The Body Farm (novel)
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| The Body Farm | |
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
|---|---|
| Country | United States of America |
| Language | English |
| Series | Kay Scarpetta |
| Genre(s) | Crime fiction |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Publication date | September 1995 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback) |
| Pages | 368 pgs |
| ISBN | 0-425-14762-2 |
| Preceded by | Cruel and Unusual |
| Followed by | From Potter's Field |
The Body Farm is a crime fiction novel by Patricia Cornwell.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
The Body Farm is the fifth book of the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series by author Patricia Cornwell. In it, Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta tries to find the killer of 11-year-old Emily Steiner, who appears to be the victim of a serial killer Scarpetta has encountered before.
[edit] Explanation of the novel's title
The novel, and its title, were inspired by the University of Tennessee's Body Farm, which is used in the study of forensic anthropology, in particular human decomposition.
[edit] Plot summary
Kay Scarpetta is called in to assist in the investigation of the brutal murder of eleven-year-old Emily Steiner in rural North Carolina, whose murder is chillingly reminiscent of the handiwork of a serial killer who has eluded the FBI for years. Scarpetta is joined by her ingenious, rebellious niece, Lucy, an FBI intern with a promising future in Quantico's computer engineering facility. To help with the investigation, Scarpetta turns to a clandestine research facility in Tennessee known as the Body Farm. There she finds answers to Emily Steiner's murder—and evidence that paints a picture of a crime more horrifying than she could have imagined.
[edit] Characters in The Body Farm
- Kay Scarpetta - Chief Medical Examiner
- Benton Wesley - FBI Profiler
- Lucy Farinelli - Kay's niece
- Pete Marino - Detective Sergeant in the Richmond Police Department
[edit] Major themes
- The hunt for the killer of 11-year-old Emily Steiner.
[edit] Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science
- The story is set around Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
- The original Body Farm is the University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Facility located a few miles south of Knoxville, Tennessee, behind the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The facility was founded by anthropologist Dr. William M. Bass in 1971, after he found that no such facilities existed that specifically studied decomposition.
