The Bone Yard: A Body Farm Novel

Written by Jefferson Bass

Narrated by Tom Stechschulte

“[Bass is] the real deal.”
—Kathy Reichs

The sixth electrifying forensic mystery by author Jefferson Bass (“a fresh voice in the crime novel arena” —Seattle Post-Intelligencer), The Bone Yard is the most gripping installment yet in the New York Times bestselling Body Farm series. Called away from Tennessee’s renowned Body Farm (the real life  human decomposition laboratory around which these remarkable thrillers are based), Dr. Bill Brockton discovers the dark side of the Sunshine state when he’s called in to investigate human remains found on the grounds of a Florida boys’ reform school. Rich in authentic forensic detail and featuring a protagonist as involving as crime fiction’s most popular medical examiners—including Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta, Karin Slaughter’s Sara Linton, and Kathy Reichs’s star forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan—The Bone Yard is unassailable evidence that this series “just keeps getting better” (Booklist).

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Mar 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9780062027313

Jefferson Bass

Jefferson Bass is the writing team of Jon Jefferson and Dr. Bill Bass. Dr. Bass, a world-renowned forensic anthropologist, is the creator of the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Research Facility, widely known as the Body Farm. He is the author or coauthor of more than two hundred scientific publications, as well as a critically acclaimed memoir about his career at the Body Farm, Death's Acre. Dr. Bass is also a dedicated teacher, honored as U.S. Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Jon Jefferson is a veteran journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker. His writings have been published in the New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, and Popular Science and broadcast on National Public Radio. The coauthor of Death's Acre, he is also the writer and producer of two highly rated National Geographic documentaries about the Body Farm.

Reviews for The Bone Yard

[mny_ldy · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

too many contrived coincidences and too many times the author interrupts the story line to explain his humour

[brenda63_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a really good novel. Completely new story line involving a burned down Reform School for Boys in Florida. Great new characters, I couldn't put it down.

[susegordon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

[The Boneyard] is another Body Farm book with Dr. Bill Brockton heading down to Florida to stave off summer boredom and investigate a skull from an unknown "grave". The resulting investigation into a former Boy's Reformatory that has long since burned down, stirs up not only more skulls and bones, but also some fresh murders. Dr. Brockton reminisces about past excavations, thus giving us some of his back history, while using some of those past techniques to find the truth in his current investigation. A very enjoyable read.

[robertalea-223265 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I just love the research that goes into these books. in this story, the Jefferson Bass team take us to Marianna, Florida, site of the notorious Florida Home for boys. Excellent

[marsap_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Number 6 in the Body Farm series finds Dr. Bill Brockton's in the panhandle of Florida—consulting on two different cases. One involving a student’s, Angie St Clair, sister’s apparent suicide. The second, two skulls found in the woods by a wandering dog. The investigation of the skulls eventually lead Dr. Brockton to the ruins of the North Florida Boys' Reformatory, a notorious juvenile detention facility burned to the ground forty years before. Guided by the discovery of a diary kept by one of the school's "students," Brockton's team finds a cluster of shallow graves, all of them containing the bones of boys who suffered violent deaths. The graves confirm one of the diary's grim claims: that one wrong move could land a boy in the Bone Yard. The novel is based on real events and real characters at the Florida School for Boys. As with the other Bone yard books I enjoyed the technical, detailed descriptions of the forensic techniques used, as well as the interesting characters and detailed description of the environment—this time the panhandle of Florida. One disappointment was that Miranda, Brockton’s graduate assistant was not very involved in this case. This novel is not for the faint of heart, the description of the violence is quite graphic and disturbing. A 3 out of 5 stars.

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good, solid entry into the series. No real developments on the personal side, but an interesting mystery. Actually, less of a mystery than a comment on reform schools and the difficulty of eradicating sources of evil. Still a good read.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dr Bill Brockton, forensic pathologist, responds to a personal call for help from a former student now working in Tallahassee. Her sister has died – reportedly a suicide – but Angie St Claire has her doubts. His quick trip to help Angie turns into a much longer assignment when a wandering hound digs up an old skull – or two.

I really like this series. Brockton is a serious scientist, and heads the Department of Anthropology at the Univ of Tennessee in Knoxville. This is the site of the (in)famous Body Farm, where donated cadavers are studied to provide detailed information that will help law enforcement in determining manner, cause and time of death. He is cautious, deliberate and thorough in examining the bones that come his way. The writing team that makes up “Jefferson Bass” knows forensics and does a good job of providing sufficient detail without making this a science textbook.

However … I thought the double story line didn’t quite work here. I would just get caught up in one investigation, only to have that dropped in favor of the other. I’d be immersed in case #2 and then have to go back to case #1. The result, in this book, is that one of the story lines really suffered; the woman’s murder deserved a more thorough investigation in the book (as it would in real life). This is the sixth book in the series, and I wonder whether they were out of ideas to fully flesh out the plot. Still, the plot moves quickly and has enough twists and turns to still provide a surprise at the reveal.

[jamespurcell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book about a horrific reform school for juveniles in the rural south. Parts of young boy's bodies start turning up leading to a serious search for their source. Tracking dog collars, GPS, laser based mapping and excavation by road grader all aid in the search. Dr Bill continues in his quest to be the most oft injured forensic anthropologist in the world.

[dorie.craig · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As the book opens, Dr. Bill Brockton is teaching forensic techniques to a class visiting his “Body Farm” at the University of Tennessee. Angie St. Claire is a visiting Florida forensic analyst who leaves abruptly when she receives an urgent phone call. Later she calls Dr. Brockton and asks him for help – her sister’s death has been ruled a suicide, but she believes she was murdered by Angie’s brother-in-law. Bill and Angie form a professional bond over investigating the family death, and when a local man’s dog finds a human skull, Angie asks Bill to take a look at it and give his professional opinion. The skull eventually opens an investigation into a nearby juvenile detention facility that burned down more than forty years earlier.

As usual, the author’s storytelling pulls you immediately into the story. One problem I had with the story is that the investigation of Angie’s sister seems only to be a plot device to get Dr. Brockton to Florida. Because of the dual investigations the plot becomes a bit convoluted and confusing in places. This wasn’t really necessary as Angie could have just as easily called Dr. Brockton to consult when the skull was found; he didn’t need to already be in the vicinity. But once the focus is turned onto the juvenile detention facility, the story evens out and becomes absorbing, if heartbreaking. I must include a strong warning that this book involves stories of young boys being verbally, physically and sexually abused. It was difficult and disturbing to read. But overall the story was well told and as usual Dr. Brockton is professional and empathetic. Three and a half stars.

[Harry Mullenix · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love the plot!!!!?

[twink_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been a fan of the Jefferson Bass forensic novels from the very beginning. The Bone Yard is the sixth book in this riveting series. Recurring character Dr. Bill Brockton is the director of the Body Farm (an anthropology research facility) in Tennessee. Here's the neat part - co author Dr. Bill Bass is himself the founder of the original Body Farm and a world recognized forensic anthropologist. His writing, scenarios and plots have the unmistakable ring of truth and authenticity, which make them absolutely riveting reads.In the Bone Yard Dr. Brockton takes on consult with a colleague in Florida. She's asked him to examiner her sister's remains to try to prove that it was murder, not suicide. While looking into this case, he is also asked to have a look at a skull that a local resident's dog has found. When the dog starts bringing back more skeletal remains that show signs of violence, Bill is asked to stay on a bit longer. As he helps investigate, the ugly past of a local reformatory for boys is brought to light.I've read the last five books, but decided to listen to The Bone Yard. (great on my walks!) Tom Stechschulte was the reader (I've listened to him before and enjoy his measured reading.) His voice conjured up the mental image I had already formed for Dr. Bill Brockton. Slightly older and gravelly, not overly forceful, but intelligent.The subject matter is a bit graphic - some readers/listeners may find it disturbing. But the case itself is based in reality. I was happy that this latest book avoided Dr. Bill's romantic problems brought up in the last book, The Bone Thief. I found them somewhat extraneous and enjoyed having just the mystery as the focus this book. This is a series I've come to enjoy and I will definitely be waiting for the next book. Read an excerpt of The Bone Yard.

[christineellei · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Angie St. Claire is a Florida police officer taking an advanced forensic course with Dr. Brockton at the Body Farm (based on the real life Body Farm in Tennessee where cadavers are left to decompose for research purposes). On the last day of class she receives a telephone call with bad news; her sister has committed suicide. Several days later she calls Dr. Brockton and asks him to visit her because she is certain her sister was murdered and would like his expertise. Facing a long and boring summer ahead of him, with no students and no current investigative work, Dr. Brockton jumps as the chance. Just as the reader is lulled into a sense that this is going to be a straight forward murder investigation the story takes an unexpected and very interesting turn … he is at the Florida crime lab when a report comes in about a dog bringing home the leg bone from an unknown cadaver. With Dr. Brockton in the area and now on this new case we soon discover a “Bone Yard” where boys from a long closed reform school were buried. But of course, its never so cut and dried and there are a lot of ugly secrets to uncover before the bones can finally be totally laid to rest.

This is the sixth in the Body Farm series, but only the second of the books that I have read. Unlike some other series, I did not feel lost reading these books out of order. I little confused at first because I knew I had missed some events in Dr. Brockton’s personal life, but I caught up fairly quickly. This series is one I think I am going to enjoy as I get caught up. Accurate forensic details provided by Dr. Bill Bass (one of the two authors teaming up to write this series and the creator of the actual Body Farm). These books are great reads for fans of Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs or Karen Slaughter.

[kraaivrouw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

To be completely honest I started reading these books because they are co-written by Dr. Bill Bass, the founder of the famous Body Farm and the University of Tennessee. I have degrees in biological anthropology plus I love crime stuff and Dr. Bass is an amazing man. Along with his co-writer, Jon Jefferson, the Body Farm series truly brings an accurate picture of forensic anthropology to life. This is not glamorous work with fancy labs and stilettos. This is work done in various conditions in and out of the field. It's understanding the archeological parts of it, much of which require stoop labor as you very carefully uncover truths. It's messy, smelly, and dirty, and if you travel the accommodations mostly suck.Combine all this realistic science with good plotting and storytelling and you get a great thriller. These books are compulsively readable. This one, the latest in the series, is set around discoveries of reform school abuses. The events in the book are loosely based on the scandals at the Florida School for Boys' and the ever-growing number of children and teenagers who are killed at various boot camps. The Bone Yard is a must-read for anyone who cares about how we treat our children and what we do in our prisons. What does it mean to be living in a country where the prison population is about 2.5 million? The US has the largest population of imprisoned or jailed people in the world. What exactly do we expect to gain from all of this? Is this solving our problems or making them worse? And, if we are willing to let children and teenagers be emotionally, mentally, physically, and sexual abused within systems that are designed to help them turn away from a life of crime and violence, then who are we?Great combination of science, real life, and murders and bad guys, you won't be able to put this one down.