Features
- Cover Type: Mass Market Paperback with 400 pages
- Published by: Dell July 31, 2007
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0440335957
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0440335955
-
Book Dimensions:
6.8 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
- Weighs: 7 ounces
From Publishers Weekly
British author Beckett (
Fine Lines) delivers a promising serial-killer whodunit, the first of a new crime series. Dr. David Hunter, a successful forensic anthropologist, retreats to the quiet Norfolk village of Manham, where he works as a general practitioner, after a drunk driver claims the lives of his wife and daughter. Three years after this tragedy, the shattering discovery of the mutilated corpse of a neighbor, Sally Palmer, forces Hunter back into the world of studying decomposing corpses. When another lady disappears, Hunter and the police conclude that a serial predator is at work, and they race against time to prevent a second murder. High quality prose and a compelling if flawed hero haunted by the memory of his family help compensate for a plot that starts strongly but winds down to a somewhat predictable resolution.
(Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Booklist
With so many women forensic specialists on the mystery circuit, it's a pleasure to have a man join the ranks--even if he is a reluctant draftee. Endeavoring to escape a tragedy that took his wife and young daughter, David Hunter leaves forensics behind to take a job in a rural medical practice in a tightly knit English village. Although still an outsider even after three years on the job, David has begun to make a friends; he has even met a lady he likes. Suddenly, the village is turned on its ear; one of its own is a serial killer, and David, at first a suspect, is enlisted to apply his medical specialty to find the killer. When his girlfriend is kidnapped, he can no longer pretend detachment, and his involvement leads to unraveling some terrifying, surprising secrets about people he thought he knew. Let's hope Hunter returns quickly and Beckett continues to find such a nice balance between forensic detail and thrilling action.
Stephanie ZvirinCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Reader ReviewsDr David Hunter seeks refuge in general practice in a remote Norfolk village after a family tragedy. When the police seek his expertise in forensic anthropology to find the killer of a young woman, he is anxious not become involved. When a second woman goes missing, the small community is deeply unsettled and suspicious. As events unfold, and it becomes fairly clear that the murderer is a member of the community, accusations follow. I read this novel in two sittings, and a number of the characters are going to occupy my consciousness for a while. This novel is full of page turning twists and turns. It is also full of detail which, while it may be too much for some, adds to the complexity of solving the case and increases the tension in the tale. I also enjoyed `Written in Bone' and will be looking for more from this author. Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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