The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen

Now this is a novel!  The story was gruesome but fascinating.  I couldn't but the book down.  A woman, Julie Hamill purchases a home in Massachuttes.  This house harbors a fascinating history about a person who once occupied this home.  There are letters and a skull connected to the home and tells of events that occurred in 1830 involving Rose Connolly, Norris Marshall, and Oliver Wendell Holmes.  Rose Connolly is a fascinating and remarkable character.  The story centers around her life and her struggles and yeah, you do learn to whom the unidentified body and skull belongs to that was found on the grounds of Julie's new home.