One Grave Too Many (Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation, No. 1)

I wanted to submit this review because I stayed up until 3:00AM this morning to finish this book. To do that on a weeknight, you have to know that a book is special! Diane Fallon is talented, determined, and caught up in a couple of extraordinary situations which may or may not be connected. She is also recently recovered from a devastating loss which led to depression, but she is well on her way to getting back on track. The information on forensic anthropology is fascinating, and I'm adding her next book to my shopping cart as soon as I close--I think that I'll try to save it for a weekend or a flight somewhere!

I had read a couple of the author's Lindsey Chamberlain books (I enjoy forensic science mysteries), but I was a little disappointed in that series. Good, but I guess I didn't relate to her personality. I had also picked up One Grave Too Many and her next in the Diane Fallon series, Dead Guilty. And I have to say . . . I loved the 1st one. Personally I like multiple plots, it keeps the reader on their toes. I enjoy Diane Fallon's persona and although some of the ongoing crimes may appear a bit much - in all fairness many of the mysteries today seem to be a little "out there". I appreciated her descriptions of some of the scientific work being done and how they go about it; to me that creates an image of what is happening, and how they can decipher answers from 'just an old bone'. I really liked her 'do or die' ethics, undaunted sense of humor and her ability to realize her need to continue to live in the face of the the horrors and tragedy she faced in South America. She also has a more interesting and direct way of interacting with others, and doesn't appear to be as 'thin skinned' as many women in todays novels. She see her enemy,loads 'her guns', aims and fires, and doesn't take unnecessary flack from anyone, but still has a soft spot in her heart for those she cares about. Feisty, independent, determined and intelligent, I like this series very much.

This appears to be the first in a series, and I will *definitely* buy the next one. This was a great read. Not absolutely perfect, but really really good.Details: our heroine is a forensic anthropologist turned museum director. If you recall Aaron Elkins' series about Gideon Oliver, the "Bone Detective" then you'll recognize the profession. Diane spent ten years working for an international rights group, identifying mass graves from dictatorships so that the dictators and their henchmen could be prosecuted. In that time, she saw one mass grave too many, and doesn't ever want to deal with human remains again; that's why she accepts a position as the director of a natural history museum. She expects to spend her days dealing with dinosaur bones and extinct giant ground sloths. But bones have a way of finding her.The details about the museum are great. I suspect that Diane has far more freedom, and things are run more loosely, than they are in real life, but let's face it, all of the exact, real details of the bureaucracy required to run a museum would NOT be exciting reading. A floor plan is given of the museum. I'm a big fan of natural history museums myself; I've been a member of the American Museum of Natural History in New York for decades now. The museum in the book is just outside Atlanta, GA, an area I'm not familiar with, so I don't know what real town our book town of Rosewood most resembles.There are several plots going on at one time here, with all my favorite sorts of villains and supporting characters - scheming real estate dealers, twisted cops, absent-minded professors, eccentric grad students, classical musicians, and more. Diane's cop friend Frank is a detective for computer and financial fraud, and some of the other police refer to him as a "paper cop." When a family is mass-murdered except for an adopted daughter, the "grandparents" show up, and while they are a little bit stereotyped and less realistic than the others, they are quite funny - it's OK to have a bit of comic relief. Those are the only characters I didn't really like the descriptions of, though.Another thing that's nice is how many different people help find clues and solve parts of the mystery, and how much our heroine acknowledges and thanks them. When Frank is in the hospital, we meet his brothers. One of them is a sports physician, and when he sees the skeleton Diane is working on, he is able to provide an important insight that helps identify the victim - Diane, living in Georgia and having worked in South America for years, was unlikely to recognize hockey injuries. Some authors make their detective characters so all-knowing on their own that they are somewhat unbelievable; characters are much more believable when they can use some outside help.There's enough in this book to appeal to the fans of several kinds of mysteries: rivalry between local police, county sheriff's department, and GBI; several unusual professions; classical music; fine arts; taxidermy. Th

I loved this book! I've been searching for an author similar to Aaron Elkins, whose main character is a forensic anthropologist! Diane Fallon is a wonderful new character and very believable as an experienced forensic anthropologist! Ms. Connor I hope you continue to build on this character and her supporting cast!

Diane Fallon is a forensic anthropologist. Due to her troubled past, she has left that work to become the Director of the newly renovated River Trail Museum of National History in Georgia. The museum is to open to the public in a few weeks. Atlanta Detective Frank Duncan, her former lover, calls and asks her to examine a bone found in the woods. His friends, George and Louise, found a bone in the woods near their daughter Star's boyfriend's house. Star and the boyfriend are missing. They are worried it is her.Diane had promised herself that she would never examine bones again. But, since they are friends of Frank's, she does. She determines that the person was male. The museum has their opening party for contributors, board members, and invited guests. It is a hit. Frank gets called away because George, Louise, and their fourteen year old son Jay have been shot dead. The police believe Star did this. Frank does not and begins trying to prove that she didn't. Many unusual things begin occurring at the museum. They all appear to be an attempt to discredit Diane so that she would be unseated and the museum could be sold and relocated. She doesn't know why board member Mark Grayson is pushing so hard to relocate the museum when it has just been renovated.This is a terrific series. I have always liked her Lindsay Chamberlain series and I feel this is another winner! She goes into great detail with the forensic examinations, but never did I feel her descriptions were too graphic or gory. This made it much more enjoyable for me. Many of the forensic mysteries go too far.Diane is a well-crafted character and you don't find out too soon what she's all about. It is all laid out with perfect timing. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. I also feel that the setting of the museum was a great idea. Lends itself to many interesting situations and many wonderful characters. I highly recommend this book.