Written in Bone - (David Hunter Thrillers) by Simon Beckett (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A forensic pathologist discovers a vicious killer loose on a remote Scottish isle in this British thriller by "one of the country's best crime writers" (Sunday Express).

Dr. David Hunter should be at home in London with the woman he loves. Instead, as a favor to a beleaguered colleague, he's on the remote Hebridean island of Runa to inspect a grisly discovery. David is shocked by what he finds: a body almost totally incinerated except for the feet and a single hand. The local police are certain it's an accidental death, but David is not convinced.

After examining the scorched remains, it's clear to David that this was no accident--it was murder. But as the small, isolated community considers the enormity of David's findings, a catastrophic storm hits the island. The power goes down, communication with the mainland is cut off, and then the killing begins in earnest . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for Simon Beckett

"Simon Beckett's sixth novel featuring the forensic anthropologist David Hunter is arguably his best." --The Times (London)

"Brilliantly original . . . Simon's first crime novel The Chemistry of Death absolutely blew me away and he just gets better by the book!" --Peter James, UK No. 1 bestselling author

"A satisfyingly dark and twisting thriller." --The Mail on Sunday

"An arresting setup . . . Beckett has regained his best form . . . the exigencies of a macabre investigative thriller are dispatched with characteristic aplomb." --Financial Times

"Beckett's masterful storytelling and macabre forensic details make his novels utterly chilling reads" --Tess Gerritsen, author of New York Times-bestseller Harvest

"The forensics are chillingly authentic, the writing is both taut and atmospheric." --Anne Cleeves, bestselling author of the Vera Stanhope series

"Terrifying . . . Rarely have the mechanics of suspense been so effectively realized outside an Alfred Hitchcock movie." --Daily Express

About the Author

Simon Beckett is the international bestselling author of the David Hunter thrillers. His books have been translated into twenty-nine languages, appeared in the Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller list, and sold more than ten million copies worldwide. A former freelance journalist who has written for the Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Independent on Sunday and the Observer, Beckett's inspiration for the first David Hunter novel came after a visit to the world-renowned Body Farm in Tennessee introduced him to the work of forensic anthropologists.

As well as co-winning the Ripper Award in 2018/19, the largest European crime prize, Beckett won the Raymond Chandler Society's 'Marlowe' Award and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, CWA Dagger in the Library, and Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year.

In addition to his David Hunter series, Beckett has written five standalone novels, one of which, Where There's Smoke, was adapted into a major two-part drama.