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    Bones of Betrayal
    Bones of Betrayal
    Bones of Betrayal
    Audiobook9 hours

    Bones of Betrayal

    Written by Jefferson Bass

    Narrated by Tom Stechschulte

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    World-renowned forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Bass and acclaimed journalist Jon Jefferson have combined their talents on several New York Times best-sellers. A thrilling tale of suspense, Bones of Betrayal shows why Kathy Reichs praises Bass and Jefferson's "terrific forensic detail" and calls them "the real deal." "Southern-fried forensics. Nothing too fancy, but it does taste good going down."-Kirkus Reviews
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 20, 2009
    ISBN9781440708497
    Bones of Betrayal
    Author

    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.

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    Reviews for Bones of Betrayal

    4/5

    155 ratings14 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Another good read in the “Body Farm” novels. In this one Dr. Brockton gets drawn into an investigation that involves Oak Ridge, where the atomic bomb was first developed in secret shortly before being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Part of the plot involves Bill and two others being exposed to radiation, a tragic and interesting storyline. There was a lot in here about the history of Oak Ridge and its role in the Manhattan Project, as well as a lot of details about atomic energy and bombs. Some of this made my eyes glaze over, but would be informative to someone interested in the topic.
    • 1/5
      I thought this was the worst book in the series so far. I just don't find the WW2/Manhattan Project subject very interesting and the book seemed less well-crafted than the others, like they hurriedly tied some things together and rushed the book out. The flashback stories were boring, the 'twist' was not all that surprising and for the first time, I saw characters repeating phrases other characters had used in the first two books; these were people who had not interacted, so it seemed odd that they would use the exact same phrases. Hope the next one is better.
    • 4/5
      A frozen corpse found in a swimming pool near the Oak Ridge nuclear research facility, where the atomic bomb was developed. Dr. Bill Brockton, founder of the Body Farm and a leading authority in forensic science, is called in to investigate. The body turns out to be that of Dr. Leonard Novak, one of the key scientists on the Manhattan Project, the code name for the WWII project that perfected the bomb. When Dr. Brockton discovers that the cause of death was not drowning, but rather radiation poisoning, he wonders if Novak's murder is related to events long past. Dr. Brockton meets Novak's bright and colorful ex-wife, Beatrice, at his funeral, and he begins his investigation of those long ago events with her. Beatrice weaves a number of captivating tales, but are any of them true? Can Dr. Brockton unravel the mysteries of history and navigate unsuspected twists and turns in order to solve a murder in the present?

      I had great fun with this book and zipped right through it. The plot and pacing both worked well, with the science, action, and history all blending perfectly. Each fed the other beautifully. The characters were likeable and well developed, and I felt that I had a good rapport with them, even the ones introduced in earlier books.
    • 3/5
      In book 4 of the Body Farm series, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Braxton is asked to help retrieve a body that has been found frozen in ice at an abandoned hotel’s swimming pool. He and his assistant / grad student Miranda take the frozen block of ice, with body intact, to the morgue and set it on a gurney in the autopsy suite to thaw. When they return for the autopsy they get more than they bargained for. The dead man was a long-retired scientist with the Manhattan Project, working at Oak Ridge TN. Before they can even complete the autopsy the FBI gets involved.

      This is typical Body Farm work – fast-paced, informative, showing good character development and a little love interest to humanize Dr Braxton. I liked how Bass incorporated so much history into this novel – taking the story line back to World War II and the work being done to develop the atom bomb. While the central characters in the plot are all decidedly fictitious, the back story includes many historical figures and their contributions to the Manhattan Project.

      I did think the plot got a little too complicated and perhaps there was one body too many, but I was still entertained and engaged from beginning to end. A solid mystery thriller.
    • 4/5
      Hard to put down, so I read it in one reading. One of the joys of being retired. Lots of history, forensic techniques and dangers for Dr Bill and his colleagues. Some of the usual suspects and some surprising additions. Enough guilt for a convention of Jewish mothers and really fast paced. Enjoy!
    • 3/5
      Some of the dialogue in this fast-paced body farm novel is a bit trite and the characters can seem one-dimensional, however I enjoyed the pace, plot, the science lesson, and occasional graphic autopsy scene. Ew!
    • 5/5
      A novel featuring forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton looking into an unusual death. A man’s body is pulled out of a swimming pool in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The autopsy reveals that he appears to have died after ingesting a highly radioactive pellet. Brockton discovers that the victim was a key player in the Manhattan Project—he realizes that to solve the crime, he must dig into the secret history of the Manhattan Project itself. I found this book fascinating--lot of twists and turns. No one is really who they seem. Highly recommended. 5 out of 5.
    • 3/5
      This is the 4th novel by Jon Jefferson and Bill Bass who write under the name of Jefferson Bass. Bass is the forensic anthropologist who founded UT"s Body Farm and all of the novels revolve around a director of the body farm This on is set in Oak Ridge and involves murder of a scientist and soldir connectied with the Manhattan project. I found the history of Oak Ridge fascinating and the murderer came as a surprise. You can read and enjoy this novel without having read the first 3 in the series, although reading them in order is better. This is a average mystery; the setting and the characters make it interesting..
    • 5/5
      During the autopsy of Robert Novak, an elderly man whose body was pulled from a motel's frozen swimming pool, Dr. Bill Brockton discovers that Novak had been poisoned with a radioactive pellet. When he learns that Novak was part of the atom bomb project during WWII, Brockton searches the local Oak Ridge archives for clues about who would be looking for revenge 60 years later. CSI fans will appreciate the detailed forensics. An entertaining read with great historical references. Highly recommend.
    • 4/5
      Dr. Bill Brockton is in the middle of a nuclear terrorism disaster drill when he receives an urgent call from the nearby town of Oak Ridge-better known as Atomic City, Home of The Bomb, and the key site for the Manhatten Project during WW11. Although more than sixty years have passedm, could repercussions from that dangerous time still be felt today?
    • 5/5
      This is the best book yet in an excellent series. Co-written by Bill Bass, a forensic anthropologist in charge of the Body Farm, the University of Tennessee facility that investigates body decomposition, and the main character, Bill Brockton, is the same. How much of Bill Brockton is Bill Bass I don't know, but I suspect a lot, and that adds to how real the character of Brockton feels. He is a marvelous character, a scientist who is a rational, mature man, with a great deal of empathy.In this book, Brockton is asked to investigate the death of a man who was one of the Manhattan Project scientists in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It turns out that the scientist was killed by a pellet of a radioactive substance, and before that is understood the medical examiner, Brockton, his research assistant Miranda, and a police man are exposed. The ME is the most endangered.The threads of the story lead back to the founding of Oak Ridge. It deals with the personalities that created mankind's most terrible weapon, and all the ethical and spiritual dilemmas inherent to that enterprise, poignantly expressed by Robert Oppenheimer's quoting Hindu scripture after the atomic bomb test. He said, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Bill becomes fascinated with an elderly woman who was briefly married to the scientist. He also is strongly drawn to a younger woman librarian who helps him uncover the past. The biggest thing I like about this series is the lack of machismo. I get so tired of books where the main character is a wise ass who doesn't know how to co-operate with anyone else, because that wouldn't be manly. Jefferson Bass's books have none of that. The characters are reasonable people, though they are humans with all the dilemmas and complexities that real people have.Excellent book, excellent series.
    • 3/5
      Dr. Bill Brockton is called into to assist with a murder investigation in Oak Ridge, Tennesssee. The body of a promient man who worked on the Manhatten project is found face down in a frozen pool. Brockton is able to free the body and finds the man was poisoned by a radioactive pellet that was slipped into his medication.But why was the man killed? Does it relate to his time working on the Manhatten project and the nuclear weapons that were used to end the second World War?The fascinating world of forensic crime investigation is once again on full display with Jefferson Bass' latest novel. I'll admit a lot of the pleasure at reading this story came from the fact that I used to work out in Oak Ridge and live in Knoxville, so watching events unfold in places easy to bring into my mind's eye from personal experience was a lot of fun. The central mysteries of the Brockton series aren't as complex and compelling as those created by Laura Lippman or Elizabeth George, but they're still fun to read. The authors (the books are written by two men under a pen name) throw in just enough blind alleys and red herrings to keep things interesting. And the character of Bill Brockton is a comfortable, human one. I look forward to and enjoy my yearly visits with Brockton and his colleagues.Is it a great mystery? No. Is it an enjoyable msytery? Yes.
    • 4/5
      When the body of renowned physicist Leonard Novak is found frozen in a swimming pool in Oak Ridge, Dr. Bill Brockton is called in to help. Dr. Brockton takes the body to Knoxville for autopsy and there it’s discovered Dr. Novak died from radiation poisoning through a small pellet found in his intestines. Brockton, his assistant Miranda, an investigating detective, and the medical examiner are exposed to radiation but the medical examiner received the most dosage and is hospitalized. Dr. Novak was an integral part in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II, and Brockton’s investigation takes him back to the secret city to try to find out who wanted Novak dead. There, he meets Novak’s former wife Beatrice who regales him with stories surrounding the Manhattan Project. In Novak’s home, Brockton discovers a mysterious film strip which leads the investigation in a different direction. Fourth in the Body Farm series, Bones of Betrayal offers the reader an interesting glimpse into the scientists and laymen surrounding the Manhattan Project, as well as the development of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, called the secret city. Brockton is a likeable anthropologist who is compassionate and caring and who seeks a committed relationship but never quite gets there. The character Beatrice’s anecdotes are enlightening and enhance the story. Some will figure out the mystery, but this book is worth the read simply due to the historical facts relayed.
    • 5/5
      How would you feel if you had to use a chainsaw to pry a body out of a frozen pool? How would you feel if you found out that body was radioactive? Dr. Brockton is taken on a chase back and forth through the era of the atom bomb to find out the how and why of the deaths in this mystery thriller. There was not a dull page in this book. I liked that this book leaves a few unanswered questions leaving room for sequels.