The Bone Garden
by Tess Gerritsen
Published: July 2008
Pages: 480
Rating: 4/5
Unknown bones, untold secrets, and unsolved crimes from the distant past cast ominous shadows on the present in the dazzling new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
Present day: Julia Hamill has made a horrifying discovery on the grounds of her new home in rural Massachusetts: a skull buried in the rocky soil–human, female, and, according to the trained eye of Boston medical examiner Maura Isles, scarred with the unmistakable marks of murder. But whoever this nameless woman was, and whatever befell her, is knowledge lost to another time. . . .
Boston, 1830: In order to pay for his education, Norris Marshall, a talented but penniless student at Boston Medical College, has joined the ranks of local “resurrectionists”–those who plunder graveyards and harvest the dead for sale on the black market. Yet even this ghoulish commerce pales beside the shocking murder of a nurse found mutilated on the university hospital grounds. And when a distinguished doctor meets the same grisly fate, Norris finds that trafficking in the illicit cadaver trade has made him a prime suspect.
To prove his innocence, Norris must track down the only witness to have glimpsed the killer: Rose Connolly, a beautiful seamstress from the Boston slums who fears she may be the next victim. Joined by a sardonic, keenly intelligent young man named Oliver Wendell Holmes, Norris and Rose comb the city–from its grim cemeteries and autopsy suites to its glittering mansions and centers of Brahmin power–on the trail of a maniacal fiend who lurks where least expected . . . and who waits for his next lethal opportunity.
Fiction or non-fiction? Fiction
Genre? Mystery
What led you to pick up this book? My online book club is reading it for the month of November.
What did you like most about the book? It had well developed characters. And the glimpse into the past made for a great read.
What did you like least? Probably all the medical terms and the scenes in the medical school classroom. But I can see why it helped the story move along... it wasn't simply fluff.
Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? I would say adult readers who enjoy mysteries that aren't too vivid/gory.
What did you think of the main character? She was... feisty. Very outspoken for a woman in the late 1800's. The reader could really see how much her family ties meant to her.
What is the central character’s biggest problem? Trying to keep her newborn niece safe, when she herself didn't have anywhere to go
What strengths does she have that help her cope? She has a strong will... She will not allow anyone to endanger her niece.
Share a favorite scene from the book: My favorite scene would have to be when Rose goes to pay the wet nurse and she cuddles her baby niece. The reader can really feel how much she loves her niece then.
What did you think of the ending? I liked it... it held promise for the future.
This is my historical thriller for the 08/09 Suspense & Thriller Challenge.
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