Sue Black is my new hero.

I loved all her stories, however her academic tone and lecturing style was sometimes annoying

A really well thought out, well written and genuinely interesting book to read, especially if you like me have grown up with TV crime dramas and the forensics used in those.

Sue Black describes how forensic anthropologists work in real life and the clues a number of the bones leave behind to life and death

Dr Sue Black’s “Written in Bone” moves us piece by piece - literally - through the components of our body to tell anatomical and investigative stories. A forensic antholopologist with decades of experience in identifying and reconstructing bodies - from unborn to quite old, she delves deeply into anatomy. Occasionally investigations end too soon for me, others provide just the right amount of details to convey what she describes as the physical, intellectual, and emotional demands of the job.

The book is a bit tedious at times. I’m a trained researcher but not an anatomist, so much of the details of anatomical structures - especially for me who is not particularly good at memorization - overwhelms me.

In every chapter I learned something new, and the knowledge has already helped on a few Pub Quiz evenings. The final chapters, though, were the best in my opinion. They loosened up a bit in the writing, allowing a bit more thinking room for the reader. And in what I find is an art, she beautifully concludes the book with personal reflections and future wishes.

In the end, I would recommend the book for those interested in this fascinating field of forensic anthropology. (Also, if you would like some questions and answers for quiz night.)