The Bone Garden

A Novel

By: Tess Gerritsen

Narrated by: Susan Denaker

Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Present day: Julia Hamill has made a horrifying discovery on the grounds of her new home in rural Massachusetts: a skull buried in the rocky soil - human, female, and, according to the trained eye of Boston medical examiner Maura Isles, scarred with the unmistakable marks of murder.

Boston, 1830: In order to pay for his education, medical student Norris Marshall has joined the ranks of local "resurrectionists" � those who plunder graveyards and harvest the dead for sale on the black market. But when a distinguished doctor is found murdered and mutilated on university grounds, Norris finds that trafficking in the illicit cadaver trade has made him a prime suspect.

With unflagging suspense and pitch-perfect period detail, The Bone Garden deftly traces the dark mystery at its heart across time and place to a finale as ingeniously conceived as it is shocking.

Solve another case with medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles.

©2007 Tess Gerritsen (P)2007 Random House, Inc.

be of strong stomach! great story

A very interesting story, well put together. However the medical descriptions from the 1830s are not for the faint of heart!

Wonderful historic baseline

Loved the story and insight into the time period! Was a great listen on a long road trip!

Exceptionally satisfying

This book started slowly, but once it grabbed me, I could not stop. Very unique story. Amazing narrator. I had no idea how Irish immigrants suffered through discrimination and poverty back in 1890. It was an enlightening experience. The sweet love story, in all the chaos, came out beautifully.

This will remain as one of my favorites. I already recommended this book to my friends as a must read.

Not bad!

I am mining my bookshelves looking for stories I don’t remember so I can get some “free reads”. When I started this one again, I began wondering if I had actually read it before since I truly remembered nothing! As the story progressed, some bits and pieces came back to me, but I didn’t quite remember the ending so it didn’t feel pointless to keep going.

I gave it 2 stars back then but this time I’d rated it 3. I thought the mystery was interesting, and I enjoyed reading about the darker side of life in 1830s Boston. I feel like I learned a little something about the history of medicine and the grizzly world of resurrectionists.

My only complaint is a reoccurring one – the romances. Both the one in the present day and the one in the 1830. They are all so easy and instant! Woman sees man, woman thinks “Ohhh what is this feeling that’s come over me?”, woman falls for man. You’re just supposed to take her word for it that she’s suddenly attracted after 2 conversations? Please.

Such a simple action could have saved many women

What did you love best about The Bone Garden?

The narration of this book is wonderful! You can't help but picture every character, every dark alley, and feel the pain, suffering, misery, and joy of the characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Bone Garden?

The beginning of the story when Ms. Conley is in the hospital with her sister waiting to give birth. The reader can feel the sadness, sickness, pain, darkness, and filth that took so many lives.

Have you listened to any of Susan Denaker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I want to hear another from her. She is great!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"All employees must wash their hands!" LOL

Any additional comments?

What a wonderful book. I highly recommend it to anyone. A five star! Medicine has come a long way but not without a lot unnecessary loss of life..

Back and Forth

the book was absolutely fantastic. Its historical significance and the way the author t y e d all the pieces together made this one of the most interesting and easy-to-follow the books, despite the ins-and-outs between backwards and forwards, that I have ever read. Garretson brought the past forward and the future backwards into one whole world. the book is interesting. Historical. insightful. sometimes breathtaking. it is absolutely just a great read.

good listen

I really enjoyed listening! In particular connecting to the past and seeing how it effects the future. really nice elements of mystery and love.

Outstanding

No doubt this is one of the best I have listened too since Exile. The narrator, Susan Denaker was superb

Story and Narration

Both the story and the narration held my attention! I was not expecting a love story, I generally avoid them, but I enjoyed this one.

If you want a thriller, this is not it.

That being said, the story was a good story. I thought about not finishing the book as I did want a thriller. I am glad I did finish it as it was a good story and well written. Sometimes authors write a book just because they have a good story to tell with interesting characters and they are just talented enough to convey that to their readers. That is true of this author and this book. Not scary, not edge of your seat, not dramatic just well written and interesting.