Written in Bone

Starred review from August 20, 2007
In the exceptional second thriller from British author Beckett to feature forensic anthropologist David Hunter (after 2006's The Chemistry of Death
), the former GP investigates a suspicious death on Runa, a small island in the Hebrides. With the mainland official force preoccupied with a horrific train wreck that might have been the work of terrorists, Hunter must try to determine whether the victim was murdered. On Runa, Hunter finds a badly burned corpse with the feet and one hand oddly untouched, in a cottage that shows little fire damage. Could spontaneous combustion have been the cause? The suspense mounts along with the body count and the approach of a storm that cuts off the island from the outside world. While some plot elements may be a little too close to those of the prior book, Beckett does them better here, and is especially adept at blending first- and third-person narratives to heighten the tension.

September 1, 2007
Becketts dynamite follow-up to The Chemistry of Death (2006) takes David Hunter back to his roots as a forensic anthropologist. This go-round is both better written and a good deal more intriguing, with twists and turns up to the very last dramatic page. Called in to examine a badly burned body found in a deserted hut on a small island in the Hebrides, David hopes he wont be delayed long. His relationship with Jenny, whom he met in the first book, is deteriorating, and hes feeling burned out. Unfortunately, what he discovers is murder, and when a killer storm prevents promised help from arriving, hes left to find out what he can with only a bad-tempered, alcoholic local copper and a retired officer who lives on the island to help. Dark secrets and long-held resentments erupt in the small community, putting Davids life at risk and impeding his efforts at every turn. Forensic details never overwhelm the story, and Beckett is on solid ground when it come to plotting and ratcheting up the tension. His ending is a stunner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)