Bone Garden

I just finished reading Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen. It has been a while since I picked up one of her books and I forgot how much I enjoy her writing.

Bone Garden is a suspense thriller.  The protagonist discovers buried bones on the old Boston farmhouse she has purchased to renovate. The mystery switches from the present day to 19th century. The historical details pulled me right in. Gerritsen blends true historical figures with her characters seamlessly.

The medical community of 1830s and 1840s knew so little and killed so many! (The authors note at the end discusses this. It gave me shivers.) As an illustration, the physician Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote a paper in 1843 in which he suggested that physicians should wash their hands. This was viewed as a radical suggestion!

Her description of the medical community's need for bodies for autopsies is also accurate (and disturbing).  

-Natalie

Note: This book is also available in large print.