A First Look at LAMENT THE COMMON BONES

Ann and I have just recently finished the fifth installment of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries, LAMENT THE COMMON BONES. As we’ve been getting lots of questions about this book—what it’s about and when it’s coming out—we thought we’d give our readers some upfront information now so they know what to expect.

When we left Matt and Leigh at the end of TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER, they’d just finished solving a trifecta of murders—one from eighty years ago, another from forty years ago, and one where the blood wasn’t even dry yet. On top of that, the subplot that started in A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH continued: a mysterious figure was attempting to besmirch the name of Leigh’s father, a well-respected cop, killed in the line of duty. In TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER, the case surrounding these deliveries grew more complicated, implicating a person of authority in Leigh’s life, putting her in grave danger.

In LAMENT THE COMMON BONES, we’ll not only see a brand new murder case for the team, but we’ll also see the resolution of this subplot:

When death hides in plain sight, only the most discerning eye can see the truth.

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Matt Lowell and his team of grad students don’t go looking for death—it usually comes to them. But when one of Matt’s students suspects the skeleton hanging in a top competitor’s lab is actually from a murder victim, Matt has no choice but to sneak in to confirm a suspicious death. Once the case comes to Massachusetts State Police Trooper Leigh Abbott, the team is back together again.

While trying to handle a new murder case, Matt and Leigh also uncover new evidence behind the mysterious deliveries intended to smear the name of Leigh’s father, an honored cop, fallen in the line of duty four years before. When the person behind the deliveries is finally uncovered, it becomes clear that lives are in jeopardy if they attempt to thwart him. At the same time, as the murder case delves into underground societies and grows complicated when the killer himself becomes a victim, it will take all of Matt and Leigh’s teamwork to solve both cases and escape with their lives.

LAMENT THE COMMON BONES will release in 2016. When we have more specifics on it, we’ll announce it here and you’ll also find the details on the Abbott and Lowell book page.

Like all the other Abbott and Lowell books, I’ve started a Pinterest board for LAMENT THE COMMON BONES which can be found here. If you’re curious about some of the themes in the book and some of the real locations used, stop by for a look at Matt and Leigh’s upcoming journey.

Photo credit: University of Liverpool, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences