Friday, June 20, 2008

Death's Acre

Death's Acre by Bill Bass
Non-Fiction


This book highlights Dr. Bill Bass's life and the creation of The Body Farm. Some of the cases Bass has consulted on are detailed, sometimes with too much detail. This book is not for those who have a weak stomach.

What is very interesting is how forensic anthropology has progressed over the years. From how bodies decompose to how dead bodies host insects and how each of these can backdate the time of death. Bass relates each of these scientific innovations with real life cases. Patricia Cornwell and her relationship to the real Body Farm is also noted.

Of particular interest to me was the Bernardo case and the dismemberment of Leslie Macaffery. A colleague of Bass is an expert in saw cuts on bones.

I have read Jefferson Bass books and it is curious to note how real people are incorporated into these stories


First Line: ""A dozen tiny bones, nestled in my palm: They were virtually all that remained, except for yellowed clippings, scratchy newsreel footage, and painful memories, from what they called 'the trial of the century.'""


Rating:

(4.0/5)

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