Denise C. (dscrawford) reviewed on + 175 more book reviews
This fifth in the series is another entertaining and educational read. The author, pedigreed herself, has written a character who is smart and spunky. Diane Fallon is the director of a museum of natural history (RiverTrail) and also heads another division housed in the same large building - a crime lab that has everything from an osteology laboratory (her own specialty) to DNA analysis. In addition to being an expert in many of the forensic sciences, she is a caver and is physically fit as well. This happens to be a good thing for Diane because she is nearly murdered, kidnapped, or imprisoned in every novel! Despite all the bruises and injuries she suffers as she escapes these attempts on her life, she usually manages to help the FBI or the local police solve the mystery.
In this investigation, Diane visits a female prisoner who has an urgent request. When this convicted murderer subsequently escapes, Diane and her museum and lab employees are drawn into the mystery of this "Black Widow" with no past. A parallel investigation involves the museum under suspicion of purchasing questionable antiquities.
Because of the combination of the natural history museum and the crime lab, the reader learns many interesting facts about different subjects in each book - in this one are tidbits of Egyptian archeology, osteology, medicine, police investigation, forensic art/sculpture and facial recognition, DNA analysis, etc.
Although these are not what I consider heart stopping, suspenseful thrillers, I think most readers will enjoy the science and also develop a fondness for Diane and the other recurring characters in this series and won't want to miss this one. I'm looking forward to Scattered Graves (Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation, No. 6).
I also think it's a series that should be read in order, so start with One Grave Too Many (Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation, No. 1) so you can get the full background on Diane Fallon and how all this came about.
In this investigation, Diane visits a female prisoner who has an urgent request. When this convicted murderer subsequently escapes, Diane and her museum and lab employees are drawn into the mystery of this "Black Widow" with no past. A parallel investigation involves the museum under suspicion of purchasing questionable antiquities.
Because of the combination of the natural history museum and the crime lab, the reader learns many interesting facts about different subjects in each book - in this one are tidbits of Egyptian archeology, osteology, medicine, police investigation, forensic art/sculpture and facial recognition, DNA analysis, etc.
Although these are not what I consider heart stopping, suspenseful thrillers, I think most readers will enjoy the science and also develop a fondness for Diane and the other recurring characters in this series and won't want to miss this one. I'm looking forward to Scattered Graves (Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation, No. 6).
I also think it's a series that should be read in order, so start with One Grave Too Many (Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation, No. 1) so you can get the full background on Diane Fallon and how all this came about.
