Bones of the Cross

Rating:
Summary: Chills That Urge You to Read on
Review: Reading has become somewhat of a routine task for me lately and though I'm always interested in what I consume, I seldom take real delight in a book any more. Reading Bones of the Cross was truly an exception for me. I found an old-time enjoyment here, in a novel that sustains a rather captivating story--and was eager to get back to the tale periodically to finish my devouring of the personalities and events.

Dr. Bill Mullins, with his wife, is visiting his sister-in-law in a small town in Missouri. An M.D., who has become a forensic anthropologist, Mullins is asked by the local sheriff to have a look at a precisely patterned graveyard. He very much knows what he is about in arranging for the excavation and examining the bones. The doctor is convincing enough in his endeavors to make the reader believe that author Denhart has been there, done that, whether he actually has, or not. The forensic anthropology material is absorbing and neither too dark for the habitual cozy reader nor too fluffy for the mystery fan seeking a grittier tale.

At the same time that Mullins plies his fascinating trade, he also reels in the reader with a substantial amount of personal decency, honesty, and human vulnerability. He's a well-drawn character, fully capable of both holding our attention and pursuing a solution to a series of mystifying killings.
In the interest of full disclosure, I admit to having a book out from the same publisher, but that isn't at all why I give this book a two thumbs up. I enjoyed the progression from page one (when the investigation get its start), through to the excavation of the burial sites, and then to the increasingly suspenseful and intriguing conclusion.

I truly believe that every mystery reader I know will enjoy this one. The book is structured well, the protagonist is sympathetic, and the pace just right. This is the type of novel that has gone into creating fandom for the genre. Bones of the Cross offers a trip away for the reader--not from reality, but to a place both (safely) dangerous and compelling. It's just a darn good read, a couple of hours of relaxation with an interesting fellow who is doing a type of work we all like finding out about. If I enjoyed this book subsequent to hours of correcting student fiction, you will also satisfy your own hunger here for the perfect evening distraction. G. Miki Hayden, author of Pacific Empire, By Reason of Insanity, and Writing the Mystery