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kathydavie's review
3.0
Fourteenth in the Temperance Brennan forensic suspense series revolving around a forensic anthropologist who splits her time between Montreal and Charlotte, North Carolina.
My Take
The story had good bones---no pun intended, but there was a passion lacking in this. Although, Reichs appears to be setting us up for a new boyfriend. Mostly this one was a lot of tease romance-wise. Even Pete got used here.
Brief visits to the racetrack with a lot of forensic investigating as Tempe, Slidell, and Cotton go back to the past talking to old witnesses.
Omigod, WTF is Pete thinkin'?? Summer is a major idjit. Her bra size is bigger than her IQ…?! Typical issues with the FBI. Ya know, I bet more crimes would be solved if the guys who were all on the same side would cooperate…
Oh. Give me a break. This is where the number fell when Reichs got all stupid-drama-y with Tempe's prison scene. I thought Tempe was a smarter woman than this!
The Story
It's the body in the drum of asphalt that starts it all up again. Wayne Gamble wonders if it's his sister's boyfriend while the FBI wonders if it's Ted Raines. It's a combination of two young kids' tragic disappearance and the FBI slipping in under everyone's noses that gets Tempe's dander up and she and Skinny Slidell get to investigating.
An investigation that leads to all sorts of death threats as bits and pieces get revealed. Lots of speculation and theories.
The Characters
Dr. Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist. She has a well-traveled cat named Birdie. Charlie Hunt is a lawyer who has been seeing Tempe on and off...seems that it's about to be all off. Dr. Tim Larabee is her boss in North Carolina and the Mecklenburg County medical examiner. Mrs. Eunice Flowers is the receptionist/secretary at the MCME; she is quite a stickler for manners. Joe Hawkins is a death investigator.
Wayne Gamble is the jackman on Sandy Stupak's '59 Chevy and he's passionate about finding his sister Cindi who's been missing for over a decade. She and her boyfriend, Cale Lovette, disappeared together in spite of the efforts of the local police and the FBI. Grady Winge, Eugene Fries, and Owen Poteat were witnesses at the time. Ethel Bradford was one of Cindi's teachers. Cale was involved with the Patriot Posse, a group of right-wing militants led by J.D. Danner. Who is very concerned about Tempe's renewed investigation into the kids' disappearance. Craig Bogan married Kitty, Cale's mom, and then bought her gardening business from her. Maddy Padgett and Lynn Nolan were friends of Cindi's. Friends with some interesting secrets then and now.
Cotton Galimore is an ex-cop who now works as head of security at the racetrack. Seems he was a very bad boy at one time. He was also was one of the cops who worked with Rinaldi on the Gamble-Lovette missing person case. Detective Erskine Slidell has a very low opinion of Galimore and cautions Tempe to stay away from him.
Ted Raines works for the CDC and goes missing. Special Agents Carl Williams and Percy Randall do everything they can to obstruct Tempe and Larabee.
Lieutenant-détective Andrew Ryan of the Section des crimes contre la personne at the Sûreté du Québec makes a brief appearance. From afar. It's been a year since Tempe and Ryan were together. Turns out Ryan is a racing fan. His daughter Lily is still giving him trouble. Pete Brennan is Tempe's about-to-be-ex-husband (finally!) and his bride-to-be Summer is balking. He's begging Tempe to help him out. They have a daughter, Katy, who is an accountant. Harry is Tempe's sister and recently learned that her son Kit had fathered a child back when he was 16. He now has a 14-year-old daughter, Victoria "Tory" Brennan, now living with Kit in Charleston.
A quick reference to the Bhagwan Shree Rahneesh in Oregon and his little terrorism spree. Bit of coincidence. This same guy and the incident has a mention in Ursula Hegi's Tearing the Silence.
The Cover
The cover is a blend of metallic blues, but whether they represent an ocean horizon or simply the static of a television with no reception...only the cover artist knows.
My Take
The story had good bones---no pun intended, but there was a passion lacking in this. Although, Reichs appears to be setting us up for a new boyfriend. Mostly this one was a lot of tease romance-wise. Even Pete got used here.
Brief visits to the racetrack with a lot of forensic investigating as Tempe, Slidell, and Cotton go back to the past talking to old witnesses.
Omigod, WTF is Pete thinkin'?? Summer is a major idjit. Her bra size is bigger than her IQ…?! Typical issues with the FBI. Ya know, I bet more crimes would be solved if the guys who were all on the same side would cooperate…
Oh. Give me a break. This is where the number fell when Reichs got all stupid-drama-y with Tempe's prison scene. I thought Tempe was a smarter woman than this!
The Story
It's the body in the drum of asphalt that starts it all up again. Wayne Gamble wonders if it's his sister's boyfriend while the FBI wonders if it's Ted Raines. It's a combination of two young kids' tragic disappearance and the FBI slipping in under everyone's noses that gets Tempe's dander up and she and Skinny Slidell get to investigating.
An investigation that leads to all sorts of death threats as bits and pieces get revealed. Lots of speculation and theories.
The Characters
Dr. Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist. She has a well-traveled cat named Birdie. Charlie Hunt is a lawyer who has been seeing Tempe on and off...seems that it's about to be all off. Dr. Tim Larabee is her boss in North Carolina and the Mecklenburg County medical examiner. Mrs. Eunice Flowers is the receptionist/secretary at the MCME; she is quite a stickler for manners. Joe Hawkins is a death investigator.
Wayne Gamble is the jackman on Sandy Stupak's '59 Chevy and he's passionate about finding his sister Cindi who's been missing for over a decade. She and her boyfriend, Cale Lovette, disappeared together in spite of the efforts of the local police and the FBI. Grady Winge, Eugene Fries, and Owen Poteat were witnesses at the time. Ethel Bradford was one of Cindi's teachers. Cale was involved with the Patriot Posse, a group of right-wing militants led by J.D. Danner. Who is very concerned about Tempe's renewed investigation into the kids' disappearance. Craig Bogan married Kitty, Cale's mom, and then bought her gardening business from her. Maddy Padgett and Lynn Nolan were friends of Cindi's. Friends with some interesting secrets then and now.
Cotton Galimore is an ex-cop who now works as head of security at the racetrack. Seems he was a very bad boy at one time. He was also was one of the cops who worked with Rinaldi on the Gamble-Lovette missing person case. Detective Erskine Slidell has a very low opinion of Galimore and cautions Tempe to stay away from him.
Ted Raines works for the CDC and goes missing. Special Agents Carl Williams and Percy Randall do everything they can to obstruct Tempe and Larabee.
Lieutenant-détective Andrew Ryan of the Section des crimes contre la personne at the Sûreté du Québec makes a brief appearance. From afar. It's been a year since Tempe and Ryan were together. Turns out Ryan is a racing fan. His daughter Lily is still giving him trouble. Pete Brennan is Tempe's about-to-be-ex-husband (finally!) and his bride-to-be Summer is balking. He's begging Tempe to help him out. They have a daughter, Katy, who is an accountant. Harry is Tempe's sister and recently learned that her son Kit had fathered a child back when he was 16. He now has a 14-year-old daughter, Victoria "Tory" Brennan, now living with Kit in Charleston.
A quick reference to the Bhagwan Shree Rahneesh in Oregon and his little terrorism spree. Bit of coincidence. This same guy and the incident has a mention in Ursula Hegi's Tearing the Silence.
The Cover
The cover is a blend of metallic blues, but whether they represent an ocean horizon or simply the static of a television with no reception...only the cover artist knows.
char931's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
paulabrandon's review against another edition
4.0
Dr. Tempe Brennan is dragged into a mystery with the discovery of a body in a barrel at a NASCAR speedway. This ends up linking to the mysterious disappearance of a 17 year old girl several years earlier, and her boyfriend, who had ties to militia groups. The girl's older brother, pushing for the investigation to be reopened, also becomes the victim of a homicide. And the FBI get involved, snatching the body from the barrel for their own purposes.
I read 60 pages of this, and then all sorts of other commitments got in the way. Rather than DNF, I persevered and read the first 60 pages again, and I'm glad I did. Another entertaining mystery from Kathy Reichs! I like how she is able to create several different story strands and draw them all together. The pacing is brisk, and I particularly liked the character of Erskine Slidell. I think Reichs might have overdone it with the NASCAR and racecar driving research, because there's too much of it on the page, and the subplot of her ex-husband's impending marriage to Summer wasn't really necessary. The identity of the killer was kind of easy to spot, but getting to that point was entertaining, and it was still lots of fun watching how all the story elements would tie together! If you're after a good mystery, Kathy Reichs delivers more than she misses!
I read 60 pages of this, and then all sorts of other commitments got in the way. Rather than DNF, I persevered and read the first 60 pages again, and I'm glad I did. Another entertaining mystery from Kathy Reichs! I like how she is able to create several different story strands and draw them all together. The pacing is brisk, and I particularly liked the character of Erskine Slidell. I think Reichs might have overdone it with the NASCAR and racecar driving research, because there's too much of it on the page, and the subplot of her ex-husband's impending marriage to Summer wasn't really necessary. The identity of the killer was kind of easy to spot, but getting to that point was entertaining, and it was still lots of fun watching how all the story elements would tie together! If you're after a good mystery, Kathy Reichs delivers more than she misses!
book_concierge's review
3.0
Digital audiobook performed by Barbara Rosenblat
Book # 14 in the very popular Temperance Brennan mystery series, featuring the forensic anthropologist who splits her time between Quebec and North Carolina. This one is firmly rooted in the USA, and begins when a 50-gal barrel is unearthed, and a hand is noted to be sticking out of the set asphalt which fills said container. This is just prior to the big NASCAR race at the Charlotte track and there’s some urgency to solve the case. Or is there? Before Dr Brennan can get the answers to the puzzle of this old corpse, the FBI swoops in, confiscates the remains and somehow makes all the records go “poof.”
Reichs is great at plotting intricate mysteries and this is no exception. There are plenty of twists and turns, old and new murders to consider, red herrings and suspects galore. Tempe is her usual self – smart, determined, able to hold her own, but also prone to walking into dangerous situations without appropriate preparation or back-up. Never fear, Reichs always provides a strong man to get Dr Brennan out of the trouble she’s gotten herself into.
Barbara Rosenblat does a fine job of narrating the audio version. She sets a good pace and has clear diction, so she’s understandable even at an increased speed.
Book # 14 in the very popular Temperance Brennan mystery series, featuring the forensic anthropologist who splits her time between Quebec and North Carolina. This one is firmly rooted in the USA, and begins when a 50-gal barrel is unearthed, and a hand is noted to be sticking out of the set asphalt which fills said container. This is just prior to the big NASCAR race at the Charlotte track and there’s some urgency to solve the case. Or is there? Before Dr Brennan can get the answers to the puzzle of this old corpse, the FBI swoops in, confiscates the remains and somehow makes all the records go “poof.”
Reichs is great at plotting intricate mysteries and this is no exception. There are plenty of twists and turns, old and new murders to consider, red herrings and suspects galore. Tempe is her usual self – smart, determined, able to hold her own, but also prone to walking into dangerous situations without appropriate preparation or back-up. Never fear, Reichs always provides a strong man to get Dr Brennan out of the trouble she’s gotten herself into.
Barbara Rosenblat does a fine job of narrating the audio version. She sets a good pace and has clear diction, so she’s understandable even at an increased speed.
l_andrews3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
julie7's review against another edition
1.0
Hardback.
For me, this writing style lacked cohesion. I’ve tried other books by this author and haven’t really enjoyed many of them. I never give up on a writer though as after all, it’s a challenging task keeping all of us readers happy.
Without offending any of my American Goodreads friends,maybe being British didn’t help me me understand some of the dialogue.
For me, this writing style lacked cohesion. I’ve tried other books by this author and haven’t really enjoyed many of them. I never give up on a writer though as after all, it’s a challenging task keeping all of us readers happy.
Without offending any of my American Goodreads friends,maybe being British didn’t help me me understand some of the dialogue.
greggbaconroll's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ellejaoy's review against another edition
3.0
Let me first point out that I am a long time fan of Kathy Reichs and this series. I eagerly await for each book to come out and in general I normally read it straight away, although with this one, there was plenty of books in the pile beforehand to be read for studying and the likes, that I couldn't avoid.
I was excited to finally have it at the top of my list, but I was disappointed within a few pages, and generally annoyed/angry by the end.
This review definitely deserves a list.
1. What. The. Hell. Is. With. Summer? I know that with a few general favourites gone that there was room for a few more characters to come in but I don't understand the point of her in this other than a side character to fill up space, and the general Temp/Pete thing going on. Is this a hint they are getting back together?
2. The random nephew was pretty damn random and a totally useless and eye-rolling fact.
3. Unlike any other book in this series I guessed who the killer was nearly as soon as they where introduced. I felt like the normal confusion and 'it could be anyone' vibe wasn't there and that it was clear as day to any fan who the killer was. I actually felt anger towards the end that Temperance could be so. damn. stupid.
4. The way it was written didn't sit right with me a the start. It felt like Kathy Reichs had serious writers block and she just forced words onto the page. It didn't flow at all. Short sentences and random facts (too many damn lines dedicated to that stupid cat *grr*) in between lines of prose. Too many rhetorical questions that found me skipping pages with like 20 question marks on them. By the end, the writing was back to its general good quality, but the start felt weak.
5. Maybe a personal thing but there is definitely something old about Tempe getting herself in too deep and getting into deadly situations. Surely Reichs can think of something new and excited.
I generally love the series and although I have certain faults, like the last one, the way it is written and the generally plot lines normally redeem it entirely, but this one, no. I can say I like it but it was nothing special and I have to admit I'm slightly put off. I will read the next novel, but I definitely won't be pre-ordering it like normal.
I was excited to finally have it at the top of my list, but I was disappointed within a few pages, and generally annoyed/angry by the end.
This review definitely deserves a list.
1. What. The. Hell. Is. With. Summer? I know that with a few general favourites gone that there was room for a few more characters to come in but I don't understand the point of her in this other than a side character to fill up space, and the general Temp/Pete thing going on. Is this a hint they are getting back together?
2. The random nephew was pretty damn random and a totally useless and eye-rolling fact.
3. Unlike any other book in this series I guessed who the killer was nearly as soon as they where introduced. I felt like the normal confusion and 'it could be anyone' vibe wasn't there and that it was clear as day to any fan who the killer was. I actually felt anger towards the end that Temperance could be so. damn. stupid.
4. The way it was written didn't sit right with me a the start. It felt like Kathy Reichs had serious writers block and she just forced words onto the page. It didn't flow at all. Short sentences and random facts (too many damn lines dedicated to that stupid cat *grr*) in between lines of prose. Too many rhetorical questions that found me skipping pages with like 20 question marks on them. By the end, the writing was back to its general good quality, but the start felt weak.
5. Maybe a personal thing but there is definitely something old about Tempe getting herself in too deep and getting into deadly situations. Surely Reichs can think of something new and excited.
I generally love the series and although I have certain faults, like the last one, the way it is written and the generally plot lines normally redeem it entirely, but this one, no. I can say I like it but it was nothing special and I have to admit I'm slightly put off. I will read the next novel, but I definitely won't be pre-ordering it like normal.
roseawall's review against another edition
3.0
This was the first Kathy Reichs/Bones book that I read. I found it to be a good easy read even though I figured out who the murderer was before Brennan did. It was a little better than average with the writing and how the plot was presented but it was still good regardless.