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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
i'm a sucker for mysterious text messages
⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐
medium-paced
i received this novel as a present and new nothing about the book nor author.
it was very enjoyable! the writing style, plot and characters were great and relatively witty. i would’ve enjoyed a bit more character development, but this novel was an overall great experience and i’m looking forward to reading other works by the author.
it was very enjoyable! the writing style, plot and characters were great and relatively witty. i would’ve enjoyed a bit more character development, but this novel was an overall great experience and i’m looking forward to reading other works by the author.
Once again, Temperance Brennan and Kathy Reichs have kept me up way past bedtime. I was so thankful for this newest release and so overjoyed to finally be able to read it. I enjoyed this novel very much. The writing was spot on and the character development perfect. I had some ideas about what was going on but they were all wrong and I was thoroughly surprised by the ending. I did wish there had been more of Ryan, but at the same time understood why there wasn't. I can't wait to join Tempe in book 20.
Tempe Brennan is battling with migraines and experiencing what she thinks may be hallucinations following neurosurgery for an aneurysm. She's supposed to be taking it easy, but when she receives a text message containing crime scene photos from an unknown source, she can't ignore them. Tempe isn't supposed to be investigating though, and her interference re-ignites an old feud. It's a race against the clock for Brennan to identify the dead man and find out what happened, otherwise she risks losing it all. The worst thing is she doesn't know who to trust, including herself.
It's a long long time since I read a Tempe Brennan novel so I had to do a bit of research and figure out what had happened before I started this one. I don't think it was a conscious choice to take a break, I think I just hadn't realised that more books had been released. This one wasn't what I was expecting though, and I have to say that I didn't enjoy it as much as I remember enjoying earlier books.
The main thing that I struggled with was that there was a lot of info dumping. I'm kind of fascinated with conspiracy theories and the stories behind them (not a believer just interested in the thought processes) so I should have loved this. There was just too much information, so the book was imbalanced. Reichs covered a lot of theories, meaning that the book was heavily focussed on this side of things, and thus there was a lot less of the investigative side of things than I would have liked.
Another thing I noticed is that there are a lot of acronyms and colloquial words or phrases used throughout the book. Some are explained (usually the ones I already knew) and others aren't. I found this made for hard reading as things didn't flow naturally.
In terms of the characters Tempe is really not her usual self here. That is part and parcel of the storyline, she's acting out of character and we're not sure if this is due to her illness or other factors. It works well to a point - a lot of the investigation for this book is done outside of the legal procedures, and I couldn't correlate that with the Tempe of previous books. She's very gung ho and risks the integrity of the investigation by not following protocols. A giant no no in my eyes!
I did get a small amount of satisfaction to my curiosity on the Ryan situation, so that was a positive.
All up I thought this was very middle of the road. The basis for the story is a great idea, but the execution didn't work in my opinion. I think the cospiracy theories took up too many pages and not enough of the book was dedicated to the actual story.
Trigger warnings: Paedophilia, child abuse
It's a long long time since I read a Tempe Brennan novel so I had to do a bit of research and figure out what had happened before I started this one. I don't think it was a conscious choice to take a break, I think I just hadn't realised that more books had been released. This one wasn't what I was expecting though, and I have to say that I didn't enjoy it as much as I remember enjoying earlier books.
The main thing that I struggled with was that there was a lot of info dumping. I'm kind of fascinated with conspiracy theories and the stories behind them (not a believer just interested in the thought processes) so I should have loved this. There was just too much information, so the book was imbalanced. Reichs covered a lot of theories, meaning that the book was heavily focussed on this side of things, and thus there was a lot less of the investigative side of things than I would have liked.
Another thing I noticed is that there are a lot of acronyms and colloquial words or phrases used throughout the book. Some are explained (usually the ones I already knew) and others aren't. I found this made for hard reading as things didn't flow naturally.
In terms of the characters Tempe is really not her usual self here. That is part and parcel of the storyline, she's acting out of character and we're not sure if this is due to her illness or other factors. It works well to a point - a lot of the investigation for this book is done outside of the legal procedures, and I couldn't correlate that with the Tempe of previous books. She's very gung ho and risks the integrity of the investigation by not following protocols. A giant no no in my eyes!
I did get a small amount of satisfaction to my curiosity on the Ryan situation, so that was a positive.
All up I thought this was very middle of the road. The basis for the story is a great idea, but the execution didn't work in my opinion. I think the cospiracy theories took up too many pages and not enough of the book was dedicated to the actual story.
Trigger warnings: Paedophilia, child abuse
As a long time fan of Kathy Reichs and 'Tempe', I've been waiting for her latest novel to arrive and it was with a feeling of delight that I discovered, the author was now feel-enough to continue her work and the long-awaited, 'A Conspiracy of Bones' was published.
In previous novels, Dr. Tempe Brennan has travelled back and forth between Carolina and Quebec but for this outing, she remained in the South, working with 'Skinny' Sidell and her lab colleagues. One of the aspects that I enjoy about a 'Tempe' novel, is that, whether you are a long standing fan, or a new-comer, Reichs always provides a few lines of backstory for each character. This serves as both a welcome reminder for fans and also an introduction for new comers - it eliminates that confusing sense of 'Who is this person...? and why does she react ....?"
As always, Reichs keeps the story interesting with a mix of scientific fact and this time a dash of conspiracy. And at this point, I must congratulate the author for a (in my opinion) brave move. Reichs has been battling a neurological illness and she writes about Tempe dealing with the same illness - the treatment, the pains, the side-effects etc. As the author is only too familiar with Tempe's situation herself, I found that this added an authentic tone to that aspect of the storyline.
'Mama' returned in this novel to assist Tempe and as always provided some much needed comic relief. Though I would have loved to see more interaction between Pete/Tempe and Ryan/Tempe as their relationships are wonderfully written and generally a highlight of the novel as Tempe learns to battle with her emotions, scars and to trust her instincts - not to mention their advice!
Overall, 'A Conspiracy of Bones', is not my favourite of the Dr. Brennan books but I think that this is due less to the storyline - which is a wonderful mix of science, conspiracy and crime, but rather seeing my favorite heroine hampered in such a manner. We need Brennan back to full health and in charge! However, it is well-worth a read and certainly a welcome return to have Reichs writing again.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
In previous novels, Dr. Tempe Brennan has travelled back and forth between Carolina and Quebec but for this outing, she remained in the South, working with 'Skinny' Sidell and her lab colleagues. One of the aspects that I enjoy about a 'Tempe' novel, is that, whether you are a long standing fan, or a new-comer, Reichs always provides a few lines of backstory for each character. This serves as both a welcome reminder for fans and also an introduction for new comers - it eliminates that confusing sense of 'Who is this person...? and why does she react ....?"
As always, Reichs keeps the story interesting with a mix of scientific fact and this time a dash of conspiracy. And at this point, I must congratulate the author for a (in my opinion) brave move. Reichs has been battling a neurological illness and she writes about Tempe dealing with the same illness - the treatment, the pains, the side-effects etc. As the author is only too familiar with Tempe's situation herself, I found that this added an authentic tone to that aspect of the storyline.
'Mama' returned in this novel to assist Tempe and as always provided some much needed comic relief. Though I would have loved to see more interaction between Pete/Tempe and Ryan/Tempe as their relationships are wonderfully written and generally a highlight of the novel as Tempe learns to battle with her emotions, scars and to trust her instincts - not to mention their advice!
Overall, 'A Conspiracy of Bones', is not my favourite of the Dr. Brennan books but I think that this is due less to the storyline - which is a wonderful mix of science, conspiracy and crime, but rather seeing my favorite heroine hampered in such a manner. We need Brennan back to full health and in charge! However, it is well-worth a read and certainly a welcome return to have Reichs writing again.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
(fr) J'aimerais juste prévenir de quelque chose -> TW animal death. Chapitre 32, autour de la page 289, quand Tempe parle à Yuriev, il est fait mention de la mort d'un animal, c'est plutôt graphique. J'ai eu le plus grand mal à m'ôter cette image de la tête.
(en) I'd just would like to warn about something -> TW animal death.
Chapter 32, around page 289, when Tempe is talking to Yuriev, the death of an animal is mentioned, it's quite graphic. I had the hardest time getting that image out of my head.
(en) I'd just would like to warn about something -> TW animal death.
Chapter 32, around page 289, when Tempe is talking to Yuriev, the death of an animal is mentioned, it's quite graphic. I had the hardest time getting that image out of my head.
mysterious
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
The plot of this one was so interesting- deeply disturbing, but fascinating. Seeing Brennan question her own reality as they move through the story was wild, especially since the reader has no clue whether or not she's perceiving things correctly. One of the most terrifying plots by far, but fantastically written. The interpersonal relationships in this one are incredibly interesting as well- I love to see this incredibly brave and daring side of Brennan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Medical content, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Trafficking, Kidnapping
As always, great suspense, hard to lay down, but after 19 books it kinda starts to feel the same.
Great "in-between" book tho.
Great "in-between" book tho.