Cut to the Bone

Bass, Jefferson. Cut to the Bone. William Morrow, 2013.

This is a prequel to the rest of Jefferson Bass's Body Farm novels, telling of Bill Brockton's original battle with a serial killer and the events which led to the creation of the body farm.  Brockton's arch-nemesis is coming after him because Brockton's work on a case led to this man's dismissal from the navy SEALs. But this time, Brockton's not the only one who's in danger.

I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as the previous installments in the Body Farm series. The story was peppered with statements like, "I wish I could tell you the time of death more specifically, but no one has studied the way a body decomposes enough to narrow it down."  Obvious pulls at the creation of the Body Farm were distracting and silly. Also, the final serial killer scene was not scary or suspenseful at all, possibly because I've read the rest of the Body Farm books and knew who lived and who died; nonetheless, this book wasn't on of those "un-put-downable" ones that I've read before.

Recommended for: fans of Jefferson Bass
Red Flags: language, violence, several attempted rape scenes or descriptions of past rapes
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Nick of Time

Downs, Tim. Nick of Time. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011.

A good friend of mine introduced me to the Bug Man books, and I've been addicted ever since.  This new book, Nick of Time, is slightly different from the other novels, but still definitely worth reading.  The ending definitely surprised me, and my only complaint against this book is that it's too short. I finished it in two days and there isn't a sequel yet.

The Bone Yard

Bass, Jefferson. The Bone Yard. New York: Harper Collins, 2011.

I'll admit it: I like forensic fiction, especially any fiction that involves bones and nerdy scientists, etc. etc. It's hard to find clean, G-rated fiction in this particular genre, though.  I have been pleasantly surprised with Jefferson Bass's novels, though.  They are interesting and mysterious and full of all kinds of scientific information and historical information, but without any unnecessary violence or sexual scenes.

This particular novel follows Dr. Brockton as he travels to Florida to consult on the case of a skull that a dog brought home to its owner.  This skull is soon followed by a second skull, then a femur.  The case leads Dr. Brockton to the North Florida Boys' Reformatory, a juvenile detention center that burned down over forty years ago.

I enjoyed following Dr. Brockton as he studied this case and discovered the answers.  I was interested to discover that much of this story was based on a true case of a Florida boys' home where kids were, unfortunately, abused and mistreated.  As we are rapidly approaching Child Abuse Awareness Month, I think this is an appropriate book for this time of year.  If you like crime fiction or forensic stories or the TV show Bones, this book might just be for you.