Before he can carry out the stabbing, Dr. Bill Brockton has a crucial decision to make: right- or left-handed? He soon discovers he needs both hands, and all his weight, to drive the knife home. Not to worry, though, his "victim" is already dead, one of the cadavers donated to the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Research Facility, better known as "The Body Farm." A forensic anthropologist, Brockton's job is to perform experiments on these bodies to aid law enforcement agencies. This particular experiment -- which comes back to haunt him -- is interrupted by another case. An eerily preserved body has been found in an Appalachian cave, and the local authorities need to know the who, why, when and how. His trip up the mountain takes Brockton not just to another county, but to a whole new world. His investigation leads to a backwoods crime boss, an undercover FBI operation, a self-righteous mountain preacher and a corrupt sheriff's department. Throw in grief for his late wife, a break-in at his office, an errant kiss -- not to mention a few attempts on his life -- and Bill Brockton is in deep trouble. The "author," Jefferson Bass, actually is the writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson. Bass is the founder of The Body Farm, which drew international notice with the publication of Patricia Cornwell's mystery novel by the same name. "Carved in Bone" is the first book in what seems to be a promising new series.