Description

Our bones are the silent witnesses to the lives we lead. Our stories are marbled into their marrow, waiting to be revealed.

WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

‘Gripping from the start, Written in Bone is superb’ – Dr Richard Shepherd, author of Unnatural Causes
‘No Scientist communicates better than Sue Black’ – Val McDermid, author of Still Life
‘Macabre, authoritative and fascinating.’ – The Sunday Times

What we eat, where we go, the experiences we have: everything we do leaves a trace, a message that waits patiently for months, years, sometimes centuries, until a forensic anthropologist is called upon to decipher it. Drawing upon her years of research and a wealth of remarkable experience, the world-renowned forensic anthropologist Sue Black takes us on a journey of revelation. From skull to feet, via the face, spine, chest, arms, hands, pelvis and legs, she shows that each part of our skeleton has a tale to tell.

Some of this information is easily understood, some holds its secrets tight and needs scientific cajoling to be released. But by carefully piecing together the evidence, the facts of a life can be rebuilt.

Limb by limb, case by case – some criminal, some historical, some unaccountably bizarre – Sue Black reconstructs with intimate sensitivity and compassion the hidden stories in what we leave behind.

Praise for Sue Black:

‘Sue Black has a rare ability to make blood and bones come alive. A marvellous writer.’ Ruth Davidson, SMP
‘The corpse whisperer . . . Is it okay for Black, or us, to enjoy this quite so much?’
‘Fascinating’ – Spectator
‘Gripping’ – Guardian
‘Moving’ – Scotsman
‘Engrossing’ – Financial Times
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SUE BLACK IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF THE AWARD-WINNING, BESTSELLING BOOK, ALL THAT REMAINS: A LIFE IN DEATH.

HER NEW BOOK, AN EXPERT WITNESS: FORENSIC SCIENCE ON TRIAL, IS OUT NOW.