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WINNER OF THE CWA GOLDEN DAGGER FOR NON FICTION 2021

‘Gripping from the start, Written in Bone is superb’ – Dr Richard Shepherd, author of Unnatural Causes

From the Sunday Times Bestselling author of All That Remains, Sue Black reveals the secrets hidden deep within our bones.
Drawing upon her years of research and a wealth of remarkable experience, the world-renowned forensic anthropologist Professor Dame 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 us has a tale to tell. What we eat, where we go, 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.
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:

‘Utterly gripping’ – The Guardian
‘Fascinating’ – The Sunday Times
‘Moving’ – Scotsman
‘Engrossing’ – Financial Times

Publisher Review

Gripping from the start, Written in Bone is superb – fascinating in its detail of real life cases and written with a narrative that propels you forward to the next page. * Dr Richard Shepherd, author of Unnatural Causes * A fascinating overview of the human skeleton from the forensic anthropologist’s point of view, with case studies that are both pertinent and entertaining. * Kathy Reichs, author of the Temperance Brennan, Bones series * For someone who deals in death every day, Sue Black has a rare ability to make blood and bones come alive. A marvellous writer. * Ruth Davidson SMP * The corpse whisperer … could Black’s life be any more ready for a series producer to pitch to Netflix? … and is it OK for her, or us, to enjoy this quite so much? — Helen Rumbelow * The Times *