Jefferson Bass, aka Jon Jefferson and Bill Bass, seamlessly combines several flame-inspired mysteries into one.
Dr. Bill Brockton is called in to investigate a murder involving a fiery car accident. He’s also trying to understand why a crematorium has failed to complete it’s assigned jobs. Adding fuel to the fire, ex-medical examiner, Garland Hamilton, Dr. Brockton’s incredibly violent but brilliant arch-enemy, has escaped custody and no ones knows where he is. Can Bill solve these red-hot mysteries and still keep himself out of the clutches of the devilishly evil Dr. Hamilton?
The Devil’s Bone may very well be my favorite in this series so far. It’s a quick-paced, very enjoyable book. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book, Bones of Betrayal.
5 Diamonds
Another literary powerhouse by the fantastic writing duo, Jon Jefferson and Bill Bass, aka Jefferson Bass.
Dr. Brockton has made a lot of friends over the years due to his work in cutting-edge forensic science. He’s also made a lot of enemies. When one of his worst enemies kills one of his best friends, and tries to set him up for the murder, Dr. Brockton must rely on the few friends he has left to help clear his name.
I loved Flesh and Bone, just like I loved the first book in this series, Carved In Bone. The easy-going, yet technical tone/voice used by Jefferson Bass for his main character Bill Brockton is comforting and at the same time intellectual stimulating. These books draw you in and don’t let go until the last page is turned.
4 1/2 Diamonds
Like most second books in a series, this novel was not quite as good as the first. (Just last month I finished Jeffrey Deaver’s The Coffin Dancer, which I felt was not nearly as good as The Bone Collector -- see review here.) But The Angel of Darkness came close.
I, unlike some reviewers, liked the way Mr. Carr gave this book another “voice”, namely young Stevie. I enjoyed his unsophisticated point-of-view, which I found refreshing after John Moore’s high-strung narration in The Alienist. Stevie was one of my favorite characters in the first book, so I may be biased.
If and when Mr. Carr ever writes the next story in this series, I hope he continues to let another player narrate, especially if it’s Sara Howard. I’d love to read a good thriller led by her!
I didn’t think that this plot was as strong as the first book. We found out who the suspect was very early in the story, then the rest was just building a case against her. I’m not a big fan of courtroom dramas, so this part did not really appeal to me. The Alienist was all about hunting down the killer, which I think is much more exciting.
As a stand-alone novel, The Angel of Darkness was great -- much better than others I have read. If I didn’t have The Alienist to compare it to, I would probably give this one 5 diamonds.
One other complaint -- when is Caleb Carr going to write number three?! :)
4 Diamonds
