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8th out of 26 books
—
4 voters
The Bone Thief (Body Farm #5)
"New York Times" bestselling author Jefferson Bass delivers an authentic and knuckle-biting thriller in which forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton must confront a crime of unimaginable proportions on his own doorstep. Find out why "Booklist" says, "Fans of forensic fiction will want to add this author to their list of favorites."
"The Bone Thief"
Dr. Bill Brockton has b...more
"The Bone Thief"
Dr. Bill Brockton has b...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
March 23rd 2010
by William Morrow & Company
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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 se...more
This is just one of the many puzzles presented by this fifth book in the se...more
The Bone Thief Continues the Body Farm Books
Body Farm founder Dr. Bill Bass continues his semi-autobiographical mystery series with a fifth entry, The Bone Thief. He and his writing partner Jon Jefferson form the team known as Jefferson Bass, and together they bring life to fictional forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton. Readers following the series have seen Brockton through good times and bad. Most recently Brockton lost yet another love interest when she fled after her heinous crimes wer...more
Body Farm founder Dr. Bill Bass continues his semi-autobiographical mystery series with a fifth entry, The Bone Thief. He and his writing partner Jon Jefferson form the team known as Jefferson Bass, and together they bring life to fictional forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton. Readers following the series have seen Brockton through good times and bad. Most recently Brockton lost yet another love interest when she fled after her heinous crimes wer...more
3.0 out of 5 stars Solid forensic science novel..., May 26, 2010 This review is from: The Bone Thief: A Body Farm Novel (Hardcover) This fifth book in the Body Farm series was fairly interesting and moved quickly though a long drawn out scene at the end of the book seemed unnecessary and pointless. Suffice to say that before starting this one, you should have read the other 4 previous novels in the series in order to completely understand the characters and the plot. In this work of fiction base...more
To date the topnotch team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson writing as Jefferson Bass has brought us a number of forensic thrillers, Bones Of Betrayal (2009), The Devil's Bones (2008), Flesh and Bone (2007). Each is solidly based on accurate forensic science, well plotted, and chillingly rendered. Precisely what readers would come to expect from Bass who is known throughout the world for his expertise as a forensic anthropologist and founder of the University of Tennessee's Body Farm. When team...more
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...more
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...more
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...more
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 n...more
This is the fifth installment of the Body Farm novels that the duo Dr. Bill Bass (a real life world renowned forensic anthropologist who founded the Body Farm in Tennessee) and Jon Jefferson (veteran writer) have published. The best way to describe the Body Farm novels is to compare them to my favorite crime/drama television shows: CSI meets Criminal Minds meets Bones all rolled into one satisfying and unpredictable read. The Bone Thief was no exception.
When Dr. Bill Brockton is called upon to t...more
When Dr. Bill Brockton is called upon to t...more
Dr. Bill Brockton runs the ‘Body Farm’ where donated bodies are laid out in plots, carefully kept track of by his assistant and studied for different affects on decomposition. Burt DeVriess, ‘Grease’, a defense attorney calls Dr. Brockton to examine a body that is being exhumed for a paternity case. The only problem is, when the body is exhumed, it is obviously missing some pieces!
Black market body parts are a big business. At least that is what the FBI is using to convince Dr. Brockton to go un...more
Black market body parts are a big business. At least that is what the FBI is using to convince Dr. Brockton to go un...more
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. I...more
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 revel...more
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 th...more
This is a very enjoyable series that I am recommending to others. When they did up a grave when attempting to do a paternity test, they find the body has limbs missing. This mystery discusses the issue of donated bodies and the ethics of how they are used. Although a very broad permission form is signed, some of the uses are not really the intended application expected when the person signed the permission form.
A twist at the end that I did not see coming, is what keeps these books fresh and int...more
A twist at the end that I did not see coming, is what keeps these books fresh and int...more
The forensics content was great and easy to understand by a non-scientific reader. The financial & ethical issues of body donation were very interesting & fit well in the plot. The storyline was a mix of predictability & surprise. I couldn't really get into the protagonist's internal conflict when participating in the FBI sting. Naming a character "Faust" was heavy handled symbolism by the authors. I felt that the book "gave away" too much of the other books in the Body Farm series....more
A collaborative effort by Dr. Bill Bass, the founder of the real Body Farm at the University of Tennessee, and Jon Jefferson - journalist, writer, and filmmaker, The Bone Thief is about number five in a series of Body Farm books that I have somehow missed. The facts ring so true, and no wonder. They could use a bit more work in the plot department, but it is a good book. Pretty scary to think what really goes on in some medical development circles! If you are fascinated by forensic science, this...more
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...more
In Tennessee there is a "farm" where bodies are "planted" for forensic research. This is the preface of this series and is based on an actual place. The characters include anthropoligists, coroners,FBI,local police, lawyers and of course those who would benefit from the tragedy in other people's lives. Not for the faint hearted but you can always skip over the gorriest details. I like forensic thrillers. This book was not a light read, but a very interesting one. This was my first book in the Bo...more
I admit to a curious delight in the idea of the Body Farm. Bass isn't a great writer, but he gives a good plot and the primary characters are likable enough. There's Dr Bill Brockton, erstwhile manager of the Body Farm and protagonist, who has the requisite crazy killer ex-girlfriend, for example.
This time around, Brockton is roped into a sting operation involving black market body parts. It's a good hook to explore some of the ethical discussion that needs to happen regarding organ donation, tr...more
This time around, Brockton is roped into a sting operation involving black market body parts. It's a good hook to explore some of the ethical discussion that needs to happen regarding organ donation, tr...more
Jefferson Bass is blessed with the ability to write a concise novel that explores numerous areas within the medical field and keep things interesting enough to have readers understand the process. Those who rave over BONES (or Kathy Reichs books) or even the Patricia Cornwell series will surely lap up this book, the fifth installment in the series which has kept my attention from the word, GO! Bass is able to always keep the material fresh (pardon the pun) and new, while still stringing the stor...more
Just to clarify, I listened to the playaway audiobook at work. The thick accents become tiresome after listening to it for hours. I enjoyed this book overall. The details of the scientific aspects were interesting to me. The main character seems to find solace in his scientific facts. Although I found the extreme detail of everything he ate throughout the entire book to be odd. I don't know why someone would dedicate that much time to describing what his son was eating at Panera and describing h...more
This series (A Body Farm Novel) is due to become another of my favorite series if Jefferson Bass keeps up the good writing.
The setting is in Knoxville Tennessee, an area that I am familiar with. The story line involves forensic pathology, a topic of interest to me. And, the book is labelled SUSPENSE, a genre I enjoy. So...it would be surprising if I did not like this book.
The writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson have created an interesting story. Dr. Bill Brockton runs the body farm,...more
The setting is in Knoxville Tennessee, an area that I am familiar with. The story line involves forensic pathology, a topic of interest to me. And, the book is labelled SUSPENSE, a genre I enjoy. So...it would be surprising if I did not like this book.
The writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson have created an interesting story. Dr. Bill Brockton runs the body farm,...more
I have read every book in this series and strongly hoped this one was better than the last (Bones of Betrayal) because I found that one to be a real letdown after the others were so good. With The Bone Thief, the team of Jefferson Bass is back on its game. Drawing from current topics, this book finds Professor Bill Brockton involved in an investigation into black market dealings of cadaver body parts after a simple request for a DNA sample for a paternity suit results in Brockton discovering tha...more
Oct 30, 2012
Bryan457
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime-mystery-detective
The Body Farm books are a little bit outside of my normal reading patterns, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
There are some fairly gruesome/macabre parts, I don't think I would want to watch a movie/TV show that showed all the decomposing bits and body parts.
I enjoyed the layered storylines. It interweaves the stories of Dr. Garcia's hands, clues to Isabella's whereabouts and current situation, the mystery of the missing body parts on the cadavers, his current relationships with his son and Miranda...more
There are some fairly gruesome/macabre parts, I don't think I would want to watch a movie/TV show that showed all the decomposing bits and body parts.
I enjoyed the layered storylines. It interweaves the stories of Dr. Garcia's hands, clues to Isabella's whereabouts and current situation, the mystery of the missing body parts on the cadavers, his current relationships with his son and Miranda...more
Five stars for the science in this book. It was truly fascinating and obviously from writers with first hand experience. The writing, however, rambled a bit and the plot was sketchy and certainly did not "grab" you. I also found the main protagonist a bit dull. So two stars for the rest. I enjoyed it mainly for the forensics. This was the 5th in a series and I read it as a stand alone with no problem following the history. I will read the first, CARVED IN BONE, to see if I like it better before...more
I have really enjoyed this series. I have attended a forensic lecture by Dr. Bill Bass and worked at UT hospital over the fence from the Body Farm so I was so excited about his new books. Plus they all take place in and around the city I live in. This book was good but not the best. All of the books have several conflicts in them which is awesome. The Bone Thief however jumped around a lot. The first couple of chapters were on a new case then you didn't hear about it again til the end. It was al...more
First, do not read this book if you have not read the book previously in the series. This book could be considered part 2 of the last story. With that said, I enjoyed the continuation of the issues facing Dr. Brockton, Dr. Garcia and Miranda. A few new twists have been added such as a secret FBI sting that takes Dr. Brockton to Las Vegas and quickly under investigation by his own counterparts for dismantling donated bodies. A quick read, this makes me look forward to the newest installment in th...more
I generally enjoy the Bone Farm series. There were parts of this that were a little disturbing. For one thing, it is not a very good idea to read about autopsies on public transportation.
And, at a certain point, it gave me bad dreams one night so I had to put it down for a while. I think it was all that talk about substituting body parts. Because that doesn't happen to me very often. Where something I have read during the day so stayed with me that it affected my dreams at night.
And so I was re...more
And, at a certain point, it gave me bad dreams one night so I had to put it down for a while. I think it was all that talk about substituting body parts. Because that doesn't happen to me very often. Where something I have read during the day so stayed with me that it affected my dreams at night.
And so I was re...more
Dr. Brockman is helping the FBI catch someone who deals in the illegal acquisition of body parts. Unfortunately he is not allowed to confide in anyone about what he is doing, and his assistant Miranda becomes suspicious.
Of all the Body Farm books, this one probably contains the most scientific information, not just about the Body Farm and its usual activities, but also about organ and tissue transplants, and artificial limbs, knees, etc. It's very interesting.
Of all the Body Farm books, this one probably contains the most scientific information, not just about the Body Farm and its usual activities, but also about organ and tissue transplants, and artificial limbs, knees, etc. It's very interesting.
I didn't like this book as much as Bones of Betrayal. There are a couple of good plot twist, but the best one never gets resolved. A little upsetting in my opinion. The rest I kinda saw happening. The usual good guy, bad guy plot. It is sad that a lot of the "chop shop" stuff in the book is really happening and people are getting rich off of it. There were also some advances the are included that I didn't realize medicine hadn't accomplished yet. So I guess I enjoyed the book some, but not as mu...more
Am enjoying this author - not great literature, but an enjoyable evening's read. This one (it''s a series - "A Body Farm Novel") deals with tissue and organ theft/purchase and the ethics (and financial reward)involved. Interesting plot line - a coroner who loses both hands in an accident - discussion of total hand transplant - can a man with no hands do a job that requires hands-on activity, etc.
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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...more
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Bill Bass
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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...more
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Aug 01, 2011 06:40pm