Evil Bones

Not her normal line of investigation, but when a decorated body part is found attached to a tree forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan, is asked to investigate. It turns out that this is one of a series of mutilated animals that have been found. Concern grows as the killer is selecting larger animals for each kill. Could the next find be human? Temp and Detective Slidell work together to identify the killer before any more lives are lost.

Evil Bones is another fast paced crime novel by Kathy Reichs and is the 24th book in the Temperance Brennan series of crime novels. Another good read.

Fire and Bones

Temperance Brennan's plans for a holiday with Andrew Ryan are destroyed when she is asked to travel to Washington DC to investigate a fire at a house at Foggy Bottom. It is believed that there may have been four people in the house at the time of the fire but then a fifth body is discovered in the sub-basement. Investigations suggest that the fifth body may have been in the house since the 1940s and Tempe is determined to discover more about this mystery as well as uncovering the identity of the recent deaths. 

Then there is another fire in the neighbourhood. Both houses were owned by the same company. When the son of one of the company owners is also shot there is obviously a vendetta against the company and Tempe naturally wants to help in the investigation.

Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs, the twenty-third novel in the Temperance Brennan series, is a fast paced crime novel that does not disappoint.

The bone hacker

Temperance Brennan and Andrew Ryan now live in their new apartment in Montreal and are discussing when and where they should go on holiday. However, during a storm a man standing on a bridge appears to be hit by lightening and when the body is finally located Tempe is called in to help identify the body. It is then  discovered that not only had he been murdered but he was a visitor from the islands of Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean Sea.

When Tempe alerts the police in Turks and Caicos the police superintendent says she will come to Montreal to assist in the investigation. It then becomes obvious that she really wants Tempe to assist her with a similar cold case investigation back on the islands. However when they arrive at the islands a boat is found with five bodies on board. Then the police superintendent is murdered. All in all not the greatest advertisement for tourism to the islands. 

Tempe does what she can to investigate the deaths of the cold case victims. Meanwhile it becomes obvious that all the deaths are linked to a crime that could affect countries throughout the world.

As in all the books in this series Kathy Reichs, as a forensic anthropologist, provides clear descriptions of the various organisations and procedures involved in solving a case. Tempe is dedicated to her work but is also compassionate with a sense of humour that helps keep her sane in an often tiring and dangerous job. The Bone Hacker is number 22 in the Temperance Brennan series and well worth reading as part of the series or as a stand alone book.

Cold Cold Bones

Number 21 in the Temperance Brennan series, Cold Cold Bones by Kathy Reichs is this time set in North Carolina. Tempe's daughter, Katy, has returned to civilian life after a number of years in the army including tours of duty overseas. Tempe is worried about her daughter's mental health as she works out what she wants to do in the future. Currently Tempe is working on cases as a forensic anthropologist for the Mecklenberg County Medical Examiner. Her partner, Andrew Ryan, is working on a case overseas.

After Tempe has spent the day helping Katy move into new accommodation they return to Tempe's home where they find a small parcel on the doorstep. It is a human eye. This is the first of a string of events suggesting that someone is copying past crimes that Tempe has previously investigated.With the help of detective Skinny Slidell Tempe investigates the back cases trying to discover the link to determine who is targeting her. Then Katy disappears.

This is a fast moving, readible crime novel with many twists and turns as Tempe, Slidell and Ryan investigate why Tempe is being targeted and who is the perpetrator of the crimes.

The Bone Code

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs is no. 20 in the Temperance Brennan series. This novel is set in 2021, supposedly after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Temp is working in Charleston, North Carolina, when a hurricane hits the area. When a friend asks her to come to Charleston in South Carolina to assist after the storm damaged her home Temp agrees, but before she leaves she meets an elderly woman who shows her photos of her identical twin plus a photo of her grandmother and great aunt, also identical. There is also a photo of a death mask with the same face. Could it have belonged to the great aunt who disappeared many years ago? Temp is intrigued with the likenesses of the four women and agrees to investigate.

However, on the way to South Carolina she receives a phone call from the Charleston County Coroner who asks her to come and investigate two bodies in a container that have been washed up on the beach during the storm. This brings back memories of a similar case she had investigated in Quebec fifteen years earlier when two bodies were washed ashore in a container. The identity of the two people was never discovered. In Quebec Temp and her partner, Andrew Ryan, work together to try and find the identity of the four bodies and why they were murdered.

Kathy Reichs always provides technical detail of the medical investigations conducted by Temp and others in her novels and in The Bone Code she provides detail about the different uses of DNA for research. The reader can also be provided with medical information relating to other cases Temp is working on. When this story begins Temp is trying to determine the age of a body which may be of a young teenager or of someone in her twenties. She concludes that the victim had Silver-Russell Syndrome (Russell Silver Syndrome in Australia), a rare condition that a family member of mine has.

I was uncomfortable with one part of the plot when it was discovered that experimentaion had occurred with some medical procedures. With some people propogating conspiracy theories about vaccination, this could be considered unfortunate timing for this plotline.

However, I became so involved in reading this novel that I was surprised to discover that it was 12.45 in the morning and maybe it was time for bed. I look forward to the next installment in this series.

As a side note, there are also mentions of Australian people and objects in this book - Mary Mackillop, vegemite and the didgeridoo.

A Conspiracy of Bones

I read a number of Temperance Brennan books by Kathy Reichs in the past so when this latest volume in the series, A Conspiracy of Bones, was recently published I decided to revisit the series to catch up on the latest exploits in the lives of Temperance Brennan and Andrew Ryan.

When Temperance Brennan receives photos on her phone of a faceless corpse she wants to investigate the case but she has a new boss who does not want Tempe working on the project. Tempe then enlists the support of friends including Skinny Slidell, a member of the local police force, and they proceed to try and establish who the victim is and how he died. As the investigation proceeds Brennan and Slidell encounter a series of conspiracy theories linked to the dead man and his colleagues. They also suspect that there may be link to the deaths of children ten years previously, a cold case that Slidell is investigating. The author provides lots of information as the plot unfolds, including information that leads to dead ends, as Brennan and Slidell persist in trying to establish the truth.

The book also reveals more of the private life of Temperance and Andrew Ryan. Ryan is now a private investigator in Montreal and he and Tempe have appartments in both Montreal and Charlotte, North Carolina, as Tempe works for organisations in both cities. Tempe has been ill and is receiving treatment for an anerism. During the investigation she often wonders what is true and what is imaginary.

This is a novel where the reader needs to concentrate in order to keep track of what is happening as the investigation continues. However, this current time of social / physical isolation may provide the perfect opportunity to read this novel.

(A Temperance Brennan Novel no 19)

Bones of the Lost

In Kathy Reichs' latest book Temperance Brennan investigates a variety of cases - the death of a young girl found by the side of the road, the authenticity of some bones possibly smuggled from South America as well as the exhumation of two bodies in Afghanistan. Although each case is very different, links between the cases become apparent and require investigation. Tempe's private life continues to be at times challenging. Her former husband, Pete, makes an appearance, their daughter is serving in Afghanistan and Tempe is concerned that she is unable to contact Andrew Ryan. This forensic crime novel combines a fast moving story with technical information plus a storyline that further develops our knowledge of Tempe as a person.
 (A Temperance Brennan Novel no 16)

Devil bones

Devil Bones is no 11 in the Temperance Brennan series of books by Kathy Reichs. When during renovations to an old house in North Carolina a plumber discovers, in a cellar, remnants of a scene of grizzly ritual including a human skull Temperance is called in to investigate. Meanwhile a headless body of a young man is discovered by the side of a lake. Is this part of voodoo or devil worship? As in all the books in this series Reichs provides additional information about the forensic investigations undertaken and topics pertinent to the story. In this book she provides information about the practices of Wiccans and the religion of Santeria. An evangelical preacher stirring up fear in the community is another thread. Relationships continue to play an underlying part in the story with Temperance's daughter re-introducing her mother to a colleague, Charles Hunt, and Andrew Ryan visiting from Canada. Another interesting instalment in the life of Temperance Brennan.

Bones are forever

Dr Temperance Brennan is asked to investigate the the discovery of the bodies of three babies found in the room of a house in Quebec. The quest to locate the mother leads Brennan and Andrew Ryan, along with Ollie Hastie, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to Yellowknife, a diamond mining community near the Arctic Circle. I did not know about diamond mining in Canada but as the plot unwinds and is finally resolved, Kathy Reichs provides a detailed description of the area where the book is set including the history and issues affecting this far-flung region of Canada. The relationship between Temperance and Andrew has also been under strain with the resulting tension between them acting as an underlying feature of the book. Another exciting Temperance Brennan book.
(A Temperance Brennan Novel no 15) 

Flash and Bones

The scene for this latest book by Kathy Reichs is a NASCAR racetrack. When a body is located in the rubbish tip next to the racetrack Dr Temperance Brennan is called in to help identify the body. A young man working at the racetrack fears that the body might be his sister who disappeared with her boyfriend twelve years earlier. Later the brother is found crushed under a car on which he was working. While investigating this cold case it becomes obvious that there was a cover-up and that the new murder is connected. But which of the agencies investigating the disappearance of the couple can be trusted and why is Tempe's life in danger? Another gripping read interspersed with information about NASCAR racing.
 (A Temperance Brennan Novel no 14)

Mortal remains

The thirteenth book involving investigations by Dr Temperance Brennan has also been published under the title of Spider Bones.

When Tempe and Detective Andrew Ryan investigate a suspicious death in Quebec the victim is unidentified as John Charles Lowery. As John Charles Lowery was buried in North Carolina in the 1960s after dying in Vietnam Tempe is persuaded to travel to Hawaii to work with staff at the JPAC - a US agency that identifies Americans killed in action overseas. In Hawaii an unidentified body from the Vietnam War is discovered wearing a dog tag belonging to John Charles Lowery. Tempe and Danny Tandler work together to unravel the mystery.

Tempe is also asked to help identify the body of a young man found in the sea and shortly afterwards another body is located. The deaths appear to be gang related.

Family matters are also a focus of the book. Tempe's daughter, Katy, accompanied her to Hawaii. A close friend of Katy's had recently been killed in Afghanistan and Tempe hoped a new environment might help her daughter. Andrew Ryan also arrives in Hawaii with his daughter, Lily, who was recovering from drug addiction.

As with the other books in this series by Kathy Reichs includes forensic detail throughout the story as the plot unfolds and in this book carefully explains the many acronyms that occur. As the investigations continue Tempe receives a number of threats to persuade her to cease investigation. There are many twists and turns until all the questions have been answered. An interesting concept but at times the plot lines are predictable.

206 bones

The twelfth book by Kathy Reich about the cases investigated by forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan and police officer, Andrew Ryan. At a crime scene Tempe counts and bags 206 bones belonging to a body but back at the laboratory four bones are missing and she is accused of negligence. This is only one of a series of accusations that are made including an anonymous telephone message stating that she missed important evidence during an autopsy. Coupled with threatening messages Tempe realises that not only is her career is at risk but also possibly her life. Why are these accusations being made and who is behind the conspiracy.

Bare Bones

In Bare bones Dr Temperance Brennan's beach holiday planned with Andrew Ryan is put on hold as she endeavours to discover the identity of a number of bodies including two men found in a crashed Cessna plus the head and hands of person found in two bags containing bear and bird carcases and a headless skeleton in a disused toilet pit. As she investigates threats against her are made via email by someone calling himself the Grim Reaper. More bodies are located, attempts are made on the lives of people following up leads in the case and as the investigation develops it becomes obvious that apparently separate deaths are linked and in crimes involving smuggling drugs and animal parts.

A decomposed body is found in a cupboard and Tempe Brennan is asked to investigate cause of death. At the laboratory a mysterious man shows her a photograph of a skeleton and says that is why the man died. The investigations lead Tempe and Detective Andrew Ryan to travel to Israel to return a skeleton excavated from a cave, the bones possibly being 2,000 years old. The adventure in Cross bones includes exploring caves and finding additional bones which may or may not belong to the Holy Family. Danger stalks Tempe and Ryan as other people also try to gain access to the mystery bones.

Tempe Brennan is supervising a field trip on an island, Dewees, north of Charleston in South Carolina. In the final days of the archaeological dig a recently buried body is found in a shallow grave. Tempe is asked by the Coroner, Emma Rousseau who is also a friend, to assist with the case. When Tempe discovers that Emma is ill she tries to help her friend by taking on an increased workload. During the investigation other bodies are discovered and links between the seemingly unconnected deaths are developed. Tempe's life becomes complicated when her estranged husband, Pete, and Detective Andrew Ryan both advise her that they are coming to Charleston to visit and stay with her. Tempe receives threats, which she ignores, trying to get her to drop her investigation and then one evening Pete is shot. Pete is working for a client in Charleston and his investigation links to the case Tempe is investigating. Was the shot meant for him or for Tempe? Kathy Reich's book, Break no bones, keeps the reader guessing as she unravels the plot resolving the murders and also the complications in the lives of the main characters.
(A Temperance Brennan Novel no 6)

Bones to ashes

Having watched a number of episodes of the television series Bones during the holidays I decided to read one of the books on which the television series is based. Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist, has written ten books, the most recent being Bones to ashes.

Dr Temperance Brennan, or Tempe as she prefers to be called, is a forensic anthropologist working in Montreal. On some of the cases she works closely with the police including Andrew Ryan and Hippo Gallant, a specialist in cold cases. The police are investigating the deaths or disappearance of six girls over a number of years and Tempe is asked to help. A skeleton she is asked to examine brings back memories of a childhood friendship that ended abruptly. When Tempe and her sister, Harry, decide to find out what happened to their friend, Evangeline, they find themselves in danger, but from whom?

Detailed description of procedures undertaken when examining corpses is provided as Tempe examines her various cases. The variety of cases interspersed with the action of the main plot plus glimpses into Tempe's earlier life and her relationship with Andrew Ryan make this a book difficult to put down.
(A Temperance Brennan Novel no. 10)