Two recent crime novels use forensics as an important part of their plots - but go in entirely different directions. One is more cerebral while the other is action-packed.
• "Bones 1-4 dvd" by best-selling author Jefferson Bass (William Morrow, $24.99) is the fourth in his popular series starring Dr. Bill Brockton.
He's the forensic anthropologist in charge of University of Tennessee's Body Farm, which uses corpses to assist in the determination of unusual causes of death.
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The "guy who watches the bodies rot" and his graduate assistant are called to investigate when a body is found frozen in a swimming pool behind a dilapidated hotel.
The victim is Dr. Leonard Novak, a highly respected physicist who was deeply involved in the Manhattan Project in nearby Oak Ridge, Tenn., during World War II.
But Novak didn't die by drowning, his death was from specific radioactive poisoning. There are a few intense forensic scenes with unpredictable results; Novak's semi-lucid ex-wife Beatrice, offers captivating oral recollections.
Bass, the pseudonym of the writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson, deftly combines forensics and history, linking Novak's death to another which was concealed years earlier as the atomic energy project drew to a close.
It's probably best to read the three earlier books in the series to enjoy the character development; this one is significantly thought provoking before real action takes place at the end.
• "Scattered Graves" by Beverly Connor (Obsidian, $7.99) is exactly the opposite - it's jam-packed with frenzied action throughout.
Diane Fallon, the head of the crime lab at the River Trail Museum of Natural History, is frustrated when Spencer Jeffries, the new mayor of Rosewood, Ga., decides to replace her.
Officially, forensic anthropologist Fallon is still in charge, as the crime lab is controlled by the museum, not the town. But Fallon's got a lot more trouble, particularly when a nasty cop attacks and tries to kill her.
Soon the body count rises and her friend, the former chief of detectives, is the prime suspect.
This is the fifth in her highly entertaining series; it works well on a number of levels. Make no bones about it: this case becomes considerably more complicated as she discovers a deadly conspiracy.
Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, has reviewed crime novels and noir thrillers regularly since 1987. bones 1-4 dvd
• "Bones 1-4 dvd" by best-selling author Jefferson Bass (William Morrow, $24.99) is the fourth in his popular series starring Dr. Bill Brockton.
He's the forensic anthropologist in charge of University of Tennessee's Body Farm, which uses corpses to assist in the determination of unusual causes of death.
Advertisement
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The "guy who watches the bodies rot" and his graduate assistant are called to investigate when a body is found frozen in a swimming pool behind a dilapidated hotel.
The victim is Dr. Leonard Novak, a highly respected physicist who was deeply involved in the Manhattan Project in nearby Oak Ridge, Tenn., during World War II.
But Novak didn't die by drowning, his death was from specific radioactive poisoning. There are a few intense forensic scenes with unpredictable results; Novak's semi-lucid ex-wife Beatrice, offers captivating oral recollections.
Bass, the pseudonym of the writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson, deftly combines forensics and history, linking Novak's death to another which was concealed years earlier as the atomic energy project drew to a close.
It's probably best to read the three earlier books in the series to enjoy the character development; this one is significantly thought provoking before real action takes place at the end.
• "Scattered Graves" by Beverly Connor (Obsidian, $7.99) is exactly the opposite - it's jam-packed with frenzied action throughout.
Diane Fallon, the head of the crime lab at the River Trail Museum of Natural History, is frustrated when Spencer Jeffries, the new mayor of Rosewood, Ga., decides to replace her.
Officially, forensic anthropologist Fallon is still in charge, as the crime lab is controlled by the museum, not the town. But Fallon's got a lot more trouble, particularly when a nasty cop attacks and tries to kill her.
Soon the body count rises and her friend, the former chief of detectives, is the prime suspect.
This is the fifth in her highly entertaining series; it works well on a number of levels. Make no bones about it: this case becomes considerably more complicated as she discovers a deadly conspiracy.
Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, has reviewed crime novels and noir thrillers regularly since 1987. bones 1-4 dvd
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