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kathydavie's review
3.0
Fifteenth in the Temperance Brennan forensics suspense series revolving around a forensic anthropologist who switches between Montreal and North Carolina. This story takes place in Canada between Montreal and Edmonton.
My Take
This was an okay read with a bit too much of the non-fictional thrown in from how a CT scan operates to kimberlite pipes to DNAWitness to Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, plus, plus, plus, and a bit of history on Edmonton's growth. Lots of snark between Ollie and Ryan when Ollie lets Ryan know that he and Tempe had been an item in the past. Reichs does provide a bit of explanation at the end as to why Ryan is blowing so damn cold with the occasional warm spots throughout this story. Reichs wants us to believe that Ollie and Ryan aren't getting along because of Tempe, but Reichs doesn't write it to make me feel it.
I missed the warmer aspects I usually get in a Temperance Brennan story. This one was just too cold with too much stupidity slithering through it. I will admit that Tempe was bright enough to connect some of the grittier bits.
Somehow, this isn't too believable when all three of them take off for Edmonton on Annaliese's trail. Then their casual talk in front of Aurora. What were they thinkin'? Another low point was the comment Nellie makes and...I just can't believe how long it takes Tempe to make the connection. Then again, I may be playing fair since I'm the one who gets to read the story and I'm not living it. Then again, Tempe is supposedly caught up in it and I should think those little bits of information would rise to the surface a lot faster.
Hey! Tempe's reading Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus!
What is with these supposedly intelligent people who leave "important" messages with their allies but never tell them where they actually are. Call me. Now. is supposed to be what sort of help if you run into trouble? Personally, I prefer 58th and Maine. Tracking suspect.. Duhhhh. Maybe it's okay because Tempe left the same call me message on two phones. *Unghh, trying to pull tongue out of ch-e-e-k...unghhh…*
The Story
It's heartbreaking when all the tiny bodies are found stuffed in different places in the apartment. The person Tempe, Ryan, and Hasty believe is responsible is on the run, heading west. And the three of them take off after her.
It's a trail that reveals, conceals, and frustrates as the layers of support are exposed and Annaliese's character is disclosed. How can someone like her evade capture for so long?
The Characters
Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist who splits her work year between the Laboratoire de sciences judiciares et de médicine légal in Montreal in Quebec and Charlotte, North Carolina. Birdie is her cat and not with her in this story. He's stuck in Charlotte recovering from an infection. Pete is her lawyer ex-husband and Katy is her daughter with some unwelcome and surprising news---she's joined the army!
Her fellows at Sûreté include:
LaManche has been a forensic pathologist for over forty years and is currently in charge. Autopsy technicians include Gilles Pomier, Roy Robitaille, and Lisa. Other pathologists include Jean Pelletier, Marcel Morin, and Emily Santangelo. Simone Annoux is in the DNA section.
Lieutenant-détective Andrew Ryan is a homicide cop with whom Tempe has a romantic history. One that Ryan's heroin-addicted teenage daughter, Lily wrecked. The brusque, thinks-he's-all-that Sergeant Oliver Isaac Hasty is with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a man with whom Tempe had a brief, week-long fling some years ago. He wants back in. Together, Ryan and Ollie are good cop/bad cop.
Susan "Foxy" Forex is a hooker with a heart of gold in Edmonton. Aurora Deveraux, a.k.a., Norma Devlin, is another misfit taken in by Foxy. Only this one has an eye for profit. Dr. Dirwe Okeke is an Alberta pathologist.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Amy Roberts, a.k.a., Alva Rodriguez, a.k.a., Annaliese Ruben, a.k.a., Alma Rogers, a.k.a., Alice Ruben, is a prostitute on the run. But on the run from whom? Tank is her dog. Farley McLeod was her deadbeat dad. Daryl Beck and Eric Skipper are more clues. Ralph Trees is a long-haul trucker who's been banging Alva. He works for his brother-in-law Philip Fast's company Fast Moving. Ron "Scar" Scarborough is a pimp and drug dealer in Montreal who is looking to expand his operations. They believe that Amy was one of his.
Nellie Snook has lots of secrets. Some she knows and some she doesn't know she knows. Horace Tyne is an environmentalist worried about the caribou. Binny Mind-Your-Own-Business Twiller is just loaded with snark that he exchanges with Tempe. Sergeant Joseph Rainwater has worked with Ollie before and the very protective Constable Zeb Chalker are with various police forces in Yellowknife. Maureen King is the chief medical examiner for Alberta. This lady really gets things moving! Courtney is a nurse with an affinity for pathology. Jacob Rainwater is a retired professor who runs the Mineral Development office.
Tom Unka and Arty Castain are the main players the cops would love to clap behind bars. Merilee Twiller is "the love of" Castain's life.
The Cover
The cover is a background of holographic fractals in variable wedges of color.
The title speaks the truth. Bones are Forever and can always provide background and history.
My Take
This was an okay read with a bit too much of the non-fictional thrown in from how a CT scan operates to kimberlite pipes to DNAWitness to Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, plus, plus, plus, and a bit of history on Edmonton's growth. Lots of snark between Ollie and Ryan when Ollie lets Ryan know that he and Tempe had been an item in the past. Reichs does provide a bit of explanation at the end as to why Ryan is blowing so damn cold with the occasional warm spots throughout this story. Reichs wants us to believe that Ollie and Ryan aren't getting along because of Tempe, but Reichs doesn't write it to make me feel it.
I missed the warmer aspects I usually get in a Temperance Brennan story. This one was just too cold with too much stupidity slithering through it. I will admit that Tempe was bright enough to connect some of the grittier bits.
Somehow, this isn't too believable when all three of them take off for Edmonton on Annaliese's trail. Then their casual talk in front of Aurora. What were they thinkin'? Another low point was the comment Nellie makes and...I just can't believe how long it takes Tempe to make the connection. Then again, I may be playing fair since I'm the one who gets to read the story and I'm not living it. Then again, Tempe is supposedly caught up in it and I should think those little bits of information would rise to the surface a lot faster.
Hey! Tempe's reading Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus!
What is with these supposedly intelligent people who leave "important" messages with their allies but never tell them where they actually are. Call me. Now. is supposed to be what sort of help if you run into trouble? Personally, I prefer 58th and Maine. Tracking suspect.. Duhhhh. Maybe it's okay because Tempe left the same call me message on two phones. *Unghh, trying to pull tongue out of ch-e-e-k...unghhh…*
The Story
It's heartbreaking when all the tiny bodies are found stuffed in different places in the apartment. The person Tempe, Ryan, and Hasty believe is responsible is on the run, heading west. And the three of them take off after her.
It's a trail that reveals, conceals, and frustrates as the layers of support are exposed and Annaliese's character is disclosed. How can someone like her evade capture for so long?
The Characters
Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist who splits her work year between the Laboratoire de sciences judiciares et de médicine légal in Montreal in Quebec and Charlotte, North Carolina. Birdie is her cat and not with her in this story. He's stuck in Charlotte recovering from an infection. Pete is her lawyer ex-husband and Katy is her daughter with some unwelcome and surprising news---she's joined the army!
Her fellows at Sûreté include:
LaManche has been a forensic pathologist for over forty years and is currently in charge. Autopsy technicians include Gilles Pomier, Roy Robitaille, and Lisa. Other pathologists include Jean Pelletier, Marcel Morin, and Emily Santangelo. Simone Annoux is in the DNA section.
Lieutenant-détective Andrew Ryan is a homicide cop with whom Tempe has a romantic history. One that Ryan's heroin-addicted teenage daughter, Lily wrecked. The brusque, thinks-he's-all-that Sergeant Oliver Isaac Hasty is with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a man with whom Tempe had a brief, week-long fling some years ago. He wants back in. Together, Ryan and Ollie are good cop/bad cop.
Susan "Foxy" Forex is a hooker with a heart of gold in Edmonton. Aurora Deveraux, a.k.a., Norma Devlin, is another misfit taken in by Foxy. Only this one has an eye for profit. Dr. Dirwe Okeke is an Alberta pathologist.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Amy Roberts, a.k.a., Alva Rodriguez, a.k.a., Annaliese Ruben, a.k.a., Alma Rogers, a.k.a., Alice Ruben, is a prostitute on the run. But on the run from whom? Tank is her dog. Farley McLeod was her deadbeat dad. Daryl Beck and Eric Skipper are more clues. Ralph Trees is a long-haul trucker who's been banging Alva. He works for his brother-in-law Philip Fast's company Fast Moving. Ron "Scar" Scarborough is a pimp and drug dealer in Montreal who is looking to expand his operations. They believe that Amy was one of his.
Nellie Snook has lots of secrets. Some she knows and some she doesn't know she knows. Horace Tyne is an environmentalist worried about the caribou. Binny Mind-Your-Own-Business Twiller is just loaded with snark that he exchanges with Tempe. Sergeant Joseph Rainwater has worked with Ollie before and the very protective Constable Zeb Chalker are with various police forces in Yellowknife. Maureen King is the chief medical examiner for Alberta. This lady really gets things moving! Courtney is a nurse with an affinity for pathology. Jacob Rainwater is a retired professor who runs the Mineral Development office.
Tom Unka and Arty Castain are the main players the cops would love to clap behind bars. Merilee Twiller is "the love of" Castain's life.
The Cover
The cover is a background of holographic fractals in variable wedges of color.
The title speaks the truth. Bones are Forever and can always provide background and history.
ingo_lembcke's review against another edition
5.0
Started today, October 9th, 2012 just after finishing Tess Gerritsen: Last to die.
This case might be too disturbing for a few, from the first little dead body found.
Twisted and complicated case, meandering through Canada and several version of what-if.
Sad turn of events, all too real.
Being in Germany we had our shares of buried babies, unclear wether stillborn or killed.
So the story is not too far-fetched.
The setting is a small town where everyone is somehow related to each other and even smalls events are spread fast so all know about it.
This felt real, people on the fringe of society, scraping for money.
Some of Kathy Reichs books have been hit-or-miss, this is one of the best.
This case might be too disturbing for a few, from the first little dead body found.
Twisted and complicated case, meandering through Canada and several version of what-if.
Sad turn of events, all too real.
Being in Germany we had our shares of buried babies, unclear wether stillborn or killed.
So the story is not too far-fetched.
The setting is a small town where everyone is somehow related to each other and even smalls events are spread fast so all know about it.
This felt real, people on the fringe of society, scraping for money.
Some of Kathy Reichs books have been hit-or-miss, this is one of the best.
char931's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
l_andrews3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
paulabrandon's review against another edition
3.0
The last quarter, in which everything came together quite nicely, helped nudge this Temperance Brennan entry to a 3 star rating, although 2.5 is probably more deserving. The plot begins with the discovery of three dead babies, and eventually leads Tempe, her on-and-off detective lover Andrew Ryan, and another detective, Oliver Hasty (who she apparently had a brief fling with in the past), to Yellowknife, where they are suddenly knee-deep in a convoluted mystery involving gang warfare and diamond mines.
This took a loooooooong time to get into, despite the initial grim subject matter. For the longest time, it didn't feel like much more than Tempe, Andrew and Ollie going from place to place, hotel to hotel, all while sniping at each other. Constantly. Like, it is never-ending! None of these characters liked being in each other's company, and after a few pages, I didn't like being in company with any of them! I have never sat through so much petty snarking in my entire life. It really, really dragged the book down.
Kathy Reichs books can usually be read in one sitting, because they contain a complex mystery and interesting forensic detail. However, it was too easy to put this book down. Even the forensic details felt a bit dry. And, oh, the description and unnecessary historical details! Want a detailed 5 page explanation of diamond mining in Canada? You'll get it here! Even though the plot does involve diamond mines, that level of history was not necessary. It just grinds proceedings to a halt.
Other elements annoyed: gratuitous dream sequences and the fact that Then there's the drug warfare stuff. Yawn! Not interested in gang turf warfare plots. Never have been. Never will be. It was an unnecessary distraction from the main plot. It also annoyed me that Tempe puts herself into all sorts of dangers that even the dimmest of horror movie heroines would normally not do. Not a good look.
But once the plot elements all come together, it races towards a fairly exciting finish (as is usually the case in a Reichs book), and I was impressed by how all the strands fitted together. But due to the sluggish pace and (uncharacteristically) horrible characters, getting there was sometimes a real tough slog.
This took a loooooooong time to get into, despite the initial grim subject matter. For the longest time, it didn't feel like much more than Tempe, Andrew and Ollie going from place to place, hotel to hotel, all while sniping at each other. Constantly. Like, it is never-ending! None of these characters liked being in each other's company, and after a few pages, I didn't like being in company with any of them! I have never sat through so much petty snarking in my entire life. It really, really dragged the book down.
Kathy Reichs books can usually be read in one sitting, because they contain a complex mystery and interesting forensic detail. However, it was too easy to put this book down. Even the forensic details felt a bit dry. And, oh, the description and unnecessary historical details! Want a detailed 5 page explanation of diamond mining in Canada? You'll get it here! Even though the plot does involve diamond mines, that level of history was not necessary. It just grinds proceedings to a halt.
Other elements annoyed: gratuitous dream sequences and the fact that
Spoiler
one of the killers was a character who was only mentioned - on page 20!!! - and had never actually been a presence in any way through any of the book.But once the plot elements all come together, it races towards a fairly exciting finish (as is usually the case in a Reichs book), and I was impressed by how all the strands fitted together. But due to the sluggish pace and (uncharacteristically) horrible characters, getting there was sometimes a real tough slog.
greggbaconroll's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
adelebritton71's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0