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Taking on a genre dominated by mavens Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs can’t be easy. These forensic thriller authors made the genre. When readers pick up a Cornwell or Reichs, they know they are getting a realistic peak inside forensic medicine instead of CSI’s amateur lab sleuthing techniques, which poison unknowing minds with unheard of techniques and a 60-minute solution to each and every case.

Australian medical practitioner Kathryn Fox threw her hat into the forensic thriller ring with her protagonist, forensic pathologist and physician Dr. Anya Crichton – and won big. Her first two novels, Malicious Intent and Without Consent, are international bestsellers. Malicious Intent won the coveted 2005 Davitt Award for adult fiction.

Now, Fox breaks away from Crichton to put fans inside the head of the doctor’s good friend, homicide detective Kate Farrer, who is back on the job after she was tortured by a sadistic rapist.

Farrer is called back early from her four-month leave to work a gruesome murder. Someone killed a woman and tried to burn the body. All that is left is charred remains and a backpack that indicates the woman may have given birth.

As she and her new partner, Oliver Parke, pursue frustratingly few leads in the case, a wealthy family calls in favors to get the two assigned to the case of their missing daughter. They want this matter handled quickly and discreetly, with no bad press. As Farrer and Parke search for answers, a killer becomes more bold and reckless in a game of hide the evidence.

You will not be able to put this book down. Skin and Bone is a thrill-a –minute ride through bizarre murders, rape cases, dysfunctional rich families and police politics. Author Fox balances with ease the investigations with the personal demons of Farrer, and subplots that offer surprising twists alongside cases that become more confusing and bizarre with each passing minute. The forensic side of the book is well-covered by Crichton’s colleagues. In a few well-worded sentences, Fox lets readers know that Crichton is in the U.S. for a six-week stint, which will hopefully be highlighted in the next novel featuring the good doctor.

A few of the twists are not difficult to figure out; others, not so easy. The writing is just GOOD, and keeps readers flying through the pages to discover exactly whodunit and why.

I love forensic-based novels, but quickly tired of Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta, who became too brilliant – or too stupid when it came to men – when solving cases. With that series, the believability factor went out the window, the character quickly became tiresome, and the forensic terms outweighed plot points until the series just felt like a forensic class.

Reading Skin and Bone, I didn’t get the feeling Fox was trying to show off her forensic knowledge. Every detail had a purpose, and her focus on Farrer’s personal and professional lives added interesting context to how the detective interprets crime scenes. I loved the few times that Australian lingo replaced typical American terms. It added authenticity to the novel, which is placed in the author’s native country.

It is sometimes difficult for writers to switch characters within a series. Either the writer doesn’t do well with the switch, or readers aren’t interested in anyone but the main character. For me, homicide detective Kate Farrer was a protagonist I desperately wanted to know more about. Certainly I will go back and read for the first two books, – I want to meet Dr. Crichton – but detective Farrer fast captured my interest with her sharp mind, battle with personal demons and peculiar isolation from other officers in her unit. I love this character and hope to see more of her in future novels.

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