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Age Markers in the Human Skeleton
by Mehmet Yasar Iscan (Editor)
Hardcover
Published by Charles C Thomas Pub LTD
Publication date: October 1989

Amazon.com Books: In 1987 a skeleton was turned up near a Boy Scout camp in Missouri. A forensic anthropologist was brought and, using clues from the skeleton and some decaying clothes found nearby, determined that the victim was a young Asian woman. From there, police where able to determine the identity first of the victim and then of her killer. Using the Missouri case as a jumping off point, The Bone Detectives provides an introduction for young readers to the science of forensics. Written for curious readers who are approaching adolescence, this book is sure to appeal to the nearly universal interest that age group exhibits for the macabre and the horrible.

The Bone Lady
by Mary H. Manhein
Paperback
Published by Penguin USA
Publication date: July 2000

Synopsis: Forensic anthropologist Maples revisits his strangest, most interesting, and most horrific investigations, from gruesome and baffling dismemberment cases to the revelation of the identity of long-buried skeletons. "These tales of crime unmasked by science are compelling in their own right."--The Boston Globe. Photos.

The publisher, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.: "William Maples is blessed with an eerie but powerful gift: From a skeleton, a skull, a mere fragment of burnt thighbone, he can deduce the age, gender, and ethnicity of a murder victim, the manner in which the person was dispatched, and often, the identity the killer. His skill is to read the tales of death written on the bones of the dead, and in this fascinating book he revisits his strangest, most interesting, and most horrific investigations, from gruesome and baffling dismemberment cases to the revelation of the identity of long-buried skeletons. Maples has gained an international reputation for work on remains ranging from the family of Czar Nicholas II to Vietnam MIAs to conquistador Francisco Pizarro, but, as he writes in these memoirs, his most satisfying moments come when his investigations leads to "the heavy clang and click of a prison door slamming shut" on the guilty. Dead Men Do Tell Tales is a completely engrossing journey in the world of forensic anthropology, the science of bones, a form of detection equal parts knowledge and empathy.

Brent's notes: I haven't read this book either. But Bill Bass is considered the authority on bones, decomposition, and what that means inside of a criminal investigation. His research in the field has been nothing short of critical. He has also put his stamp on many a brilliant student at the University of Tennessee, including Douglas Ubelaker who works for the Smithsonian Institute and carries on the tradition of good research, good investigation, and good thinking.

Preface

1. Identifying Human Bones
2. The Evidence for Age and Population Structure
3. Chemical and Biomolecular Evidence
4. Diseases and Disorders
5. Mummies, Bog Bodies and Ice People
6. Locating Burial Sites
7. Excavating and Preserving Human Remains
8. Ethics and the Law Further Reading Index

Brent's notes: Mentioned above, a student of Bill Bass, Dr. Ubelaker works for The Smithsonian Institute. Ubelaker and his colleagues did an excellent job of escavating the burned remains at Waco, and continues to be an authority in the field of forensic anthropology. Always a favorite with me.

Card catalog description: Introduces the history, technology, and importance of the science of using human remains to solve crimes and includes actual forensic cases.