Sue M. Black

Have you ever looked at that skeleton in your Halloween decor and wondered how that bunch of bones formed or how professionals can use skeletal remains to learn about the person they were once a part of? Coming from a science background, I have often marveled at the human form and all its’ workings but who knew that the skeleton, that bony structure that holds us upright, is such an intricate organ that can tell us so much about the person it once belonged to. World renowned forensic anthropologist Sue Black takes us on an incredible journey in her novel Written in Bone as she describes the bones from head to foot and how they can give important clues in aiding crime investigations.

Growing up, CSI was one of my favourite shows. I was amazed to see how crimes were solved by using science and of course, besides wanting to be a veterinarian like all little girls, I wanted to do that. I wanted to inspect the crime scene, collect the evidence and study all that fascinating stuff under a microscope and catch the bad guy. I only wish I had discovered Sue Black years ago because this woman, this scientist, is such an inspiration! She is the real deal, and she has had an incredible career to prove it. Her ability to weave wonderfully exciting facts about bone development and structure throughout the stories of crime investigations she has taken part in is entirely captivating and completely flawless. This is no “textbook” read, this is a factual novel that reads like a thriller as Black walks us through various crimes and how she was able to aid in solving them by examining bones and bone fragments.

On top of being an incredibly interesting novel about true crime, Sue Black was also able to give the reader little glimpses into her personal life and struggles, which really added a different angle to this book. I admit, I have never read anything by this author before, so I know very little about her. This novel allowed me to see her brilliance in her profession but also reminded me that she too is a human being with a life outside her work which includes some of the very same problems that you and I face every day. Sometimes these scientific, factual novels are a little dry, but Black was able to prevent that by adding just enough personal information to allow the reader to develop a connection with her.

Did I love this novel? You bet I did! Do I think it is for everyone? Probably not. This novel is very science based but I know that if you have any interest at all in true crime, forensics, and/or biology with a sprinkling of morbid curiosity, then I know there is something in Written in Bone for you. I highly recommend you pick it up and give it a try. You never know what new world you may discover.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.… (más)

This is a memoir by British forensic pathologist Sue Black. It's a mix of one woman's memories of growing up in Scotland and of how she decided first on studying anatomy and then becoming a pathologist, and of some of the cases she worked on, both solved and unsolved. The heart of the memoir centers on her time working in Kosovo to help bring the perpetrators of massacres to justice and help find the identities of the dead for surviving family members. It's grim and exacting work done under very difficult conditions and it's clear that Black thrived in that environment, able to use her extensive knowledge to its fullest. When it comes to describing the cases she's worked on, this book is fascinating.

Black is not a writer and her stated purpose for writing this book is to leave her grandchildren with a record of her memories, which accounts for the odd mix of family stories, childhood memories and descriptions of how she was able to discover causes of death and/or give identity to badly damaged corpses. While I was far more interested in her professional life, her memories of childhood were were charming in a low key way and it's impossible not to admire a grandmother who intersperses her more ordinary memories with a description of how her beloved uncle died face first in the Sunday soup.… (más)

This was enjoyable. It's written in a way that a lay-person like myself can understand the human bones, what they do, where they are, what they look like. She knows how to speak to us on a level that helps us understand without making us feel stupid. While I am fascinated by the body and how the bones play out in investigations, I lean more toward a crime junkie. There was definitely that in this book scattered throughout, and very enjoyable. I do wish there were more crime solving stories. I'd recommend this one.… (más)