputation of an arm and some fingers leaves the pathologist in need of new means to complete his daily work.
When the chance to receive live prosthetics becomes a likely net step, Dr. Bill Brockton encourages his colleague to take the plunge. This piques Brockton’s interest in the topic and he finds himself travelling down a rabbit hole to learn all about regenerative tissue and body parts. Being the foremost expert in forensic anthropology has Brockton interacting with many people, some of whom wonder about his Body Farm, where people donate their cadavers for medical advancement. When someone seeks to use his constant influx of bodies to serve their own good, under the guise of medical advancements, Dr. Brockton is leery and approaches those within the law enforcement community.
Soon, Dr. Brockton is on his was to Las Vegas to begin a sting operation into trying to help crack open a crime ring that has been procuring and selling bodies to companies happy to look the other way. Bodies yield large sums for their various organs, limbs, and other sundry aspects to the human temple. In a race to undercover the truth, while staying out of the crosshairs of the dark criminal element, Dr. Brockton will have to put his trust in those who are supporting him, while many rely on his discoveries to help them in their future medical adventures. Jefferson Bass weaves a complex, yet entertaining, story that is sure to impress the series fan!
There is a great sense of education and entertainment in each of the novels I have read. Jefferson Bass has a great deal of knowledge to share and does so with ease, while keeping the reader in the front seat to all the action. A strong narrative guides the reader throughout the story and provides educational side bars. Strong characters, many of whom return from book to book, provide great flavouring and development, while one-offs make their mark as well.
The books are set close enough that the loose thread placed in the closing pages of the previous novel remains fresh in the reader’s mind and within the deeper storyline of the overall plot. Bass has moved away from the traditional forensic anthropology cases, where the reader spend the books trying to track the killer and discover more about the victim. Nuclear radiation was ingenious and now the world of prosthetics and transplant surgery ties so perfectly into this book that it is as though the entire series has been mapped out and tied together before being written.
The plot developments are recurring and keep the reader on their toes throughout the reading experience. Twists appear with ease and there is never a moment when things are too stagnant, ensuring there will be a great deal of entertainment for the curious reader. With many issues in the medical field coming to pass throughout the series, the reader is able to see more than forensic cases where the body will tell everything. I cannot wait to see what is to come and how Bass will keep thing on point throughout the rest of the series.
Kudos Mr. Bass, for a great reading experience.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Jefferson Bass is blessed with the ability to write novels that explores numerous areas within the medical field and keep things interesting enough to have readers understand the process. Those who enjoy forensics, especially the world of anthropology, are sure to enjoy the fifth book in the series. Bass is able to always keep the material fresh (pardon the pun) and new, while still stringing the story along and pulling on past cases and story arcs. After a recent case left a colleague in need of prosthetics, Dr. Brockton finds himself exploring the dark underbelly of the illegal sale of bodies to facilitate new medical breakthroughs. Bass does a formidable job at presenting and exploring the topics related to this and leaves the reader with a captivating reading experience.
Popular anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton has been surrounded by death for much of his academic life, especially after creating the Body Farm on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. One of his recent cases led a colleague to suffer horrible injuries after being exposed to significant amounts of radiation. The amputation of an arm and some fingers leaves the pathologist in need of new means to complete his daily work.
When the chance to receive live prosthetics becomes a likely net step, Dr. Bill Brockton encourages his colleague to take the plunge. This piques Brockton’s interest in the topic and he finds himself travelling down a rabbit hole to learn all about regenerative tissue and body parts. Being the foremost expert in forensic anthropology has Brockton interacting with many people, some of whom wonder about his Body Farm, where people donate their cadavers for medical advancement. When someone seeks to use his constant influx of bodies to serve their own good, under the guise of medical advancements, Dr. Brockton is leery and approaches those within the law enforcement community.
Soon, Dr. Brockton is on his was to Las Vegas to begin a sting operation into trying to help crack open a crime ring that has been procuring and selling bodies to companies happy to look the other way. Bodies yield large sums for their various organs, limbs, and other sundry aspects to the human temple. In a race to undercover the truth, while staying out of the crosshairs of the dark criminal element, Dr. Brockton will have to put his trust in those who are supporting him, while many rely on his discoveries to help them in their future medical adventures. Jefferson Bass weaves a complex, yet entertaining, story that is sure to impress the series fan!
There is a great sense of education and entertainment in each of the novels I have read. Jefferson Bass has a great deal of knowledge to share and does so with ease, while keeping the reader in the front seat to all the action. A strong narrative guides the reader throughout the story and provides educational side bars. Strong characters, many of whom return from book to book, provide great flavouring and development, while one-offs make their mark as well.
The books are set close enough that the loose thread placed in the closing pages of the previous novel remains fresh in the reader’s mind and within the deeper storyline of the overall plot. Bass has moved away from the traditional forensic anthropology cases, where the reader spend the books trying to track the killer and discover more about the victim. Nuclear radiation was ingenious and now the world of prosthetics and transplant surgery ties so perfectly into this book that it is as though the entire series has been mapped out and tied together before being written.
The plot developments are recurring and keep the reader on their toes throughout the reading experience. Twists appear with ease and there is never a moment when things are too stagnant, ensuring there will be a great deal of entertainment for the curious reader. With many issues in the medical field coming to pass throughout the series, the reader is able to see more than forensic cases where the body will tell everything. I cannot wait to see what is to come and how Bass will keep thing on point throughout the rest of the series.
Kudos Mr. Bass, for a great reading experience.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
August 6, 2019
The Bone Thief is the fifth book in the Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass.
I highly recommend that you read the books in order as there is a quite a bit of information that is carried over from the previous ones in the series.
Book one is Carved in Bone.
It does make it a little challenging to write reviews as I don't want to give away things that readers have learned from the previous books in the series so it might not make much sense.
Dr. Bill Brockton* has been called in by attorney Burt DeVriess to assist in what should be a routine case, to exhume a body and obtain a bone sample for a DNA paternity test. When the coffin lid is opened everyone is shocked to discover that the corpse is missing his arms and
legs. It's clear that the limbs were removed post mortem and by someone with medical knowledge. The case becomes even more sinister when it's suspected that the desecrated body is connected to a lucrative black market in body parts.
When the FBI asks Bill to go undercover in a sting operation using corpses from the body farm as bait, he reluctantly agrees. Very reluctantly.
As he digs deeper into the covert trade Dr. Brockton discovers that his friend and colleague Dr. Eddie Garcia could be involved. His left hand and all but the last two fingers on his right were lost when he was exposed to a near fatal dose of radiation during an autopsy. Eddie desperately wants to regain the use of his hands, not only for his ability to work but for his family, as well. After exploring all his options Eddie has precious few choices and his only chance to regain the use of both hands is to receive hands from body parts on the black market.
Now Bill is up against an incredibly difficult decision. Does he continue with the sting operation for the FBI? If he is successful in shutting down the black market body parts, his friend, Eddie, loses his only chance at getting the use of his hands restored. If he continues and something goes wrong It could cost him his reputation. Worse, it could comprise the University of Tennessee's grant for the body farm, effectively destroying everything and everyone who benefits from the invaluable research gained at the body farm, including his grad student, Miranda.
I absolutely love this series! I'm fascinated by the forensic science, especially as it's as real as it gets. My other favorite thing thing I love are the characters. They are so genuine with deeply personal feelings, realistic problems, and a strong sense of justice, combined with a bit of humor makes them endearing and lovable. By the end of book one I became emotionally invested as if they were family.
The crimes are partly based on true crime cases and the dramatic storylines are nothing short of nerve jangling unputdowable suspense!
I highly recommend this series!
*Dr. Bill Brockton is the fictional character created from real life Dr. Bill Bass, a world-renowned forensic anthropologist, who founded the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Research Center, informally nicknamed the Body Farm. The research done at the Body Farm studies how bodies decompose by re-creating every situation where bodies have been recovered from death scenes, especially crime scenes. The research has revolutionized forensics with the ability to determine time since death more accurately which helps investigators to focus on a smaller number of suspects, closing cases that could otherwise be unsolved.
I highly recommend that you read the books in order as there is a quite a bit of information that is carried over from the previous ones in the series.
Book one is Carved in Bone.
It does make it a little challenging to write reviews as I don't want to give away things that readers have learned from the previous books in the series so it might not make much sense.
Dr. Bill Brockton* has been called in by attorney Burt DeVriess to assist in what should be a routine case, to exhume a body and obtain a bone sample for a DNA paternity test. When the coffin lid is opened everyone is shocked to discover that the corpse is missing his arms and
legs. It's clear that the limbs were removed post mortem and by someone with medical knowledge. The case becomes even more sinister when it's suspected that the desecrated body is connected to a lucrative black market in body parts.
When the FBI asks Bill to go undercover in a sting operation using corpses from the body farm as bait, he reluctantly agrees. Very reluctantly.
As he digs deeper into the covert trade Dr. Brockton discovers that his friend and colleague Dr. Eddie Garcia could be involved. His left hand and all but the last two fingers on his right were lost when he was exposed to a near fatal dose of radiation during an autopsy. Eddie desperately wants to regain the use of his hands, not only for his ability to work but for his family, as well. After exploring all his options Eddie has precious few choices and his only chance to regain the use of both hands is to receive hands from body parts on the black market.
Now Bill is up against an incredibly difficult decision. Does he continue with the sting operation for the FBI? If he is successful in shutting down the black market body parts, his friend, Eddie, loses his only chance at getting the use of his hands restored. If he continues and something goes wrong It could cost him his reputation. Worse, it could comprise the University of Tennessee's grant for the body farm, effectively destroying everything and everyone who benefits from the invaluable research gained at the body farm, including his grad student, Miranda.
I absolutely love this series! I'm fascinated by the forensic science, especially as it's as real as it gets. My other favorite thing thing I love are the characters. They are so genuine with deeply personal feelings, realistic problems, and a strong sense of justice, combined with a bit of humor makes them endearing and lovable. By the end of book one I became emotionally invested as if they were family.
The crimes are partly based on true crime cases and the dramatic storylines are nothing short of nerve jangling unputdowable suspense!
I highly recommend this series!
*Dr. Bill Brockton is the fictional character created from real life Dr. Bill Bass, a world-renowned forensic anthropologist, who founded the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Research Center, informally nicknamed the Body Farm. The research done at the Body Farm studies how bodies decompose by re-creating every situation where bodies have been recovered from death scenes, especially crime scenes. The research has revolutionized forensics with the ability to determine time since death more accurately which helps investigators to focus on a smaller number of suspects, closing cases that could otherwise be unsolved.
April 12, 2021
Love this series. I always learn something.
July 22, 2017
The Bone Thief by Jefferson Bass.
A body needs to be exhumed to make a DNA comparison for a paternity claim. Once the lid of the coffin is raised Dr. Brockton, Miranda (his assistant) and other present are astonished. Limbs had been expertly amputated from the corpse. The first step was to investigate the funeral home that handled the body prior to burial.
This discovery leads Brockton into a world he never gave second thought to. soon the FBI is at his door with a proposition...a plead for his assistance in capturing the evil mastermind behind a multi-billion dollar business of stealing and selling body parts.
Dr. Garcia (Eddie) has become a close friend as well as a colleague of Dr. Brockton's. Since Eddie's devastating loss of his hands in a radioactive encounter a what comes next is at the forefront of his thoughts and Dr. Brockton's. This horrific accident has all the medical staff and associates on the edge of their seats.
The beginning chapter or two had perked my interest which faded a bit afterwards. However all the information whether I found it interesting at first or not blended together during the later third of the story. The last few chapters were so beautifully written in detail and compelling I couldn't stop.
A body needs to be exhumed to make a DNA comparison for a paternity claim. Once the lid of the coffin is raised Dr. Brockton, Miranda (his assistant) and other present are astonished. Limbs had been expertly amputated from the corpse. The first step was to investigate the funeral home that handled the body prior to burial.
This discovery leads Brockton into a world he never gave second thought to. soon the FBI is at his door with a proposition...a plead for his assistance in capturing the evil mastermind behind a multi-billion dollar business of stealing and selling body parts.
Dr. Garcia (Eddie) has become a close friend as well as a colleague of Dr. Brockton's. Since Eddie's devastating loss of his hands in a radioactive encounter a what comes next is at the forefront of his thoughts and Dr. Brockton's. This horrific accident has all the medical staff and associates on the edge of their seats.
The beginning chapter or two had perked my interest which faded a bit afterwards. However all the information whether I found it interesting at first or not blended together during the later third of the story. The last few chapters were so beautifully written in detail and compelling I couldn't stop.
November 10, 2012
The hardest part about finding good crime thrillers for someone who has a strong science foundation and a penchant for reading well-written crime novels is having to wade through the mediocre to find those rare diamonds (well, I guess the same can be true for much of life, like dating). Unfortunately, this is another one of those oh-hum, mass market appeal, watered-down forensics story. Bummer. The storyline felt sloppy, loose and totally predictable. Well, predictable except for one minor revelation at the end that was really unimportant. I had high hopes for this series, since it seemed similar to Kathy Reich's Temperance Brennan books. Alas, Reich's still reigns. I wouldn't recommend the story to a friend unless they can't find anything better. And, there's ALWAYS something better.
May 22, 2015
I've enjoyed this series in the past and this one was no different in that aspect. However, it had the potential to be a great five star read for me but the ending just killed my enthusiasm. The plot was great throughout the book and definitely kept my attention but near the end, it felt like the author realized that it was time to wrap things up and just threw the ending together. And what about the little side plot that get sprinkled throughout the book, only to be swept aside and put out of mind towards the end? Frustrating!
Still, if you're a fan of the series or into forensics, pick it up and give it a shot. Just don't expect much from the being of the book.
Still, if you're a fan of the series or into forensics, pick it up and give it a shot. Just don't expect much from the being of the book.
March 27, 2011
When Burton DeVreiss, Attorney, contacted Dr. Bill Brockton it was to inform Brockton that he had obtained an order to exhume the body of Trey Willoughby to obtain a DNA sample to be used as proof of paternity. Dr. Brockton and his assistant Miranda were shocked when the body was exhumed and the silk suit worn by the deceased was cut open. Trey Willoughby’s arms had been removed and the sleeves filled with white PVC pipe.
This is just one of the many puzzles presented by this fifth book in the series. Burton DeVreiss had been involved with Dr. Brockton in an earlier book in the series where a funeral home was negligent in handling the bodies that were entrusted to the home for proper burial or cremation. Now it looks as though another funeral home is going to be under investigation.
Dr. Brockton, founder of the Body Farm, is contacted by the FBI and requested to go undercover to investigate a black market operation that is selling body parts. The FBI feels that since Brockton has access to so many bodies that are donated to the Body Farm he is the perfect person to infiltrate the operation. This is particularly true since Brockton is facing many budget cuts in his department and the department is in need of funds. Although hesitant at first Brockton finally agrees to go undercover. Not only does the sting operation put Brockton’s reputation on the line Brockton’s life is placed in danger.
Dr. Garcia, whose hands were very badly damaged in the previous novel, Bones of Betrayal, is seeking options to replace his hands that were damaged so badly by a radioactive pellet in a body when he was performing an autopsy. Brockton and Miranda are both working to find a solution or possible hand transplant for Dr. Garcia.
More information has come to light about Isabella, who disappeared at the end of the previous novel. Isabella had a brief personal relationship with Brockton and this relationship has come back to haunt Brockton.
Several story lines are going on in this novel but they all come together with a satisfactory conclusion but not before Dr Brockton thinks life as he knew it is at an end.
This is just one of the many puzzles presented by this fifth book in the series. Burton DeVreiss had been involved with Dr. Brockton in an earlier book in the series where a funeral home was negligent in handling the bodies that were entrusted to the home for proper burial or cremation. Now it looks as though another funeral home is going to be under investigation.
Dr. Brockton, founder of the Body Farm, is contacted by the FBI and requested to go undercover to investigate a black market operation that is selling body parts. The FBI feels that since Brockton has access to so many bodies that are donated to the Body Farm he is the perfect person to infiltrate the operation. This is particularly true since Brockton is facing many budget cuts in his department and the department is in need of funds. Although hesitant at first Brockton finally agrees to go undercover. Not only does the sting operation put Brockton’s reputation on the line Brockton’s life is placed in danger.
Dr. Garcia, whose hands were very badly damaged in the previous novel, Bones of Betrayal, is seeking options to replace his hands that were damaged so badly by a radioactive pellet in a body when he was performing an autopsy. Brockton and Miranda are both working to find a solution or possible hand transplant for Dr. Garcia.
More information has come to light about Isabella, who disappeared at the end of the previous novel. Isabella had a brief personal relationship with Brockton and this relationship has come back to haunt Brockton.
Several story lines are going on in this novel but they all come together with a satisfactory conclusion but not before Dr Brockton thinks life as he knew it is at an end.
May 15, 2025
This year I've been trying to catch up on some series that I've neglected for the past few years. A case in point is the Body Farm forensic series. The Bone Thief by a duo who write under their combined names as Jefferson Bass is the 5th book in the series. I've had it on my bookshelf since 2013 (definitely a dusty book, eh) and it's been since 2016 that I read number 4! Now this neglect isn't because I didn't enjoy the series, it's more that I keep picking up new series and forgetting about the older ones.
But, of course, I digress. As always when I pick up one of my neglected series, it was so very easy to get back into the flow of the Body Farm books. Dr. Bill Brockton heads up the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Dept and part of that job is running the Bone Yard, an area set aside where donated bodies are laid in various soils, environments, etc. so that Ben and his team can learn about how the decompose. His main assistant is Miranda Lovelady, a PhD student. Brockton also uses the corpses as part of his curriculum on forensic science. He also, and this is the crux of the books, assists police in investigating murders by providing his expertise in identifying bodies, etc.
There is carry - over from the last book in this story. Brockton helped in a case that had carry-overs to WWII and the Oak Ridge institutes studies on nuclear radiation in the construction of the atom bombs that were used on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Brockton had a relationship with a Japanese / American woman who turned out to be the murderer. She used radioactive materiel in her murder and it caused damage to the hands of Brockton's friend, the universities coroner. Touching the material, when conducting an autopsy, his hands were severely burned and almost killing him. The plight to try and save Dr. Garcia's hands is an ongoing thread in this story. As is the fact that it seems that Bill Brockton, when having sex with Isabel, got her pregnant, something he's also trying to deal with.
But the main stories here are two fold. Bill is assisting a local lawyer in the exhumation of a body to help in a paternity suit. Oddly enough the body seems to be missing its arms and legs. This starts an another investigation into the practices of the funeral home that embalmed the body; with more parts missing and an extra dead body is discovered in ensuing exhumations... Enough yet?? Well.....
Bill is having an ongoing battle with the university administration over his budget shortfalls and especially trying to get enough money to keep Miranda on his staff. A possible outside source of funding might be a company that specializes in artificial limbs, who are interested in using Bill's work on bodies and bones to give them some insight into their work.. Enough yet?? Well.....
The FBI approach Bill to help them with an investigation into a Tissue company who they believe is obtaining body parts illegally. They want Bill to help them prove it as part of a sting operation.
So, as you can see, there is a lot going on. But Bass is an excellent story - teller and he intertwines all of these threads quite nicely to make a rich, entertaining mystery novel. Bill Brockton is a great character and I have always liked his independent, mouthy assistant Miranda. The concepts being discussed on organ transplants, and especially hand transplants make an additional item of interest. All in all, I'm glad that I got back into the series. It's easy to forget sometimes how much you enjoy reading until you delve back into your bookshelf a bit more deeply. (4.0 stars)
But, of course, I digress. As always when I pick up one of my neglected series, it was so very easy to get back into the flow of the Body Farm books. Dr. Bill Brockton heads up the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Dept and part of that job is running the Bone Yard, an area set aside where donated bodies are laid in various soils, environments, etc. so that Ben and his team can learn about how the decompose. His main assistant is Miranda Lovelady, a PhD student. Brockton also uses the corpses as part of his curriculum on forensic science. He also, and this is the crux of the books, assists police in investigating murders by providing his expertise in identifying bodies, etc.
There is carry - over from the last book in this story. Brockton helped in a case that had carry-overs to WWII and the Oak Ridge institutes studies on nuclear radiation in the construction of the atom bombs that were used on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Brockton had a relationship with a Japanese / American woman who turned out to be the murderer. She used radioactive materiel in her murder and it caused damage to the hands of Brockton's friend, the universities coroner. Touching the material, when conducting an autopsy, his hands were severely burned and almost killing him. The plight to try and save Dr. Garcia's hands is an ongoing thread in this story. As is the fact that it seems that Bill Brockton, when having sex with Isabel, got her pregnant, something he's also trying to deal with.
But the main stories here are two fold. Bill is assisting a local lawyer in the exhumation of a body to help in a paternity suit. Oddly enough the body seems to be missing its arms and legs. This starts an another investigation into the practices of the funeral home that embalmed the body; with more parts missing and an extra dead body is discovered in ensuing exhumations... Enough yet?? Well.....
Bill is having an ongoing battle with the university administration over his budget shortfalls and especially trying to get enough money to keep Miranda on his staff. A possible outside source of funding might be a company that specializes in artificial limbs, who are interested in using Bill's work on bodies and bones to give them some insight into their work.. Enough yet?? Well.....
The FBI approach Bill to help them with an investigation into a Tissue company who they believe is obtaining body parts illegally. They want Bill to help them prove it as part of a sting operation.
So, as you can see, there is a lot going on. But Bass is an excellent story - teller and he intertwines all of these threads quite nicely to make a rich, entertaining mystery novel. Bill Brockton is a great character and I have always liked his independent, mouthy assistant Miranda. The concepts being discussed on organ transplants, and especially hand transplants make an additional item of interest. All in all, I'm glad that I got back into the series. It's easy to forget sometimes how much you enjoy reading until you delve back into your bookshelf a bit more deeply. (4.0 stars)
November 23, 2019
I loved The Bone Thief, right down to the usual graphic medical procedures! I very much like that the series educates as well as entertains. In this book, Brockton was talked into doing some undercover work when the Feds involved him in a case against an unscrupulous tissue bank. My only complaint was I felt there were too many references to past cases so there was some skimming involved for me. I found myself thinking: "I know, I know, I know! I've read the first four books!!" (The fact that I absolutely loved the end of the book definitely made up for the repetition, however!)
December 16, 2017
So once again I've delved in the world of Dr Bill Brockton. Its a series of book that i'm always happy to pick up. This time we find our hero mixed up in the world of organ transplantation. A subject I hold dear as i'm signed up as an organ donor myself. Going into this book I was already a wear of the dark side of this medical practise. People have been known to sell organs the world over and everyone has heard the story of people waking up in baths of ice or though I feel this maybe more fiction than reality. So how would our hero deal tackle the subject.
As for Brokton its business as usual trying to keep the body farm afloat and deal with a second life helping out crime agencies. For me he resembles the farther figure of crime fiction. He is always looking out for those around him ether giving sage advice or trying to help people out of a bind. This time he has voluntarily dumped him self in harms way. Going undercover for the F.B.I sounds like a great idea until the harsh reality of what he is doing come crashing down around him. This is a man who is more accustomed to dealing with the after effects or a crime than being at its for front. He deals with this in a slightly bumbling way as you could imagine. And while I was never truly worried he would make it out alive there are some time I would if the wouldn't be a few scars by the end. Also for the first time he has to deal with weather or not he can break his principles to come out on top. It was interesting to see someone fighting with there own moral code. Have far would I go to see justice served. To be honest i'm not sure and I like how this is reflected in our hero. His struggle seemed to show a genuine conflict within the charter. Some characters make a return visit from previous books to aid our doctor on his way. And for those new to the series it wouldn't take long to pickup there connections to our good doctor. Foremost is his good friend medical examiner Eddie Garcia Dealing with devastating wounds him suffered in the previous book. It works as an interesting cases study on how people come to terms with being left disabled and how there world view can be changed.
Once again this is a book that comes from a very real world problem. The black market for body parts is a thriving international business. There simple are not enough parts to go around and people will pay big money to get what they want. I like the fact that for the most part these books are very grounded in the real world. The story the author chose to tell never seem that far fetched. And are told in a style that is easy to get on with. The dodgy world we are introduced to is one of people out for money. While they may try and shine you off with there altruism for these people its all about the bottom line. This is a world of sharks and our Dr is most defiantly there prey. At the heart of this thriller is a cat and mouse game although in this case its more of a cat dog mouse game. Between the criminals the F.B.I and the doctor. While some of the medical terms are unknown to me a quick Google search is always at hand to fill in any blankets. And at no point did I feel this detracted from my enjoyment of the book. For me this is a point that raises them up. The story is full of intrigue and suspense. Bass does this in a slower way than some other authors but I still found my self trying to fit the pieces together at the same pace. The other elements that always come though in these books is that of family but not necessarily in the traditional sense It more the friends an colleges that make up this small band. They all care about each other even if at times they may not show it. Much like in real life this can lead to conflict between them. Non more so than when Brokton has to keep secrets from those he cares about. Leading to some interesting results.
And as before i was able to spend a happy evening with one of the books in this series. There is just as much for new comers as those who have been with it since the beginning. As you would expect the story comes with its share of twist and turns. I hold these books up there with my favourite's and will be happy to jump into the next one when the time come around.
May 27, 2010
The latest "Body Farm" novel, based on the real-world program at the University of Tennessee, finds the series take a slight change of pace. Dr. Bill Brockton is brought in to consult on a paternity case, only to find when the body in question is exhumed that the arms are missing, replaced by PVC pipe.
The investigation leads to Brockon's involvement with an FBI sting center on a businessman who purchases bodies for various medical conferences and to sell on the black market.
Meanwhile, Brockton faces a personal dilemma when he finds out that the woman he was involved with in the previous novel and who is now a fugitive from justice is pregnant, possibly with his child.
One of the major drawbacks of the last couple of "Body Farm" novels I've read is that while the cases were interesting, we didn't really get to know much about Brockton and that the writing team of Jefferson Bass kept going over the same grounds with the character again and again. In "The Bone Thief," the central mystery allows Brockton to breath a bit more and for the readers to get some insight into the character. Brockton's professional and personal dilemmas are a highlight of the story and the novel wisely allows him to grow a bit as a character.
And while not reading the previous entry in this series, "Bones of Betryal" isn't essential to understanding and following the story here, I will warn you that "The Bone Thief" can and will ruin much of the mystery of that story.
The investigation leads to Brockon's involvement with an FBI sting center on a businessman who purchases bodies for various medical conferences and to sell on the black market.
Meanwhile, Brockton faces a personal dilemma when he finds out that the woman he was involved with in the previous novel and who is now a fugitive from justice is pregnant, possibly with his child.
One of the major drawbacks of the last couple of "Body Farm" novels I've read is that while the cases were interesting, we didn't really get to know much about Brockton and that the writing team of Jefferson Bass kept going over the same grounds with the character again and again. In "The Bone Thief," the central mystery allows Brockton to breath a bit more and for the readers to get some insight into the character. Brockton's professional and personal dilemmas are a highlight of the story and the novel wisely allows him to grow a bit as a character.
And while not reading the previous entry in this series, "Bones of Betryal" isn't essential to understanding and following the story here, I will warn you that "The Bone Thief" can and will ruin much of the mystery of that story.
April 26, 2010
I really enjoyed the first couple Jefferson Bass novels however the last two have been pretty unbelievable. Not sure how realistic the plot is and therefore it makes me wonder about the other parts of it. I feel like the characters are changing way too much and way too fast in this series. Some of them are doing things that I never dreamed they would do or say. I thought the plot about the selling of human body parts was going to be interesting. However it became unbelievable very quickly. I'm not even going into Dr. Garcia's predictment with his hands that continues from the last book. I'm going to have to re-evaluate whether or not I want to continue reading this series. The medical knowledge and forensic science parts of this series are fanastic, but the storytelling is getting to be almost too much. The characters are growing more and more shallow. Their interactions with each other are becoming simplistic and almost rote. I don't know that I would recommend this book to anyone other than true lovers of the series. This series may have jumped the shark.
July 30, 2017
From time to time, I just need to step back from my regular course of history works and true crime tales to check in with the team at the Body Farm. This book (#5 in the series) lives up to the others in the Body Farm works and reveals many personal details about Dr. Brockton that help to round out his character.
Following the Jefferson Bass team's structure of weaving mystery along with a personal connection for Brockton's character through his consulting, I now feel as though I am starting to know my way around the University of Tennessee locations and personnel. That being said, it seems as though some of the story development is somewhat contrived to make sense of other loose strings in the story. That is a minor quibble, though, and I'm looking forward to my next visit to 'the farm'.
Following the Jefferson Bass team's structure of weaving mystery along with a personal connection for Brockton's character through his consulting, I now feel as though I am starting to know my way around the University of Tennessee locations and personnel. That being said, it seems as though some of the story development is somewhat contrived to make sense of other loose strings in the story. That is a minor quibble, though, and I'm looking forward to my next visit to 'the farm'.
May 6, 2010
It was just not my cup of tea, I guess. Too many references to previous books. It was annoying and did not allow me to see the book as a stand alone work. Those references applied pressure to read the first books in the series. I understand some reference to previous books, but here I feel that a large part of the story was rooted in previous books in the series and the storyline kept going back to "ghosts of the past." The new storyline did not start going untill it was 1/3 way into the book. It was over pretty fast and the end was just too positive. I feel that the book brought too many loose ends from the past and laid out too many loose ends for the future. I would recommend Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell as a much better read in this particular genre.
September 22, 2014
Author’s Note: Fact and Fiction, “’This book is a work of fiction,’ Reads the disclaimer in the front of this novel. ‘Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.’ ‘That very disclaimer itself is part fiction: Although many characters and most plot threads in the The Bone Thief are woven entirely out of thin air, this book has many bases in scientific and biomedical fact. Within this subject area, truth rivals or surpasses fiction in ways that are mostly inspiring but occasionally horrifying. The thriving trade in bodies and body parts, including illegal black-market sales of corpses and tissues, was recently the subject of a riveting nonfiction book, Body Brokers, by Annie Cheney. Published in 2006, Cheney’s book documents, among other things, shocking postmortem ‘chop shops’, our term, not hers, operated by a California funeral-home owner and a Texas medical-school staff member. Body Brokers also describes multiple instances of bodies and body parts being sent to laboratories and even luxury hotels... including, Cheney reports, ‘forty-two heads and necks to the Marriott Marquis’ in New York City’s Time Square for medical trainings. Cheney’s book also documents the tragic case of a young man who died suddenly from toxic shock after receiving an improperly sterilized bone graft, one contaminated with Clostridium sordellii bacteria. Crime fiction focuses, by definition, on the seamier side of life. The happier truth is that organ transplants and tissue grafts allow remarkable feats of medical repair and restoration. And as stem-cell technology advances, offering the potential to grow rejection-proof tissues and organs with the patient’s own DNA and tissue type, the possibilities become almost miraculous. Indeed, near miracles are already being wrought: The surgery in Spain that was described by our character Glen Faust, in which a cadaver trachea was used as a scaffold to create a new windpipe from the recipient’s own stem cells, is unvarnished fact. The one significant bit of artistic license we’ve taken with biomedical fact is the notion that by combining CT scans with advanced composite materials it’s possible to synthesize bones that are virtually exact copies of their originals. That’s not possible, not yet anyway. But never say never. A few footnotes about hands: Artificial hands are now very sophisticated and lifelike in their workings, as a glance at the i-LIMB Hand, with its individually controlled fingers, makes clear... www.touchbionics.com/i-LIMB. Soon bionic prostheses will become even more advanced, thanks to millions of dollars’ worth of R&D sponsored by the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA’s Revolutionizing Prosthetics Program, motivated by the military’s commitment to restoring function to soldiers whose arms or hands have been lost to trauma, is led by two premiere R&D laboratories: DEKA Research and Development, the birthplace of the portable insulin pump and the Segway scooter, and the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, whose numerous other projects include interplanetary satellites and bomb-disposal robots. Within the new few years, Revolutionizing Prosthetics aims to create bionic arms that are virtually identical to natural limbs in performance and durability. Hand surgery, too, has undergone remarkable advances. Toe-to-thumb transplantation, briefly discussed as a way to restore function to Dr. Garcia’s right hand, is a well-established and highly successful way to replace a missing thumb, as Asheville, North Carolina, hand surgeon Bruce Minkin, a former student of Dr. Bill Bass, explained. After a teenage patient lost his thumb and two fingers to an explosion, Dr. Minkin grafted one of the boy’s toes onto his mangled hand, creating a thumb that looks and functions almost like the original. Total hand transplantation is, for now, an inspiring but experimental and very rare procedure. Worldwide, only about forty hand transplants have ever been performed. Those numbers will rise, and the procedure will become more common, if Dr. Linda Cendales has her way. Dr. Cendales, is the only surgeon in the United States who has been formally trained in both hand surgery and transplant surgery. Dr. Cendales is not just a gifted surgeon, she’s also a pioneering researcher. As the first edition of this book goes to press, Dr. Cendales is evaluating transplant candidates, and preparing to test a powerful new anti-rejection drug that she hopes will revolutionize transplant medicine and bring hope and hands to more real-life patients like our fictional Eddie Garcia.”
Well Jefferson and Bass did it again, they made me love, beyond reason, another book in their series. I felt like I gained so much knowledge while in the background fictional character Dr. Bill Brockton worked a sting with the F.B.I. among his daily duties. This title is a carry over from the last one with character Dr. Eddie Garcia, who lost his hands when the deceased individual he was working on had a radioactive ball inside it’s stomach lining. Dr. Eddie Garcia came into direct contact by touching and breathing in the radioactive material as the corpse was thawing out, causing him to lose most of his right hand and all of his left hand. Amidst the story of Dr. Brockton helping the F.B.I is also the research and funding of his Body Farm, Dr. Garcia’s hands and future, the body of a television personality who asked that her process of decomposition be documented as she, herself, was a news anchor for the local area t.v. in Eastern Tennessee, and then there is the favor for Burton DeVriess LLC. A body needs to be pulled from the cemetery to do a paternity test in a court case. One problem with that, the body has fake arms and legs in the casket. In case you were wondering where the DNA would be attained from: the teeth or the long bones of the arm or thigh.
“The sleeves of his silk jacket, like the legs of his silk trousers, were filled with white PVC pipe: plastic plumbing in place of human flesh and bone.”
A series of questions, cops and lawyers press on as other bodies are exhumed from the now closed, defunct mortuary, which leads to a casket only containing sand bags and another one with a deceased individual and a murdered victim, nestled beside them, the murder weapon. “Curiouser and curiouser.” These two authors have a knack to create a fictional story heaped with facts and tidbits of information I would never have thought of, for instance another reader asked me if hand transplants become that successful, what do we do with the fingerprints? Is the patient fingerprinted after surgery and who gets to keep this information? I told her, I’m going to ask them... because now I’m curious.
“How many cadavers came through the door?’ ‘Twenty-seven last year.’ He cocked his head. ‘How many’d you get last year, Doc?’ ‘A hundred thirty-five,’ I said. He whistled. ‘That’s a lot of bodies.’ ‘Lots of people want to donate their body to science,’ I pointed out. ‘Partly that’s because funerals have gotten so damn expensive, but mostly it’s because people like the idea of doing some good after they die, helping train doctors or advancing medical research or forensic science.”
Dr. Bill Brockton’s sting is a secret and he must keep his assistant in the dark, but Miranda is completely aware that things aren’t normal. Bill is ethically under stress trying to hide what he is doing and yet that age old blackmail deal rears its ugly head, sending each corner of his life into a tailspin after an innocent trip to the Library. Poor Dr. Bill Brockton thought his meeting be at the quiet, calm library of Las Vegas not filled with the lights and noise of the public. Little did he know it was a place of ill repute until the cab driver dropped him off.
“‘Sinclair wasn’t talking about the place where you borrow books. He was talking about a strip club called The Library.’ ‘A strip club called The Library. Only in Vegas, huh, Doc? You gotta love it.’ ‘No I don’t,’ I snapped. ‘I hate it. ‘Crap, I wasn’t expecting a strip club. What do I do?’” Dr. Bill Brockton has never stepped foot into a place such as this and agent Rankin is quite humored. “‘This is the description of the place that’s posted on the Web. ‘This gentlemen’s club isn’t just for bookworms. The club actually does have volumes lining the entrance, but the clientele comes here for a different type of learning experience. And they visit often enough to keep The Library busy even on school nights.’ ‘That’s hilarious.’ ‘Not to me,’ I said. ‘I really don’t like this.”
Bill’s conscience wrestles with his need to sell the idea he has bodies to give Sinclair. To add a twist to the thought process, Bill even decides to ask for more money due to the nature of losing his job and career over this venture. Greed raises it’s ugly head in this book, but at what price?
“‘Fascinating,’ said Dr. Hoover. ‘Life and death, crime and punishment, justice and injustice, your work really does wrestle with the Big Questions, doesn’t it?’”
Indeed this was how I felt as I navigated through the pages wondering how much fact authors Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson had woven in with the fictional characters. I decided to share the facts with my readers. I highly recommend these forensic thrillers filled with history, science miracles and a touch of mystery to keep the reader entertained until the wee hours of the morning. The knowledge and the quirky humor make all the characters lovable in their own settings. I have four books and a novella left in the series and I’m hoping there are more to follow.
Well Jefferson and Bass did it again, they made me love, beyond reason, another book in their series. I felt like I gained so much knowledge while in the background fictional character Dr. Bill Brockton worked a sting with the F.B.I. among his daily duties. This title is a carry over from the last one with character Dr. Eddie Garcia, who lost his hands when the deceased individual he was working on had a radioactive ball inside it’s stomach lining. Dr. Eddie Garcia came into direct contact by touching and breathing in the radioactive material as the corpse was thawing out, causing him to lose most of his right hand and all of his left hand. Amidst the story of Dr. Brockton helping the F.B.I is also the research and funding of his Body Farm, Dr. Garcia’s hands and future, the body of a television personality who asked that her process of decomposition be documented as she, herself, was a news anchor for the local area t.v. in Eastern Tennessee, and then there is the favor for Burton DeVriess LLC. A body needs to be pulled from the cemetery to do a paternity test in a court case. One problem with that, the body has fake arms and legs in the casket. In case you were wondering where the DNA would be attained from: the teeth or the long bones of the arm or thigh.
“The sleeves of his silk jacket, like the legs of his silk trousers, were filled with white PVC pipe: plastic plumbing in place of human flesh and bone.”
A series of questions, cops and lawyers press on as other bodies are exhumed from the now closed, defunct mortuary, which leads to a casket only containing sand bags and another one with a deceased individual and a murdered victim, nestled beside them, the murder weapon. “Curiouser and curiouser.” These two authors have a knack to create a fictional story heaped with facts and tidbits of information I would never have thought of, for instance another reader asked me if hand transplants become that successful, what do we do with the fingerprints? Is the patient fingerprinted after surgery and who gets to keep this information? I told her, I’m going to ask them... because now I’m curious.
“How many cadavers came through the door?’ ‘Twenty-seven last year.’ He cocked his head. ‘How many’d you get last year, Doc?’ ‘A hundred thirty-five,’ I said. He whistled. ‘That’s a lot of bodies.’ ‘Lots of people want to donate their body to science,’ I pointed out. ‘Partly that’s because funerals have gotten so damn expensive, but mostly it’s because people like the idea of doing some good after they die, helping train doctors or advancing medical research or forensic science.”
Dr. Bill Brockton’s sting is a secret and he must keep his assistant in the dark, but Miranda is completely aware that things aren’t normal. Bill is ethically under stress trying to hide what he is doing and yet that age old blackmail deal rears its ugly head, sending each corner of his life into a tailspin after an innocent trip to the Library. Poor Dr. Bill Brockton thought his meeting be at the quiet, calm library of Las Vegas not filled with the lights and noise of the public. Little did he know it was a place of ill repute until the cab driver dropped him off.
“‘Sinclair wasn’t talking about the place where you borrow books. He was talking about a strip club called The Library.’ ‘A strip club called The Library. Only in Vegas, huh, Doc? You gotta love it.’ ‘No I don’t,’ I snapped. ‘I hate it. ‘Crap, I wasn’t expecting a strip club. What do I do?’” Dr. Bill Brockton has never stepped foot into a place such as this and agent Rankin is quite humored. “‘This is the description of the place that’s posted on the Web. ‘This gentlemen’s club isn’t just for bookworms. The club actually does have volumes lining the entrance, but the clientele comes here for a different type of learning experience. And they visit often enough to keep The Library busy even on school nights.’ ‘That’s hilarious.’ ‘Not to me,’ I said. ‘I really don’t like this.”
Bill’s conscience wrestles with his need to sell the idea he has bodies to give Sinclair. To add a twist to the thought process, Bill even decides to ask for more money due to the nature of losing his job and career over this venture. Greed raises it’s ugly head in this book, but at what price?
“‘Fascinating,’ said Dr. Hoover. ‘Life and death, crime and punishment, justice and injustice, your work really does wrestle with the Big Questions, doesn’t it?’”
Indeed this was how I felt as I navigated through the pages wondering how much fact authors Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson had woven in with the fictional characters. I decided to share the facts with my readers. I highly recommend these forensic thrillers filled with history, science miracles and a touch of mystery to keep the reader entertained until the wee hours of the morning. The knowledge and the quirky humor make all the characters lovable in their own settings. I have four books and a novella left in the series and I’m hoping there are more to follow.
December 26, 2021
The Bone Thief is book five in the Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass. Bill Brockton became involved in finding the people involved in the illegal market of human body parts after finding bones missing from checking an exhumed body for a paternity case. Bill Brockton became involved with the FBI to bring down the organization. Also, during the investigation, Bill Brockton became involved with a medical issue concerning his friend Eddie Garcia the Medical Examiner. The readers of The Bone Thief will continue to follow Bill Brockton to find out what happens.
The Bone Thief is another fantastic book in this excellent series by Jefferson Bass. I engaged with this book from the first page, and it continued until the last page. I love Jefferson Bass's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. The Bone Thief was well written and researched by Jefferson Bass. I like Jefferson Bass description of the settings of The Bone Thief that allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of The Bone Thief will learn about the black market for body parts. Also, the readers of The Bone Thief will learn about the consequences of radiation poisoning.
I recommend this book.
The Bone Thief is another fantastic book in this excellent series by Jefferson Bass. I engaged with this book from the first page, and it continued until the last page. I love Jefferson Bass's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. The Bone Thief was well written and researched by Jefferson Bass. I like Jefferson Bass description of the settings of The Bone Thief that allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of The Bone Thief will learn about the black market for body parts. Also, the readers of The Bone Thief will learn about the consequences of radiation poisoning.
I recommend this book.
February 21, 2022
4 Stars
This is such an interesting and fun series.
Poor Dr. Brockton. He always gets himself into the middle of chaos. I think it's the naivete.' He is a scholar; but maybe too smart for his own good (??), no common sense whatsoever.
He decides to assist the FBI in a sting, which goes horribly awry. He has more complications from his association with Isabella than he thought, and the fallout from that is ever widening.
Some things seem so far-fetched; and then there is background and information provided at the end of the book, that puts the reality of science and how far we have come, into perspective. We really have come a long way.
This is such an interesting and fun series.
Poor Dr. Brockton. He always gets himself into the middle of chaos. I think it's the naivete.' He is a scholar; but maybe too smart for his own good (??), no common sense whatsoever.
He decides to assist the FBI in a sting, which goes horribly awry. He has more complications from his association with Isabella than he thought, and the fallout from that is ever widening.
Some things seem so far-fetched; and then there is background and information provided at the end of the book, that puts the reality of science and how far we have come, into perspective. We really have come a long way.
May 21, 2019
This series has really grown on me. I've enjoyed the graphic details that make this thriller stand out. Those with weak stomachs need not apply. I think each of these books are fine on their own, but starting from the beginning will enhance the reading experience.
September 2, 2023
Really good thriller, except for the final showdown. So much was invested into building realistic story, was it not possible to avoid silly hollywood conversation of the bad guys? Btw, Izabelle, what’s of her?
Read
May 30, 2017This is truly a suspenseful story. Many different threads each separate but entwined and each fascinating, thrilling, and heart stopping.
Read
September 5, 2017Enjoyed !!
September 17, 2020
This is another great addition to this series. Dr. Garcia's injuries from the previous book take the theme of this book in the direction of the need for donor organs and bodies. However, Dr. Brockton learns that there is a very lucrative black market in cadavers and organs. He is soon pushed into assisting the FBI in an undercover operation to apprehend someone who they suspect is procuring bodies and organs through illegal means. As always with this series, there are subplots and great character development.
August 20, 2013
Okay, I'll start off with complete honesty... I ALMOST gave this book only three stars. The reconciliation between Brockton and his son felt so forced and contrived, with the conflict never really adequately explained, I was left shaking my head in dismay. And the plot twist at the end about the relationship between the two main villains... was that really necessary? Honestly... it was just plain weird. I don't even know why that was included.
That being said, I still loved this book. I learn so much from reading these books, that's part of the reason I love them so much. All that stuff about sepsis, I was devouring it. And the thefts of organs and body parts... for surgery practice! It was something I'd never thought of before and I was stunned. It was made all the more fascinating because one of my cousins just passed away from sepsis, not from a transplant, but it was just really fascinating to read things that were never adequately explained to my family.
Sometimes it bothers me just how much the authors go out of their way to torment Dr. Brockton, but I can't really talk I guess... sometimes it's just the best way to move a story along. Agents Price and Rankin seriously get on my nerves though...
Not enough of Art in this book, but then again, there was so much going on that I'm amazed that the different threads were all wrapped up as neatly as they were. And I continue to adore the dark humor in these books.
So even though it has some issues, I still enjoyed the book tremendously and I'll be reading the next one as soon as possible.
That being said, I still loved this book. I learn so much from reading these books, that's part of the reason I love them so much. All that stuff about sepsis, I was devouring it. And the thefts of organs and body parts... for surgery practice! It was something I'd never thought of before and I was stunned. It was made all the more fascinating because one of my cousins just passed away from sepsis, not from a transplant, but it was just really fascinating to read things that were never adequately explained to my family.
Sometimes it bothers me just how much the authors go out of their way to torment Dr. Brockton, but I can't really talk I guess... sometimes it's just the best way to move a story along. Agents Price and Rankin seriously get on my nerves though...
Not enough of Art in this book, but then again, there was so much going on that I'm amazed that the different threads were all wrapped up as neatly as they were. And I continue to adore the dark humor in these books.
So even though it has some issues, I still enjoyed the book tremendously and I'll be reading the next one as soon as possible.
July 8, 2019
É mais 4.5 estrelas. Depois do primeiro volume, acho que este é o meu segundo preferido. Tanta coisa boa que aconteceu, tantas histórias a seguir e todas interessantes.
Adoro que estes autores peguem em linhas de enredos anteriores e lhes deem seguimento, é uma coisa realmente espetacular!
Adoro que estes autores peguem em linhas de enredos anteriores e lhes deem seguimento, é uma coisa realmente espetacular!
January 17, 2016
Not really sure what the difference is, but I’m not loving these books as much as I did when I first started the series. There is still a lot to like, but there is also a lot that I’ve started having to sort of skim through.
I do love to learn something new when I read a book, but this book, like the last one, seems more like an academic text rather than a fiction novel in a lot of places. It is one thing to have some specifics included when addressing a new topic, but I don’t need pages and pages of it. I also don’t need those same pages and pages when it is something you’ve gone over in previous books. At that point, it is no longer about learning some new fact, but either learning an entire new professional field or taking a full on refresher course with each book. There is such a thing as overkill.
The parts that are interesting, the science and investigative aspects are even seeming to push the boundaries for me as some of the scenarios are really not all that believable for Bill’s character. Sure, they may be possible, but really one man is truly only capable of being excellent at so many things. You can’t be that good or that in demand in every single aspect.
I do still like these, just not as much and I’ll be less likely to grab the next book unless I don’t have much else to draw my interest.
I do love to learn something new when I read a book, but this book, like the last one, seems more like an academic text rather than a fiction novel in a lot of places. It is one thing to have some specifics included when addressing a new topic, but I don’t need pages and pages of it. I also don’t need those same pages and pages when it is something you’ve gone over in previous books. At that point, it is no longer about learning some new fact, but either learning an entire new professional field or taking a full on refresher course with each book. There is such a thing as overkill.
The parts that are interesting, the science and investigative aspects are even seeming to push the boundaries for me as some of the scenarios are really not all that believable for Bill’s character. Sure, they may be possible, but really one man is truly only capable of being excellent at so many things. You can’t be that good or that in demand in every single aspect.
I do still like these, just not as much and I’ll be less likely to grab the next book unless I don’t have much else to draw my interest.
April 9, 2010
The writing team of Jefferson Bass has yet to disappoint me with any of their books, and this one was really good as well. The plot centered around black market body parts and human tissue research, which was a fascinating subject to explore. Bill Brockton is roped into assisting with a sting operation with the FBI, and risks alienating Miranda, his young assistant and good friend. For some reason, even though I've read a lot of the books Bass has set at "The Body Farm", this one really made me start thinking about what would happen to my body after I died. It made me start making decisions and putting plans in place. Although no one ever likes to think about such a thing, I was surprised at the peace of mind this gave me. What really disturbed me however (as this book highlighted) is that despite your wishes and plans, your next of kin can do whatever they like after you die, including disregarding your wishes. I think new laws should be put into place that gives the person the right to decide what happens to their remains and have an Executor enforce it similar to a Last Will.
June 2, 2010
A routine endeavor to recover DNA from a corpse reveals the body has been desecrated and plunges Dr. Bill Brockton into a case which poses both personal danger and a moral dilemma for the forensic anthropologist.
Brockton agrees to go undercover for the FBI in a sting operation to stop grave robbers engaged in a black market body parts scheme. His secret involvement poses a rift with Miranda Lovelady, his graduate assistant and self-appointed social conscience, as well as threat to his life.
At the same time Brockton is risking life and reputation for the FBI he is having a moral crisis over issues stemming from his past relationship with a murderess and life-threatening injuries to his friend and colleague Dr. Eddie Garcia.
In addition to an engaging tale, the writing team of Bass and Jefferson always provide an interesting quota of fascinating scientific information in an easily digestible format. This novel is no exception to that rule, providing details on the illegal body trade, organ transplants and tissue grafts and other biomedical facts.
July 2, 2013
Cosa c'entra il titolo? Niente. In effetti sono andato a spulciare l'originale inglese e si intitola "Il ladro di ossa", che ha molto più senso. Cannibali non ce ne sono in questo libro, che tra l'altro è uno dei thriller più insulsi e leggerini che abbia mai letto. Più che un thriller mi è parso un saggio chirurgico su autopsie e trapianti di organi e di mani.
Grandissima delusione, mi sono sentito defraudato sia del denaro che del tempo impiegato a leggerlo.
Lo stile scorrevole, la location cimiteriale e la vena ironica che avevo trovato nell'anteprima mi avevano fatto ben sperare, ma devo dire che le aspettative sono state fortemente disattese.
Non lo consiglio a nessuno.
Grandissima delusione, mi sono sentito defraudato sia del denaro che del tempo impiegato a leggerlo.
Lo stile scorrevole, la location cimiteriale e la vena ironica che avevo trovato nell'anteprima mi avevano fatto ben sperare, ma devo dire che le aspettative sono state fortemente disattese.
Non lo consiglio a nessuno.
March 27, 2013
I enjoyed this book more than the previous one in the series. There was more "action" involving several interesting subplots that all came together in the end. At first it looks like a relatively routine case, exhuming a body for DNA in a paternity suit, but when the body is found to be missing its arms and legs, this leads to deeper involvement in the black market of cadaver parts/tissue, causing Dr. Bill Brockton to go undercover for the FBI. A very enjoyable read and as always I'm fascinated by all the medical and forensic info that fills these books!
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