Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass

Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass

On the campus of the University of Tennessee lies a patch of ground unlike any in the world. The Body Farm is a place where human corpses are left to the elements, and every manner of decay is fully explored -- for the sake of science and the cause of justice. The scientist who created the Body Farm has broken cold cases and revolutionized forensics, and now, in this heart-stopping novel, he spins an astonishing tale inspired by his own experiences.

A woman's corpse lies hidden in a cave in the mountains of East Tennessee. Undiscovered for thirty years, her body has been transformed by the cave's chemistry into a near-perfect mummy -- one that discloses an explosive secret to renowned anthropologist Bill Brockton. Dr. Brockton has spent his career surrounded by death and decay at the Body Farm, but even he is baffled by this case unfolding in a unique environment where nothing is quite what it seems.

The surreal setting is Cooke County, a remote mountain community that's clannish, insular, and distrustful of outsiders. The heartbreaking discovery of the young woman's corpse reopens old wounds and rekindles feuds dating back decades. The county's powerful and uncooperative sheriff and his inept deputy threaten to derail Brockton's investigation altogether. So do Brockton's other nemeses: his lingering guilt over the death of his wife, and the fury of a medical examiner whom Brockton dares to oppose in court.

Carved in Bone is a richly atmospheric, superbly suspenseful, and magnificently rendered trip into the world of forensic science, the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, and the dark passageways of the human psyche. Full of vivid characters and startling twists and turns, this thrilling novel heralds the debut of a major new voice in crime fiction -- and an unforgettable work from the hand of a scientific legend.

Jon Jefferson and Dr. Bill Bass form the writing partnership Jefferson Bass. Dr. Bass, a world-renowned forensic anthropologist, founded the Anthropology Research Facility at the University of Tennessee, also known as the Body Farm. He is the author or coauthor of over 200 scientific publications, as well as Death's Acre, a critically praised memoir about his time at the Body Farm. Dr. Bass is also a passionate educator who has been recognized as a U.S. The Council for Promotion and Support of Education named him Professor of the Year.

Jon Jefferson is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and seasoned journalist. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, and Popular Science, as well as being broadcast on NPR. He is the coauthor of Death's Acre and the writer and producer of two National Geographic documentaries about the Body Farm that have received great ratings.